Across the Valley of the Sun, as Phoenix and its environs are known, municipalities have showered more than $700 million on sports stadiums and arenas over the last decade or so, creating one of the most modern and capable sports infrastructures in the country. It's the only metropolitan area in the country whose four professional sports teams play in separate, new facilities.

In championing the public-spending boom, state, regional and local officials hope to turn Phoenix into a truly major league city, a place that attracts Super Bowls, basketball Final Fours and all-star games that can boost the local economy and complement the area's burgeoning tourism industry. Along the way, they hope to make winners out of their historically lackluster professional sports franchises.