The 10 best sporting events to see live

[Kfanarmy]

check out Rick Reilly's Number 4 entry...

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=reilly_rick&id=4327329

[wolfpackdevil]

sorry bikers, but the Tour de France should not be up there.


World Series, Super Bowl??? Where are they

[78Devil]

Its a high complement indeed when only Wimbledon, the Kentucky Derby and the Masters beats you out!

[COYS]

Its a high complement indeed when only Wimbledon, the Kentucky Derby and the Masters beats you out!

Yeah, but this list is highly suspect. How does the World Cup final not come in before the Kentucky Derby? Actually, how is it not at the top? This is an odd list.

[BlueintheFace]

1) Duke-UNC @ Cameron
2) Real Madrid- Barcelona @ the Bernabau
3) Il Palio
4) Masters
5) World Cup Final
6) All Blacks vs Australia
7) Super Bowl
8) Kentucky Derby
9) Wimbledon
10) Olympics

Left off the list:
BCS championship: can't pick a game that doesn't actually choose an undisputed champion

Stanley Cup/ NBA Finals/ World Series- Series can be great or terrible. Sweeps are boring. Game 7's are great but never guaranteed.

NCAA Championship: The venues ruin the atmosphere.

Ultimately I chose events and not just games... it's all about the atmosphere and experience. I'm sure I missed a few things...

[Grey Devil]

sorry bikers, but the Tour de France should not be up there.

I have...several times. Whether it's in the thin air of the Alps, during a sprint at the end of a 130 mile-long stage, or out in the countryside sitting by the roadside drinking wine while nibbling on some fromage et saucisson, it's a wonderful experience. But most especially, being on the Champs Elysées for the final sprint is absolutely amazing.

Pedaling in the neighborhood of 2000 miles in three weeks at an average speed of just under 30 mph, up and down mountains, in blistering heat, or soaking rain and sometimes even snow, these guys are athletes! Plus the strategy and mind games are just as intriguing as any other sport. But perhaps what sets the Tour so high in the list is its accessibility. Anyone, no matter how rich or poor, can see it. Just stand by the side of the road and watch them whiz by. It's a very egalitarian sport.

I won't say "nothing compares to it" because there are many great sporting events, but don't be so dismissive. It is one of great events in the world of sports.

The Carolina at Duke game deserves its ranking. If there were one above it that I would pull out, it would be the Kentucky Derby (but then I've never been there).

Of course, Reilly is really describing the best "events" in sports, not the best sports contests. Note that every one of his descriptions is about what goes on associated with the event, not necessarily the event itself. If it were for consistency of high level of performance, thrill of the contest, uncertainty about the outcome, and sheer athletic effort, then the Carolina-Duke game at Cameron would be ranked higher..... IMHO. ;-)

Grey Devil

[brevity]

Yeah, but this list is highly suspect. How does the World Cup final not come in before the Kentucky Derby? Actually, how is it not at the top? This is an odd list.

The World Cup final has no fixed location. I was about to defend the linked list for that reason, but Reilly screws it up anyway, mixing fixed locations (Cameron, Fenway, etc.) with events that can take place anywhere (Home Run Derby, Ryder Cup). I know his goal here is to distinguish live experiences from televised ones, but without a constant setting, a particular live event can feel so variable.

So yes, I agree; like 99% of lists on the Internet, this one is highly suspect.

[moonpie23]

umm....no football?

[Edouble]

umm....no football?

It's just one man's opinion. Obviously we'd all have a different list. I personally wouldn't have football on my list, because I don't think it's as exciting live as hoops, ice hockey, or soccer. But if you had football on your list, I'd respect it.

I've never been to the Kentucky Derby or the Tour de France, but I can imagine that they might be strong enough to keep some other big time events off of my list.

It seems like this is a highly subjective list and there are probably 40-50 strong candidates that could make the final 10.

[Reddevil]

The Indianapolis 500 at the "Brickyard" isn't what it used to be during the Foyt, Rutherford, etc. era with Jackie Stewart making the call, but is still an awesome event and site.

[Spret42]

umm....no football?

