100 Sports Things to See Before You Die

This list was taken from Gil LeBreton's column that was featured in the Tribune-Democrat today. I have been fortunate enough to have seen a few of the things listed including Fenway Park, Barry Bonds batting, the Louisville Slugger Museum, Camden Yards, Madison Square Garden, Roger Clemens pitching, we saw Churchill Downs, I even saw the old Montreal Forum, and since I live here, high school football in Western PA. This list is awesome, so enjoy:

1. The Super Bowl

The hoopla, the crowds, the halftime show. If you're a red-blooded American, there is no bigger sporting event. And it's all coming here in 2011.

2. Summer Olympics

(Event to see: track and field, men's 100 meters) A signature event at a 17-day Woodstock where every event seems memorable and hugely important.

3. The Masters

The golfer's Mecca. And fully worth the pilgrimage.

4. A World Series game

Any year, any game will do. At your first one, you'll remember playing catch with your dad.

5. Opening Ceremonies, Olympic Games

Lots of fluff and circumstance. But the quadrennial gathering of the family of man is always moving.

6. World Cup

(Any match between a European nation and Brazil) Go prepared to samba or sing along throughout the whole game.

7. BCS championship game

Sure, we hate the BCS system. But it all comes down to the crystal trophy.

8. NFC or AFC championship game

Winner goes to the Super Bowl. That's powerful stuff. And there's a home crowd to stir things.

9. Final Four

(Saturday semifinals) Usually better than the Monday finale. The atmosphere is worth the distant seat.

10. Wimbledon

Like being in church for a fortnight. I miss Martina and McEnroe, though.

11. Ancient Olympia, Greece

The same starting line, the same olive groves, the same stone entry as the world's original Olympians.

12. Kentucky Derby

Even the Queen had to see the Derby and Churchill Downs.

13. Tour de France

(Any Alpine mountain stage) Thread your way through the crowd to the top, marvel at the unique spectacle, order the crepes.

14. The Rose Bowl

The panorama at the "Granddaddy of Them All" never disappoints.

15. Winter Olympics

(Event to see: men's downhill) The Winter Games are best viewed outside, with a cold nose and holding a hot chocolate. The downhill is the event to see.

16. NBA Finals

Not quite the wow factor that the Super Bowl or World Series provide, but the NBA has done a good job growing the Finals' stature.

17. Title fight in Las Vegas

Get ready to rumble. Bring your binoculars. A fight weekend in Vegas is a carnival of people-watching.

18. Indianapolis 500

The speedway, the crowd and the history assure that it's still the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing."

19. Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, N.Y.

Babe Ruth's uniform, Ty Cobb's sharpened spikes. It's where baseball history truly comes to life.

20. Daytona 500

"The Great American Race" is NASCAR's Super Bowl. Too bad it's in February.

21. Fenway Park

The Green Monster grabs your attention, but don't forget that it's also the same field that Ruth, Yaz and Ted Williams played on.

22. Wrigley Field

Make sure it's a day game for the full Ferris Bueller experience.

23. Lambeau Field

(and Packers museum) The NFL has steamrolled its past, except at Lambeau. Don't miss the museum. (Jerry Kramer was offside).

24. Any major golf tournament Tiger Woods is in

This is like my Unitas thing. You'll be telling your grandkids one day that you saw him play.

25. Stanley Cup deciding game

Skating around with the Cup is one of sports' great traditions.

26. Duke vs. North Carolina basketball

(at Cameron Indoor Stadium) College basketball's Hatfields and McCoys.

27. Ohio State vs. Michigan football

(at Ohio Stadium) The crisp November weather, the ghosts of Bo and Woody and the Script Ohio.

28. U.S. Open tennis on a Saturday night

Ladies and gentlemen, please turn off your cellphones. And behave yourselves.

29. Pebble Beach National Pro-Am

Cliffs, sea lions, the crashing ocean.

30. Yankee Stadium with Roger Clemens pitching

Don't expect to see the DiMaggio and Mantle stadium. That one was remodeled in 1974-75. But it's worth hassling with Yankees fans to see the great Clemens perform one last time.

31. Southeastern Conference football game

You'll find 90,000 spectators, all convinced that those 60 minutes are the most important of their lives -- until the next week.

32. Dodgertown, Vero Beach, Fla.

Streets named after Jackie Robinson and Duke Snider. The jewel of the Grapefruit League. But better hurry -- the Dodgers are moving to Arizona in 2009.

33. Army football game at West Point

Go in the fall when the leaves are changing colors and you'll see why George Washington handpicked this place.

34. Royal and Ancient Golf Club, St. Andrews

It's to golf what the Roman Colosseum was to gladiator battles. If this were a "things to do" list rather than "things to see," it would be listed much higher.

