where did the arizona cardinals come from

The Arizona Cardinals originated as the Morgan Athletic Club, a neighborhood football team founded in Chicago in 1898. The team acquired the "Cardinals" nickname in 1901 when Chris O'Brien, the founder, bought used jerseys from the University of Chicago that were cardinal red in color. The team became known as the Racine Cardinals after their playing field's location, and in 1920, they became a charter member of what is now the NFL, starting out as the Racine Cardinals before becoming the Chicago Cardinals in 1922. This franchise is the oldest professional football team in the United States, with a continuous operation history dating back to its 1898 founding in Chicago.