Who is 60% of the first family of country club sports?(Korda Family Photo)
Debatable?
Maybe.
But there’s little question that when one begins listing the names of the most accomplished families in the world of country club sports (e.g. golf and tennis) the Korda Family will almost assuredly be on that list.
Patriarch – Petr
Petr Korda
The Czech-born Petr Korda played professional tennis for 18 seasons from 1987-2005 and climbed the ATP rankings to as high as No. 2 in February 1998 following his Australian Open singles title earlier that year. He was runner up at the 1992 French Open. Later in 1998 and into the 1999 season, Petr became embroiled in a doping controversy after testing positive for nandrolone. Following a lengthy appeals process, Korda ultimately retired from the ATP shortly before he received a 12-month suspension. He later played Challenger Tour events in his homeland.
Matriarch – Regina
Regina Korda
Also Czech-born and also a professional tennis player, Regina Rajchrtova ascended to as high as No. 26 on the WTA’s singles rankings in April 1991 and as high as No. 45 on the doubles side. She never won a title – singles or doubles – but made it the women’s doubles quarterfinals of the 1990 French Open and represented the Czech Republic during the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics.
Eldest Daughter – Jessica
Jessica Korda
Jessica Korda burst upon the women’s golf scene as an amateur in the late 2000s, when she qualified for the U.S. Opens in both 2008 and 2009, making the cut and finishing tied for 19th in 2008, shooting Sunday’s only round in the 60s (69). She finished runner-up at the 2010 U.S. Women’s Amateur; she turned pro later that year. She’s a 6-time LPGA Tour winner including her first in a familiar family spot, Melbourne, Australia, where she won the 2012 Women’s Australian Open. Her best finish in a major was second at the 2022 Chevron Championship. A back injury forced her to the sidelines early in 2023 followed by no play during the 2024 and 2025 seasons for maternity leave. She’s played two events thus far in 2026.
Youngest Daughter – Nelly
Nelly Korda
The most-accomplished of the quintet, Nelly Korda, had a stellar amateur career making the cut of the 2013 U.S. Open as a 14-year-old. She ultimately ascended into the Top 10 of the World’s Women’s Amateur Rankings before embarking on a professional career on the Symetra Tour in 2016. A year later she was playing on the LPGA Tour. Since, she’s won 17 times, including three majors (including her second Chevron Championship last weekend), and is currently the World’s No. 1 Player. She’s finished no lower than No. 5 in the World since cracking the Top 10 in 2018.Â
Son – Sebastian aka Seb (to his sisters)
Sebastian Korda
The baby of the family, Sebastian Korda, has been playing professional tennis since 2018. Along the way, he’s won three career singles titles, climbed to as high as No. 15 in the ATP Rankings (2024) and currently sits at No. 46. Among his career highlights was winning the 2018 Boys Singles Title at the Australian Open (20 years following his father’s only grand slam victory). Sebastian’s best Grand Slam finish also occurred in Melbourne where he reached the quarterfinals in 2023.Â
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.
Will this be the year (almost ancient) history finally repeats?
What were you doing in September 2003?
If you were just-turned 21-year-old Andy Roddick you were winning your only Grand Slam singles championship at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens. Roddick defeated Juan Antonio Ferrero in straight sets; it was the last time an American man has won the U.S. Open Singles title.
Yes, let that sink in for a moment. We’re 22 years on and no other American man has managed to win the nation’s championship.
Of course, a few fellas named Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic might have had something to do with that.
American tennis player, Andy Roddick, is captured in stunned celebration after winning the 2003 U.S. Open Men’s Singles Championship. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
Following his win in New York, Roddick ascended to the world’s No. 1 ranking, a spot he held onto for the remainder of 2023 and the first part of 2024. After Federer won January’s Australian Open, Roddick’s days at No. 1 were over.
Following that glorious September in 2003, Roddick went on to reach the Wimbledon finals on three occasions (2004, 2005, and 2009) and the Australian Open semifinals three times (2005, 2007, and 2009), but never again made it to either level at the U.S. Open.
The highlights from Andy Roddick’s 2003 U.S. Open Men’s Singles Championship match with Juan Carlos Ferrero.
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.
A now golden moment to be sure. Who’s shaking hands here and why?
Sometime today, the All English Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club will crown its 2025 Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Singles Champion. And, for the 50th consecutive year, it will not be a black man.
On July 5, 1975, American Arthur Ashe became the first and to the moment, only, man of color to win this prestigious tournament.
Ashe defeated top seed and defending champion, Jimmy Connors, 6-1, 6-1, 5-7, and 6-4, to claim the final of his three Grand Slam singles titles (also the U.S. Open, 1968, and Australian Open, 1970).
