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Top 5 Sporting Events
While I was back in Maine over the holidays my family and I went out to dinner……..a lot. It is one of my favorite things to do. Well, one evening after the New Year we were out to eat at the Frog and Turtle and the Australian Open was on television. Side tangent, if you live in Maine and haven’t visited Frog and Turtle you’re missing out – great food, one of the best wait staffs around, good live music, and my personal favorite – a large clientele age range (early twenties to seventies I’d say). Anyways, back to the Australian Open. My sister brought up how we never really pay attention to the it, but all the other tennis majors. Since it was just after the New Year I had recently completed a few Top 5 lists for 2008 and the following popped into my head, “what Top 5 sporting events do I look forward to each year?” I of course blurted this out to the table and we had a lively discussion each coming up with our Top 5. To be clear (and I must thank my sister’s boyfriend, Josh, for bringing this up) the lists are comprised of sporting events that we look forward to watching each year. This is not a list of which sporting events we would attend (if attending any event were possible) each year. So without further adieu, here were the table’s lists:
Ana Ivanovic at Wimbledon
Bailey’s (sister) Top 5
1. Wimbledon
2. First Round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament
3. Masters
4. U.S. Open Tennis
5. College Cheerleading Championships
Josh’s (sister’s bf) Top 5
1. UEFA Champions League Finals (Home & Home)
I think he's nervous he just messed up his hair
2. NBA Finals
3. New York Jets at Miami Dolphins
4. British Open
5. NCAA Men’s Basketball Finals
Dad’s Top 5
1. Masters
2. First Round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament
3. U.S Open Golf
4. Wimbledon
5. U.S Open Tennis Round 1
Simply put - he's the man
Drew’s Top 5
1. Masters
2. MLB Opening Day
3. U.S Open Golf
4. Wimbledon
5. First Round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament
My family’s lists are pretty homogeneous, but thanks to Josh there is some variety sprinkled in. So what are yours?
If you have something to say...
Oh man, I’ve been thinking about this idea ever since you told me about it… last week. Also – I find it interesting that there is no World Series or Superbowl on any of your family’s lists…
Anyway I’m still not totally sold on my choices, but:
1. Masters – no contest
2. March Madness – first three weeks…?
3. Champions League finals
4. Michigan vs. Ohio State football – tough to still be excited for this… but I am… every year.
5. NBA Allstar weekend – I love the dunk and skills contests
Nice list!!! As far as the world series, superbowl thing goes….eh. The world series would be up on my list, but I love opening day – it’s one of the best days of the year. As far as the superbowl goes – it’s fun, but I don’t get super excited about it EVERY year. Just doesn’t deserve a spot on the top 5.
That’s definitely true- I think there’s a lot of hype for both events, but not always a lot of delivery.
Related- my top five most anticipated golf tournaments:
1. Masters
2. US Open
3. British Open
4. ATT Pro Am at Pebble Beach (it’s Pebble, plus it’s early in the season)
5. Two way tie between FDR at The Stadium Course and Arnold Palmer at Bay Hill… can’t decide.
Agreed – so much hype around the superbowl.
Now you’re talking my language – top 5 most anticipated golf tournaments:
1. Masters
2. U.S. Open
3. British Open
4. The Players
5. World Golf Champs – Accenture Match Play
My list is “meathead” centric.
1. Harvard-Yale (always in person, so doesn’t really count)
2. Superbowl
3. First Sox-Yanks game of the season
4. Any SEC rivalry in football
5. Daytona 500
Feel free to edit out my post, as it seems to be not classy enough to stay on here.
@Joe Great to see you on here! Harvard-Yale definitely counts! The main reason I put that disclaimer was b/c I wanted the lists to be “real-world” if you will (plus people’s lists would change if we were talking about events to attend i.e. Superbowl might be on my list). Anyways….great list. Nice call on the Sox-Yanks game – that’s good.
@Joe
I’m glad you brought up the Sox Yanks game – that 100% belongs on someone’s list.
And I think if mine were ones I could go to… it’d probably be the exact same list anyway, but with Michigan Ohio State at number 2 instead. (And maybe FDR at The Stadium Course switched out for the NBA All Star Weekend (assuming I had seats on the par 3 16th – so I could experience something like this).)
Okay:
1. Giants/Eagles (number 1 always for me)
2. Sox/Yanks game
3. The Kentucky Derby
4. Wimbledon
5. Bruins/Canadiens (ever since Drew and I saw them play, I’ve really gotten into that rivalry)
ooh! my list of top 5 events:
1) NCAA tourney – it’s madness, march style
2) US Open (golf) – i like that many of the courses are public and that i have had the opportunity to play a few. It is arguably the toughtest tournament of the year, and falls in early summer before i burn out on golf.
3) Ryder Cup – I love this tourney. I love the unity, the team aspect, the trash talking. I love the formats, and i love that it is only once every two years. The presidents cup kind of ruins it though.
4) ALCS – the Championship series have been historically (in my lifetime)better than the World series and always have potential for great rivalries like Sox/Yanks. I am a American League guy for sure, and this is baseball at its fever pitch.
5) Openiing week College Hoops – there are many tournaments to choose from (Preseason NIT, Maui Invitational, Great Alaskan Shootout, etc.) and only the best teams and great spoilers are invited. If you aren’t a NFL on thanksgiving kind of guy, you can gorge yourself on college hoops. This year i watched 7 games in 4 days. Awesome.
Top 5 golf tourneys:
1) US OPEN
2) Ryder Cup
3) Masters – so much tradition. One could argue that the amount of tradition is unparalleled. That no other sporting event has this much tradition. What’s the phrase i am looking for?
4) WGC Accenture Match Play
5) The Players (hole 17!)
