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101 things all sports fans must experience before they die


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Interesting how many hockey related things made his list. Any additions/subtractions?

20. The Stanley Cup playoffs (late spring, various NHL cities). So what if the ratings keep sinking like the mercury in Quebec in January? This is hockey at its absolute best. And if a Canadian team can ever win again, you might get the added benefit of watching Don Cherry explode.

36. Frozen Four (April, various cities). Former Sports Illustrated writer Steve Rushin once described the NCAA hockey championships -- played the weekend after the NCAA basketball Final Four and the weekend of the Masters -- as "the greatest event you've never seen." There's a lot of competition for that distinction on this list, but it's certainly among the contenders.

37. Canadiens-Leafs game (winter, Montreal or Toronto). Canada's biggest rivalry is kind of like the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry, only half the fans chant "You Suck" in French.

65. U.S. Pond Hockey Championships (January, Minneapolis). How cool is this tournament, played the way hockey is meant to be played (on a frozen lake shoveled off by the players themselves)? Brian Bellows played in it after his 10-year NHL career.

72. The Beanpot hockey tournament (first two Mondays in February, Boston). Because you'll never see athletes competing this hard for a beanpot anywhere else.

79. Junior League Hockey in smalltown Canada (winter throughout country). To appreciate hockey, you need to see it in Canada. And to really appreciate hockey, you need to see it at the junior league level in the smaller cities, where families take in the players and thousands crowd the arenas on cold winter nights for their national pastime.

81. Minnesota high school hockey tournament (March, Minnesota). As with Indiana basketball, this tournament isn't what it once was when all high schools competed together regardless of size (Roseau, with an enrollment of about 400, won the last single-class tournament). But it remains as much a part of state culture as Prince, tater tot hot dish and "Fargo."

I would add the Battle of Alberta something I have never seen but would love to experience.

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I would add...

Spend an entire day viewing all the exhibits at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Been there, done that, will do it again someday.

Yea- that was a good one fore me too DR!

I guess I would also add Olympic hockey medal rounds. To see the best players really put it on the line for their country- that would be awesome to see.

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Haven't seen any of those in person (though I did have access to tickets to the 1993 Beanpot but couldn't convince my dad to let me miss school for it), would love to attend any of these events. Have not made the trip to the HHOF yet either though someday I might. Still a lot of things I want to get done.

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I have done 14 of the things on that list myself.

4. The World Series (every October, various cities)

6. Spring training (February-March, Florida and Arizona)

11. Premier League Soccer game (fall-spring, England)

15. Red Sox-Yankees game (April-October, Boston or New York)

20. The Stanley Cup playoffs (late spring, various NHL cities)

22. Cubs game in the Wrigley bleachers (April-September, Chicago)

32. The Indy 500 (Memorial Day weekend, Indianapolis)

34. MLB Opening Day (April, various cities)

36. Frozen Four (April, various cities)

63. Camp out for tickets (any event)

65. U.S. Pond Hockey Championships (January, Minneapolis)

81. Minnesota high school hockey tournament (March, Minnesota)

90. Little League game (spring, early summer, everywhere)

99. A Harlem Globetrotters game (many dates, many cities)

There's a few that I'd love to do some day, like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and I'm irritated I don't get credit for the NBA All-Star Game!

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I've been to some minor league playoff games and it was quite an experience I'll never forget. Especially any game that went into OT. I'm hoping the Doggies can get into the playoffs while I'm down here in the desert so I can experience a whiteout.

I've also caught 3 Indy 500s in person...being a native Hoosier, I may be a little biased here, but the buildup is still one of the great sports moments I've been able to see.

My old boss was a regular attendee of the Daytona 500 and was there when Earnhardt was killed.

I also, believe it or not, cannot remember ever attending an Indiana high school basketball tournament game. I was never a big basketball fan.

I'd love to check out the 24 Hours of Lemans someday.

*Sigh*...if only I would've been stationed in Germany (Nurburgring)...

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  • 3 months later...

The greatest moment in sports for me was the night my Bolts won game 7 at home and I got to see them hoist the cup. Having better seats than Hulk Hogan didn't hurt either...

game7046au9.jpg

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  • 4 years later...

Have your favorite team win the Stanley Cup.

Check that off the list.

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