Most times when people think of their Sports Bucket Lists, they are extremely similar and for the right reasons. Everyone wants to go to The Masters, Kentucky Derby, a Final Four or the College Football National Championship. I feel like my list is just a bit different than most people's so I took it upon myself to do some investigative research on the matter, aka texting a few of my buddies and their responses ranged from the obvious to a few that really caught my eye:
The Derby's obviously on most people's list, and there's no arguing why it shouldn't be. All of the pageantry and partying surrounding the event leaves you with a weekend that you won't forget (or remember depending on who you are) for the rest of your life. And if you're lucky, all of the booze will make you last longer than the race itself.
Both of these guys are diehard White Sox fans, and the top message obviously means seeing the Sox bringing home another World Series to 35th and Shields. Not disagreeing with either of these, because I was far too young for my parents to waste money on bringing me to the Series in '05 or the Blackout Game in '08. You better believe I'm stashing away my Trump Bucks for a White Sox playoff run (if I ever get them).
This list started off fairly basic, but I love the inclusion of the Hong Kong 7s Tournament. It's fairly outside what most would consider a normal bucket list sporting event, but I think what makes it stand out is the extracurriculars that come along with the tournament. In my opinion, most sporting events that make people's lists aren't because of the actual on-field product, but what comes along with it. You're most likely making these trips with your best buddies, and keeping that in mind, you know you want to have a good time so why not get blitzed in one of the most modern cities in the world while watching the equivalent of a human car crash on the pitch?
Boring
These are the types of outside the box events I'm talking about. Obviously, I want to attend a Masters at some point in my life, but as someone who's not a huge golf guy, The Waste Management Open is more up my alley. I'd assume at The Masters you're constantly moving around trying to follow the action, but the way my buddy put it sounds like the perfect recipe of getting loaded, enjoying everyone's company and losing money on random prop bets the entire weekend on the Par 3 (16th hole specifically).
We're getting to some extremely original ideas here now with the World Cup. I'm not a soccer fan in the slightest (and I bet you're most likely not), but you know for a fact you watch the World Cup every four years. I mean hell, look at what happened in 2014 during the Men's Cup run at Soldier Field for a fucking watch party. Soccer is never going to be THE sport in the United States, hell the only way it sneaks into the Top 4 in the US is if football is redlined. However, the minute you get nationalism involved, it suddenly becomes Us vs. Them, good vs. evil, Democracy vs. Communism (not sure if that applies anymore) and everyone is bleeding red, white and blue for a few weeks. A great addition to the list.
This is so oddly specific that it's my favorite response I got from anyone, by far. The next time the Olympics are in the US, I'm doing whatever I can to be there, and I don't care if it's for a weekend. And with the oddly specific choice of the 4x100 meter relay at the Olympics, I can't wait to watch some YouTube clips tonight and waste about 20 minutes going down the rabbit hole. Do I enjoy watching people run if there isn't a ball in their hands? No, but I love my country and would be going bananas down that last 25 meter stretch when the US is closing in on the Gold.
As for the Rose Bowl, I'd rather go to that than a National Championship. Maybe that's the Big Ten fan in me talking, but something about the Rose Bowl every New Year's Day feels right.
I mean come on!
I also love him explaining why he got so oddly specific and chose the 4x100 Meter Relay. I loved the answer, but then realizing his family has season tickets for the Blackhawks and he lives and dies by every goal he decided to get this specific with it because he's seen all he needs to see is as peak weird brain as it gets, and I love it.
MY LIST
If you've ever read anything I've ever written before, it's painfully obvious that I have a weird brain. I'm a fairly normal person who wants nothing more than to be in attendance for a Red Line World Series game, or any of the events I've mentioned before. But my list is going to be based on the atmosphere of the event for the most part, and are going to most likely leave you shaking your head in agreement or disdain. Probably no in-between.
WWE Royal Rumble
BuT wReStLiNg IsN't A sPoRt!
I already know people are going to be outraged about the Rumble over WrestleMania, but this is my list and you're going to have to deal with that. People tend to disagree with my wrestling takes around these parts anyways. The Rumble is my favorite wrestling show every year. Has been, and always will be. Wrestlers always seem to bring it at the PPV, because they know they have to do whatever they can to stand out at the start of WrestleMania season, and you show the boss the fans are invested in you, there's a solid shot he'll invest in you as long as your name isn't Zack Ryder or Rusev. And the Rumble itself, it's just so much god damn fun every year. You never know what's going to happen, and it's one of the few events throughout the year WWE puts on that your non-wrestling fan friends will willingly watch and enjoy.
Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling and Wake
It's just so dumb, it's beautiful.
A Super Bowl that the Bears aren't playing in
Football is better on TV, plain and simple. That being said, football is still my favorite sport to sit around and watch if my team isn't playing. A Super Bowl with your team is obviously something you want to be in attendance for, but when you think about it logistically, you know you'd rather be crowded around a tv with your friends and family sweating it out, and then hitting the streets and your favorite bar after to celebrate with nothing but fans of your team. Sure, it'd be cool going to a nightclub in Miami to celebrate, but you're telling me that'd be more fun than hitting up a bar in River North or the Loop to celebrate? Hell, better yet, your local dive!
In a Las Vegas Sports Book for the Opening round of the NCAA Tournament
If you get the right people to fly out for this, there's no doubt in mind how great of an experience this can be. Instead of inevitably trying to watch the games inside of your cube or in the classroom, you pay in advance for booth and don't even think about leaving when there's basketball on tv those first two days. You've got everything you need- food, booze, sports and being surrounded by a boatload of degenerates who aren't going to look at you funny for taking the under on Total Team fouls on the 15 seed playing Duke.
Are there more events that I didn't include? Obviously, but they're fairly run of the mill and are self explanatory. I want to go to Daytona and an Iron Bowl, but so does everybody else. They're special, and everyone knows it, so I decided to include some of the more obscure events on my list for that reason.
Have any sporting events that you think I'd enjoy or blatantly missed? Let's me hear it on Twitter @The1nnKeeper_
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-The Inn Keeper