Revenge of the Birds
Kudos to the owner for making the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame, but what about his football legacy?
It was announced yesterday that Arizona Cardinals owner, Michael Bidwill, has been elected to the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame. From the standpoint of helping to bring an NFL franchise to Arizona and thereby carrying with it a whole host of financial bonanzas to the Arizona business world, Michael Bidwill keenly deserves his Hall of Fame induction. In fact, he’s likely deserved it for quite some time now.
If it’s one thing more than any other that characterizes Michael Bidwill’s effectiveness as a business tycoon, it’s his capacity to provide a vast variety of customers with ample and welcoming accommodations. The most salient recent example was how Bidwill came to the rescue of the Los Angeles Rams by not only opening the doors to State Farm Stadium to them and the Minnesota Vikings, but by going the literal and proverbial extra mile by flying his corporate jets over to pick up their NFC West rivals.
Ironically, opening the doors at State Farm Stadium to the rabid fans of other teams has become a weekly tradition for the Cardinals. Games at the stadium continue mostly to be sellouts while the influx of out-of-state fans for the Phoenix area hotels, shops and restaurants has been a financial boon for the Valley. Same as whenever Super Bowls and yearly Fiesta Bowls are played at the state-of-the-art indoor/outdoor arena.
Another salient example of Michael Bidwill’s penchant for accommodating the citizens of Arizona is his generosity in helping to give local high school students the privileged experience of being flown to Washington DC (in Bidwill’s Arizona Cardinals jet) for an elaborate history field trip. This DC experience is, for example, a Model UN student’s dream come true.
Most recently, Michael Bidwill has been devoting a good deal of time and effort into promoting women’s flag football leagues. Click here for the inside scoop:
Michael Bidwill Lends Support For Girls Flag Football (azcardinals.com)
Yes, Michael Bidwill and the Bidwill family continue to be an extremely valuable and veritable asset to the financial, educational and sports communities that encompass the “Ditat Deus” spirit of the Arizona ethos.
To the Football Side of Things:
“It’s a move that had to be made.” Michael Bidwill
Since taking over the everyday rule and operations of the Cardinals in 2013, Michael Bidwill’s teams have combined for a regular season record of 92-102-1 (47.2%), 4 winning seasons and 3 playoff berths in 12 years, one NFC West title, a 1-3 playoff record (25%), with 1 trip to the NFC Championship game.
In 12 seasons, Bidwill has hired 2 GMs and 4 head coaches.
Yet, in a profoundly ironic fashion, Bidwill’s accommodations, particularly for the benefit of other teams, apply to a number of his former coaches and to a former assistant GM. After moving on from the Cardinals:
Super Bowl Rings:
