Cowboys Pay Tribute to Late Cardinals Owner William Bidwill Prior to Sunday's Game

Last Wednesday, the Arizona Cardinals announced that owner William Bidwill had passed away at the [...]

By John Newby

Last Wednesday, the Arizona Cardinals announced that owner William Bidwill had passed away at the age of 88. This resulted in an outpouring of support for his family, as well as comments about the impact that Bidwill made on the NFL. Sunday afternoon, the Dallas Cowboys went a step further by paying tribute to the late Cardinals owner.

Prior to a battle with the Green Bay Packers, the video board at AT&T Stadium was filled with an image of Bidwill. Arizona's team wasn't in the building to see the gesture, but the purpose was to honor a man that positively impacted the league, as well as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

"I always viewed Bill as a man who, through his father and his literally growing up with the NFL, was an extension of the founding fathers of the NFL," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement. "His leadership and influence contributed greatly to bridging the gap between what the earliest years of our professional game looked like and the growth and massive popularity of what it has become."

"He had a unique perspective of where the game began and where he thought it needed to go," Jones continued. "I enjoyed him as a competitor and a colleague, and regardless of the circumstance, he had a unique gift of humor that not everyone knew about. Without fail, he always made me laugh with his subtle wit, or a timely joke, before every game that our teams played against each other. Our thoughts and support are with his entire family. Bill will be missed greatly, and his imprint on the NFL will not be forgotten."

Bidwill originally took ownership of the Cardinals back in 1972, continuing in the tradition set by his father. During his tenure leading this team, Bidwill met a newcomer to the league in Jones, who purchased the Cowboys in 1989. Per Jones' own admission, he and the Cardinals owner became fast friends and helped build the league into the behemoth that it has become.

These two owners and teams were very familiar considering that they have faced off 35 times since Jones purchased the Cowboys. The Cardinals were also part of the NFC East until 2002, which meant that these two teams played each other twice a year.

Given this competitive history, it was expected that Jones would become very familiar with Bidwill, which is what happened. The pair were friends, and it appears that Jones wanted to honor the memory of the late Cardinals owner with the gesture on Sunday.

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