PHOENIX , AZ (Amazing America TV) — Think you know the oldest team in the NFL? It’s not the Bears or the Browns. Surprise! It’s the Arizona Cardinals.
The Cardinals’ journey began in 1898 in South Chicago, where they were known as the Morgan Athletic Club, a group of teenagers with a passion for football. After acquiring Normal Field on Racine Avenue, they rebranded as the Racine Normals. The team’s owner purchased used jerseys from the University of Chicago, and the faded colors inspired the name “Cardinals.”
In 1920, the Cardinals became a founding member of the American Professional Football Association, which would later become the NFL. They were joined by the Decatur Staleys, now the Chicago Bears, and several other teams that have since faded into history. By 1922, to avoid confusion with the Racine Legion, they adopted the name Chicago Cardinals.
The Cardinals claimed a controversial championship in 1925, a time when the team with the best regular-season record was automatically crowned NFL Champions. However, the team faced a 20-year struggle before clinching the NFL Championship in 1946 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
As the years passed, the Cardinals lost support to their North Side rivals, the Chicago Bears, prompting a move to St. Louis in 1960. Despite some competitive seasons, stadium issues and conflicts with the St. Louis Baseball Cardinals, led to another relocation to Phoenix in 1988.
The Cardinals endured a decade without a winning record in Arizona until 1998, when they defeated the Cowboys in the Divisional Round, marking their first playoff victory in 51 years. A decade later, in 2008, quarterback Kurt Warner and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald propelled the Cardinals to the Super Bowl. Fitzgerald’s iconic touchdown catch was a highlight, but the Steelers ultimately clinched the win in the final seconds.
Despite their rich history, the Cardinals remain one of the few NFL teams yet to secure a Super Bowl victory. So, next time you’re at a tailgate, impress your friends with this trivia about the NFL’s oldest team.
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