Jimmy Connors, left, shakes Arthur Ashe’s hand following Ashe’s 1975 Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Championship. (Photo from Mirropix/Getty Images).
The photo for this week’s Fan Teaser was captured at the net following Ashe’s victory. It was the first all-American men’s final since 1947.
As defending champion and nearly 10 years younger than Ashe, Connors was a heavy favorite. In fact, he’d never lost to Ashe in their prior head-to-head meetings and Connors had not lost a set in any of his six Wimbledon matches leading up to the final. Tennis observers have long said Ashe played an almost perfect match from a tactical perspective.
Additionally, there was bad blood between the two players. Connors was embroiled in a $10 million “restraint of trade” lawsuit against the American Tennis Professionals (ATP) – of which Ashe was president at the time – for its refusal to allow him to participate in the 1974 French Open as a contracted member of the World Team Tennis organization. Adding more fuel to the fire, Connors filed a $5 million libel suit against Ashe two days before Wimbledon began. The libel suit was for comments Ashe had written to ATP members in his role as president criticizing Connors’ derogatory comments toward Davis Cup Captain Dennis Ralston as well as Connors’ “unpatriotic boycott” of Davis Cup after he was not selected for the team in 1972. In the video highlights of their 1975 finals’ match below, you’ll notice Ashe wore red, white, and blue wrist bands as well as his USA Davis Cup warm up as a not-so-subtle rebuke of Connors.
Highlights from the Arthur Ashe-Jimmy Connors 1975 Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Singles Championship.
A look back at the importance of Arthur Ashe.
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.
Earlier this week I was reflecting on what an incredible run it’s been to be a sports fan these past three Sundays. I wonder what’s in store for this, the final Sunday in June.
June 8 – Men’s French Open Singles Final
Jannik Sinner, left, and Carlos Alcaraz embrace following their epic French Open Men’s Singles Final at Roland-Garros in Paris. Photo by Aurelien Morissard/Associated Press
Like most iconic sporting events that have made my list for attending during the Around the World in 80 Sporting Events project, I endeavor to tune in at least for a bit – for no other reason – to look longingly at the venue envisioning myself on the grounds some day.
That said, it seemed as though watching the Jannik Sinner–Carlos Alcaraz match might not consume too much time. If I’m being honest, like a lot of viewers, I was probably a point or two away from turning the match off and moving on with whatever Sunday had in store. And, in this case, it was birthday Sunday so there was a decent chance something might be in store.
But then Alcaraz won a point. And then another. And then another. And then the third set. And, suddenly, I was sucked in.
I began texting my tennis-loving friends to see if they were watching.
The match remained on in the background during birthday lunch.
The match remained on in the background during birthday gifts.
And then I sat back and watched every point of the fifth set super tiebreaker in absolute admiration for what was occurring before me.
Five hours and 29 minutes these two fellas played!
Shoot, I could’ve driven from my home to Chicago’s Wrigley Field in that amount of time and maybe even had a cold one at Murphy’s Bleachers before returning home.
Highlights from the June 8, 2025, Sinner-Alcaraz French Open Men’s Singles Final.
June 15 – First Elimination Day at the Men’s College World Series & the U.S. Open Final Round
My view for the Arizona-Louisville MCWS elimination game.
The Arizona Wildcats and Louisville Cardinals played the first elimination game of the 2025 Men’s College World Series … and I was there!
At some point during the next couple of weeks I’ll put together all of my thoughts about the experience of being in Charles Schwab Field in Omaha to see some of the MCWS. For now, though, I’ll simply note that my father and I were in the upper deck roasting away on this 90-degree mid-Father’s Day afternoon watching the Cardinals eliminate the Wildcats, 8-3, as part of Event No. 19 of Around the World in 80 Sporting Events.
It was a darn good game for the first seven innings. Arizona clung to a 3-2 lead entering the bottom of the eighth when Louisville cashed in on fielding miscues and scored six runs to seize control.
Sweaty, tired, and a bit sun burned, we retreated to the air conditioned comfort of our accomodations in nearby Council Bluffs, IA, to recharge and tune into the finals of the U.S. Open. Of course this tournament is where Around the World in 80 Sportings Events had all begun a year ago with Event No. 1 at Pinehurst No. 2.
I flicked on my television just in time to see play resuming following what I later learned was a 90-minute rain delay. What I didn’t discover until much later, was how oddly J. J. Spaun‘s final round began (shooting a 5-over-par, 40 on his front side) and how the rain delay may have impacted the various players.
