WEBVTT - The Dave Pasch Podcast - Michael Bidwill 0:00:03.360 --> 0:00:06.439 It's time for another edition of the Dave Pash Podcast. 0:00:06.519 --> 0:00:09.840 I'm your host Arizona Cardinals play by play voice longtime 0:00:10.080 --> 0:00:14.160 ESPN announcer Dave Pash. We are presented by bet MGM, 0:00:14.280 --> 0:00:17.520 the official sports betting partner of the Arizona Cardinals and 0:00:17.680 --> 0:00:22.400 Hila River Hotels and Casinos. If you want updates on 0:00:22.560 --> 0:00:26.239 future guests and also relive some of the moments from 0:00:26.239 --> 0:00:29.400 our previous guests, you can follow us on Twitter at 0:00:29.600 --> 0:00:33.360 Pash Pod. I grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, and I 0:00:33.400 --> 0:00:35.800 didn't leave the state until I was eighteen years old, 0:00:36.000 --> 0:00:38.960 when I went away to college at Syracuse University, and 0:00:39.000 --> 0:00:41.440 then after that I worked in markets, primarily on the 0:00:41.440 --> 0:00:44.600 East Coast and in the Midwest until moving to Arizona 0:00:44.640 --> 0:00:46.760 in two thousand and two. So when I took the 0:00:46.880 --> 0:00:51.319 job in Phoenix, I didn't know a ton about the 0:00:51.360 --> 0:00:54.200 inner workings of the organization other than the fact that 0:00:54.480 --> 0:00:56.920 they had been in Chicago one point, moved to Saint 0:00:57.000 --> 0:00:59.279 Louis and then to Phoenix, and when I got here, 0:00:59.280 --> 0:01:02.720 the Cardinals were still playing at Sundevil Stadium. Fan attendance 0:01:02.800 --> 0:01:06.560 wasn't high, but there was a buzz within the organization 0:01:07.040 --> 0:01:11.360 a confidence level internally from the marketing and broadcasting departments 0:01:11.400 --> 0:01:14.200 to the football side of the building, and what happened 0:01:14.200 --> 0:01:18.520 over the next decade proved that that confidence was merited. 0:01:19.120 --> 0:01:24.920 The organization had undergone a major transformation with State Farm Stadium, 0:01:25.200 --> 0:01:29.520 the community involvement expansion, and then being a playoff contender 0:01:29.720 --> 0:01:34.760 on a relatively consistent basis. The Cardinals had totally changed, 0:01:35.240 --> 0:01:38.520 and the man behind the transformation is our guest today, 0:01:38.920 --> 0:01:43.800 Cardinal's owner Michael Bidwill. A one time ball boy, Michael 0:01:43.840 --> 0:01:46.160 grew up close to the organization, of course, with his 0:01:46.280 --> 0:01:49.160 family owning the team, but he spent a good part 0:01:49.280 --> 0:01:53.240 of his adult life outside the organization working as a 0:01:53.360 --> 0:01:57.680 federal prosecutor. He rejoined the team in nineteen ninety six, 0:01:58.160 --> 0:02:02.720 eventually became president and now owner. We talk about the 0:02:02.760 --> 0:02:06.240 state of the NFL, his high expectations for the twenty 0:02:06.320 --> 0:02:10.639 twenty one Cardinal season, his love of aviation, and how 0:02:10.680 --> 0:02:14.200 that positively impact of the Cardinals. Michael tells some great 0:02:14.240 --> 0:02:17.080 stories about some of his favorite players, about all the 0:02:17.080 --> 0:02:20.400 time he spent with his dad. He also gets into 0:02:20.840 --> 0:02:25.560 Kyler Murray and his maturity level and J. J. Watton 0:02:25.600 --> 0:02:28.840 how that free agent signing went down. So here is 0:02:28.880 --> 0:02:35.760 Cardinals owner Michael Bidwell on the Dave Pash Podcast. So, Michael, 0:02:35.760 --> 0:02:38.920 with the change to a seventeen game regular season, the 0:02:39.000 --> 0:02:42.480 new TV contracts, it seems like the appetite for NFL 0:02:42.520 --> 0:02:45.480 football as at an all time high. So with that 0:02:45.600 --> 0:02:47.760 in mind, what are your thoughts on the state of 0:02:47.800 --> 0:02:51.240 the NFL right now going into the twenty twenty one season. Well, Dave, 0:02:51.360 --> 0:02:53.760 thank you for the question and thanks for having me on. 0:02:53.840 --> 0:02:57.880 I think this podcast is awesome. But to answer the question, 0:02:57.919 --> 0:03:00.520 I think the future of the NFL is very, very bright. 