One man's opinion - Football stinks live. It is a made for television sport. I have never been to a football game (I have been to a few types of games, VA-Tech in early September, New England in January and South Bend Indiana in late October )where I honestly wouldn't have enjoyed the game more if I could have transported the group of us to a plush basement with a 60 inch HD screen, a kegerator and grilled food.

Years ago friends of mine who were engineers bought 8 seats from the Boston Garden when they tore it down. They mounted them in on platforms you could climb up onto. They put couches underneath the platform and it half surrounded a big screen tv. Saturdays and Sundays were the best in that house. 10 15 people in the warmth of the house.

Why spend 200+ bucks on a ticket and end up cold, and surrounded by drunk morons. At least at that house the drunk morons were my buddies.

[westwall]

Agree with Grey Devil: "But most especially, being on the Champs Elysées for the final sprint is absolutely amazing." The Tour deserves a spot. And the view of the final sprint from Place de la Concorde is spectacular.

[phillyheel]

He's obviously never been to a World Cup. The entire month is a party and all the matches are great - not just the final as far as atmosphere.

[Stray Gator]

One man's opinion - Football stinks live. It is a made for television sport. I have never been to a football game (I have been to a few types of games, VA-Tech in early September, New England in January and South Bend Indiana in late October )where I honestly wouldn't have enjoyed the game more if I could have transported the group of us to a plush basement with a 60 inch HD screen, a kegerator and grilled food....

Another man's opinion -- the best sporting events I've attended in my life have been college football and college basketball games, particularly those in which one of my alma maters (Duke or Florida) was competing for a championship. The first college football game I ever attended was the 1958 Orange Bowl, which pitted Duke against Bud Wilkinson's Oklahoma Sooners--and it made me a college football fan for life. Ironically, the last college football game I attended was also in South Florida, and also involved Oklahoma--but this time against my other school. ;>)

I've been fortunate enough to attend 8 Final Fours (5 of which were won either by Duke or UF) and 4 college football "national championship" games (3 of which were won by UF--still hoping to see Duke get to one in my lifetime). As a season ticket holder for Duke basketball and Gator football, I have the good fortune of experiencing what I (with admitted bias) consider to be the most exciting college basketball and college football environments anywhere. I also have travelled to see the Gators play at, among other sites, LSU and Tennessee--two other outstanding venues for experiencing the color, pageantry, and passion of college football. While recognizing and respecting that others may have different opinions, and that it makes a huge difference when your own team is competing, I can say that for me, the UNC at Duke game is no better than the BCS Championship Game for generating a sense of anticipation, sustained crowd energy, and pure adrenaline-pumping, gut-wrenching excitement. And I'll trade the comforts of watching on TV for the pregame tailgates any day!

[Spret42]

I understand the pulse pounding stuff with regard to southern college football. And I certainly understand it if you are watching a team in which you are emotionally invested. That stuff tends to only last through the first 15 minutes for me, eventually I calm down, come down off the emotional high and want to simply watch the game with one or two people that I can converse with, both about the game and other things. The ability to use the bathroom in private is another huge plus for me. :)

The single biggest thing I don't like about live football is that it is so difficult to see anything with a football game. Massive stadiums, half the action occuring on the completely other side of the stadium. The game just lends itself to the ability of television to bring you closer to what is happening.

Nowadays with 45 high definition cameras filming from every conceivable direction, providing instant replays, football is just better on television. The production value of football on TV makes it almost a no-brainer for me. Add in DVR and it is a complete no-brainer.

But that is just me.

an aside - My father-in-law went to Notre Dame in the 1960's, saw the Ara Parseghian teams. Those games in those days before the modern TV production values must have been something. I would love to have been like my father growing up 10 blocks from the Polo Grounds in the 1950's. In those days you must have felt like you were seeing what so few could see. Now I watch a football game in the stadium and wonder what everyone at home is seeing that I am missing.

[cato]

I understand the pulse pounding stuff with regard to southern college football. And I certainly understand it if you are watching a team in which you are emotionally invested. That stuff tends to only last through the first 15 minutes for me, eventually I calm down, come down off the emotional high and want to simply watch the game with one or two people that I can converse with, both about the game and other things. The ability to use the bathroom in private is another huge plus for me. :)

The single biggest thing I don't like about live football is that it is so difficult to see anything with a football game. Massive stadiums, half the action occuring on the completely other side of the stadium. The game just lends itself to the ability of television to bring you closer to what is happening.

