Those Other Cardinals

No one is so foolhardy to claim that the St. Louis Cardinals football team had anything approaching a dynasty during the team's 28 years in this town. With only three playoff appearances and no national titles, the Big Red are perhaps best remembered as the "Cardiac Cardinals," a team known for come-from-behind victories and last-minute losses that made for exciting (and often frustrating) viewing. And yet, in the midst of an especially dismal season for the tough-luck Rams, it's easy to wax nostalgic for a team that could occasionally boast of a winning record. Author Greg Marecek takes a stroll through the Cardinals' tenure in St. Louis in his book The St. Louis Football Cardinals: A Celebration of the Big Red, the first book to collect the history of the team's pre-Arizona days. Marecek is joined by former Cardinal greats Jackie Smith and Mel Gray at a presentation and signing tonight at the Missouri History Museum (Lindell Boulevard and DeBaliviere Avenue; 314-746-4599 or www.mohistory.org). The free event begins at 7 p.m. in the Lee Auditorium, and copies of the book will be sold in the museum's gift shop.
Tue., Dec. 8, 2009