The Top 14 Best Sporting Events to Watch in Person
USA Basketball: NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four:
Are you tired of watching over compensated professional basketball players given it less than an honest effort on the court? If you are, then the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four is the sporting event for you. Held in the United States and hosted in various venues over the years, the Final Four is the pinnacle of a college basketball tournament that starts with 4 brackets of 16 teams. Single elimination games are played until the final team from each bracket remains. This premier basketball event has been dubbed “March Madness” for its tremendous emotional effect on fans. Expect to pay an outrageous amount for good court side seats, which can be as high as $4,000.
World Basketball: FIBA Europe League All Star Day
Yes, I know what you are thinking, “the FIBA what?” The All Star Day is an all-star game played between Europe’s best players and those of the rest of the world. The event is part of the new FIBA Europe League. The fact is that the rest of the world has been catching up to the US in basketball for years. America’s “Dream Team” didn’t even bring home Olympic gold in 2004. This event gives you a glimpse of what the rest of the world already knows, that “basketball is not just for American’s any more.” The 2004 game was played before a sell out crowd in Kiev, though future venues will vary, as will seat prices.
USA Racing: Daytona 500
With the growing popularity of NASCAR in the US, the Daytona 500 has become racings’ “can’t miss event.” Held in Daytona Beach Florida each February, the racing event draws hundreds of thousand of spectators to this beach side community. This race, which kicks off the sport’s Winston Cup Championship, has a tradition of great champions and closely contested battles. Like with any top tier sporting event, tickets are not cheap, and can range from $150 to $900 each depending on seating arrangement.
World Racing: Grand Prix of Monaco
Perhaps the most glamorous and famous race on the European Formula 1 circuit, the Grand Prix of Monaco was established in 1929 by the Automobile Club de Monaco. The race winds its way through the public roads of Monaco, which presents a daunting course for even the most experience drivers. This annual event attracts such elite Formula 1 drivers as Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Rubens Barrichello, Jenson Button, and Juan Pablo Montoya. Ticket Prices for the race range from $120 to $750 euros each.
USA Football: The NFL Super Bowl
Though it did not come to be known as the Super Bowl until after the game had been played for a few years, the Super Bowl claims few peers in terms of popularity. While the actual contest consists of 60 minutes worth of action, the event itself is a week long affair. Parties during the week leading up to the game often attract top of the line celebrities, and the game itself is often television’s most viewed sporting event of the year. The host city changes annually, but traditionally it has favored cities with warmer climates. Being a part of this annual historic event could easily cost you a few thousand dollars a seat. Attending the parties that go along with the event can also set you back a few hundred dollars, though some parties come with a heftier price tag.
World Football: European Champions Cup
To the rest of the world “football” does not mean the great American gridiron past time, it means soccer. And while there are countless tournaments world wide where great soccer is played, the European Champions Cup brings together club champions from the Union of European Football Association for a champion of champion’s tournament. The tournament starts as a round robin event by 32 top teams and cumulates in a single game final between the top two teams. Past winners of this prestige’s tournament have included such soccer powerhouse as Real Madrid, Milan, Ajax, Bayern Muchen, Liverpool, Manchester United and Juventus. The 2005 final was held in AtatÃ?¼rk Olympic stadium in Turkey, but the venue for the event changes annually.
USA Baseball: The MLB World Series
Among the most tradition bound sporting event in the US, the Major League Baseball World Series is also one of the most popular. The Series is played in a best out of seven format, which offers fans the unique opportunity of being part of the event even when they can’t secure tickets for the final game of the Series. The Series also has the advantage of alternating its venue between the cites of the team playing, giving better access to those hoping to attend a game. Ticket prices can range from a few hundred dollars to over a thousand dollars each.
World Baseball: Japan Series
Anyone who has taken a look at the recent influx of foreign players on today’s major league rosters knows that great baseball is not just played in the United States. Some of the best baseball being played outside the US is found in Japan were teams from Japan’s two professional leagues, the Central League and the Pacific League, compete for the title in the Japan Series. These Series are most often spirited affairs where fan involvement often resembles those of an international soccer match. Fans beat drums, use horns, and cheer their team passionately, making the games a unique event worth attending.
USA Golf: The Masters
Played every year at the ultra exclusive Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta Georgia, the tradition rich Masters brings together the best golfers in the world, all who are hoping for the elusive green sports jacket that goes along with winning this prestigious tournament. Like with most major sporting events worth viewing, tickets to the Masters carry a hefty price tag. General Admission tickets for the Final Round can run about three thousand dollars.
World Golf: British Open
The British Open golf tournament is the world’s oldest golf championship. The Open which began in 1860, has had a long and glorious history. Here the World’s leading golfers compete for the Claret Jug, (officially named The Golf Champion Trophy), which has been presented since the 1870’s to the tournament champion. While the Tournament has been held in various Golf clubs over the years, it has been held over two dozen times at the famous St. Andrews Club. General Admission for the Final Round can go for as little as $120.
US Tennis: US Open Men and Ladies Finals
Held every year at the Tennis Club in Flushing Meadows New York, and a Grand Slam event along with the Australian Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon, the US Open offers the best in tennis competition at one of America’s best tourist location. With the sites of Manhattan just a short distance away, this fortnight of tennis can be mixed in with some sight-seeing and shopping. The two week tournament concludes with the Men and Ladies Finals held on the last Saturday and Sunday of the tournament. Ticket prices for the Finals range from $150 to $1500 dollar each.
World Tennis: Wimbledon Tennis Championships Men and Ladies Finals
Played at the exclusive All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, during the last weeks of June and the first week of July, The Wimbledon Tennis Championships is easily the most recognized and prestigious tennis tournament in the world. The event is played over a two week period, making it easy to catch a glimpse of some of the greatest tennis players in the world. The Tournament’s Men and Ladies Finals are played during the last two days of competition. Tickets for these last two matches can command over three thousand dollars a seat.
USA Horse Racing: Kentucky Derby
Churchill Downs in Louisville is the home of The Kentucky Derby. The Derby is the most celebrated, as well as the oldest annually contested thoroughbred race in America. The race which forms the first leg of the highly coveted Triple Crown, is held on the first Saturday of May, and has been won by such notable horses as Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Affirmed and Genuine Risk. Ticket prices can range from a few hundred dollars to over three thousand dollars a piece.
World Horse Racing: Epsom Derby
While most Americans are familiar with the Kentucky Derby, few are knowledgeable of where “derby” horse racing originated. The place of origin was Epsom Downs in England in 1780. Today the Epsom Derby is still being run. This tradition laced Derby pits the cream of the crop of three year-old horses in a race for a million dollar purse. Most tickets can be had for under $100.
