ARIZONA CARDINALS

This isn’t the 1st time wildfires moved a game to Arizona: Revisiting Chargers-Dolphins in 2003

Jan 13, 2025, 8:19 AM | Updated: 10:45 am

The Dolphins and Chargers played in Arizona due to California fires in 2003...

Wide receiver David Boston #89 of the San Diego Chargers is brought down by defensive back Patrick Surtain #23 of the Miami Dolphins October 27, 2003, played at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona due to wildfires in San Diego. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

On Oct. 27, 2003, the San Diego Chargers boarded a plane to Phoenix to play the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football as wildfires impacted the community at home.

More than 21 years later, the Arizona Cardinals have been thrust into hosting duties as fires devastate California. The NFL relocated Monday’s playoff game between the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings to Glendale on Thursday, giving all parties the weekend to prepare.

The two scenarios are not perfectly alike but have parallels. Back in 2003, preparations were needed within a day. The Cardinals played at Sun Devil Stadium at the time and were fresh off defeating the 49ers 16-13 in overtime when the planning began for a rapid turnaround.

“Little rumors were flying around in the second half, and different members of my staff said, ‘Have you heard anything?'” ASU senior associate athletic director for operations and facilities Mike Chismar told Arizona Sports.

“I said, ‘No, I hadn’t heard anything.’ And it was probably late in the fourth quarter when I received a call from one of the administrators from the Cardinals organization. They said, ‘Hey, we need to move this here, and we need to tell New York here very quickly.’ So naturally, I got on the phone with my boss, which at the time was athletic director Gene Smith, and we had a couple calls back and forth, and I was given the go-ahead to tell them to tell New York, ‘Let’s go.'”

The parking lot at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium had been set up as an evacuation site for the devastating Cedar Fire, and then-mayor Dick Murphy wanted the game postponed or moved. Both teams already passed their respective bye weeks, so the NFL opted to undertake a last-minute move to the Valley.

NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue told Cardinals vice president (and now owner) Michael Bidwill a move was possible before Arizona kicked off that Sunday, Darren Urban reported in the East Valley Tribune. By evening, the relocation was a go.

The wildfires had burned at least 650 homes and resulted in 14 deaths at that point, according to ESPN. They ended up claiming 2,820 buildings and 15 lives.

The NFL released a statement, saying “This decision will allow San Diego public safety agencies to maintain their full focus on protecting the lives and property of San Diego residents,” which now in 2025 is a primary reason for moving Monday’s game from L.A.

“We were used to doing turnarounds with an Arizona State game on Saturday and a Cardinal game on Sunday,” Chismar said. “But we had that on the calendar. And (with this situation), we had like 30 minutes warning.

“So as the game ended, we got the word out to all of the people that it takes to support the game, the police, the security, the custodians, the food service staff, our internal staff, our grounds department. We all huddled and we talked about what we need to get the stadium clean, to get it serviced, to get the food and the concession stands restocked. Do we have enough of everything? Do we have enough staff to get this done? And we determined we did, and we moved forward. And everybody worked brilliantly throughout the night to get the stadium turned around.”

Crews used extra paint from local bowl games (Fiesta Bowl and Insight Bowl) to redecorate the end zones for a Chargers home game.

To fill the stands at Sun Devil Stadium in such short notice and without digital ticketing at the time, the game offered free admission on a first-come, first-served basis.

Predictably, long lines formed very early in Tempe, and the announced game attendance was 73,014, a capacity crowd.

“When I got in here on Monday morning, it was probably 5 or 5:30 in the morning, and at the time, the railroad tracks still led to the west from the west side of the stadium in what was our old Lot 55, and there was fans in line all the way down behind the Tempe Mission Palms to the Hayden Flour Mill,” Chismar said. “I mean, it was crazy.”

Much of the staff with duties outside gameday operations were essentially told to get out, but ASU’s associate athletic director for marketing and revenue at the time Steve Hank asked Chismar how he could help.

That’s how he ended up with a bullhorn.

“I spent two and a half hours working the railroad, the light rail track in between Sun Devil Stadium and Mill Avenue where people lined up … giving people, ‘Hey, this is what the security protocols are going to be. This is what the lines are going to be. This is where you’re going to go. This is how you’re going to get things in the stadium,'” Hank told Arizona Sports. “And it was a full team effort, with everybody pulling it together.”

With free admission, staff members used counters while allowing fans in, and seat assignments were random.

Fans had the chance, however, to donate to fire relief efforts, which led to $220,000 dollars raised.

As ABC broadcasted the scene at Sun Devil Stadium to the nation, an eclectic colorway of Charger blue, Dolphin teal and Cardinal red decorated the setting. Arizona State alum Al Michaels opened the broadcast with color commentator John Madden by saying, “The world of fun and games meets real-life tragedy.”

The game itself was a non-contest. The Dolphins took a 24-3 lead into halftime and won 26-10. Miami quarterback Brian Griese threw for three touchdowns while San Diego’s Drew Brees tossed three interceptions.

Miami improved to 5-2, while San Diego fell to 1-6 before finishing the year 4-12 and earning the No. 1 pick, which they used on Eli Manning before trading for Philip Rivers.

Chargers receiver David Boston told the New York Times postgame that the circumstances were a distraction for both teams, but it was just another game once it kicked off.

”Some of our guys have already been evacuated, and it might be more,” Brees told the New York Times. “Obviously, we hope for everyone’s safety and everyone’s family’s safety — not only the guys here on the team, but just San Diegans.”

Arizona Cardinals

Bidwill...

Associated Press

Former Cardinals employee files lawsuit against owner Michael Bidwill for verbal abuse

A former assistant to Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill filed a lawsuit against him, saying that she was verbally abused during her tenure.

3 hours ago

Larry Fitzgerald...

Damon Allred

Larry Fitzgerald praises Kenny Dillingham following ASU offer to son Devin

Larry Fitzgerald threw some credit Kenny Dillingham's way following his son's recent offer to be a Sun Devil.

11 hours ago

Arizona Cardinals is embracing change amid coaching staff carousel....

Tyler Drake

‘Part of the business’: Cardinals’ Jonathan Gannon facing new challenge in Year 3

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon is facing a new reality with the departures of multiple assistants this offseason.

2 days ago

A recent ESPN mock draft has the Cardinals taking two cornerbacks in the first two rounds of the NF...

Brandon Cadiz

ESPN’s Matt Miller has Cardinals taking two CBs in Mock Draft

ESPN's analyst Matt Miller has the Cardinals taking two cornerbacks with their first two picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.

3 days ago

Arizona Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort looks on. It's officially NFL mock draft season with Arizona's...

Tyler Drake

NFL mock draft tracker: What will Cardinals do with No. 16 pick?

A look across the NFL mock draft landscape when it comes to the Arizona Cardinals' No. 16 overall pick in this year's draft.

3 days ago

The Jaguars are hiring former Cardinals pass game specialist Spencer Whipple as their next QBs coac...

Tyler Drake

Jaguars hiring Cardinals’ Spencer Whipple as their new quarterbacks coach

The Jacksonville Jaguars are hiring Cardinals pass game specialist Spencer Whipple as their next quarterbacks coach.

4 days ago

This isn’t the 1st time wildfires moved a game to Arizona: Revisiting Chargers-Dolphins in 2003