In December, the University of Men’s Soccer Team won the program’s first NCAA National Championship.
My dream for Season 5 of Conversations with Sports Fans was to have regular Conversations with fans of the so-called non-revenue college sports. Broadly speaking, this means (for most programs) something other than fooball and men’s (and women’s in some instances) basketball.
Admittedly, it’s been slow to launch, but I was joined by Northwestern University Women’s Field Hockey fan, Perry Nigro, in Episode 7 (find it here) and I’m pleased to share the second installment with you in this episode that focuses on the University of Washington Men’s Soccer Team which won the 2025 National Championship in thrilling fashion (see the video below).
Thanks in large part to UW Men’s Soccer Sports Information Director, Jack Larkin, I was able to have some discussion with a quartet of Husky soccer (men’s and women’s, it turns out) fans that span three generations.
Listeners will first hear from the Patchin family, mother Katie and children Caroline and Charlie, as they discuss how they became interested in UW soccer and how attending soccer camps, various team events where they were able to interact with players, and Caroline and Charlie serving as ball retrievers, has helped create likely fans for life.
Then listeners will hear from Marty Rood who played soccer for the Coach Mike Ryan over 50 years ago. While the Patchins have only known of the recent successes of the program, Marty shares the long view, looking back to his era when the school won it’s first league title, how it’s evolved through the years, the disappointment of the National Championship loss in 2021, and the euphoric feeling he had sitting in the small UW section in Cary, NC, WakeMed Soccer Park, site of December’s victory over nearby North Carolina State.
This was my first full year on the road in pursuit of my Around the World in 80 Sporting Events goal of reaching 80 iconic venues and/or events by the time my biological clock hits 60 in June 2027.
As such, I saw a lot in 2025.
In total, I traveled 53,982 miles, set foot on two new continents (Asia and South America), witnessed 26 events, and spent many nights not in my own bed.
Here are my highlights from the year that’s about to have been.
Number 5 – A December Sunday at Green Bay’s Lambeau Field
Packers’ fans celebrate a score during their 28-21 victory over the rival Chicago Bears.
My final event of 2025 was just about everything I could have hoped for.
The visiting Chicago Bears and host Green Bay Packers were playing for the NFC Central Division lead, both had winning percentages of over .700 this late in the season (the first time that’s happened since December 11, 1932), the skies were clear, and the temperatures felt like single-digits by the time the late afternoon game concluded.
The fact that the game came down to the penultimate play, a Caleb Williams pass to the end zone was intercepte by Keisean Nixon sealed the Packers’ 28-21 victory.
The only things that would have made this a game 10-out-of-10 would have been that final Bears’ drive heading into the endzone we were seated in and an occasional snowflake falling to create a total commemorative snow globe moment.
All the Content from Event No. 34 Still Needs to be Created. Stay Tuned:-)
Number 4 – Lionel Messi’s (Likely) Final Competitive Home Match for Team Argentina
This sums up, perfectly, the adoration the Argentine fans have for Lionel Messi.
It’s widely assumed that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the final international go-round for Argentine soccer legend, Lionel Messi.
If this in fact remains true, then I’m able to say I was among the 77,000 spectators in Buenos Aires’ Estadio Mas Monumental for one of the game’s greatest of all-time’s final competitive home match when Argentina defeated Venezuela, 3-0, in CONMEBOL’s Matchday 17.
I understood next-to-nothing the public address speaker said throughout, but what I did understand the unmitigated affection that crowd had for Messi. From the standing ovation he received as he stepped off the bus in the loading dock, to his first appearance on the pitch, to the two goals he scored (and even the one that was disallowed by an offsides call), to his exit from the pitch following post-match media.
That no one in the stadium considered leaving until he was off the field is a visual I’m unsure can ever be erased from my mind.
Check Out All the Content from Event No. 24 at this link.
Number 3 – Arkansas Pitcher Gage Wood No-Hits the Murray State Racers in the MCWS
Arkansas pitcher Gage Wood celebrates a big out during his 19 strikeout no-hitter of Murray State during the Men’s College World Series in Omaha.
Like so many, I walked into Omaha’s Charles Schwab Stadium that steamy June 16 afternoon pulling hard for the Cinderella team of the Men’s College World Series, the Murray State Racers.
By the fifth inning, however, allegiances were subtly shifting.
Arkansas Razorback starting pitcher Gage Wood was DEALING! It looked like the Racers’ batters were swinging wet lasagna noodles against Wood as the strikeouts mounted.
By the seventh inning, I’m fairly certain everyone in the park knew what was happening.
That it happened was too cool for school.
Wood threw the first no-hitter in MCWS play in 65 years. His 19 strikeouts were the most in a 9-inning MCWS game … ever.
That I was there and, through the generosity of a stranger, had seats behind homeplate, is truly remarkable.
Check Out All the Content from Event No. 19 at this link.
Number 2 – Indiana Class 4A High School Sectional Final in Historic Muncie Fieldhouse
The opening tip between Greenfield-Central (white uniforms) and Mt. Vernon in the Indiana Class 4A High School Sectional Championship at Muncie Fieldhouse.
I was born and raised in Indiana and, as such, have a special fondness in my heart for high school basketball.
It was a fairly regular part of my weekly life as a youngster before my family moved to Michigan before sixth grade.
So, of the many events I planned to witness in 2025, I eagerly anticipated taking in some Indiana high school tournament basketball action. The first round is known as Sectionals in the Hoosier state and I was underwhelmed by the competitiveness I saw at the first two sites visited.
But on Saturday of Sectional Week … well I saw a gem.
I went with my cousin, Brandon, and his daughter, Calah, to see the Class 4A Sectional Final at historic Muncie Fieldhouse on a warm March evening. That there was a line to get in boded well and that the favored team, Greenfield-Central, was a among the top five teams in the state also provided optimism.
What none of us knew until the game began is who, exactly we were seeing.
Greenfield-Central’s star, Braylon Mullins, would go on to win Indiana’s coveted Mr. Basketball honor a few weeks later. He was a 5-star recruit who was destined for Storrs, CT, and the then 2-time defending NCAA Champion Connecticut Huskies. Mt. Vernon’s standout was a junior who’d already committed to Purdue named Luke Ertel.
The two duked it out all night, Mullins scored 38 and Ertel 36, but the upstarts from Mt. Vernon came away with an 83-76 double-overtime win. A thriller to be sure and a terrific way to cap off my week feasting on basketball in hoop-crazed Indiana.
Check Out All the Content from Event No. 14 at this link.
Number 1 – Witnessing the Setting Sun at the Rose Bowl on January 1
The golden hour at the 2025 Rose Bowl. What a view!
Odd, isn’t it, that I traveled nearly 54,000 miles in 2025 and my most memorable moment came on the very first day?
Never mind the football game (which The Ohio State won in a rout over Oregon), I was there for the environment, the pagentry, and the sunset.
I got it all!
The Tournament of Roses Parade shortly after dawn, the B-2 bomber flyover at the conclusion of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the ceremonial coin flip featuring the Grand Marshal (Billie Jean King), the Goodyear blimp hovering overhead throughout, and, of course, the sunset that was appointment viewing for me during my youth and – who am I kidding?!? – adulthood.
I won’t lie, it was a long day – especially considering I participated in the Run with the Roses 5K at midnight – but it was the best day of the year by a long shot.
Check Out All the Content from Event No. 11 at this link.
It’s Boxing Day Weekend in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth which means a full slateof English Premier League matches and an indertiminate number of markers for this chap.
If there was ever a need for central casting to deliver/create/identify a Norwegian male for an upcoming role, do I have some tremendous news for that department: The work is done!
The son of Norwegian soccer player, Alfie Haaland, Erling was born 25 years ago in Leeds, England, while his father played for Leeds United F.C. Erling stands 6-foot-5 with long flowing blonde hair that’s usually tied up in a pony at the back of his head. Haaland has presented a mess of challenges for opposing defenders since joining City prior to the 2022 season.
Manchester City forward Erling Haaland reacts after a group stage match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. (Photo by Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)
Earlier during the 2025-26 season Haaland became the most prolific goal scorer in his first 100 English Premier League games, netting his 88th during an August 31, 2025, victory over Brighton & Hove Albion, besting Alan Shearer‘s previous mark by nine markers. He took Shearer down again earlier in December when he scored his 100th EPL goal in just his 111th match. Shearer accomplished it 30 years ago in 124 matches.
And it’s not just the EPL where Haaland has made his mark. He’s also the fastest to score 50 UEFA Champions League goals (49 matches) and the fastest to 50 international goals (46 matches). His work on the international scene for Norway has also qualified it for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the first time the Norwegians have qualified since before he was born (1998). No, his father was not on that roster, but Alfie did play for his country in the 1994 World Cup.
After all this, Haaland did disappoint (us, at least) by not scoring during City’s Boxing Day Weekend 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest.
Erling Haaland’s highlight goals for Manchester City.
Just to review, The Fan Teaser was the creation of former Ann Arbor News Sports Editor Geoff Larcom. Longtime friend and fellow Ann Arbor News alum, Pat Schutte, took it to heights previously unknown. We aim to keep it alive here at The Sports Fan Project. The cropped photo and the accompanying clue give you an idea as to who or what the image is of. We invite you to use the Comment option to take a crack at solving the Teaser and, if you’re so inclined, participate in some good-spirited banter with your fellow sports fans. The Fan Teaser will appear each Friday morning with the reveal coming to you Sunday.
Tim Walker, at left, his mate Ali, and I, during the River Plate-San Martin match in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on August 31, 2025. (Photo by Tim Parker)
One of the many enjoyable aspects of my Around the World in 80 Sporting Events project is the ability to meet and interact with various folks along the way.
Sure, I’m traveling or attending events with people I have longstanding relationships with, but the individuals I’ve been able to meet along the way are vital characters in any film that’s being created in my own mind;-)
I first met Tim over an empanada, a couple slices of pizza, and a glass of Malbec at Buenos Aires’ El Cuartito before he and I attended the Argentine Primera Divison soccer match between River Plate and San Martin.
The more I spoke to Tim and his mate, Ali, the more intrigued I was with his story. A native Englander, he relocated to the Denver area over 20 years ago and now resides in St. Petersburg, FL. In addition to traveling to far-flung locales for soccer matches, I was able to learn he was a fan of the San Francisco 49ers and the LSU Tigers and rode his bicycle to Tampa Bay Rays games when Tropicana Field was still a thing.
What I did not know during that brief interaction was how widely he’d traveled and how many absolutely stellar sports fan experiences he’d had.
Have I got some wonderful news for you … Tim joins me this week on Conversations and in addition to enjoying his British accent, he shares many of those stories with us.
My ticket for Thursday night’s Argentine National Team soccer match.
My buddy Tim and I flew to Buenos Aires, Argentina, with the hope of seeing a pair of Argentinian soccer, er, futbol matches as part of Event No. 24 of my Around the World in 80 Sporting Eventsproject.
We’d secured tickets prior to leaving the U.S. for the River Plate–San Martin match that occurred on Sunday. It was an absolutely fabulous experience and the host River Plate squad, in front of nearly 80,000 home fans at their historic Estadio Mas Monumental, won the match, 2-0, with both markers coming on our end of the pitch.
What we did not have tickets for before leaving, was the final home World Cup Qualifying match for the Argentinian national team. That match is Thursday night against Venezuela, also in Monumental. That match is significant because most folks in the know believe it will be Lionel Messi‘s final competitive home match for the national team before he retires following World Cup 2026.
Tim and I received word we’d have a ticket and the manner in which to pick it up. (On a street corner, cash, and tickets exchanged; the whole thing seemed fairly seedy until the person with the ticket agreed to give us a lift back to where we were staying.)
So, we now wait for another day to witness this historic match. I’m left to wonder how loud the crowd will be for Messi has he’s introduced and, presumably, pulled from the game at some point in the second half.
Scenes from Manchester and Liverpool on July 14 when England faced Spain for the European Championship.
During my recent trip to the United Kingdom (see Event 2 of Around the World in 80 Sporting Events) my wife, Carol, and I happened to be in England on the day of the Euro Championship which featured England vs. Spain.
