A few images from my two most recent events (Springboks vs. All Blacks rugby in Johannesburg) and the U.S. Open Tennis Championships in Flushing, New York. From left, the All Blacks move into formation for their pre-game Haka; shortly before 2 a.m. Alexander Zverev (near) and Lorenzo Sonego completed their opening-round match after five sets and nearly five hours; Arthur Ashe Stadium was full for Coco Gauff’s opening match; the Springboks’ buses drew quite a crowd.
(Reminder: You’re receiving this edition of Inside Baseball because you’re a subscriber to The Sports Fan Project. It’s just my way of providing a behind-the-scenes glimpse as to what’s happening [and being planned] here and at our podcast, Conversations with Sports Fans. If you know of others who might enjoy our content, please invite them to subscribe. The link to do so is found along the right-hand column on the website.)
Welcome to September!
Where has the time gone? It seems like only yesterday I began these monthly subscriber-exclusive “Inside Baseball” posts and this is (checks notes) already the 13th such installment.
Crazy!
What to share this month?
As I type this, I’m 19 events away from accomplishing my goal of attending 80 (thus the project’s name, Around the World in 80 Sporting Events) of the world’s most iconic sporting events/venues by June 2027, when your author turns 60.
By the end of September, with trips this weekend to NASCAR’s Food City 300 under the lights at the famed Bristol Motor Speedway and next weekend to Oracle Park for some Dodgers-Giants rivalry, I’ll be left with 17.
The path to 80 is becoming clearer each day and I’m securing tickets, lodging, and flights where I’m able. Only a pair of potential hiccups exist: Super Bowl LXI ticket prices and the likelihood of no Grapefruit League action due to MLB-MLBPA labor negotiations.
With that, I have two asks of you, my loyal readers:
- If you have pair of Super Bowl LXI tickets you’re looking to move for a reasonable rate, please let me know.
- If you’re able to knock some sense into the MLB ownership and the MLB Players Association to avoid a work stoppage, please do so.
Worth Reading
Like several of you, I suppose, during this summer’s FIFA World Cup, I became acquainted with a fella going by the name “Freddy from Germany” via his Twitter/X handle @FreddyLA7. He and his mates came to the U.S. and embarked a monthlong roadtrip that took them through large swaths of the south, midwest, and even into Canada. They intentionally kept their identities obscured by emojis on their posts and went about captivating the hearts of half a million new followers.
Well, Freddy and friends returned to the States for a 3-week trip to experience college football. It all started last weekend at the annual Cy-Hawk Game between Iowa State and Iowa at Kinnick Stadium. For the first time (I believe), they sat for an interview with The Athletic, which you should be able to read here.
Also Worth Reviewing
In the event you haven’t seen it yet, I published my reflections from Event No. 41 (the Hope-Calvin men’s basketball rivalry) as well as the entire page from the event that includes some more photos, video, and a link to a Conversation from earlier this year with the two athletic directors.
Winner, Winner!
For the better part of 10 days, my inbox was accepting entrants for an author-signed copy of Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling. The very compelling read that I highly recommend by previous Conversations with Sports Fans’ guest, Danny Funt.
Does no one read anymore?
I had one entrant!
So, rather than sitting for makeup and an expensive video production session to announce the winner, I’m just going to do it here:
Congratulations to Michael O’Connell, an 80 for 80 Circle of Champions member from Virginia. Your book will ship before I head south.
Looking for Another Online Game?
Someone shared this game, Instant Replay, with me earlier this week.
I’m only partaking in the free level of play, but so far I’ve found it enjoyable as a fan of sports, geography, and history. The gist is that you’re shown an image, and you need to place a pin on the map where you think it occurred and also slide the timeline to the correct year.
It is similar to GeoSports where you’re provided five sports-themed questions each day and asked to place a pin in the globe that answers the question. We actually have Sports Fan Project group for this game if you’d like to join a few of us.
Follow this link to join The Sports Fan Project Group: https://geosports.app/groups?join=AE6Q6R. If prompted to input a code, it is: AE6Q6R
Army-Navy Anyone?
If you’ve read this far, you are a fan!
Thank you:-)
As of this writing, I am currently flying solo for the 127th playing of the annual Army-Navy Game on December 12th at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. I’d welcome some company. No game tickets have been purchased yet (history indicates the price will come down), but I do have lodging secured in a hotel with a pair of beds not too far from MetLife for two nights (Friday and Saturday).
If you’d like to ride shotgun on this trip please let me know at hilldouglast@gmail.com.
Images from South Africa
It’s going to take quite a while to fully catalogue and process the myriad photos and videos I shot during our time in South Africa, especially the majestic landscapes and wildlife shots from our time staying in the Makalai Game Preserve. Here are just a few of the highlights, most of which have not been previously shared on social media.
Clockwise from upper left, at one point during a wild game drive, we were surrounded by close to 20 Cape Buffalo, these are a few; the sun setting over the Atlantic Ocean in Cape Town; it took a while, but we finally spotted an elephant; giraffes were plentiful; some of the termite mounds were incredibly tall; this sunset in the South African bush screams Africa to me; similarly, this sunrise was magnificent; the view of Lion’s Head in Cape Town from Table Mountain.