Must attend sporting events

[RedsBaron]

The two events that I would most like to see in person but never have are a Reds World Series game and the Indy 500.
By the way, one thing that I really want to do is drive an Indy car four laps around the Indianapolis 500 racetrack. The Indy Racing Experience makes it possible for $399. You get to drive an actual car that competed in the Indy 500, a 1999 G-Force I believe. You follow another car and you may only get up to around 100 mph or so, but I think doing that would be a blast. Rick Reilly has a column on doing so in the current SI.

[Betterread]

Classic sporting events are ones with hoary traditions and strong rivalries.

Baseball: You must see a Yankees/Redsox game in Yankee stadium once in your life - it is meta-baseball.
Also, Yankee stadium is a must-see before it is torn down (after 2008). I need to start planning that trip soon.

Soccer: I've saw a Milan derby as a boy and it was one of my most unforgettable experiences. In the last few years I have seen a Sparta/Feyenoord (Rotterdam)derby and Hammarby/Djurgarden (Stockholm) derby.
Someday I want to see the derbies in Glasgow, London (Arsenal- Chelsea), Liverpool, Lisbon, Buenos Aires and the ne pas ultra - Flamengo v. Vasco de Gama (Rio De Janeiro).

[OldRightHander]

Also, Yankee stadium is a must-see before it is torn down (after 2008). I need to start planning that trip soon.

I'm going up in August when the Tigers are coming in. I'm looking forward to it.

[Chip R]

I'm going up in August when the Tigers are coming in. I'm looking forward to it.

I'm planning on going to that Sunday game.

[RawOwl UK]

Hey RawOwl, do you attend any lower division soccer matches? Have you ever? Talk about those experiences please if you have.

Also, is your team Arsenal? Do you go to many matches? How is the atmosphere at Emirates? Do you travel to many away matches? Have you been to any England Internationals? Thanks in advance, bud.

Sorry for the late response !!!!

No im not a Arsenal supporter Im a Sheffield Wednesday fan/season ticket holder. Never been to the Emirates but it looks pretty impressive on T.V.


I've attended plenty of lower league football matches Sheffield Wednesday were in league 1 for 2 seasons a couple of years ago playing the likes of Grimsby & Rushden & Dimonds etc (who are no longer in the football league) My home town Rotherham (United) are playing in League 2 next season, ive watched them many times over the years, they average around 4-5K fans for home games.

Away games are great !!!!! the atmostphere is always good, my favourite away visit was going to Anfield in about 95/96 season. Liverpool battered us that day hitting the post & crossbar a few times, we came away with a 1-0 win Such a good day.

I've been to 2 England games. Both 2 years ago in the World Cup qualifying Campaign. the first one was at St James Park (Newcastle) we beat Litchenstein 2-0 Beckham & Gerrard scored. And I went to the last game of the campaign at Old Trafford (man utd) to see a 2-1 win against Poland. Frank Lampard scored a late winner.

I would love to go to a World Cup !!!!! But we always use the local Pub for World Cup games, in fact I have seen every England game since the 1998 world Cup in the same pub in 2002 in Japan we were having a fried Breakfast with a pint of Beer at 7:30 in the Morning . If England ever won the World Cup again I swear to God my village would go mental ABSOLUTE mental . We have tears EVERY time we get eliminated from the WC or Euros . To actually win the damn thing would mean so much for the nation.

It's coming home it's coming home its coming FOOTBALLS COMING HOME

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96-zW2c8H2o

[jmcclain19]

The College World Series is an event I consider one that I must attend before I die. As is the Kentucky Derby.

I've already done the World Series, NBA Finals & Super Bowl - the World Series was awesome - Super Bowl not so much, boring in fact. NBA Finals were also not that different from any other playoff game.

A Stanley Cup final would excellent as well.

[RedFanAlways1966]

I have been to a couple of OSU-Michigan football games. I cannot compare other big time college rivalry games (e.g. Bama-Auburn, FSU-Miami, Cal-Stanford, etc, etc) since I have not been to them, but I am sure the atmosphere is the same. The big rivalry is a "must attend" in my opinion for college football fans.

[WMR]

Sorry for the late response !!!!

No im not a Arsenal supporter Im a Sheffield Wednesday fan/season ticket holder. Never been to the Emirates but it looks pretty impressive on T.V.


