The NHL - It’s no surprise that all three of my selections are north of the border in Canada where hockey is a big as baseball, basketball, & football combined here in the United States. First off is Calgary, one of North America’s most beautiful cities and home to the loudest group of fans in NHL. Calgary is great because it offers so much more than hockey, the Canadian Rockies are about 2 hours away from downtown so you can go out snowboarding or skiing then catch the game in the evening.
Finally, we’re off to Quebec to see the greatest sports franchise of them, all the Montreal Canadians. The big issue here is the language barrier as Montreal is primarily a French speaking town, but the weather is fantastic compared to the rest of the country and the fans of the team are the most demanding (they booed the team off the ice after they lost their first pre-season game), but also the most fun to be around.
The NBA - You can’t talk about basketball without the Lakers or all-star Kobe Bryant popping up in the conversation. That is why my first selection is Los Angeles, the City of Angels is home to the back-to-back NBA champions and the games are fun to go to just to see the game’s best player and all of the celebrities on hand.
Next up is the greatest city in the world, New York City, the birthplace of the game of basketball and home to the sports version of Mecca, Madison Square Garden. Now the New York Knicks are not the most interesting team to watch but the experience of the Garden is one that cannot be duplicated anywhere else in the world of basketball.
After a tough decision making process I have decided to take my article to South Beach and join Miami Heat. If you keep up with sports at all you would have had to have heard about the team’s acquisition of two of the game’s biggest stars LeBron James and Chris Bosh in addition to all-star Dwayne Wade. That really is the sole reason I picked Miami is because of their on-court talent not because of any kind of great tradition or fan participation, but the shear prospect of seeing these three on the court together in person is exciting.
Major League Baseball - Chicago has to be number one, and it’s obvious that I’m talking about the White Sox, just kidding; I’m talking about the Cubs and their legendary home Wrigley Field. It’s the second oldest ballpark in the Major Leagues and still has that same old school ballpark feel that can’t be replicated. Even though the Cubs haven’t won a World Series in over one hundred years the teams’ fans haven’t lost a party, ever.
Next on deck is Boston’s gem Fenway Park, the oldest of all Major League parks. The Red Sox have enjoyed success in recent years and as a result the tickets are not cheap nor are they easy to get but if you have an opportunity to visit the Sox you must take advantage of it. Plus, any excuse to visit Boston is a good one.
We return to New York, the Bronx to be more specific, for the next baseball selection it’s Yankee Stadium. Atmosphere in the stadium is something that is hard to explain, it’s a perfect mixture of excitement, anticipation, and fear of a riot that you can almost smell coming. However, it’s an absolute Heaven for the average sports lover. The scenery is great, the team is great, and the fans are great (as long as you don’t make direct eye contact with them).
The NFL - We switch gears and head to America’s most popular sport, football, and to its oldest living home the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. There isn’t anything flashy or new about the stadium, there’s no retractable roof or fancy seats, you sit on metal bleachers and feel the brisk Wisconsin air but it certainly is an experience you have to try. Bring a scarf and gloves.
Next is the loudest arena in North America the Louisiana Superdome. Not only are the fans loud they’re border line insane. The performance of the hometown Saints on the field impacts the daily life of the state of Louisiana, it’s impossible to explain how much this team means to the people of the city. Everyone wears their Saints jerseys on game day and no matter if they win or lose they cheer and support the team. It has to be seen to be believed.
Rounding off the list is the Broncos stadium in Denver, which has recently been rebuilt and had the name changed to Invesco Field at Mile High but unfortunately for the Denver based financial firm Invesco the people of Colorado will never say that and will always just be known as “Mile High.” That right there should give you a bit of the sense of tradition these folks have toward their Broncos. A friend of mine from Colorado once described the Broncos as “more of a cult than a group of football fans.”
Published with permission from O-Posts.
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