0:03:00.919 --> 0:03:04.919 We've got ten years of labor stability. We've managed our 0:03:04.919 --> 0:03:08.519 way through this pandemic in an unprecedented way. The NFL 0:03:08.600 --> 0:03:12.240 was the only league to play every scheduled regular season 0:03:12.280 --> 0:03:15.840 game last year and to play its championship games on 0:03:16.040 --> 0:03:18.720 time and on schedule on the original schedule. Nobody thought 0:03:18.760 --> 0:03:21.760 we could do it. But it was collectively the players, 0:03:21.880 --> 0:03:26.160 the owners, the league office, the officials, the coaches, everybody 0:03:26.200 --> 0:03:28.080 you know chipped in and did what they needed to 0:03:28.120 --> 0:03:30.640 do to accomplish that. But when you look at that 0:03:31.400 --> 0:03:35.320 stability of having the agreement with the players, the seventeen 0:03:35.400 --> 0:03:39.160 game season in the growth of interest with our fans. 0:03:39.200 --> 0:03:41.440 We continue to make this it's the greatest game that 0:03:41.520 --> 0:03:45.000 there is, and we believe, you know, let's give more 0:03:45.040 --> 0:03:48.080 to the fans. So there's more access, more regular season games, 0:03:48.120 --> 0:03:51.000 now more of a pathway to the playoffs for teams 0:03:51.040 --> 0:03:55.080 with the added wildcard for each conference. So I think 0:03:55.120 --> 0:03:56.920 it's very bright. And you'll just look at some of 0:03:56.920 --> 0:03:59.880 our ratings, you know, TV ratings around the draft, TV 0:04:00.120 --> 0:04:05.320 ratings around the combine, TV ratings around preseason. You know, 0:04:05.320 --> 0:04:08.040 we just blow everybody away, and you know, we continue 0:04:08.040 --> 0:04:10.640 to work at making the game more interesting and I 0:04:10.640 --> 0:04:11.840 think there are going to be a lot of things 0:04:11.840 --> 0:04:13.520 that contributed to that. And I know you're gonna ask 0:04:13.560 --> 0:04:16.279 me a little later about legalized sports betting, but my 0:04:16.320 --> 0:04:18.760 guests is that will help contribute to interest as well. 0:04:19.040 --> 0:04:21.240 I want to follow up on one of the things 0:04:21.320 --> 0:04:25.000 you said about the NFL being the only league to 0:04:25.200 --> 0:04:28.279 not miss a game, and I was part of the 0:04:28.360 --> 0:04:30.920 NBA doing an NBA game the night it shut down 0:04:31.000 --> 0:04:33.159 and ended up spending some time in the bubble, and 0:04:33.200 --> 0:04:36.359 obviously the NBA took several months off and then started 0:04:36.360 --> 0:04:39.320 the next season late. You guys just plowed right through. 0:04:39.360 --> 0:04:42.159 And I'm just curious when you were all having your conversations, 0:04:43.000 --> 0:04:45.440 how did that get finalized where you guys all said, 0:04:45.440 --> 0:04:47.400 you know what, we're going to just keep plowing ahead 0:04:47.400 --> 0:04:50.000 and we'll kind of figure it out. But we owe 0:04:50.000 --> 0:04:54.000 it to our fans and our sponsors and the players 0:04:54.040 --> 0:04:58.520 to continue as planned. Well, I think it started with 0:04:58.760 --> 0:05:04.240 Commissioner Goodell. I mean, Roger just was determined, especially when 0:05:04.240 --> 0:05:06.359 people said there's no way we could do it, that 0:05:06.440 --> 0:05:08.960 we would find a way. And so doctor Sills is 0:05:08.960 --> 0:05:12.200 our chief medical officer for the National Football League, all 0:05:12.279 --> 0:05:15.440 the medical community, and then the relationship we have with 0:05:15.480 --> 0:05:21.200 an infectious disease specialist at Duke University as well as others, 0:05:21.480 --> 0:05:25.080 the relationship that we had and have with the federal 0:05:25.200 --> 0:05:29.680 agencies that oversee the CDC and everything else. So we 0:05:29.760 --> 0:05:32.200 just worked very hard and then worked with some private 0:05:32.240 --> 0:05:34.400 contractors who were going to be