@Zach that clip is awesome. You gotta love that type of atmosphere at a golf tournament.
@Emily GREAT call on the Derby. I think our table completely forgot about that one. That could break into my top 5….hmmmm.
@Matt I like the ALCS call – that series always lives up to expectations.
Okay, I was about to get absolutely furious about all the golf tournaments on everyone’s lists before I re-read Drew’s disclaimer about this being everyone events they look forward to watching.
That at least partially excuses all these golf tournaments on here, since (apparently) you all like watching golf. If you were making lists of the best sporting events, or which you’d most like going to, then… well, you’d probably all still pick golf. But whatever. You’re all weird.
Here’s mine, in random order:
1) NHL Playoffs, an Original Six team playing, in overtime. As a sports fan, it doesn’t get any better than this – hockey, when played by good teams late in the season, is a beautiful, beautiful sport. And the passion and history that comes from an Original Six team (Bruins, Canadians, Rangers, Red Wings, Blackhawks, Maple Leafs) is awesome. Plus they’re playing for the Stanley Cup, which is by far the best trophy in sports, no arguments needed (or permitted).
2) The Tour de France. The small amount of competitive bike riding I’ve done has made me totally appreciate the tactical stuff (that I’m able to notice), and I’ll never cease being amazed at how athletic these guys are (even with the always-there shadow of performance enhancing drugs). Plus, the commentators for this event are the best in any sport.
3) Red Sox games on TV. I live on the West Coast now, and so I rarely get to see the Sox play live. So when they’re on ESPN in the summer, it’s totally awesome.
4) A long match in any of the four tennis majors. I feel like tennis is the sport where, more than any other, you can really feel the emotions of the participants. It’s a skill sport, but it’s also endurance when the players are easily matched, and I am always exhausted and exhilarated at the end of a five-setter.
5) Chivas USA-Galaxy games. I love soccer and this game means more to me than any other. The Champions League final is fun, the World Cup is incredible, but these take the cake.
The World Cup deserves a mention, as does the Rugby World Cup, but those happen every four years, so they can’t really be counted.
As for my favorite golf tournaments:
1) The Zach Invitational, a one-time tournament taking place this summer
2) (None)
3) (None)
4) (None)
5) (None)
Maybe I’m weird.
@Dave if you love golf…the majors (well the top 3 at least) are just incredibly thrilling. I think that’s why a lot of people have them on their lists. And who are we joking, watching Tiger is a blast.
I love the NHL Playoffs call – I really wanted to put it on my top 5, but it just didn’t make the cut. NHL Playoff games that are tied in the 3rd or go into OT are some of the most intense sport watching around.
Also love the comment on a long tennis match. I think anyone who watched Federer vs. Nadal at least year’s Wimbledon automatically became a fan of tennis.
The World Cup does deserve mention – doing another list that encompasses a 4 year time horizon would be a lot of fun b/c then you would include Olympics, World Cup, Ryder Cup (sorry Matt, but it doesn’t really count cause it’s every 2 years), Euro Cup…I’m sure I’m forgetting something.
I don’t know anything about rugby.
My every four would be this:
1. 50 free
2. World Cup final
3. 100 free
4. 100m dash
5. ski jump
@Joe love the shout-out to swimming.
@Drew (14.)
Swimming is in the family blood (even if it isn’t in mine).
Also, just a point on the blog layout; I know you never anticipated getting over 10 comments on a post, but on my computer (IE7), when it gets to #10, it says “0.” Just an fyi.
@Joe thanks for the heads up. Stupid Internet Explorer.
Joe- great idea.
Every off-yearish:
1. Olympic Sprints (100, 200, 400)
2. World Cup
3. Ryder Cup
4. Olympic Badminton
5. British Open when held at St. Andrews or Carnoustie
1. Four Continents Figure Skating Championship
2. Canadian Curling Championship
3. Rock & Jock Softball – Re-runs
3. Westminster dog show – Best in Breed
4. The World Equestrian Games
5. Baseketball – I watch the movie once a year
@Steve you forgot the World Archery Championships.
Zach since you didn’t specify I am going to assume the sprints you are referring to are swimming
Zach you probably won’t even realize my above comment is directed to you since I didn’t use the @.
How can the World Series and Super Bowl be left out of lists?
@Emily good read on the Sox and Bruins games
@Kristin would both be on yours? I think neither makes the cut for me because I just don’t get overly excited for both. I much prefer MLB Opening Day to the World Series for a number of reasons and the Super Bowl just fails to deliver a lot of the time. I think another reason is that both of these events, for most people, hold no real meaning unless their teams are involved. Did I enjoy the Super Bowl this year? Yeah, sure – did I really care who won….no not really. This may have something to do with it. Or not and I’m completely way off base!
I would like to say that you, Drew, did not get my list correct. Or maybe you did and I just changed my mind as of right now. I know we have had this conversation before and we all know that NBA basketball is way better than college. That can be a discussion for another day but I am right. Anyways my last top five would not be a lousy NCAA finals, where you cant even remember anyone who played in them 2 years later. My final selection might be a Celtic-Rangers game. I could wear my green and whites and drink about 14 beers and not be considered out of place. I like this set up though well done.
@Butler It’s what you wrote down on the little sheet of paper! Damn…sorry about that. Love the addition of a Celtic-Rangers game though – that would be a lot of fun.
i dont know why i wrote butler. josh is fine
I just read a book by Robert Tuchman called “100 Sporting Events You Must See Live”—he ranks the Masters as number one.
I may or may not agree with this…
But the book is still awesome: it gives you all this information on the events themselves, how to get tickets, where to stay, where to eat, etc.
@Haley thanks for reading and the recommendation on the book! I am definitely going to check it out.