35. NFL Draft

Overstated, perhaps, but increasingly entertaining in person. Enjoy watching the disgruntled Jets fans.

36. College World Series, Omaha

Warm, welcoming hosts and two weeks of perfectly imperfect baseball. Order the steak sandwich.

37. Estadio Azteca, Mexico City

Smog, high altitude, 114,465 spectators and the toughest home-field advantage in soccer.

38. U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials

Because of the depth of U.S. talent, it's the world's best track meet. Only the top three get to go to the Games.

39. Cactus League spring training

Great weather (usually) and plenty of ballparks within easy driving distance.

40. UEFA Champions League Final

The greatest prize in European club soccer.

41. A minor league baseball game

Lots of good ballparks to choose from -- Brooklyn, Reading, St. Paul, Camden, Spokane, and don't forget our own LaGrave Field.

42. Little League World Series, South Williamsport, Pa.

For 60 years, this quaint little town on the Susquehanna has been the dream destination of every 12-year-old baseball player.

43. Army-Navy football game

It's lost a lot of its spit and polish, but the annual meeting of the Cadets and Midshipmen is always rich with emotion.

44. Olympic Stadium, Berlin

Built by Hitler for the 1936 Olympics, it survived World War II unscathed and remains one of the world's great sporting venues.

45. Baseball Opening Day

(day openers only) No sport does its first day of the season with better flair than baseball.

46. Munich Olympic Stadium, Germany

The main stadium for the 1972 Olympics, it's still an architectural masterpiece. Chillingly, you can see the former Olympic Village apartments, where the Munich massacre began, nearby.

47. Los Angeles Coliseum

Host to Super Bowl I and both the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games, the Coliseum's importance on the world sporting map can't be overstated.

48. FA Cup Final

The best of British football battle in the world's oldest (circa 1871) soccer competition. No hooligans, please.

49. Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race

Distinctly British, the first race was held on the Thames in 1829. A crowd of 250,000 lines the river banks to watch.

50. Thanksgiving Day game, Texas Stadium

Even in Philly, nothing defines the holiday like eating turkey and then watching the Cowboys play football in the stadium with the hole in the roof.

51. X Games

After 13 years, it's become hard to ignore them.

52. New Zealand national team rugby match

See the All Blacks -- dressed in, duh, all black -- do the original Haka (of recent Trinity High tradition).

53. Pro Football Hall of Fame

(Canton, Ohio) Not quite the Louvre ambience that Cooperstown has, but it's a fun place to browse. Avoid induction weekend at all costs.

54. Notre Dame football game at South Bend

Not just the football stadium, but the entire campus -- the Golden Dome, the grotto, Touchdown Jesus -- makes this a special place.

55. Pauley Pavilion, UCLA

It's where the Wizard of Westwood, John Wooden, and his Bruins won 10 NCAA titles. And it's also where in 1984 most of the world was first introduced to Mary Lou Retton.

56. Lake Placid, N.Y.

The village in the Adirondacks itself (population: 2,638) is worth the trip. See the rink where the 1980 Miracle on Ice took place.

57. Monaco Grand Prix

The premier Formula One race through the twisting streets of Monaco.

58. NCAA men's basketball tournament (first round)

Four games. Any site will do. Bring your bracket.

59. Boston Marathon

Bill Rodgers. Johnny Kelley. Heartbreak Hill. Rosie Ruiz. This year's race was the 111th.

60. Il Palio, Siena, Italy

The first of the famous horse races was held more than 350 years ago.

61. Madison Square Garden

The historic Garden, the one where Jack Dempsey fought and where Marilyn Monroe sang Happy Birthday to President Kennedy, was closed in 1968. The current one has had its share of history, though, including two Ali-Frazier fights.

62. New York Marathon

The race begins on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and ends in Central Park, traversing all five New York boroughs.

63. Memorials to college sports tragedies

The campus memorials at Marshall, Evansville and Oklahoma State all tastefully and beautifully commemorate the tragic accidents that struck their teams.

64. Bristol Motor Speedway

(Tennessee) High banks and tight turns make this short track a unique NASCAR experience.

65. World Figure Skating Championships

Away from the spotlight and politics of the Olympics, the sport crowns its true champions.

66. Calgary Stampede

Chuckwagon races and a Rocky Mountain backdrop make this 10-day rodeo special.

67. Australia national swimming championships

This is the swim-crazy Aussies' version of the NCAA basketball tournament.

68. Allen Fieldhouse

(Lawrence, Kan.) History abounds. The court is named in honor of James Naismith, who invented the game. "Rock Chalk" chant will give you chills.

69. The Ashes

The world's oldest cricket rivalry, matching England and Australia.

70. Texas-Oklahoma football game

Corny dogs, the State Fair and the Cotton Bowl make this an annual must-see event.