It was magical to bear witness to a country seemingly unified around a common goal: Winning its first-ever Euro Championship (and first major trophy since the 1966 FIFA World Cup).
As we spent time that Sunday afternoon in football (soccer)-crazed Manchester, I couldn’t help but notice the default clothing choice seemed to be the Team England kit (e.g. jersey) and that the closer it got to the 8 o’clock start time, the fewer and fewer folks we found on the streets. By the time we arrived back to our flat in Liverpool you’d have thought Paul and Ringo had both died … there was NO ONE out and about.
It also made me long for that esprit de corps that I only ever remember experiencing as an entire nation once.
The date was February 22, 1980, and a plucky team of – mainly – American college hockey players took it to the mighty Soviet Union squad for the entirety of 60 minutes in the Lake Placid Winter Olympics. We all know the outcome and the aftermath, but it was that feeling we collectively shared during the magical run over two weeks in February 1980 that I’d love to see the United States experience again.
Perhaps it’s naive of me to believe that something similar is again possible here. In a nation as geographically large as ours, as diverse as ours, and as, seemingly, culturally and politically bifurcated as ours, maybe experiencing what the people of England enjoyed for a few days last month is too much to ask.
Still, I’ll keep waiting on another miracle.
This scene from “Miracle” when the team emerges from the locker room gets me … EVERY. TIME.
Attempting to go Around the World in 80 Sporting Events means visiting some wonderful destinations and witnessing some monumental moments. Clockwise from upper left, the scoreboard at the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews’ Old Course; Roberto Clemente’s jersey in the Baseball Hall of Fame; downtown Cooperstown, NY; the Swilcan Bridge at St. Andrews; the author and the Stanley Cup at the Hockey Hall of Fame; and the Hoosiers’ gym in Knightstown, IN.
As noted in the previous installment, once some foundational guardrails were in place, it was up to me to determine what Around the World in 80 Sporting Events would encompass. That is, what events/venues would rise to the level of iconic for inclusion?
Fortunately, by the time I’d arrived at this point in the planning stages I was well into the second season of hosting the podcast, “Conversations with Sports Fans,” so I knew what a lot of other folks felt were notable sporting events. Plus, many just nominate themselves because of the significance around the event.
What follows is a list by sport. The number in parentheses next to the sport are the total events in that category. At the bottom of each grouping is a brief explanation (where needed) of what’s included.
Baseball (17)
One hopes any trip to Wrigley Field ends with “Cubs Win!”
St. Louis Cardinals-Chicago Cubs Game at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL (Completed! Read about it here.)
New York Yankees-Boston Red Sox Game at Fenway Park in Boston, MA
San Francisco Giants-Los Angeles Dodgers Game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA
MLB World Series Game in Toronto (Completed! Read about it here.)
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY (Completed! Read about it here.)
Negro Leagues Museum in Kansas City, MO (Completed! Read about it here.)
Banana Ball in TBD
Men’s College World Series in Omaha, NE (Completed! Read about it here.)
Little League Boys World Series in South Williamsport, PA (Completed! Read about it here.)
“Field of Dreams” Film Site in Dyersville, IA (Completed! Read about it here.)
Midnight Sun Game in Fairbanks, AK (Completed! Read about it here.)
Nippon Baseball League Game in Japan (Completed! Read about it here.)
Korean Baseball Organization Game in South Korea (Completed! Read about it here.)
MLB Grapefruit League Game(s) in Florida
MLB Cactus League Game(s) in Arizona
World Baseball Classic Game(s) in TBD
Caribbean Series Game(s) in TBD
Baseball was the first sport I was really exposed to so it should come as no surprise it’s the one that has the most events. … The three longest standing and, perhaps, most fierce rivalries in the game are the three listed above. In a perfect world I’d attend a game in all six locations, but this world is neither perfect nor free so I had to make a difficult decision and chose the three oldest ballparks. … Cooperstown is as close to Valhalla for me as I’ll find and I’ve heard way too much about the Negro Leagues Museum to not include it. … As noted previously, I have history in Fairbanks so returning there for the Midnight Sun Game (game time, 10 p.m., no artificial lighting used) seems fitting. … The remainder are all opportunities for me to experience baseball through the lens of other cultures.