able to do testing 0:05:34.400 --> 0:05:37.159 for us, and they developed these protocols that there was 0:05:37.160 --> 0:05:40.599 a real burden on our players, coaches, staff, but we 0:05:40.680 --> 0:05:43.240 tested every day. We knew that we'd have positives, we 0:05:43.279 --> 0:05:46.119 just needed to identify them early and eliminate them from 0:05:46.520 --> 0:05:49.719 the pool until they were fully recovered and not infectious anymore, 0:05:50.160 --> 0:05:53.120 and so they put together a terrific plan. And there 0:05:53.160 --> 0:05:55.120 was a plan not only for the players and the 0:05:55.120 --> 0:05:58.919 coaches and keeping everybody safe, officials and all the people 0:05:58.960 --> 0:06:03.479 that are around them on the field, but also you know, 0:06:03.560 --> 0:06:05.000 for fans if we were going to be able to 0:06:05.080 --> 0:06:07.719 have fans and some teams, including the Cardinals, were allowed 0:06:07.720 --> 0:06:09.599 to have limited number of fans in in the twenty 0:06:09.640 --> 0:06:12.480 twenty season. All right, let's focus on twenty twenty one. Now, 0:06:12.480 --> 0:06:14.960 the camp in preseason are over. What are your thoughts 0:06:15.040 --> 0:06:18.800 on the state of the team heading into the Tennessee game. Well, 0:06:18.800 --> 0:06:21.360 I think I couldn't be more excited about this season 0:06:21.440 --> 0:06:24.200 when you look at what we've built here and the 0:06:24.360 --> 0:06:28.359 terrific draft. But it started really probably a couple of 0:06:28.400 --> 0:06:32.240 years ago drafting Kyler and then last year being able 0:06:32.240 --> 0:06:35.960 to trade for DeAndre Hopkins, as well as you know 0:06:35.960 --> 0:06:39.440 this year in the offseason signing JJ Watt, trading for 0:06:39.560 --> 0:06:42.880 Rodney Hudson, addressing some of these things that we needed 0:06:42.880 --> 0:06:45.880 to address on our offensive line, as well as giving 0:06:45.960 --> 0:06:50.520 him an additional target with AJ Green. I couldn't be 0:06:50.520 --> 0:06:53.240 more excited. We need Kyler to further grow and he's 0:06:53.240 --> 0:06:55.960 shown a lot of leadership through the offseason and training camp. 0:06:56.040 --> 0:06:59.080 But I feel really good about how they've prepared mentally, 0:06:59.480 --> 0:07:02.679 so I'm cited about Week one. They're a good team, 0:07:03.360 --> 0:07:05.560 the Tennessee Titans, and we're going to know what we're 0:07:05.600 --> 0:07:09.000 made of and I'm excited to get that going. What 0:07:09.040 --> 0:07:13.440 are your expectations, because I assume as an owner, your 0:07:13.480 --> 0:07:15.520 expectation every years to win the Super Bowl, and if 0:07:15.840 --> 0:07:19.960 you don't, then it's a disappointing outcome because everybody wants 0:07:20.000 --> 0:07:21.760 to win the title. Obviously, it's only one out of 0:07:21.760 --> 0:07:24.520 thirty two. So what are your expectations for this particular year. Well, 0:07:24.520 --> 0:07:25.840 I think every year the goal is to win the 0:07:25.880 --> 0:07:29.480 division and then to stay hot through January and get 0:07:29.480 --> 0:07:32.520 yourself to the super Bowl. And we've done that once before. 0:07:32.600 --> 0:07:36.080 We came short in twenty fifteen. But I feel like 0:07:36.120 --> 0:07:38.960 we've got a team with We've really strengthened that defense, 0:07:39.240 --> 0:07:41.640 we've strengthened the offense, and a lot of it is 0:07:41.680 --> 0:07:44.680 about staying healthy, making sure we manage ourselves through the 0:07:45.160 --> 0:07:47.560 pandemic because we're still in it. We know they're going 0:07:47.600 --> 0:07:50.440 to be additional infections this year, but again, we'll be 0:07:50.480 --> 0:07:54.200 testing and isolating, and we've got everybody vaccinated. Only one 0:07:54.280 --> 0:07:57.200 players not vaccinated with us. But I think we've got 0:07:57.200 --> 0:07:59.960 a really good plan going forward. Now we got to 0:08:00.240 --> 0:08:03.360 and execute and stay healthy. And it was clear that 0:08:03.640 --> 0:08:06.640 part of the plan was to improve the leadership and 0:08:06.680 --> 0:08:10.160 accountability in the locker room. How did you go about 0:08:10.320 --> 0:08:13.360 plotting that out? And you talked about the signing of 0:08:13.440 --> 0:08:15.920 JJ Watt obviously that was important, but how did you 0:08:15.960 --> 0:08:19.280 and Steve Kime come up with the idea, Okay, this 0:08:19.320 --> 0:08:21.559 is how we want to plot this out and plan 0:08:21.720 --> 0:08:24.080 to improve the locker room. Well, I think it's about, 0:08:24.120 --> 0:08:27.280 you know, growing the young leaders that we have, Buddha Baker, 0:08:27.760 --> 0:08:30.240 Chandler Jones, There's so many great leaders that we have 0:08:31.040 --> 0:08:33.280 on this team, and then making sure as we bring 0:08:33.280 --> 0:08:35.840 in new leaders you know DeAndre from a year ago, 0:08:36.520 --> 0:08:39.760 j Rodney Hudson, they're all doing a terrific job. And 0:08:39.800 --> 0:08:42.280 then we make sure you know that we're asking the 0:08:42.320 --> 0:08:44.240 coaches to make sure that they're leaders in each one 0:08:44.280 --> 0:08:46.640 of those rooms. And they're doing it anyway, but we're 0:08:46.640 --> 0:08:49.160 really putting in an emphasis on it from top to bottom, 0:08:49.200 --> 0:08:51.720 and I think it's really showed and it's given the 0:08:51.920 --> 0:08:55.440 space for those young leaders to speak up and to 0:08:55.600 --> 0:08:58.440 be able to speak to their teammates. And I think 0:08:58.520 --> 0:09:00.760 Kyler showed a lot of leadership. You know, in his 0:09:00.880 --> 0:09:03.079 third year he needed to get comfortable, and he's gotten 0:09:03.120 --> 0:09:06.920 comfortable holding his teammates accountable. Why do you think, I 0:09:06.960 --> 0:09:09.640 want to follow up on your comment on Kyler in 0:09:09.760 --> 0:09:13.040 what areas have you seen him grow? Why do you 0:09:13.080 --> 0:09:15.120 think it took till now maybe to be a little 0:09:15.160 --> 0:09:17.880 bit more vocal. Well, I think you know, it's natural 0:09:17.920 --> 0:09:20.680 with any young player coming in, it's got to be 0:09:20.679 --> 0:09:23.439 an intimidating situation. You come in and you know, twenty 0:09:23.480 --> 0:09:25.520 two years old and you're expected to be the leader 0:09:25.520 --> 0:09:27.880 of the entire team, not just one side of the ball, 0:09:28.320 --> 0:09:30.439 and it's going to take a little bit of time. 0:09:30.760 --> 0:09:33.120 And so I think he's done that. He's done a 0:09:33.160 --> 0:09:36.720 good job. He's organized things in Dallas where in the 0:09:36.760 --> 0:09:40.000 off season he's been communicating with his teammates, and then 0:09:40.040 --> 0:09:43.000 certainly a training camp, he's been holding them accountable out 0:09:43.000 --> 0:09:45.280 on the practice field and you can see it and 0:09:45.400 --> 0:09:48.320 talking to his receivers, talking to his offensive lineman, talking 0:09:48.320 --> 0:09:51.000 to his running backs. You guys have done a great 0:09:51.040 --> 0:09:54.920 job of keeping things quiet. It's amazing because nowadays it's 0:09:55.000 --> 0:09:57.920 hard when you have a major trade or a major 0:09:57.960 --> 0:10:02.480 free agent signing in any sport for schefter or woj 0:10:02.559 --> 0:10:06.040 in the NBA to not get it. But the DeAndre 0:10:06.120 --> 0:10:09.760 Hopkins moved last year and the JJ Watt signing, it 0:10:09.760 --> 0:10:13.600 didn't leak right. How did you guys execute the JJ 0:10:13.800 --> 0:10:16.560 Watt move? Well? I think part of it was it 0:10:16.640 --> 0:10:19.200 was important for JJ that he wanted to, you know, 0:10:19.280 --> 0:10:21.640 keep things buttoned up, and that's sort of our m oh, 0:10:21.720 --> 0:10:24.079 that's how we operate. It's like, why talk about it 0:10:24.640 --> 0:10:27.439 until it's happened, because you're just gonna let people down 0:10:27.480 --> 0:10:30.280 if something big like that doesn't happen, And so we 0:10:30.559 --> 0:10:33.080 keep our mouths shut, and it's