Kirschman: Premier destinations for sports fans

Everyone has a list of places they want to see before they die — places to travel to, Wonders… Everyone has a list of places they want to see before they die — places to travel to, Wonders of the World to take in and famous buildings to explore and photograph.

But for sports fans, the list is a little different. Our lists are made up of sporting events we want to attend. There are certain fields and stadiums, certain atmospheres that we just have to see and experience before we no longer have the chance.

I’ve seen more than my fair share of sporting events, and I’ve been fortunate enough to check a few of those dream destinations off my list. But my “Sports Bucket List” is still pretty long. Here is just a part:

1. The Final Four — I’d love it if Pitt were playing, but I’d settle for just attending period. It’s the place to be in college basketball. Nothing else really even comes close. College basketball is my favorite sports league, so there are few things more exciting to me than the prospect of seeing the last four teams battle it out for a National Championship.

2. Game seven of a World Series — It seems like a lot of my generation has forgotten about America’s pastime in favor of football, but I love this sport and I want to go to a baseball game that means something. To me, there are few moments in sports more nerve-wracking and exciting than the end of a close game seven. That’s something I want to experience in person. I don’t care which teams are playing or where it is, although I would love to see the Pirates.

3. Kansas basketball game on senior night — Any game at Allen Fieldhouse would do, but senior night is special. You’d be hard pressed to find a better overall atmosphere or a more knowledgeable fan base. College basketball is life in Kansas and who wouldn’t want to experience the haunting Rock Chalk chant in person? On senior night, the last-year players each give a speech and roses decorate the floor. It’s the kind of night that would give sports fans goose bumps to see in person.

4. Rose Bowl — “The Granddaddy of Them All.” Of all the bowl games, this is the one I want to go to. It’s held on New Year’s Day in Pasadena, Calif., on what always seems like the most perfect day humanly possible, complete with a cloudless, bright-blue sky. Add in 90,000 passionate fans and the Rose Parade, and I’m more than in.

5. Alabama vs. Auburn football game — Texas vs. Oklahoma almost made this list, but the Iron Bowl edged that game out. There are few rivalries in college sports more intense than Alabama vs. Auburn. There is little doubt that the SEC is the best conference in college football, and these two perennially sit at the top of the conference. So not only is this a matchup between teams whose fans can’t stand each other, but it’s usually a game between two of the nation’s top squads. Plus, it’s football in the South — where fans really love their football.

Honorable mentions:

College World Series — Like I said, I love baseball. I’m also a huge fan of college sports. This is the best of both worlds, and it’s played annually in Omaha, Neb. My dad has traveled to a lot of states for sporting events and he still says Nebraska natives were the nicest hosts. Great baseball and good people? Sounds like a plan to me.

Kentucky Derby — It’s the Kentucky Derby. It’d be worth it to look at the hats alone. But really, a horse race has to be an incredible thing to see in person. Why not take in a race on the sport’s biggest stage?

Field of Dreams — If you build it, they will come. I sure would if I was given the chance. This isn’t really a sporting event, but I still want to go. I want to throw a ball around on the field, too.

Super Bowl — Just to say I’ve done it. I’m not the biggest NFL fan in the world, which is why no pro-football events made it very high on the list. But it’s still the Super Bowl and any sports fan can appreciate what attending an event as high-profile as this would mean.