The Cardinals, formed in 1898, hold the distinction of being the oldest continuous professional American football club in the United States. The team, formerly known as the Racine Normals, are originally from Chicago (not Racine, Wisconsin). They became a charter member of the NFL in 1920, and eventually moved to St. Louis before finally coming to Phoenix in 1988. The team has won two NFL championship titles and four division titles.

The Diamondbacks were created by Jerry Colangelo, former owner of the Phoenix Suns, who felt that the desert needed a major-league baseball team. In 1995, he achieved his goal, and the Arizona Diamondbacks were born. The team officially entered the league in 1998 and were off to a very quick start. The team won their first West Division title a year after forming, and two years after that, followed with a repeat of the Western Division title, as well as the National League pennant and World Series title.