on a need to 0:10:33.080 --> 0:10:36.800 know basis internally sometimes just with Steve and me and 0:10:36.960 --> 0:10:39.240 nobody else knows until they need to know, and we'll 0:10:39.240 --> 0:10:41.640 bring coach in the loop, knowing that he was probably 0:10:41.640 --> 0:10:44.160 going to be all for it, which he was with 0:10:44.240 --> 0:10:48.440 both hop and JJ, and so it was super important 0:10:48.440 --> 0:10:51.600 to them that the announcement. You know, it was important 0:10:51.640 --> 0:10:53.559 to JJ that he made his announcement, and it was 0:10:53.600 --> 0:10:55.920 important to the Texans when we did the trade that 0:10:55.920 --> 0:10:57.800 we just decided we're going to keep this buttoned up 0:10:57.840 --> 0:11:00.560 and we keep our end of the deal. Is the 0:11:00.600 --> 0:11:03.360 presence of JJ Watton noticeable for you? I know in 0:11:03.520 --> 0:11:06.640 talking with some of the coaches, they say, man, when 0:11:06.760 --> 0:11:09.600 JJ walks in, everybody kind of stands at attention, Like 0:11:09.640 --> 0:11:11.960 there's a major difference now in the locker room because 0:11:12.400 --> 0:11:17.040 the respect that he has, the respect and I think, 0:11:17.160 --> 0:11:19.080 you know, his presence of what he does on the field, 0:11:19.120 --> 0:11:22.680 and he's very vocal and he doesn't you know, he 0:11:22.720 --> 0:11:26.560 doesn't suffer fools, and he speaks the way he speaks 0:11:26.559 --> 0:11:30.200 his mind. And I also think with him being injured 0:11:30.200 --> 0:11:32.480 through part of camp, he wasn't on the practice field, 0:11:32.480 --> 0:11:34.319 but you know, the last week or so, he's been 0:11:34.320 --> 0:11:36.600 on the practice field and you can definitely see the 0:11:36.640 --> 0:11:38.560 intensity picked up. And this is when we need it 0:11:38.800 --> 0:11:40.760 as we go into week one of the regular season. 0:11:41.320 --> 0:11:44.800 I love the story from draft night when you flew 0:11:44.920 --> 0:11:49.000 Zavan Collins to let him see his hometown from up above, 0:11:49.800 --> 0:11:54.240 and then going from the small town in Oklahoma to Arizona, 0:11:54.679 --> 0:11:57.800 going from Tulsa to the NFL, and I know it's 0:11:57.800 --> 0:11:59.679 something you've done and maybe not a lot of its 0:11:59.679 --> 0:12:02.040 public in terms of just how much you assist players 0:12:02.400 --> 0:12:04.960 or whether it's just members of the organization with personal 0:12:04.960 --> 0:12:08.800 needs or for business purposes. You're always flying. When did 0:12:08.880 --> 0:12:12.920 that passion start? And is this what you envisioned in 0:12:13.000 --> 0:12:15.320 terms of how it's played out as the owner of 0:12:15.320 --> 0:12:18.840 the Cardinals? It no, I mean it started out when 0:12:18.880 --> 0:12:21.640 I was a little kid, just loving airplanes and liking 0:12:21.880 --> 0:12:25.079 going with my father on road trips. He would take me. 0:12:25.120 --> 0:12:27.600 I was a good traveler, he told me. I showed 0:12:27.679 --> 0:12:30.920 up on time and would pack myself and everything else, 0:12:30.920 --> 0:12:33.120 and could get my little tie on and everything and 0:12:33.720 --> 0:12:35.360 go around as a little dude and then sit at 0:12:35.360 --> 0:12:37.240 the table and not complain when he was out with 0:12:37.679 --> 0:12:40.640 other owners. And so I just love going and he'd 0:12:40.640 --> 0:12:42.160 tell me what kind of plane we were on, and 0:12:42.160 --> 0:12:45.719 so I loved, you know, aviation, from early age. His 0:12:46.600 --> 0:12:50.920 good friend and longtime lawyer back in Saint Louis purchased 0:12:51.000 --> 0:12:58.199 a small twin Cessna airplane when I was eighteen, and 0:12:58.480 --> 0:13:00.320 he said, Bill, I don't need the whole air plane. 