The relocation of the Insight.com Bowl from Tucson to
Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix "opened a can of worms"
regarding a possible move by the NFL Cardinals to the
facility, which the team, the Fiesta Bowl and the D'Backs
"were quick to slam shut" yesterday, according to Lee
Shappell of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC. The Cardinals are
currently seeking a 73,000-seat retractable roof stadium and
are awaiting the outcome of a November referendum on public
financing, but with the move of the bowl game, stadium bill
opponents "can now argue that Bank One Ballpark is a
suitable facility" for the team. But Fiesta Bowl President
John Junker said that although Bank One Ballpark "is a
suitable facility" for a second-tier college bowl game, it
"is not a viable venue" for a Bowl Championship Series game
or "legally permitted to be home to" an NFL team. Cardinals
Dir of PR Paul Jensen said that the ballpark's seating
capacity would be too small for the team and the overlapping
schedules of the Cardinals and D'Backs in August and
September would also prevent such an arrangement. D'Backs
Managing General Partner Jerry Colangelo: "Bank One Ballpark
does not work for a football team to play in August and
September. It's too small for the NFL and Fiesta Bowl. It
was not built for that utilization" (AZ REPUBLIC, 4/27).
