Your Inside Guide to: Phoenix/Scottsdale

A Sports Fan's Dream

Super Bowl: On February 3, 2008, all eyes will be on the Phoenix area as Super Bowl XLII kicks off at the state-of-the-art Arizona Cardinals' stadium in Glendale. This facility features a retractable roof and the only natural grass field capable of being completely rolled out of the stadium. It's estimated that over 800 million people from around the globe watch this premier football game each year and Arizona is preparing for that spotlight in various ways. You may remember, this will be the second time they've hosted it. In 1996, Super Bowl XXX was played in Tempe's Sun Devil Stadium.

Phoenix Suns: The NBA's Suns draw a huge legion of fans to the newly renovated and expanded US Airways Center in Downtown Phoenix. With a strong team and loyal fans, they've made it to the post-season for 16 out of the last 18 years. The young, athletic, run-and-gun team expects to maintain the same fast pace this year. The US Airways Center is consistently recognized as one of the top venues in the country to watch a game and it underwent a $70 million renovation project in 2003.

Arizona Diamondbacks: As a fairly new team in the MLB (they entered in 1998), the Arizona Diamondbacks quickly became one of the top ball clubs to watch in the majors. They racked up such notable feats as being the fastest to the first Division crown in 1999, the fastest team to win 500 games in 2003 and the fastest expansion team to win the World Series in 2001. They play in Chase Field, where nearly 15 million fans have watched this team strive for greatness. There are over 40,000 awesome seats inside the park, and with the signature swimming pool and retractable roof, Chase Field is instantly recognizable to baseball fans across the world.

Tee off at TPC: The Tournament Players Club of Scottsdale is the home of the PGA Tour FBR Open every January. The TPC of Scottsdale is one of the premier courses in the Southwest, with every hole presenting a challenge and the beautiful Sonoran Desert as the backdrop. Get out and play the course right up until the four days before the FBR Open to really familiarize yourself with the terrain.

Need for speed: Phoenix International Raceway is a proud host of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. With two annual NASCAR weekends, in April and November, fans and drivers get to experience one of the country's top tracks. The PIR NASCAR Weekends also features Busch, Craftsmen Trucks and Featherlite Southwest Series races on the one-mile oval track. Fans travel from all over the world to watch these races, as a matter of fact; the Checker Auto Parts 500 NASCAR Winston Cup Series is the largest one-day sporting event in the entire state!

Go Cardinals!: Although the Cardinals have called several states home, this football team has the distinction of being the oldest continuously-run professional football franchise in the country. They moved into the Sun Devil stadium in Tempe their new home in 1988 and enjoyed high attendance numbers; they even hosted Super Bowl XXX in 1996. This year, they're expected to move into their new home which will host the Super Bowl in 2008. Even though the new Cardinals' Stadium isn't expected to open until August, it's already been named one of the top 10 sporting structures in the world, by BusinessWeek, and the only one in the United States to be honored.

Take to the ice: Come inside and cool down while watching the Phoenix Coyotes host other NHL teams in the Glendale Arena. As one of the most popular teams in the league, they also have one of the best in the sport as their new head coach, Wayne Gretzky. They're also happy to be in their new, $200-million, state-of-the-art arena, which they moved into in 2003.

More Dining & Entertainment
Travel The World
Select your dream destination region and start planning your next trip today!
Entertainment®­ on Vacation - Only $9.95 - Save hundreds of dollars on dining, entertainment and shopping while you travel! Plan your trip and print unlimited 50% off and 2-for-1 coupons before you go.
 
Arizona is home to more golf courses per capita than any state west of the Mississippi.
Copyright © 2009 MustDoTravel.com