ROLANDO CANTU, CARDINALS Offensive LINEMAN (2004-06) And Native Out-of MONTERREY, MEXICO: I became with the behavior team for the 2004, got slashed, in addition they signed myself back. The agenda getting 2005 ended up being create, and that i remember really well that i got good education go camping that seasons and they explained I found myself creating really better. I did admirably. I did not [play], however, I got the ability to be there.
WILSON: We provide the Cardinals a good amount of borrowing from the bank when planning on taking brand new challenge and you will doing it. People for the category during the Ny most needed to push the trouble to figure out which class and you will exactly who to talk to in terms of the possession communities. Logistic anything came into enjoy as well, such as for example time areas, travel — how long are they likely to need to traveling — for this reason I believe Mexico is such an appealing nation, it wasn’t probably have to be a massive travels. Relatively simple out of a time region angle. A good amount of you to ran to the calculus, and also at the amount of time, this new [Cardinals] decided that they had getting happy to give-up a home games for as long as they made feel in their mind financially to come off and you may play. Geographically, they’re quite intimate.
When the finally 53-man rosters was in fact revealed, it clipped me personally however, explained they’d indication me personally back to your behavior squad
The new 2005 Cardinals-49ers online game from inside the Estadio Azteca place a typical-year attendance number out-of 103,467 fans, which stood for nearly four year. Robert Laberge/Getty Photo
MIKE NOLAN, 49ERS Advisor (2005-08): I recall we had a conference, [party manager] John York and i on meeting. He told you, “Do you want to enjoy inside Mexico City otherwise is it possible you must gamble on the Hall out of Fame games?” And that i said . Really don’t wanted an extra games about preseason my personal first year. I might instead just have fun with the during the-seasons online game into the Mexico Urban area. And that i believe of a partner view, the fresh new 49ers enjoys enough admirers down there. I didn’t know during the time exactly who we had play, but we ended up playing Washington. That is how i contemplate it first started.
Thus for me it had been, ‘Hey, carry it for the
BERTRAND BERRY, CARDINALS Defensive Prevent (2004-09): The very first thing I remember try enough our males did not have passports. So, first off, is actually anything I found very interesting. With all of the professionals we’d for the squad, there is certainly an extended line to locate passports and i also just think about considering such, ‘Man, we had not come everywhere. We had not done some thing aside from gamble sporting events all of our entire life.’
GONZALEZ: e were to be held, are a romantic date that into the Mexico we have to capture with great admiration, considering the historical situations (Tlatelolco Slaughter) of which we have been well aware right here, but we was required to simplify to the associates when you look at the the united states. Sure, the huge benefits and drawbacks was weighed, nevertheless try felt like that people must go ahead as the we had to simply accept that we give a tv series and you may an excellent cause of fun. So, in the place of targeting the latest perhaps not-so-beneficial situation of the concept of this new date, i chose to promote an alternative and you can state, ‘Today, Oct. dos, there are even aspects of celebrating.’
New NFL had complete multiple “Western Dish” preseason video game from inside the Mexico just before planning an everyday-season online game truth be told there. AP Pictures/Jose Luis Magana
BERRY: I recently had a beneficial perception in regards to the whole topic. I was not one of those guys wary of it. I was thrilled. I always liked carrying out stuff nobody had actually ever complete. Let us bristlr ekЕџi wade be noticeable within the Mexico. Let’s wade promote some Cardinals admirers straight back with our team regarding around the the fresh edging.’
