Every sports fan has to have a “bucket list” of games or events they want to attend at some point in their life. The amount of time and thought I’ve put into my list is larger than I’d care to admit. I’ve had multiple conversations with my dad about our plans for eventually traveling to England and going to a handful of Premier League soccer matches, and we’ve also talked about which college football games in the Southeastern Conference we’re most excited to attend one day. I’ll probably never attend even half of the sporting events I want to in my lifetime, so I narrowed it down a little bit. I’ll cut my list to 20. Or 10? Ok, fine, five. I’ll settle for five.
5. The Masters
The Masters is called a “tradition unlike any other” for a reason, and it’s a tradition I’d like to experience at least once in my life. The Masters kicks off the mainstream golf season right as spring is hitting its stride. I actually favor the U.S. Open and British Open when it comes to major golf tournaments, but there’s just something about the Masters. The flowers are blooming, the weather always seems to be gorgeous, and the course is perfectly manicured. Phrases like Augusta, Green Jacket, Amen Corner, and Hogan Bridge are permanently linked with the tournament in the minds of golfers everywhere. The Masters is a perfect marriage of beauty and tradition that you can’t find anywhere else.
4. Summer Olympics
The Summer Olympics force us to care about sports that we’ll probably only watch once every four years like badminton or handball. I remember shouting at my television as loud as I could during the U.S. vs. Italy gold medal team archery match. Yes, you read that right, I’m talking about archery.
Despite all the obscure sports that attract bandwagon fans, there are plenty of mainstream sports that most fans want to see. Watching Kobe Bryant and LeBron James play on the same basketball team would be amazing and so would seeing Michael Phelps make history and win his eighth gold medal in one Olympic games. And of course, there’s the 100-meter dash. By all accounts, the 100-meter dash is an absolutely breathtaking sight to see. Imagine watching Usain Bolt move faster than any person has moved on foot in human history. When it comes down to it, winning a gold medal is the highest achievement possible in many Olympic sports, and watching Olympians compete their hardest for something they only get a shot at once every four years would be remarkable.
3. Notre Dame vs. Michigan in South Bend, Ind.
I prefer college football to professional football because there’s a passion and energy around college football that can’t be matched. Where else are you going to find football teams battling for things like the Little Brown Jug or games simply known as “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party”?
You could easily sell me on a variety of college football games earning this spot on my list. I’d happily attend Auburn vs. Alabama, Florida vs. Georgia, Ohio State vs. Michigan, and pretty much any Louisiana State home game. However, I’m a Notre Dame fan, so I’m going with an Irish/Wolverine game played in South Bend.
If you’ve ever been on campus at Notre Dame you probably know why a game at Notre Dame Stadium is this high on my list. From the stadium to the Grotto, to the golden dome, it’s a beautiful campus seeded in tradition. The thought of the Irish getting a game-winning score in the shadow of Touchdown Jesus as time expires sends shivers down my spine. Let’s just move on before I start hyperventilating…
2. Game seven of a Stanley Cup Final
Most professional sports play a best-of-seven game series to determine the season’s champion. Hockey is my favorite sport, and there’s really nothing better than a heated game seven matchup. Regardless of the sport, it’s a do-or-die situation for athletes who have dreamt about winning a championship for a majority of their lives. Players won’t hesitate to give everything they have for their team in the playoffs. Just ask Gregory Campbell and his broken leg. For players – and fans – their passion for the sport only grows as their team goes further into the playoffs.
Beyond the game itself, the Stanley Cup is the best trophy in sports. The Cup is so revered that many people won’t even touch it if they haven’t won a championship and had their name engraved on it. Watching players at the end of a journey through the playoffs lift the Cup over their heads and celebrate an accomplishment they’ve worked for over an entire career gives me chills every single season.
1. The World Cup
I didn’t start watching soccer until 2006. That summer, our family had a French exchange student named Thomas who lived with us for a few months. In the summer of 2006, France made a shocking run to the World Cup final that included an upset over the defending champions from Brazil and a dramatic 1-0 win over Portugal with a young Christiano Ronaldo in the semifinal. I’ll never forget the look on Thomas’ face when France finally lost to Italy in the final in the most heartbreaking way possible, on penalty kicks.
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and makes other countries go absolutely crazy. Nearly 1 billion people watched the World Cup final in 2010. Entire countries will shut down for hours at a time during a World Cup just so everyone can watch their nation’s soccer team represent them on a global stage. Even in the United States, the World Cup makes people who couldn’t care any less about soccer (like me in 2006) to suddenly become fans of the beautiful game. Ever since that 2006 World Cup summer, my family has been hooked on soccer. Every week, I look forward to watching the English Premier League on Saturday and Sunday mornings, just to get my regular soccer fix. Soccer is the world’s most popular sport for a reason, and the World Cup is the sport’s biggest event. There’s no other sporting event I’d rather go to, and I’m glad someone was able to open my eyes to such a wonderful sport. Thank you, Thomas.
Jacob Sevening can be reached at seve8586@stthomas.edu.