Sam Burns, right, and a USGA Rules Official discuss his lie and standing water on No. 15. The decision went against Burns and he wound up double-bogeying the hole and lost his 1-shot lead. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
The tournament quickly devolved from a test of golf to a test of survival on the soggy Oakmont Country Club layout, especially for clubhouse leader Sam Burns and his playing partner, Adam Scott. While their scores went the wrong way following the resumption of play, Spaun and Rob MacIntyre (and to an extent, Scottie Scheffler) went in the correct direction. For a moment it looked like the 3-over-par Jon Rahm had posted earlier in the day (later matched by Scheffler) might be the number to beat.
Then MacIntyre finished at 1-over-par and suddenly it looked like his might be the number to beat. But Spaun sank a birdie putt at No. 17 and needed only to 2-putt from 64-feet on No. 18 to seemingly lock it up. Instead, Spaun went ahead and drained his birdie putt and jubilation ensued.
It also ensued in Room 108 at the Best Western Crossroads of the Bluffs as well. I let out a whoop that might well have been heard all the way back in Omaha.
Unbelievable!
J. J. Spaun drops a U.S. Open-clinching 64-foot birdie putt on his final hole.
June 22 – MCWS Championship Game, Travelers Championship Final Round, & NBA Finals Game 7
I wasn’t even in the Continental U.S. for these events.
Having just witnessed the 120th Midnight Sun Baseball Game two nights earlier, I was spending an otherwise quiet early afternoon at my friend Tim’s Fairbanks, AK, house. And only because I’d been at Charles Schwab Field less-than a week earlier, I felt compelled to at least tune into the final between Coastal Carolina and Louisiana State.
That it was a 5-3 LSU when I dialed by in the seventh inning, I figured it was worth at least a looksee to discover if the underdog Chanticleers could muster a rally. About the time I began watching, LSU reliever Chase Shores entered the game and he was dealing. Fastballs in the upper 90s and touching 100 miles per hour, CCU could do little with it, though the lead-off batter in the bottom of the ninth inning reach, but a strikeout and a doubleplay ended it and led to a dog pile in the infield for the newly crowned champions, 5-3.
To this moment, I’m unsure what possessed me to flip the channel to the PGA’s Travelers Championship. I suspect it had something to do with potentially witnessing Tommy Fleetwood‘s first PGA Tour victory. Only that didn’t happen. Fleetwood left his approach on No. 18 short of the green and then failed to get up and down to, at worst, force a playoff. Keegan Bradley then calmly sank his birdie putt and celebratedthe way I had the week before in my hotel room.
The main event on this Sunday was, unquestionably, Game 7 of the NBA Finals. I’d made it known on Saturday that I’d hoped to see a good portion of the game.
Unlike the previous two events on this Sunday, I had a dog in this fight. I’m an Indiana native and had taken in my first-ever Pacers’ home game as part of Event No. 14 (the Indiana basketball experience). It turns out Tim had a dog in the fight as well. He’s a Seattle-area native and there are some things folks from his part of the Pacific Northwest don’t forget. In this case, it was the SuperSonics franchise being yanked out from under them and relocated to Oklahoma City.
Sadly, by the time we made our way to The Banks Alehouse for some spectating, perhaps the biggest event of the day had already occurred: Tyrese Haliburton‘s right achilles tendon snapped. With it, as it turned out, so too did the Pacers’ chances.
That didn’t prevent us – and most others in the surprisingly full Banks – from urging on the undermanned and scrappy Pacers against the Thunder until the bitter end. Alas, it was not to be.
What a Sunday! Clockwise from upper left, Keegan Bradley celebrates with his caddie, Scott Vail, after winning the Travelers Championship (photo by Jessica Hill/Associated Press). The LSU Tigers pile on after winning the Men’s College World Series in Omaha (photo by Getty Images). Indiana Pacers’ guard, Tyrese Haliburton, is comforted by teammate T.J. McConnell, the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Indiana’s trainer (photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images).
I wonder what the sports gods have in store for me this week.
This fella was as comfortable on Paris’ clay (maybe even more so!) as he was on Wimbledon’s grass.
The Swedish tennis legend, Bjorn Borg, is the answer to a trivia question not typically asked.
After Rafael Nadal‘s astonishing 14 men’s singles titles at the French Open, who won the second most?
The answer is Borg.
He dominated the event for the latter half of the 1970s into the 1980s, winning as an 18-year-old in 1974, then again in 1975, and from 1978-81. If not for Nadal winning the title five consecutive times (2010-14), he and Borg would share the record for most consecutive singles titles at four (though Nadal accomplished that feat twice and also had the 5-year stretch for good measure).
