One of the best running backs in their history Link The Arizona Cardinals are the oldest continuous professional American Football team in the United States. They began as an athletic club team that would play other athletic clubs and gyms, and small-to-medium city teams situated regionally, where a day trip on a train could get them there and back in the same 24-hour period. The Cardinals have had eight different franchise names beginning with the “Morgan Athletic Club” in 1898. In 1901, they became their third moniker, this time called the “Racine Cardinals.” RELATED: CARDINALS ALL-TIME RUSHING LEADERS Fast forward to 1987. For years, other NFL clubs had looked at Phoenix, Arizona as a place to relocate. Often, the city was used as a negotiation ploy for a club to persuade the local politicians and community to get what they wanted if they decided to remain instead. The “St. Louis Cardinals” finally took the plunge in a move and the “Phoenix Cardinals” began in the 1988 season. At the time, all of New Mexico and Arizona favored the Dallas Cowboys. So, in 1994, the franchise changed its name again, this time to the “Arizona Cardinals” to help develop its fanbase regionally. RB Lyv