71. Muhammad Ali training camp

(Deer Lake, Pa.) The camp features log cabins (and a mosque) that the champ himself helped build. Sinatra and Elvis once visited him there.

72. San Francisco Giants game, Barry Bonds batting

Regardless of what you think of him, a Bonds at-bat is destined to become one of baseball's indelible memories. It's best to see him at Bonds-friendly AT&T Park.

73. Basketball Hall of Fame

(Springfield, Mass.) Plenty of good stuff to see, including Cliff Hagan's Dallas Chaparrals jersey.

74. Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory

(Louisville, Ky.) Have a wooden Louisville Slugger bat made with your own autograph on it.

75. Rugby World Cup

The latest comes up in two months in France. Let the scrumming begin.

76. Duke Kahanamoku Classic, Hawaii

The best surfers in the world tackle the tastiest waves on the north shore of Oahu.

77. World ski flying championships, Oberstdorf, Germany

Any ski jumping is fun to see, but this is where things went spectacularly wrong for Vinko Bogataj, earning him U.S. TV immortality as ABC Wide World of Sports' "agony of defeat" guy.

78. Hockey in Montreal

The game is best viewed with French subtitles. Plan a side trip to the original Montreal Forum.

79. Louisiana Superdome

(New Orleans) It's hosted Super Bowls, political conventions and the pope. And now it's survived a tragic hurricane.

80. Oriole Park at Camden Yards

(Baltimore) The stadium that launched the retro era of ballpark construction. The Babe Ruth birthplace and museum is a short walk away.

81. French Open tennis

Heat, red clay, but hey -- it's Paris.

82. Rickwood Field

(Birmingham, Ala.) Oldest surviving professional baseball park in the country. Every May the minor league Barons leave their new modern park and stage a throwback game at Rickwood.

83. Japanese baseball league game

Catch a game with the Yankees of Far East baseball, the Yomiuri Giants, to get the full sensory experience.

84. Australian Rules Football final

Immortalized on late-night ESPN, the Grand Final of Aussie Rules football was played on the Melbourne Cricket Ground last year in front of 97,000.

85. NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four

The final game is the one to see. Quit complaining that nobody is dunking.

86. High school football in Texas, Ohio or Western Pennsylvania

Here they take their high school football seriously.

87. Epsom Derby

(Surrey, England) Long before there was a Kentucky Derby, there was "The Derby," inaugurated in 1780.

88. Summer Olympics, women's gymnastics

This is the competition that gave us Nadia Comaneci, Mary Lou Retton, Bela Karolyi and Carly Patterson.

89. Utah Olympic Park

Bobsled and luge meets throughout the winter. No wagering, please.

90. Grey Cup

Hey, there's an extra man on the field! Catch the Canadian league's championship game before the real winter weather hits.

91. Raiders NFL game in Oakland

A twisted suggestion, perhaps, but watching the Raiders play in front of their black-and-silver-clad home faithful could be the NFL's most unique viewing experience.

92. Preakness

Second leg of racing's Triple Crown. Pimlico is rich in history, including, sadly, its role in the saga of ill-fated Barbaro.

93. Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, La., on a Saturday night

Get there early enough to see the entrance of live LSU mascot Mike the Tiger.

94. Harvard-Yale football

It's called "The Game" and it's been played since 1875. Pranksters from MIT often try to sabotage the field or scoreboard.

95. Field of Dreams

(Dubuque County, Iowa) If they build it, we will come. Bring your glove. You never know who's going to come out of the cornfield.

96. Kyle Field

(College Station) The Aggies proudly do their own thing. Don't get nervous when the stadium begins to sway.

97. Indianapolis Colts game, Peyton Manning at quarterback

You're going to remember the day you saw him throw that winning touchdown pass.

98. Cape Cod League

The major league of college summer baseball, amidst a Cape Cod setting. Wooden bats, too.

99. Ryder Cup

Why do we watch this? It's the flags and nationalism, right? Do not jeer the Colin Montgomeries.

100. Bay to Breakers Race, San Francisco

Billed as the longest consecutively running foot race in the world, it's also the wackiest to see in person. I'm not going to explain.

What kind of sports fan are you?

Have you been to the World Cup? Have you seen the Nolan Ryan exhibit at the Baseball Hall of Fame? Rate yourself. How many of the 100 Sports Things to See Before You Die have you seen?

0 to 5: Sports Recluse. You're watching way too much SportsCenter.

6 to 15: Honorary Griswold. Next vacation, Rangers spring training?

16 to 30: You're in the peloton. You fear no earthly ticket scalper.

31 to 50: Road Warrior. You probably know shortcuts to all the stadiums.

51 to 75: Renaissance Fan. You have bobbleheads in seven different languages.

76 or more: Gold Medalist. Feel free to die. You've almost seen it all