Saying Goodbye To Tempe

Leitch|published: Tue 27th December, 12:15 2005

This image was lost some time after publication, but you can still view it [object Object] .

No one on the planet noticed it on Saturday, but, as it turns out, another Cardinals team said goodbye to its stadium this year.

Yes, on Saturday, The Buzzsaw That Is The Arizona Cardinals played their final game at Sun Devil Stadium, beating the Philadelphia Eagles and closing up their unusual, unsuccessful and kind of unbelievable 17-year run in Tempe.

Say what you will about the New York Jets playing at Giants Stadium, but at least they play at the stadium of a professional team; the Buzzsaw has been renting out space from Arizona State University the whole time. The team was never supposed to play there longer than a year or two in the first place, but as the team remained horrible, and public support for a new stadium dwindled, it almost seemed right to let the team stew in Tempe pergatory. The stadium was never full — though it was closer when the Cowboys were in town — and over the last 17 years, it never hosted a playoff game.

Next year, the Buzzsaw will move into a fancy new stadium that will find new, shiny and improved ways to be half full. No one cries for the end of Sun Devil Stadium's NFL reign, because it was one that was never supposed to exist in the first place.

Cardinals See Off Sun Devil In Style [AZ Republic] Sun Devil Stadium Highlights [AZ Republic]

While doing some research for an article we'll be posting later today, we came across an animated GIF avatar a Buzzsaw fan created for his pro wrestling message board handle. It's hilariously weird and profane, and it's posted after the jump.)