Basketball (16)
New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY (Completed! Read about it here.)
Duke University at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, NC
Kansas University at Phog Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, KS (Completed! Read about it here.)
Butler University at Hinkle Field House in Indianapolis, IN (Completed! Read about it here.)
UCLA at Pauley Pavilion in Brentwood, CA
A Big 5 Game at the Palestra in Philadelphia, PA
Indiana High School Basketball (preferably an early-round tournament game) (Completed! Read about it here.)
“Hoosiers’ Gym in Knightstown, IN (Completed! Read about it here.)
Maui Classic Games in Lahaina, HI
Men’s NCAA Final Four Games in TBD
Women’s NCAA Final Four Games in TBD
Men’s NCAA Tournament Opening Week in Las Vegas, NV
Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers in TBD
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA
UConn Women’s Basketball Game at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT
Calvin vs. Hope Men’s Basketball in “The Rivalry” in Holland, MI
Growing up in basketball-mad Indiana, having 14 basketball events should not shock anyone either, I’d guess. … With a nod to my Hoosier roots, seeing the gym where “Hoosiers” was filmed is a must, as is a high school game, and a visit to Butler’s Hinkle Field House. … The five other venues I’d like to visit are, simply, those that captured my fascination through years of fandom. They are old-school gyms that anytime the networks have been there have tugged at me to pay homage someday. … The Maui Classic has been such a part of Thanksgiving week for me that I want to experience that environment in person. … Some might call the inclusion of the Women’s Final Four the Caitlin Clark effect, but I’ve been tuning into those games for the better part of a decade. Clark sucked me into some more early round action, but I love the current women’s college game and believe it’s time I see some in person, including a pilgrimage to Storrs, CT, to see UConn in Gampel Pavilion.
Football (16)
It’s long been a dream to see a Rose Bowl in person.
Detroit Lions’ Thanksgiving Day Game (Completed! Read about it here.)
Ohio State-Michigan (The Game) in Ann Arbor, MI (Completed! Read about it here.)
Auburn-Alabama (The Iron Bowl) in Tuscaloosa, AL (Completed! Read about it here.)
Ole Miss-Mississippi (The Egg Bowl) in Oxford, MI (Completed! Read about it here.)
USC-Notre Dame in South Bend, IN (Completed! Read about it here.)
Army-Navy Game in TBD
Texas High School Football Game in Odessa, TX (Completed! Read about it here.)
Oklahoma-Texas at Cotton Bowl in Dallas, TX (Completed! Read about it here.)
Dallas Cowboys Game in Arlington, TX (Completed! Read about it here.)
Chicago Bears-Green Bay Packers in Green Bay, WI (Completed! Read about it here.)
The Rose Bowl and Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA (Completed! Read about it here.)
NCAA National Championship Game in TBD
Super Bowl in TBD
Canadian Football League’s Grey Cup in Winnipeg, MB (Completed! Read about it here.
A North Dakota State Bison (a FCS powerhouse) Game in the Fargodome (Completed! Read about it here.)
Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH (Completed! Read about it here.)
Of North America’s four major sports, football is probably the one I’m least likely to view from contest beginning to end. That said, Keith Jackson and John Madden made it enjoyable and Brent Musburger telling spectators “you’re looking live at (fill-in-the-blank)” made many games feel more significant than they actually were. … The Rose Bowl has been the quintesseential college football dream for this midwesterner and it needs to come with the Parade as a nod to my late mother who loved watching each year. … If I have my druthers, the Texas high school game will be at Permian in Odessa where “Friday Night Lights” was based. And, as fate has it this year, Permian’s home on a Friday, the Red River Rivalry is on Saturday, and the Cowboys host the Lions on Sunday. … Still to be determined is which rival I see the Packers host at Lambeau Field. What say you sports fan nation?
Hockey (11)
NHL Winter Classic in TBD
Montreal-Toronto Game in Toronto, ON (Completed! Read about it here.)
Calgary-Edmonton Game in Edmonton, AB
New York Rangers Game at Madison Square Garden in NY (Completed! Read about it here.)