I've attended plenty of lower league football matches Sheffield Wednesday were in league 1 for 2 seasons a couple of years ago playing the likes of Grimsby & Rushden & Dimonds etc (who are no longer in the football league) My home town Rotherham (United) are playing in League 2 next season, ive watched them many times over the years, they average around 4-5K fans for home games.

Away games are great !!!!! the atmostphere is always good, my favourite away visit was going to Anfield in about 95/96 season. Liverpool battered us that day hitting the post & crossbar a few times, we came away with a 1-0 win Such a good day.

I've been to 2 England games. Both 2 years ago in the World Cup qualifying Campaign. the first one was at St James Park (Newcastle) we beat Litchenstein 2-0 Beckham & Gerrard scored. And I went to the last game of the campaign at Old Trafford (man utd) to see a 2-1 win against Poland. Frank Lampard scored a late winner.

I would love to go to a World Cup !!!!! But we always use the local Pub for World Cup games, in fact I have seen every England game since the 1998 world Cup in the same pub in 2002 in Japan we were having a fried Breakfast with a pint of Beer at 7:30 in the Morning . If England ever won the World Cup again I swear to God my village would go mental ABSOLUTE mental . We have tears EVERY time we get eliminated from the WC or Euros . To actually win the damn thing would mean so much for the nation.

It's coming home it's coming home its coming FOOTBALLS COMING HOME

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96-zW2c8H2o

Beautiful post, RawOwl. I love the way Brits talk about football.

BTW: Your boy Frankie Simek has, in my opinion, been the best outside back for the USMNT so far in the Gold Cup. I was really disappointed when the manager did not start him today in favor of Frankie Hejduk. He also started Jonathan Bornstein on the left-side and I really wish he had gone with Jonathan Spector. Spector has really impressed me with his maturity, as has Simek. I could see those two lads holding down the outside back positions for years to come.

How do you feel about fat Frank getting booed at home? I was a bit surprised by that. If only he could replicate his form for Chelsea when he suits up for England! Why do you think that is?

Who's your favorite England player?

Which national team do you consider your biggest rival? Ireland? Scotland? One of the most interesting things about football in England is how, with their history as an Imperialistic nation, they have so many intense rivalries with local countries.

Are you warming up to McLaren?

Those teams that you mentioned, the ones that are no longer in one of the professional leagues, did they move down to one of the amateur leagues? I was reading up on all the different levels of soccer throughout England and it was quite fascinating.

[RawOwl UK]

Beautiful post, RawOwl. I love the way Brits talk about football.

BTW: Your boy Frankie Simek has, in my opinion, been the best outside back for the USMNT so far in the Gold Cup. I was really disappointed when the manager did not start him today in favor of Frankie Hejduk. He also started Jonathan Bornstein on the left-side and I really wish he had gone with Jonathan Spector. Spector has really impressed me with his maturity, as has Simek. I could see those two lads holding down the outside back positions for years to come.

How do you feel about fat Frank getting booed at home? I was a bit surprised by that. If only he could replicate his form for Chelsea when he suits up for England! Why do you think that is?

Who's your favorite England player?

Which national team do you consider your biggest rival? Ireland? Scotland? One of the most interesting things about football in England is how, with their history as an Imperialistic nation, they have so many intense rivalries with local countries.

Are you warming up to McLaren?

Those teams that you mentioned, the ones that are no longer in one of the professional leagues, did they move down to one of the amateur leagues? I was reading up on all the different levels of soccer throughout England and it was quite fascinating.

How do you feel about fat Frank getting booed at home? I was a bit surprised by that. If only he could replicate his form for Chelsea when he suits up for England! Why do you think that is?


The problem is that Lampard & Gerrard are pretty similar players. Gerrard seems to get the licence to have a fre ...PAUSE (Jr just homered AGAIN) e role in the middle so Lampard therefore has to play more of a holding role. At Chelsea he has Makalele or Essien to sit in Midfield he then can play his natural game making runs into the box scoring goals.

I always say that players like Lampard,Gerrard,Scholes etc catch the fans/media's eye by scoring goals. I dont think Lampard is playing poorly for England, just playing a different role. The only solution for him is if Gerrard goes on the right (if Beckham misses for some reason) & Hargreaves can do the holding role in the middle.

Who's your favorite England player?

Tough one, I'll go with Rooney with Stevie G a close 2nd.

Which national team do you consider your biggest rival? Ireland? Scotland? One of the most interesting things about football in England is how, with their history as an Imperialistic nation, they have so many intense rivalries with local countries.


