Bill Bidwill: Chargers Owner Dean Spanos Speaks out After Arizona Cardinals Exec’s Death

Wednesday afternoon, the Arizona Cardinals announced that team owner Bill Bidwill had passed away at the age of 88, ending a long tenure with the team that began when his father purchased the team in 1932. Bidwill was viewed as someone that helped change the NFL for the better, which affected multiple teams. The Los Angeles Chargers and owner Dean Spanos reflected upon Bidwill’s impact on the league with a statement on Wednesday.

“Bill Bidwill’s two great loves in life were his family and the NFL,” Spanos said in the statement. “He also enjoyed making people laugh by telling a good joke. All this created a common ground that bonded him with my father, Alex, and has kept our families close for more than three decades.”

As Spanos explained in his letter, this closeness led to Bidwill opening up the Cardinals’ stadium and facility to the Chargers when the Cedar Fire burned 273,246 acres of land in San Diego County. The Chargers were residents of San Diego at the time and had home games scheduled at Qualcomm Stadium. However, the Cedar Fire disrupted the plans and put some games into question.

In an effort to provide assistance, Bidwill and the Cardinals hosted a week eight battle between the Miami Dolphins and the Chargers at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. He also allowed the team to use the practice facility in preparation for the matchup. The Chargers ultimately lost 26-10 in the midst of a trying 4-12 season, but Bidwill’s open arms made this game possible.

Whether it was embracing diversity by hiring the first African American female executive or bringing professional football to the state of Arizona, Bidwill was an owner that was known for pushing the NFL forward, and Spanos wanted to highlight that with his statement on Wednesday afternoon. He believes that the late Cardinals owner was a force for change in the league and that he provided an example for many others.

Larry Fitzgerald, who was selected third overall in the 2004 NFL Draft by the Cardinals, added to this sentiment with his comments on Twitter about Bidwill.

“The NFL family lost a pioneer today,” Fitzgerald wrote. “Bill Bidwill loved the Arizona Cardinals and the great State of Arizona. He paved the way for so many by being on the forefront of giving minorities the opportunity to thrive as coaches and executives in the NFL. He was also a man of quiet generosity giving of his time and resources to make lives better. I’ll always remember the opportunity he gave me to live my dream in the NFL. Rest in peace, Mr. B.”