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Devil Stadium, Frank Kush Field is located on
the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe.
It is home to the Arizona State Sun Devils
college football team and was the home of the
NFL's Arizona Cardinals from 1988 to 2005.
The
sun always seems to shine on Sun Devil Stadium, the
only NFL stadium on a college campus. Desert dwellers
like to say it's a dry heat, but tell that to the fans
who roast in the stands for August preseason games.
Temperatures have climbed as high as 122 degrees, and
it's worse on the field. Most regular-season games are
played in the hottest part of the day - 1 p.m. in September
and early October, and 2 p.m. the rest of the season. |
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The sun and the gorgeous setting between two mountains
buttes provide most of the heat and color at Sun Devil
Stadium. Visiting fans sometimes outnumber Cardinals
supporters, especially when the Cowboys come to town.
In fact, on those weekends, Interstate 10 in New Mexico
and Arizona is filled with Texas license plates. Cowboy
fans from West Texas, unable to get tickets to Texas
Stadium, drive to Phoenix and pack the stadium, creating
a sea of blue that irritates Cardinal players.
Until the team wins, though, the situation is not going
to change too much. Phoenix residents, many from else-where,
are slow to change loyalties - especially the retirees,
whose RVs and out-of-state plates are easy to spot in
the parking lot. Still, the team slowly is building
a following, mostly among the younger set, the most
visible proof being "The Wild Cards", a rowdy group
in the north end zone who paint their faces and wear
red wigs and Cardinals garb.
Some Arizona Cardinals history: The Cardinals
built strong teams during the 1920s, 1940s, and
1970s, capturing four division crowns and two NFL
titles during those decades. Because the first Super
Bowl was not played until 1967, however, the
Cardinals have never played in it.
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