0:13:00.320 --> 0:13:02.040 Do you want half to buy it? Half of the 0:13:02.080 --> 0:13:04.640 airplane with me? And so Dad came home and told 0:13:04.720 --> 0:13:07.080 us about it one night, and you know, of course, 0:13:07.080 --> 0:13:08.720 the first things out of my mouth, well, how many 0:13:08.720 --> 0:13:11.400 pilots on that airplane? Dad, Well, it just needs one. 0:13:11.440 --> 0:13:14.160 It's a small airplane. Well what happens if that pilot 0:13:14.200 --> 0:13:16.040 has a heart attack? I think one of us should 0:13:16.440 --> 0:13:19.199 be able to fly. And he said, yeah, that's probably 0:13:19.200 --> 0:13:21.840 a good idea. So the next morning, my older brother, 0:13:21.880 --> 0:13:24.480 Bill Junior, and I went and signed up for flying lessons, 0:13:24.559 --> 0:13:27.720 and I've kind of stuck with it and worked up 0:13:27.720 --> 0:13:30.120 from single engine to multi engine to now jets, and 0:13:30.559 --> 0:13:34.200 actually got my helicopter rating in college. Despite him saying, no, 0:13:34.280 --> 0:13:37.400 you can't, I went and did it anyway, and then 0:13:37.520 --> 0:13:39.360 told him about it the day I got my license 0:13:39.440 --> 0:13:41.200 and he said, okay, that's fine, but just don't take 0:13:41.280 --> 0:13:44.959 your younger brother up. And so anyways, but no, it 0:13:45.280 --> 0:13:48.320 started back then and work my way up to where 0:13:48.440 --> 0:13:50.640 when I joined the team back in the in the 0:13:50.640 --> 0:13:55.560 mid nineties, I was going to NFL meetings with my 0:13:55.600 --> 0:13:58.040 father and we you know, he was so recognizable at 0:13:58.040 --> 0:14:01.320 the time, we couldn't really have conversation and on the 0:14:01.320 --> 0:14:04.880 airlines about the content of those meetings, and so it 0:14:04.960 --> 0:14:06.920 was like, you know, really for you know, so that 0:14:06.920 --> 0:14:09.079 we can have more effective time of our travel time 0:14:09.080 --> 0:14:11.920 outside the office. We ended up purchasing a small corporate 0:14:11.960 --> 0:14:14.600 jet and I started flying it then and worked our 0:14:14.640 --> 0:14:16.280 way up. But it's been my pleasure. I mean, there 0:14:16.240 --> 0:14:18.360 are a few things you can do, and making this 0:14:18.400 --> 0:14:21.400 a special day for our our top picks and uh 0:14:21.560 --> 0:14:24.240 and and also when people lose a loved one, you know, 0:14:24.280 --> 0:14:26.160 and we're on a tight football schedule, if I can 0:14:26.200 --> 0:14:28.760 send a coach out and our player out and get 0:14:28.800 --> 0:14:30.920 them back so they can be with their family, be 0:14:30.960 --> 0:14:34.280 at a ceremony and in a funeral and then back here. Um, 0:14:34.440 --> 0:14:36.320 you know, I try to do those things for our 0:14:36.320 --> 0:14:38.800 folks because it's it's it's a time when they you know, 0:14:38.840 --> 0:14:40.200 they need to be here, but they also need to 0:14:40.240 --> 0:14:42.600 be home. And if we can squeeze down the time 0:14:43.160 --> 0:14:45.760 by just getting them in and out and back here, 0:14:46.600 --> 0:14:47.960 you know, it seems to be the right thing to 0:14:48.000 --> 0:14:52.000 do as well. Michael, you mentioned packing, putting on your tie, 0:14:52.400 --> 0:14:54.280 going to the meetings with your dad? Was that? Do 0:14:54.320 --> 0:14:58.080 you other early memories of the Cardinals. I assume a 0:14:58.080 --> 0:15:00.320 lot of those were with your dad at time of them, 0:15:00.360 --> 0:15:03.320 you know, I mean, my earliest memory was Lake Forest 0:15:03.360 --> 0:15:06.600 College where the Cardinals would have training camp. I remember, boy, 0:15:06.640 --> 0:15:08.360 I bet it was four or five years old. I mean, 0:15:08.360 --> 0:15:10.640 it was not much of a memory there, but I 0:15:10.680 --> 0:15:13.200 remember just seeing the training table and realizing we could 0:15:13.200 --> 0:15:16.840 eat as much as we wanted, which was not what 0:15:16.960 --> 0:15:20.800 happened at home. And so when we got home the 0:15:20.880 --> 0:15:25.200 following week and told mom when we want waffles, pancakes, eggs, 0:15:25.240 --> 0:15:26.960 you know, and she was like, you get one thing, kid, 0:15:27.120 --> 0:15:31.720 So in any case, no, but that's that's my