Nowadays with 45 high definition cameras filming from every conceivable direction, providing instant replays, football is just better on television. The production value of football on TV makes it almost a no-brainer for me. Add in DVR and it is a complete no-brainer.

But that is just me.


I can't get on board with this. There are many benefits to watching a game at home on the couch, but it can't compare to (a) grilling out in the parking lot, drinking beers and watching the early games on a TV in a friend's car, (b) the thunder of a fly-over to kick off a Charger's game at the Q, (c) celebrating with strangers on big plays, and (d) the entire stadium going crazy in an overtime playoff win.

I was at the Charger's win over Indy last year in the playoffs (somewhere roughly in the vicinity of where Chris Chambers (#89) is pointing in the picture below). When Darren Sproles scored the winning touchdown, the stadium erupted in a way that rivaled Cameron. It was the biggest home win in Charger's history, and there is no way that watching it on TV would have been as good.

http://www4.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/AFC+Wild+Card+Game+Indianapolis+Colts+v+San+2j2qu0 sN2p3l.jpg

[Stray Gator]

I understand the pulse pounding stuff with regard to southern college football. And I certainly understand it if you are watching a team in which you are emotionally invested. That stuff tends to only last through the first 15 minutes for me, eventually I calm down, come down off the emotional high and want to simply watch the game with one or two people that I can converse with, both about the game and other things. The ability to use the bathroom in private is another huge plus for me. :)

The single biggest thing I don't like about live football is that it is so difficult to see anything with a football game. Massive stadiums, half the action occuring on the completely other side of the stadium. The game just lends itself to the ability of television to bring you closer to what is happening.

Nowadays with 45 high definition cameras filming from every conceivable direction, providing instant replays, football is just better on television. The production value of football on TV makes it almost a no-brainer for me. Add in DVR and it is a complete no-brainer.

But that is just me.

But what if you could enjoy all the benefits of gameday at the stadium--including pregame and postgame partying with a whole bunch of friends and family members (and, sometimes, a few high-spirited visiting fans)--experience the sights and sounds and sensations of live action that broadcast TV simply cannot capture, and still watch the plays in HD on huge screens? Check this out...

http://www.gatorvision.tv/newMediaPlayer/console.htm?type=vod&id=423949&oemid=6500

It's never been greater to be a Florida Gator!

[dukerev]

I don't live in Indiana, am not a car racing fan, and realize that the glory days of Indy have passed. However, I'll echo Reddevil in saying that the Indianapolis 500 is an amazing event. The word that comes to mind is "spectacle." It is a day-long event (what with the traffic and the 7.3 miles you'll have to walk to get to your seat), and you'll need earplugs or you'll for sure go deaf. But all in all, I had as much fun the time I went to Indy as I did at any other sporting event.

[Spret42]

Yeah, I kind of figured I would be in the minority on this. I have never been much of a tailgate person and being a northern kid means playoff football is 20-30 degrees with wind not San Diego and Florida. :)

Duke Rev - I would still love to see Indy or Daytona live. So much of auto racing is lost on tv. The sheer sound and velocity of it. I would love to see that.

The Masters, the US Open center court as well. And I really want to see the English Premier League.

[Stray Gator]

Yeah, I kind of figured I would be in the minority on this. I have never been much of a tailgate person and being a northern kid means playoff football is 20-30 degrees with wind not San Diego and Florida. :) ...

No doubt, there's a dramatic atmospheric difference between college football up north and college football in the SEC. When the weather is pleasant, and the scenery is spectacular, and the campus is teeming with spirited tailgaters, and the "juices" are flowing, and the fight songs fill the air, and the stadium is packed with wildly enthusiastic fans, well...it's just one gigantic all-day outdoor party that people of all ages can enjoy.

[DevilHorse]

Well, I'd like to quibble about the KY Derby vs. another cyclic race, namely the Belmont when there is a Triple Crown on the line.

Let me preface by saying I haven't been to a KY Derby, but I have been to a number of big horse race day events.

