(Preface: I live up north and have attended camp since around 1994. This idea sucks, in my opinion.)
The Arizona Cardinals are thinking about what the majority of NFL teams have been doing recently and moving their training camp closer to home. It would save costs on travel, room and board and more than likely, bring more fans that live in the Phoenix metropolis, a closer view of their team.
The franchise and Glendale wants to build a $4 million air conditioned "bubble dome" ($10.2 million when including construction costs and land purchase) that would preside on the southeast side of the University Of Phoenix Stadium. It would be 1 and 1/2 fields large and could be used for future Fiesta Bowls, Super Bowls and other big events.
However, there seems to be a caveat. The fields the indoor facility would displace is currently an sports area earmarked specifically for youth sports, per a report on AZ Central. The Arizona Sports and Transit Authority has aided funding that is supposed to give that location to kid's playing fields, but if it is a year-round option, like presumed, it would give the current fields (according to comments) a chance for the professionals to remake the current shaky conditions the grass currently is in and give the "yutes" a nice break form the early summer heat wave.
Additionally, the Cardinals still have not ruled out Flagstaff. There is a three-year proposal with NAU and Flagstaff to keep training camp there where it has been.
So, as long as the bubble doesn't have an ASU/ Dallas Cowboys collapse and fans enjoy the feeling of being a sardine in a Minny Metrodome- plastic-bag -kinda-breathing-in-polymers kinda experience-that-Glendale-can't afford, I'm all for it.
Did I mention I'm all for the cool breeze, smell of green natural grass, clouds with possible rain, close quarters with autograph sessions in the northwest practice field exit and Segways?
I'll miss Flagstaff.