earliest memory, 0:15:31.720 --> 0:15:34.360 and we grew up around it, and it was just 0:15:34.680 --> 0:15:36.640 special times and being able to spend all that time 0:15:36.640 --> 0:15:38.920 with Dad and around some of these legends that have 0:15:39.040 --> 0:15:42.080 been around the Cardinals franchise and legends that are around 0:15:42.120 --> 0:15:44.960 the NFL. It's been a real honor to be a 0:15:44.960 --> 0:15:47.760 part of it. I have a lot of great memories 0:15:47.800 --> 0:15:50.240 of your dad. There were three that really stick out. 0:15:50.720 --> 0:15:53.040 The first was when I got hired in two thousand 0:15:53.080 --> 0:15:56.000 and two. I was twenty nine years old. I had 0:15:56.040 --> 0:15:58.480 done the Bills preseason games, but I was also doing 0:15:58.520 --> 0:16:02.960 Syracuse and so I was close with Dick McPherson, who 0:16:03.040 --> 0:16:06.160 had coached the Patriots at one point. Obviously, coach at Syracuse, 0:16:06.200 --> 0:16:08.520 and he knew your dad, and he knew that I 0:16:08.520 --> 0:16:10.320 was trying to get the jobs. So I had him 0:16:10.400 --> 0:16:13.240 call your dad and talked to him, and I came 0:16:13.280 --> 0:16:15.440 and interviewed that I met you and Ron Minneger and 0:16:15.520 --> 0:16:17.000 sat him with your dad for about a half an hour. 0:16:17.080 --> 0:16:18.680 One of the first things out of your dad's mouth, 0:16:18.920 --> 0:16:22.680 he goes, can you stop having these old retired coaches 0:16:22.720 --> 0:16:26.440 call me? And I'm like nervous. He's totally just busting 0:16:26.440 --> 0:16:30.680 my chops. But it was hilarious. He went to Georgetown, 0:16:30.720 --> 0:16:32.360 I went to Syracuse. So there's the right brother. He 0:16:32.440 --> 0:16:35.200 knew that. He brought it up his great friend Val 0:16:35.400 --> 0:16:38.040 Pinchback right. He talked a lot about Val, who was 0:16:38.040 --> 0:16:42.240 a Syracuse guy who put together the NFL schedule for years. 0:16:42.840 --> 0:16:46.440 And another time was in two thousand and four when 0:16:46.480 --> 0:16:48.520 I got hired by ESPN, and you and your dad 0:16:48.520 --> 0:16:50.840 were kind enough when I came to you guys said, look, 0:16:50.840 --> 0:16:52.560 I want to keep doing the Cardinal Games. I have 0:16:52.600 --> 0:16:54.360 this other opportunity. Are you guys okay with this? And 0:16:54.360 --> 0:16:56.200 you guys are yep, don't worry about it. We'll figure 0:16:56.200 --> 0:16:58.440 it out. And here we are eighteen years later, So 0:16:58.440 --> 0:17:01.280 I've always appreciated that. And the last one is the 0:17:01.360 --> 0:17:04.080 Super Bowl because your dad a lot of times would 0:17:04.119 --> 0:17:05.840 just come sit down and talk. Your dad had a 0:17:05.960 --> 0:17:10.359 great knowledge of broadcasting. He loved broadcasting. He knew everything 0:17:10.400 --> 0:17:13.680 about radio and television. And he sat down with Wolf 0:17:13.720 --> 0:17:16.840 and I right before the Super Bowl and we're almost 0:17:16.960 --> 0:17:18.560 late for the bus. Your dad has roll and he 0:17:18.640 --> 0:17:20.480 was telling great stories from the old days where but 0:17:20.480 --> 0:17:22.080 then Wolf and I kind of looked like, we've got 0:17:22.080 --> 0:17:23.440 to goal, We've got to go. Then I'm like, wait 0:17:23.480 --> 0:17:25.679 a second, They're not even without him, So he can 0:17:25.760 --> 0:17:28.159 talk as long as he wants. But I had so 0:17:28.200 --> 0:17:30.320 many great memories of just being around your dad. A 0:17:30.320 --> 0:17:33.240 great sense of humor would always bust my chops whenever 0:17:33.240 --> 0:17:35.159 I saw. He loved to tell stories, and he was 0:17:35.200 --> 0:17:36.959 a little bit of our secret weapon. When we were 0:17:36.960 --> 0:17:40.199 moving into the new stadium. You may remember this. We 0:17:40.320 --> 0:17:42.879 had that relocation process in which we invited all of 0:17:42.920 --> 0:17:47.280 our season ticket members to come into the training facility 0:17:47.280 --> 0:17:50.560 