Sweden’s Bjorn Borg lunging to return volley during French Open action at Paris’ Roland Garros. Borg won six French Open singles championships during his career. (Photo from Roland Garros)
Borg’s first win at Roland Garros came in 1974. Here he recounts that victory commemorating its 50th anniversary a year ago.
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.
Hard to believe this fella with a .222 career minor league batting average will be in Cooperstown. Who is it?
The kid from Perrysburg, OH, was a scrapper, but when it came to hitting catcher Jim Leyland just couldn’t keep up. He spent parts of seven seasons in the Minor Leagues in the Detroit Tigers’ system, advancing as high a AA, but finished with a .222 batting average over 446 games. He had but 36 extra base hits and only 102 RBIs over those seven seasons.
What he could do, it turns out, was manage a little bit.
Detroit Tigers’ skipper, Jim Leyland, seen here before 2013 AL Playoff action at Oakland. (Photo by Jean Fruth)
Beginning as a 26-year-old with Detroit’s Rookie League Bristol team, Leyland spent the next 11 seasons the Tigers system before Tony LaRussa brought him to Chicago to help with his White Sox. Leyland then found his way to Pittsburgh (1986-96), Florida (1997-98), Colorado (1999) and Detroit (2006-13. All together, he managed 4,897 games over 33 seasons, including 3,499 in the Major Leagues (22 seasons).
He was manager of the year three times (1990, 1992, and 2006), won three Pennants (1997, 2006, and 2012), and the World Series in 1997 with the Marlins.
Now, after a lifetime in baseball, Leyland will have a plaque haning in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY, after being voted in by the Contemporary Baseball Era Non-Players Committee. His induction, along with the other three members of the Class of 2024 (Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton, and Joe Mauer) is July 21.
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.
Between them, these two hands have held nine Wimbledon championship trophies. Who do they belong to?
Before they became a couple, Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi were pretty decent tennis players. Between them, they won Wimbleon nine times. OK, Graf won eight and Agassi one, but they’re both career Golden Slam winners (all four tennis Grand Slam events and an Olympic Gold Medal). Graf actually won all five in 1988 making her the only tennis player to have accomplished that feat.
The duo combined to win 30 Grand Slam singles championships (Graf 22 and Agassi 8) and began dating shortly after Graf won her final, the 1999 French Open. They wed October 22, 2001, with only their mothers attending as witnesses. Together have two two adult children.
Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, played a charity mixed doubles match in May 2009 against Kim Clijsters and Tim Henman on Wimbledon’s Centre Court to test its newly installed roof. (Photo by Chris Eason/Wikimedia Commons)
The photo from which this week’s Fan Teaser was created occurred when the pair were playing an exhibition mixed doubles match on May 17, 2009, as a way to christen the renovations to Wimbledon’s Centre Court which then debuted its retractable roof.
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.
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.
(About the Series: Based upon my Conversation with guest Derek Meinecke, I’m going back in time to be in the stands at 10 sporting events. This week, it’s #6. You’re able to find links to the previous installments below.)
Bjorn Borg celebrates the final point of the 1980 Wimbledon Championship against John McEnroe.
I’ve written previously about the special place the Wimbledon Championships hold in my heart. It’s neither because I’ve ever been there nor because I’m a hardcore tennis fan. Basically, my fondness was borne of tennis being about the only thing on the television each Fourth of July weekend at my grandmother’s lake cottage in northern Indiana before frolicking in the water was allowed.
Strawberries and cream nothing; more like Fruit Loops and 2% milk for me!
Anyhow, on July 5, 1980, I was a 13-year-old rising eighth grader. I may have been camped in front of my grandmother’s 19-inch color RCA TV along the shores of Oliver Lake, watching Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe battle for the Championship. Honestly, I can’t remember.
Borg celebrates the win on his knees while McEnroe laid out in an effort to salvage a point in the fourth-set tiebreaker.
The point is, I wish I was. Heck, I wish I was at Centre Court at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club which is why I’m climbing into the way back machine to head back in time to witness this epic 3 hours, 53 minute 5-set masterpiece.
As much as anything, I want to be there for the fourth-set tiebreaker that McEnroe won, 18-16. The tiebreaker alone lasted over 20 minutes. It was like watching the final round of Rocky on repeat. McEnroe fended off championship point after championship point before ultimately prevailing to force the fifth set.
Check out the fourth-set tiebreaker seen here in its entirety.
I’ve never been a spectator at a professional tennis match, but I suspect this one would’ve kept me in my seat and engaged. Seeing two future Hall of Famers at the height of their game playing in a Grand Slam final on what has to be considered the sport’s most iconic venue on the planet (sorry, Roland Garros) seems a no-brainer for me to head back in time to witness in person.
The full final match of the 1980 Wimbledon Championship.