Big horse race day events are "happenings". Unless you have prepared well in advance, don't expect to sit, don't expect to go to the bathroom (unless you expect to wait and miss a race), and don't expect to move easily from one place to another. You might not even get a chance to bet. For the people at the KY Derby with the nice hats and all, they are probably in the Clubhouse and get TV Facetime. Many fewer in the grandstand.

As far as the sporting event is concerned, the undercard is pretty good on KY Derby day. But for the Derby itself, you know that the winner will get a coronation. There will be a next "it" horse. Unless you bet, you can't lose on that account. Perhaps there is a favorite (usually a curse), and usually a few compelling story lines. But there will be one winner who goes forward with a big story.

The Belmont is a gamble. You never know if it will be a live event from year to year. There is always a horse that is 'live' for the triple crown for the Preakness; that's the Derby winner. The derby winner is always live for the Triple Crown candidate and the next chance for greatness. But if you don't win both the Derby and Preakness, you don't have a very interesting Belmont (without a 'Rags To Riches' or 'Rachel Alexandra' type entry).

If you do have a Triple Crown candidate, then the masses come out to Belmont and it is wall to wall people from the time they open the gates at 8am in the morning till they run the race (OK, not unlike Churchill Downs). The undercard is usually great with a number of Grade 1 races, usually better than what is offered at KY or Pimlico.

Then there is the race where only one horse puts immortality on the line. Usually the horse is up against a series of fresh horses with lesser credentials; but 'fresh' is the operative word. Perhaps they are good horses but they are coming back from an injury that kept them out of the Derby. Perhaps they are just late maturing or a filly that wants to take on the boys. In either case, it is awesome that more horses that have won the first two legs of the triple crown have lost the Belmont than have won it. It is more of a test of champions than the Derby is IMHO and deserves the accolades.

BTW, the atmosphere before a big race at Belmont is huge before a Triple Crown possibility. The general chatter is loud and when the horses are on the track it is a roar.

If you want to see well dressed people, go to the KY Derby; if you want to see a potential icon, go to the Belmont when the Triple Crown is on the line.

(A shoutout to the Little Brown Jug for Harness Racing excitement. Has Rick Reilly tried it?)

Larry
DevilHorse

[Spret42]

No doubt, there's a dramatic atmospheric difference between college football up north and college football in the SEC. When the weather is pleasant, and the scenery is spectacular, and the campus is teeming with spirited tailgaters, and the "juices" are flowing, and the fight songs fill the air, and the stadium is packed with wildly enthusiastic fans, well...it's just one gigantic all-day outdoor party that people of all ages can enjoy.

I suppose I can see where all of that football partying tailgate stuff is great. A lot of people go to this stuff for the atmosphere. I never got into the off the field pageantry of sport. I don't care a flick about drinking beforehand, fly overs, cannons, marching bands or the roar of 35k people. I have never watched the opening ceremony of an Olympic games other than when my wife insists. It bores me to tears.

I just realized I approached this much differently than most people. I thought of it solely based on what events would I want to watch live. I thought of being in venues which TV has so much trouble conveying. So I thought of things like the Indy 500 and the Masters. Oh and to sit ringside at a truly great fight. I would love to have been able to watch Hagler/Hearns right there in front of my eyes.

[Kfanarmy]

I just thought it was good that:

1. it was complementary
2. DUke UNC at Cameron was the only basketball event/venue on the list and
3. It was on ESPNs site.

[Grey Devil]

Duke b-ball plus Gator football has got to be one of the greatest two-sport combinations to put together for live events. (Of course, like Stray, I'm a bit biased as I got my undergraduate degree at Duke and did my doctoral work at UF.) I feel privileged to have been able to experience both. No need for me to say anymore about b-ball at Cameron to this audience, but on the football side a football game at Florida Field (sorry, still can't call it Ben Hill Griffin Stadium) is about as close to the Cameron experience as I've had in a football stadium. The fan involvement, the intensity of every play, the "pagentry" associated with it outside the game, everything makes it an experience not to be missed.

However, I can't comment about the differences between northern football and southern football as I've only been to a few northern games, and then when I was very young.

