This has been talked about on a few other threads, so I thought I might give it it's own thread. I think it is particular relevant on the heels of the final four and with the masters coming up.

Okay, I'm going to try my hand at this. First, one initial thought

- Big events with lots of neutral fans just don't cut it. EX: The olympics are awesome, but there just isn't enough atmosphere 99% of the time to make a top 10 list. Fan's make the events truly great. With that said, here we go...


10) Stanley Cup Game 7
9) British Open at St. Andrews or Masters at Augusta
8) NBA Finals Game 7
7) New Zealand (All Blacks) v Australia (Wallabies) Rugby
6) Barcelona- Real Madrid at Camp Nou or Rangers-Celtic
5) Michigan-Ohio St College Football
4) Il Palio Horserace in Siena
3) World Cup Final
2) Red Sox- Yankees Playoff Game 7
1) Duke-Carolina at Cameron Indoor

Notes-
Olympics- Great event, but not enough fervor around one particular event
No NFL??- The obvious choice here would be the superbowl, but there are just too many casual fans without unbridled passion for a team.
Two soccer matches?- It is just undeniable that soccer fans as a whole are crazier than any other sport's fan base. That's just the way of the world, and since this is about best sporting events with regard to atmosphere...
Il Palio??- The most fervent atmosphere in sports since everyone is packed in to one little piazza and everybody there has a horse that they would kill for. It's borderline terrifying (not joking).
Duke- Obviously I'm biased...
Where's the Final Four- Arena's are too big and if you aren't a fan of one of the teams it is good but not great

What are your thoughts