and select their seats for State Farm Stadium. So when 0:17:50.560 --> 0:17:53.040 it was going to open, and so Dad just loved 0:17:53.040 --> 0:17:55.600 to tell stories and we'd have a new group coming 0:17:55.600 --> 0:17:58.600 in about every thirty minutes or so, and so I'm like, Dad, 0:17:58.600 --> 0:18:00.239 when you get to the office, can you just go 0:18:00.280 --> 0:18:02.560 out to the lobby and be yourself, we'll put And 0:18:03.000 --> 0:18:04.920 so he would go out there, and I still here 0:18:04.960 --> 0:18:09.080 today from season ticket members remembering, you know, your dad 0:18:09.080 --> 0:18:11.479 not only told me these great stories in the lobby, 0:18:12.200 --> 0:18:15.679 but he also helped me pick out my tickets from 0:18:15.720 --> 0:18:19.000 my seat location because we knew approximately what was left 0:18:19.040 --> 0:18:22.000 on the day we got our appointment, and he helped 0:18:22.040 --> 0:18:24.360 pick the seat. So I hear that from time to time, 0:18:24.359 --> 0:18:27.360 and I'm so glad because you know, he was such 0:18:27.400 --> 0:18:30.960 a quiet person from you know, a public persona standpoint, 0:18:31.080 --> 0:18:32.360 but if you got to know him and you could 0:18:32.400 --> 0:18:34.400 just sit down one on one with him, he won 0:18:34.480 --> 0:18:36.640 everybody over. And I know all those fans that got 0:18:36.640 --> 0:18:39.560 a chance to visit with him back in two thousand 0:18:39.560 --> 0:18:41.280 and five, when two thousand and six, when we were 0:18:41.320 --> 0:18:44.560 doing that, they were they were pretty Uh. He left 0:18:44.600 --> 0:18:47.240 a good impression. I want to get into the stadium, 0:18:47.320 --> 0:18:49.320 but I want to go back to you talking about 0:18:49.760 --> 0:18:52.040 your earliest memories as a cardinal. You were a ball boy. 0:18:52.720 --> 0:18:55.800 Did you have a favorite player, because you've seen every 0:18:55.800 --> 0:18:58.560 single person come through this organization over the last fifty years. 0:18:58.840 --> 0:19:02.040 I think probably you know, all the stars at the time, 0:19:02.160 --> 0:19:05.920 probably the one I was, you know, we loved Larry Wilson. 0:19:05.960 --> 0:19:08.720 He was such a playmaker. And I remember when we 0:19:08.840 --> 0:19:12.280 found out he was going to retire and asking my 0:19:12.400 --> 0:19:14.160 dad like, how how are we going to be able 0:19:14.200 --> 0:19:16.840 to do this without Larry Wilson being one of the players. 0:19:16.840 --> 0:19:18.600 How are we going to be able to win football games? 0:19:18.920 --> 0:19:21.080 What's a team going to be like without such a 0:19:21.119 --> 0:19:24.000 great player and a great leader. And I know he 0:19:24.119 --> 0:19:26.639 and my dad had a fondness and then he you know, 0:19:26.720 --> 0:19:29.080 came to the front office and then later in life 0:19:29.119 --> 0:19:31.439 was lucky enough to work with him. So I'd say Larry, 0:19:31.560 --> 0:19:36.200 But you know Dan Dierdorf, Jim Hart, Mel Gray, Otis 0:19:36.240 --> 0:19:39.160 Anderson who went and finished his career with the Giants. 0:19:40.080 --> 0:19:44.159 So many different players that were terrific. Pat Tilley was 0:19:44.200 --> 0:19:49.280 another receiver. Roy Green came along later in nineteen seventy nine. 0:19:50.400 --> 0:19:52.520 But as I grew up and then you know, started 0:19:52.520 --> 0:19:54.480 actively working as a ball boy, there were some real 0:19:54.600 --> 0:19:59.879 characters too. And I remember one player who played for 0:20:00.200 --> 0:20:02.400 I think three seasons with us from like seventy eight 0:20:02.400 --> 0:20:06.159 to eighty John Barfield, and this guy referred to himself 0:20:06.160 --> 0:20:09.399 as doctor Doom. He was a linebacker and just a character. 0:20:09.440 --> 0:20:11.560 And I just remember in seventy eight we drafted him 0:20:11.560 --> 0:20:14.760 in the second round and that you know, I heard 0:20:14.800 --> 0:20:16.520 he's going to show up and he wears a quarter 0:20:16.680 --> 0:20:19.199