Grey Devil

[sagegrouse]

Duke b-ball plus Gator football has got to be one of the greatest two-sport combinations to put together for live events. (Of course, like Stray, I'm a bit biased as I got my undergraduate degree at Duke and did my doctoral work at UF.) I feel privileged to have been able to experience both. No need for me to say anymore about b-ball at Cameron to this audience, but on the football side a football game at Florida Field (sorry, still can't call it Ben Hill Griffin Stadium) is about as close to the Cameron experience as I've had in a football stadium. The fan involvement, the intensity of every play, the "pagentry" associated with it outside the game, everything makes it an experience not to be missed.

However, I can't comment about the differences between northern football and southern football as I've only been to a few northern games, and then when I was very young.

Grey Devil

I have never been to a game there, but when I was in grad school at Rice back in the day and Rice had a more than respectable team, the LSU fans would flock to Houston and fill Rice Stadium (75,000). What a crazy group of people!

And they don't need a tailgate party to get totally wasted!


sagegrouse

[RainingThrees]

I have never been to a game there, but when I was in grad school at Rice back in the day and Rice had a more than respectable team, the LSU fans would flock to Houston and fill Rice Stadium (75,000). What a crazy group of people!

And they don't need a tailgate party to get totally wasted!


sagegrouse

My dad went to LSU for 4 years and we watch all their games. He tells me stories about the ground shaking around the stadium just from the noise in death valley. I like their football team but can never forgive their basketball team.

[burnspbesq]

There is nothing like a US-Mexico World Cup qualifier at Azteca. It's Duke-Carolina, Oklahoma-Texas, Yanks-Sox, and ManU-Liverpool, all rolled into one, in front of 115,000 screaming nutcases.

[burnspbesq]

Rivalry games are inherently great, regardless of level. Doesn't matter whether it's Duke-Carolina, Lafayette-Lehigh, or Union-RPI. That's especially true in the divisions that have tournaments, where rivalry games on the last day of the season are often "winner goes to the playoffs, loser goes home."

[COYS]

1) Duke-UNC @ Cameron
2) Real Madrid- Barcelona @ the Bernabau


So I guess this just shows where you stand in the rivalry =).

[COYS]

Rivalry games are inherently great, regardless of level. Doesn't matter whether it's Duke-Carolina, Lafayette-Lehigh, or Union-RPI. That's especially true in the divisions that have tournaments, where rivalry games on the last day of the season are often "winner goes to the playoffs, loser goes home."

In some ways, I think they're bigger in leagues that don't have tournaments when the two rivals meet with everything on the line. For example, a Penn-Princeton basketball game with the Ivy title and a trip to the big dance on the line is pretty awesome to watch. Imagine if the Duke-UNC game at Cameron in March '09 was played with a trip to the big dance on the line? Obviously, the match was already huge with the ACC title and a number 1 tourney seed likely up for grabs, but it would have even been bigger if there were no conference tournament.

For the record, I'm not saying Penn-Princeton is better than Duke-UNC for this reason. I'm just saying the lack of an Ivy tournament makes the Penn-Princeton games that much more exciting when the title is on the line.

[flyingdutchdevil]

I know this has already been brought up, but how can you disregard the greatest sporting events on earth? The World Cup, the Euro Cup, the Champions League - incredible!

As a European (and I'm referring to the sport as soccer, and not its more appropriate name of football, to not confuse anyone. So, please don't respond with "If you're a European, than why do you call it soccer? ;)) who studied in the US, I can say that there is no live sporting event like the World Cup or the Euro Cup. I've been to the World Cup, the Euro Cup and dozens of league games in France and England, and the atmosphere is unbeatable. Duke-UNC is great live and I would consider it to be the best live sporting event in the US (bias, of course); however, when you take a stadium filled with 90,000 crazy soccer fans with the same passion for their national team as Duke and UNC fans have for their respective basketball teams, it's incredibly overwhelming.

On top of that, have you ever been to a European or South American country during the World Cup? In the Netherlands, every single bar is covered in orange and Heineken advertising during a huge soccer event (every two years). I've never seen anything like it in the US.

I follow Duke basketball more than any other sport, but, unfortunately, I would watch the World Cup finals over a Duke-UNC game due to the atmosphere.

I really hope that the US gets into soccer more. Finishing runner-up in the Confederations Cup is a huge step and should amp up everyone for next year's big event.

