Hi, I'm Caroline, and I’m ticket-crazed. Sports, concerts, you name it — if it’s in town, I better be going (if I’m not, I usually sit at the kitchen table the night of and lament not being there). I'm obsessed with the experience, of the moment in time. You can't put a price tag on a championship moment! If tickets (here's looking at you, Augusta and Wimbledon) and travel weren't issues, these would be my go-to events. (Yeah, I know, these are probably on everyone's list....)
1. Wimbledon
The grass is always greener at the All England Club. As Pete Sampras put it, “They act like they’ve got the biggest tournament in the world, and they’re right, they do.” Everything is somehow weightier at Wimbledon. From Sampras to Federer (and most recently, Serena), the game's greatest champions cement their legacies on this hallowed ground.
2. The Masters
*Cue iconic theme music*
Is there any symbol in sports more iconic than that little yellow America? Oh, yeah — the green jacket, the most coveted trophy in golf. From Amen Corner to the Butler's Cabin (which nobody is allowed to enter, but we can all watch on television), Augusta National is chock full of golf's richest traditions.
3. The Super Bowl
As a Patriots fan, our four Super Bowl titles (and, um, those few losses) have provided some of the greatest drama of my young life. Nothing was more crushing than the Tyree Catch — then again, nothing will ever be quite as gratifying as Malcolm Butler’s goal-line interception.
4. Kentucky Derby
I can't think of another sporting events that melts fashion, society, and sport together quite like the Kentucky Derby. The town of Louisville shuts down (or ramps up, depending on how you look at it) for the first week of May. What other sporting event has a ten-rule dress code...for attendees?
5. Big-Time College Football
The school spirit captured at any college football game is distinct from the zealous enthusiasm at the professional level. In certain parts of the country, college football is not just a game, it's a way of life. Read USA Today's list of best places to see a college football game here.
6. Texas High School Football
There’s a reason why the most beautiful show in existence revolves around 5A high school football. (I shouldn’t have to tell you that said show is of course "Friday Night Lights.") Even Peyton Manning’s mother says that the Friday night high school games were her favorites (and her kids have four Lombardi trophies among them!)
7. NCAA March Madness
I don't think anybody studies as much for any sporting event as they do for March Madness--everybody wants an A+ bracket! (Dream on). Like college football, March Madness engages whole communities around these colleges and their surrounding towns. Most sporting events last a day or a week, but March Madness provides a whole month of excitement!
8. NBA Finals/Stanley Cup Final/World Series
I’ve lived in Boston my whole life, so I've been able to watch all of my home teams win a major championship. That 2004 World Series was probably the sweetest win we've had here, but the Celtics and the Bruins' wins were equally exciting. While I've never been to any of the winning games, I've gone to almost every parade and saved a piece of confetti from each one. The best part of a hometown team winning a major championship is that the joy lasts for months, years, decades--most people in Boston are talking about that 2004 ALCS series like it was yesterday. There is nothing like a championship moment!!