2026 World Junior Tourament in St. Paul, MN
U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, MN
Minnesota High School Hockey Game in TBD
Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, ON (Completed! Read about it here.)
Stanley Cup Trophy Presentation in TBD
Michigan State University-University of Michigan at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor
University of Maine-University of New Hampshire at Alfond Arena in Orono, ME
I may be a Hoosier native, but my most formative years were in metro-Detroit (aka Hockeytown) and I covered college hockey for the Ann Arbor News and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner so there’s some hockey love within. I’m not as enamored with the Winter Classic as I am the Rose Bowl, but some of the images from New Year’s Days past have been too cool. … Similar to the baseball rivalries above, there were the two I most wanted to see and a decision was needed for which city to see them. Edmonton was the Detroit Red Wings’ nemesis a few seasons in the 1980s so it’d be neat to see it in person and Toronto is drivable and that gives it the nod. … Every year during college hockey season, handful of players from U-M would head off the World Juniors. With the advent of streaming services it’s become more accessible and it comes to the U.S. in 2026. … Much like high school basketball in Indiana and football in Texas, hockey in Minnesota borders on a religion so it seems natural to want to check it out. … There’s only one trophy in sport I’d like to see presented and that’s the Stanley Cup. It might mean having to do multiple cross-continental flights and pay obscence resale ticket prices to do it, but I’m here for the challenge.
Golf (8)
The 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.
The Masters in Augusta, GA
PGA Championship in Newtown Square, PA
U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina (Completed! Read about it here.)
The Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland (Completed! Read about it here.)
The Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in Long Island, NY (Completed! Read about it here.)
The President’s Cup at Royal Montreal in Montreal (Completed! Read about it here.)
The Solheim Cup at Robert Trent Jonese Golf Club in Gainesville, VA (Completed! Read about it here.)
Pebble Beach Pro-Am in Pebble Beach, CA
My dad was and is an avid golf fan and that’s no doubt rubbed off on me, though my playing days are long behind me. That said, there are four Major Championships, so it follows that they all should be patronized. The men’s and women’s team competitions are captivating to me and the scenery at Pebble Beach is virtually unparalleled.
Tennis (4)
Australian Open
French Open
Wimbledon
U.S. Open
Four Grand Slam events = four tennis tournaments to visit.
Futbol/Soccer (5)
World Cup 2026 logo.
Men’s World Cup Match(es) in North America (2026)
English Premier League Match(es) in TBD
Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco (2025)
South American World Cup Qualifying in Argentina (Completed! Read about it here.)
European Soccer Match(es) [Champions League, Europa League, or Bundesliga/La Liga/Ligue 1/Serie A] in TBD
We’ll call it the “Ted Lasso” effect. I do enjoy my weekend mornings checking out soccer from across the pond, plus many of my friends have clubs they follow. … As far as the African and South American matches, we can’t very well call this project Around the World in 80 Sporting Events and not get to six of the seven contintents can we?
Motor Sports (6)
Daytona 500 in Daytona, FL
Indianapolis 500 in Indianapolis, IN (Completed! Read about it here.)
Formula 1 in TBD (preferably overseas)
NASCAR Bristol Night Race in Bristol, TN
NASCAR Cup Semifinal in Martinsville, VA (Completed! Read about it here.)
AMA Supercross in Detroit, MI
The first three were pretty straightfoward. The final two, I’m relying on my NASCAR friends Frank and Kevin to not steer me wrong (see what I did there;-)
Horse Racing (3)
Kentucky Derby in Louisville, KY
Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, MD
Belmont Stakes, in Saratoga, NY
I’m sure the Breeder’s Cup is a phenomenal event, but these are the three races that have piqued my curiosity through the years (typically in descending order as well).
Others (10)
The peloton from Stage 5 of the 2024 Tour de France (Video from Tim Parker)
Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy (2026)
Iditarod Sled Dog Race in Alaska
Boston Marathon in Boston, MA
Championship Boxing Match(es) (Completed! Read about it here.)
Tour de France
Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, OK
Rodeo at Frontier Days in Cheyenne, WY (Completed! Read about it here.)
NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament in Madison, WI (Completed! Read about it here.)
USBC Masters PBA Bowling in Allen Park, MI
NCAA Wrestling
The timebound nature of this quest (a goal of completing by 2027) prevents me from getting to a Summer Olympics (Los Angeles in 2028 is on my list of next things to do!) so the Winter will be enjoyable. … I’ve already referenced my Alaska history so seeing the start (or the finish) of the Iditarod beckons. … The Boston Marathon and Tour de France are both so noteworthy I believe they must be sampled in person. … I’ve long enjoyed the WCWS and welcome the opportunity to swelter in the blazing sun and occasional severe weather alerts around my birthday someday. … I’d not call myself a rodeo fan, but seeing an event such as this as part of Cheyenne Frontier Days in Wyoming just seems right.
My math teaching friends have no doubt calculated there are actually 87 events listed. This is, in fact, accurate. I’m of the belief I need to overplan and cut (or swap out) as the process unfolds. Myriad things can occur between now and the proposed completion of this venture so it’s good to have options in the event something comes up.
Anyhow, let the gnashing of teeth begin. What am I missing? What am I overvaluing? Should it be Vikings-Packers or Bears-Packers at Lambeau? Do you want to attend any of these events with me? Let me know in the comments or by emailing me at hilldouglast@gmail.com.
Callum Hudson-Odoi form Nottingham Forest. (Photo from Sky Sports)
For whatever reason, I found myself watching the Nottingham Forest-Chelsea English Premier League soccer match Saturday.
I have no affinity for either club, had no action on the match, and – really – was surprised I didn’t see Little John and Robin Hood running about the pitch what with its location and all.
Nevertheless, there I was watching the penultimate match of the season for both teams and grew further transfixed as I began to learn what was at stake.
Forest was battling to lock up EPL play again next year (a win or draw would do enough to ensure this) and Chelsea is keeping it’s UEFA Europa Conference League spot by finishing in sixth place.
To be clear, these clubs were in sixth and 17th place respectively entering the match.
If this was a game played in an American professional sports league, it would have been viewed – at least by Forest fans – as a meaningless match that likely would have seen their visitor’s fans infest their stadium.
In this instance, however, the Forest faithful were fully engaged and nearly toppled the field when Callum Hudson-Odoi scored a beautiful marker in the 74th minute to give Forest a 2-1 lead. Alas, it was short-lived as Chelsea scored twice within two minutes not even 10 minutes later.
Chelsea wound up winning 3-2 and kept alive it’s hopes of European play and Forest is still at risk of relegation (though it will take a massive swing in goal differential to get bumped).
How fun would it be to see late-season matchups like this with something similar at stake for our American teams?
Rather than the (fill-in-the-blank team) playing out the string with reserves or call-ups seeing the majority of action in the waning months of the regular season, they are fighting for their lives to stay in League A or qualifiy for the extra spoils of a continental or hemispherical championship?
I know, I know, as my buddy John U. Bacon continues to remind us: Greed is undefeated. It’s not likely to happen in my lifetime but, perhaps, for my grandchildren they’ll be able to maintain late-season interest through the finish?
Chastain then promptly removed her jersey and began swinging it wildly overhead as on-rushing teammates mobbed her. The photo – and many similar from various angles – has become iconic.
American soccer player, Brandi Chastain, celebrates her World Cup-clinching penalty kick in 1999 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. (Photo by Mike Blake, Reuters)
Brandi Chastain talks about her World Cup-clinching PK in this piece.
What’s sometimes is lost to the memory banks is the save by American keeper, Briana Scurry, in the third round of PKs that allowed Chastain’s goal to prove decisive. Enjoy this recent powerful piece by CBS Mornings in which Briana reads aloud a “Note to Her Younger Self.”
Just to review, The Fan Teaser comes courtesy of longtime buddy, Pat Schutte. The cropped photo below and the accompanying clue give you an idea as to who or what the image is of. We invite you to use the Comment option to take a crack at solving the Teaser and, if you’re so inclined, participate in some good-spirited banter with your fellow sports fans. The Fan Teaser will appear each Friday morning with the reveal coming to you Sunday.