Easy - GERMANY France arn't liked much either.

Those teams that you mentioned, the ones that are no longer in one of the professional leagues, did they move down to one of the amateur leagues? I was reading up on all the different levels of soccer throughout England and it was quite fascinating

The bottom 2 teams in League 2 go out of the football League into the Conference League. Until recent years most of the players in non league were part time. Now most of the conference players probably dont need 2nd jobs. the gulf between league 2 & the conference has closed quite a lot & the standard of football probably isn't much different in either league. The top team in the Conference gets automatic promotion & the next 4 teams then playoff for the 2nd promotion spot.

Are you warming up to McLaren?

Not really, he HAS to qualify us for the Euro Championships to keep his job. Then he needs a strong performance in the finals to keep his job. The trouble is who else is their to take the job ?

[WMR]

What about when England plays Ireland and Scotland?

Those games seem to always have a little extra something in them. Maybe they mean more for the Irish and Scottish than they do the British?

I'll tell you what I'd do with Lampard: I'd play him up top with Rooney. He's such a brilliant playmaker, and that would keep him and Gerrard out of each other's hair.

I LOVE Steven Gerrard's game. That thunderbolt he scored against Middlesborough is one of my all-time favorite goals.

Is Sheffield Wednesday in the CocaCola Championship? How did they do last season? The Championship is a GRINDING league.

What about my boy Nicky Shorey?! Getting his first cap against the Brazilians and showing quite well, if I do say so myself.

Too bad we're going to lose Sidwell. Coppell is a hell of a manager.

[OldRightHander]

Maybe they mean more for the Irish and Scottish than they do the British?

Speaking as something of an ousider, I think you may be right. I like the Engilsh style of play, watch the EPL like crazy, (no favorite team really) and will generally pull for the English against most anyone else in Europe. On the other hand, my ancestry is Irish and I would get up for that like you wouldn't believe, even though my family has been here since 1848. You can't deny that there has been a bit of bad blood between the two countries, due in large part to things that are best not discussed on here, but I think the attitudes are more along the lines of an intense rivalry than a downright hatred.

Not that hatred doesn't exist in some places, but I don't think it's what drives most people these days. I have matured quite a bit over the years. We Irish have a tendency to hold onto things and keep old wounds alive and in my younger years I fostered a very strong dislike for all things English, as if the folks there now actually had anything to do with what happened years ago. Now my attitude is that I have a deep regret and sadness over some of those happenings in the past, but I don't blame every modern Englishman any more than I would hold slavery against all white people today.

With that said, I view sporting events between the two countries as something of a healthy rivalry. Passions may be strong and there may be some folks who say they "hate" the other side, but I really don't see true hatred as what is driving it now. I view it in the same light as other sports rivalries here such as the Bengals and the Browns, or maybe even the Yanks and Red Sox. So I would thoroughly enjoy seeing Ireland beat England, but the enjoyment would bring about strong feelings of ancestral pride, not necessarily anything akin to actual hatred. That's my take on it. I don't know how off base I am, but that's how I feel.

[RawOwl UK]

I see your points And agree that Scotlands main rival is England along with the Irish & Welsh. But I still think Germany is our main Grudge match.

How can Ireland have a real hatred towards us when their most famous manager ever was Jack Charlton who's successful squad in the 80's 90's consisted of many many English born players.

[OldRightHander]

I see your points And agree that Scotlands main rival is England along with the Irish & Welsh. But I still think Germany is our main Grudge match.

How can Ireland have a real hatred towards us when their most famous manager ever was Jack Charlton who's successful squad in the 80's 90's consisted of many many English born players.

Very good point. The Germans are usually a tough match for anybody, so I can see how that would be a bit of a rivalry. A couple world wars might bring about a wee bit of animosity as well.

[Johnny Footstool]

A Royals-Devil Rays game. How many of us can share a MLB game with a dozen other people?

Been there. It's not as much fun as you might think.

My list:

1. World Series Game 4 - Final victory in a Reds sweep.
2. NCAA Final Four - Jayhawks whale on Duke and North Carolina.
3. AFC Championship - Bengals beat Chiefs 49-42.
4. Super Bowl - Bengals beat 49ers (finally) 84-2.

[westofyou]

4. Super Bowl - Bengals beat 49ers (finally) 84-2.

With the Bengals luck that Safety would result in a Greg Cook like injury on the QB.