In April 2012, I decided to make a trip out to Phoenix with a good friend to take in a few baseball Arizona Diamondbacks baseball games. Along the way, we arranged a tour in nearby Glendale at University of Phoenix Stadium, home to the NFL's Arizona Cardinals and NCAA Fiesta Bowl. This was my second time to the stadium but the first time I actually was able to experience it as a fan. While working for Fan Foto, I made the trip to Glendale with a few co-workers to cover the 2008 Fiesta Bowl between the Oklahoma Sooners and West Virginia Mountaineers. Growing up, I was used to the atmosphere of an NCAA Football game going to several UCLA games each year at the Rose Bowl. The Fiesta Bowl completely blew me out of the water seeing the mass amounts of fans who made the trek for this annual bowl game at the conclusion of the season. The stadium is located in a site located nearly 15 minutes west of downtown Phoenix that also includes Jobing.com Arena (NHL Phoenix Coyotes) and a strip mall. Those of you who are sports junkies like me know how important it is to have quality food locations near the stadium before and after the event.
At first glance, the stadium appears to be a giant UFO situated in the middle of the desert but is loosely modeled after a barrel cactus. It features the first fully retractable natural grass playing surface built in the United States that allows for the playing surface to be exposed to daylight. Just outside of the stadium, the Cardinals named the plaza surrounding their stadium in honor of former NFL player Pat Tillman who gave up his football career for the Military before dying in combat.
The tour is a must do for any sports fan as it highlights what makes the stadium unique. Fans are treated to how local history was contributed into the design of the stadium, a trip to the visitors locker room and the teams press box. The tour guide was not only very knowledgeable but answered any question that they had directed at them.
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