[NSDukeFan]

I know this has already been brought up, but how can you disregard the greatest sporting events on earth? The World Cup, the Euro Cup, the Champions League - incredible!

As a European (and I'm referring to the sport as soccer, and not its more appropriate name of football, to not confuse anyone. So, please don't respond with "If you're a European, than why do you call it soccer? ;)) who studied in the US, I can say that there is no live sporting event like the World Cup or the Euro Cup. I've been to the World Cup, the Euro Cup and dozens of league games in France and England, and the atmosphere is unbeatable. Duke-UNC is great live and I would consider it to be the best live sporting event in the US (bias, of course); however, when you take a stadium filled with 90,000 crazy soccer fans with the same passion for their national team as Duke and UNC fans have for their respective basketball teams, it's incredibly overwhelming.

On top of that, have you ever been to a European or South American country during the World Cup? In the Netherlands, every single bar is covered in orange and Heineken advertising during a huge soccer event (every two years). I've never seen anything like it in the US.

I follow Duke basketball more than any other sport, but, unfortunately, I would watch the World Cup finals over a Duke-UNC game due to the atmosphere.

I really hope that the US gets into soccer more. Finishing runner-up in the Confederations Cup is a huge step and should amp up everyone for next year's big event.

I completely agree with you as Duke-UNC at Cameron would likely be near the top of my list of sporting events to see live, but World Cup would have to be #1.

I thought it was interesting to see this article by Greg Lalas at SI.com mentioning the potential that soccer may be growing more as a sport in the U.S. I believe it has been popular for years for kids, but is getting more mainstream coverage now as well. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/greg_lalas/07/20/soccer.in.us/index.html?eref=sihp

I would also love to see Euro, Champions League and even La Liga, the Premiere League, etc. When I have traveled overseas, soccer has always been a great discussion topic, whether in Europe, Asia or South America.

I also agree with BlueintheFace who mentioned All-Blacks- Wallabies rugby. I was fortunate enough to see some rugby in N.Z., not the super 12, but the domestic league and some world cup matches in Australia and they were fantastic as well.

By the way, BlueintheFace, what is Il Palio?

[Channing]

if you are going to put a racing event on their I would put Daytona 500 in front of the indy 500, and the Grand Prix of Monaco ahead of both of them. The Indy is largely irrelevant these days. The Grand Prix of Monaco is a spectacle unlike any other I have ever witnessed, anywhere.

[DukieInKansas]

I completely agree with you as Duke-UNC at Cameron would likely be near the top of my list of sporting events to see live, but World Cup would have to be #1.

I thought it was interesting to see this article by Greg Lalas at SI.com mentioning the potential that soccer may be growing more as a sport in the U.S. I believe it has been popular for years for kids, but is getting more mainstream coverage now as well. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/greg_lalas/07/20/soccer.in.us/index.html?eref=sihp

I would also love to see Euro, Champions League and even La Liga, the Premiere League, etc. When I have traveled overseas, soccer has always been a great discussion topic, whether in Europe, Asia or South America.

I also agree with BlueintheFace who mentioned All-Blacks- Wallabies rugby. I was fortunate enough to see some rugby in N.Z., not the super 12, but the domestic league and some world cup matches in Australia and they were fantastic as well.

By the way, BlueintheFace, what is Il Palio?

Il Palio - never seen it live but would like to. (but from a window or balcony)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palio_di_Siena

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM0YqFJrypk

[NSDukeFan]

Il Palio - never seen it live but would like to. (but from a window or balcony)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palio_di_Siena

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM0YqFJrypk

Thank you. It wouldn't make my top ten at this point, but maybe something worth seeing at some point. What a beautiful city!

[DukieInKansas]

Thank you. It wouldn't make my top ten at this point, but maybe something worth seeing at some point. What a beautiful city!

Siena is a beautiful city. If you go in the right month, all of the mosaics on the floor of the Duomo are uncovered. I know October is one of the months but don't remember the other. Just lucked into it based on the timing of a bicycle tour.

Being the piazza for Il Palio would scare me - I would want to be above the crowd. I would, however, take the crowd to be on Alp d'Huez or Mont Ventoux for le Tour. Have only seen a Prologue and the start of Stage 1 in person.

