Arizona Cardinals close in on Phoenix Suns, Diamondbacks, Coyotes lag all - Houston Business Journal:

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Market research conducted as part of a possible relocatio n of the to Canada shows the Cardinals and Nationa Football League catapulting in popularitg among localsports consumers. Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie wants to buy the Coyotesfor $213 millionb and move the team to Hamilton, His relocation plan submitted to the National Hockey League includes market the research. The surveys, conducted in late May for Balsilliwe byHotspex Inc., show the Cardinalzs gaining favor in a Phoenix sports market traditionally dominated by the and . One surve y looked at the overall appeal among fans forthe region’sx four major sports teams.
The Cardinal s garnered 53 percentsupport — equal to the Diamondbackxs and just behind the 54 percen t mark received by the Phoenix Suns. The Coyotez came in at 29 percent. The survey did not say how many fans were The survey also found that football is the most populatr sport in the Phoenix area with 53 percenft of residents following the NFL on a regular Major League Baseball was second at 45 percent followed by the Nationakl Basketball Association at 44 percent and National Hockeu League at 20 percentof Phoenix, according to the surveyh and Balsillie’s application to move the team. The Cardinalzs and NFL also did the best when it comez to consumers choice of sportsto attend.
Fifty-sevebn percent of those surveyeds showed a strong desire to attendd anNFL game. That compares to 51 perceng who strongly wanted to see a Major LeagueBaseball game, 46 percent an NBA game and 30 percengt for hockey. The Cardinals traditionallg have been a doormat both in the NFL and the Phoenixd sports market wherethe D-Backsd and Suns have made multiple playoff appearances. The which moved to University of Phoenixx Stadiumin 2006, had not hosted a home playoff game since 1947 and team owners the Bidwill family were unpopular among local fans.
But the Cardinalas playoff winslast season, a National Footbal l Conference championship and last-second Super Bowl loss pushes them higher in a market strugglinvg with cuts in consumer spending. The Cardinals playof f success also compares withthis season’s failures by Suns and Coyotes to make theifr playoffs and a slow 2009 season startr by the D-backs.