Join FunTrivia for Free: Hourly trivia games, quizzes, community, and more!
Fun Trivia
Ask FunTrivia: Questions and Answers
Answers to 100,000 Fascinating Questions
Welcome to FunTrivia's Question & Answer forum!

Search All Questions


Please cite any factual claims with citation links or references from authoritative sources. Editors continuously recheck submissions and claims.

Archived Questions

Goto Qn #


When did the NFL Cardinals gain the name Cardiac Cardinals and after what particular game?

Question #59132. Asked by cardfan2.
Last updated Aug 30 2016.

avatar
gtho4
Answer has 5 votes
gtho4
24 year member
2377 replies avatar

Answer has 5 votes.
They gained the nickname Cardiac cardinal towards the end of the 1998 season, butthere's not much around specifying after which game.

By reaching the playoffs for the first time since 1982, and then winning a playoff game for the first time since 1947, the Cardinals exceeded most expectations. While this team showed it should be considered a franchise on the rise, it wasn’t always easy. They earned the nickname "Cardiac Cardinals" because eight of their 16 regular-season games were decided by three points or less, with seven of those ending in favor of Arizona. However, until the playoffs, when they beat archrival Dallas, the Cardinals had not defeated a team with a winning record. ... Said QB Jake Plummer after the season-ending loss in Minnesota: "We can look back in a few weeks, and then we’ll reflect on how we put together a pretty good season against some pretty high odds. We finished it out, made the playoffs and did some good stuff."

[ archive.profootballweekly.com/content/archives/features_1998/seasonreview_cardinals_020399.asp ]
link no longer exists

link http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/forum/threads/jake-plummer-was-one-win-from-the-super-bowl.67208/page-8

One of the keys for Plummer is to get Arizona off to a quicker start. The Cardinals have been outscored 104-19 in the first quarter this year. Plummer, who helped Arizona achieve the nickname ``Cardiac Cardinals' a year ago with his flare for late-game and late-season dramatics, has helped Arizona outscore its opponents 80-65 in the fourth quarter this year, but it's not nearly enough to erase most of the deficits.

[ augustasports.com/stories/122599/pro_falcons.shtml link no longer exists ]



Response last updated by gtho4 on Aug 30 2016.
Sep 01 2005, 8:26 PM
Matt602Kent
Answer has 6 votes
Currently Best Answer
Matt602Kent

Answer has 6 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.
Actually the term was first applied in the mid 1970s when the team was doing quite well under coach Don Coryell (cf. link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Coryell ;later led the Chargers to several division titles -- remember Air Coryell). Many of their games were quite close (both wins and losses). Because of these "nailbiters," they began to be called the Cardiac Cardinals -- about 25 years before the 1998 season. link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona_Cardinals

Jul 16 2008, 2:20 PM
wdfadude
Answer has 2 votes
wdfadude

Answer has 2 votes.
Matt602Kent is correct. I remember as a kid watching those close games, and my heart would be pounding out of my chest out of anxiousness and anticipation of a possible win (I was thinking, "are they going to be able to pull this one off?!").

The sportscasters throughout the late '70s and '80s here in St. Louis would always refer to them as the "Cardiac Cards" or the "Big Red" (the later to differentiate themselves from the baseball Cardinals).

But to go to the original trivia question...I have no idea...was there a specific game? I figured it was a nickname that was applied to them over a long period of time.

Jan 30 2009, 8:50 PM
free email trivia FREE! Get a new mixed Fun Trivia quiz each day in your email. It's a fun way to start your day!


arrow Your Email Address:

Sign in or Create Free User ID to participate in the discussion