[Mal]

Echoing the sentiments on behalf of the Indy 500. I go just about every year now, and it's still quite a thrill the first time they wave the green flag and everyone crosses the bricks full throttle. It's more relevant now than it was 10 years ago, and should hopefully continue to gain in importance under a unified league. Indycar is obviously far behind NASCAR in general at the moment, but things change.

On the Northern vs. Southern college football topic, I've had some experience at both SEC (and, obviously, ACC) and Big Ten (and Notre Dame) games. For the most part, I think the South has the better of the experiences. For one thing, the product on the field is generally better, at least these days. For another, the schools in the SEC, other than UK, are clustered pretty close together. Combine that with a lack of professional sports franchises in half the SEC states, and you've got mobile populations for whom every college football game is a big deal. In the Big Ten, on the other hand, Minneapolis and Iowa City are probably 1,000 miles from State College, and a solid 1.5 days' drive from Columbus, Lansing, Ann Arbor or even Bloomington. Alums and fans in Detroit, Chicago, Indianapolis, Milwaukee and MSP have pro teams to watch Sunday, too. So, while OSU-Michigan and the various in-state rivalries have a lot of visiting attendance, you don't get the total takeover of town feeling you get in the SEC, and you don't get the feeling the game's all that "important" in the grand scheme of the sporting world. Likewise for Notre Dame, where unless the opposing school's got a large alumni faction in Chicago, it's tough to feel their presence on game day.

Tailgating is prominent at most schools, though - I think SEC fans have a little bit of unjustified pride in their supposed tailgating prowess. Notre Dame and Wisconsin, in particular, tailgate as well as what I've seen in Dixie. There may not be as many out of town RV's with visiting fans, but there are enough to make the tailgate a fun place for friendly chatter, and there are plenty of home towners out to fill the parking lots. It's still quite warm at most Big Ten venues until about mid-October, and hearty Midwesterners aren't going to let a little cold weather stop them thereafter, which adds to the charm.

That's the one thing the Northern schools have in terms of college football, however, that the South can't claim: more crisp fall days with brilliant foliage on the way to campus. To a Yankee's mind, that's what college football is all about, actually. Wearing a t-shirt on Saturday night deep in November just isn't right. :)

[COYS]

I know this has already been brought up, but how can you disregard the greatest sporting events on earth? The World Cup, the Euro Cup, the Champions League - incredible!

As a European (and I'm referring to the sport as soccer, and not its more appropriate name of football, to not confuse anyone. So, please don't respond with "If you're a European, than why do you call it soccer? ;)) who studied in the US, I can say that there is no live sporting event like the World Cup or the Euro Cup. I've been to the World Cup, the Euro Cup and dozens of league games in France and England, and the atmosphere is unbeatable. Duke-UNC is great live and I would consider it to be the best live sporting event in the US (bias, of course); however, when you take a stadium filled with 90,000 crazy soccer fans with the same passion for their national team as Duke and UNC fans have for their respective basketball teams, it's incredibly overwhelming.

On top of that, have you ever been to a European or South American country during the World Cup? In the Netherlands, every single bar is covered in orange and Heineken advertising during a huge soccer event (every two years). I've never seen anything like it in the US.

I follow Duke basketball more than any other sport, but, unfortunately, I would watch the World Cup finals over a Duke-UNC game due to the atmosphere.

I really hope that the US gets into soccer more. Finishing runner-up in the Confederations Cup is a huge step and should amp up everyone for next year's big event.

I agree that it's a crime not to have soccer on there somewhere. I think even a Boca Juniors/River Plate matchup in Argentina warrants some consideration, at the very least. Hard to find more passionate fans of a club team.

[Reddevil]

That's the one thing the Northern schools have in terms of college football, however, that the South can't claim: more crisp fall days with brilliant foliage on the way to campus. To a Yankee's mind, that's what college football is all about, actually. Wearing a t-shirt on Saturday night deep in November just isn't right. :)

Uhmm, I definitely beg to differ!:p Great college football experiences can be had North, South, East, and even West I guess, but having to wear more that a t-shirt or short sleeve shirt EVER is a drag. Besides, the leaves get their color down here by the second half of October - soon enough. The only good things about the winter are the holidays, and college BB...not necessarily in that order! ;)