Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame

John N. “Johnny” Cardinal never forgot the important role sports played in his life.

Cardinal grew up as one of six children in a one-room farmhouse in Texas. The only way he could afford to get a college degree was through a football scholarship to West Texas State College.

So, when Cardinal was running Cardinal’s Sport Center, headquartered in Lubbock Texas, he always found a way to help kids who did not have the means to get the equipment, shoes and support they needed to participate in sports.

That type of care Cardinal exhibited for his customers en route to building a successful retail and team dealer business led to his selection for induction with the Class of 2025 of the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame.

“He built a successful dealership in a competitive market and always cared about his staff and salespeople,” said Roger Brackhan, the President of Lou’s Sporting Goods in Fremont, Nebraska. “His customers had a great loyalty that only comes from years of dedicated service to the schools and teams in his region. Not only was he an excellent businessman, he had that extra component of integrity and honesty that everyone knew and respected.”

Cardinal, who passed away in 2013 at age 87, went into education as a coach and principal after graduating from college. In 1959, he moved into the sporting goods industry as a partner and road salesman with Buck’s Sporting Goods in Amarillo, Texas. He started building crucial relationships with coaches, athletic directors, school administrators and bookkeepers.

In 1968, Cardinal sold his stock in Buck’s and purchased the Sport Center in Lubbock, changing the name to Cardinal’s Sport Center. His son Tony and grandson John joined the family business that grew to four stores and a thriving team business.

“John Cardinal and Cardinal’s Sport Center in Lubbock was and is an institution in the sporting goods industry,” said Dave Salvi, the retired CEO of Sports Inc. “Cardinal’s was always the perfect example of what an independent team and retail sporting goods business should aspire to be.”

Cardinal was recognized for his contributions to Texas athletics with two high honors. He was inducted into the Texas High School Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame in 2004 and he was inducted into the Lubbock Independent School District Hall of Honor’s Class of 2017.

After he retired, Cardinal kept close relationships with the active and retired coaches he worked with by holding weekly gatherings at Cardinal’s Coffee Shop so they could get together and tell stories and reminisce.

It underscored the respect Cardinal had, even from some of his biggest competitors such as Ronny Flowers of Athletic Supply in nearby Odessa in the Texas Panhandle. Flowers was inducted into the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame in 2019.

“Even though we were considered competitors throughout the years, our companies had a healthy respect for each other,” Flowers said. “John ran a customer-first, family business in West Texas that steadily grew throughout the years.

“John and I maintained a great relationship throughout the years and I respected the fashion he serviced his customers and how he treated all his employees as family.”

Please note: This biography was produced from the nominating materials in the candidate’s nominating year, so the information may not be current.