Quite The Juxtaposition

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Hell, I have been to D3 football games with awesome atmospheres.

[MUbiz]

Agree.  I’m no Badgers fan but the atmosphere on game day is a blast.  Especially if they lose

I will be at Camp Randall to witness Alabama win in a few weeks. Best atmosphere is the losing one at Camp Randall.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I will be at Camp Randall to witness Alabama win in a few weeks. Best atmosphere is the losing one at Camp Randall.

Few weeks? Isn't that just next Saturday?

[MUbiz]

Few weeks? Isn't that just next Saturday?

Yeah you are right - my timeline is off and the days are blending together because I am currently on vacation.

[wiscwarrior]

Just to clarify, App State is an FBS school. The Sun Belt Conference is a G5 conference.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Hell, I have been to D3 football games with awesome atmospheres.

I worked for a D2 school for a few years with a dominant football program. The facilities were meh but the atmosphere was electric every home game. Gotta be hard to be a losing D2/D3 program though

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I worked for a D2 school for a few years with a dominant football program. The facilities were meh but the atmosphere was electric every home game. Gotta be hard to be a losing D2/D3 program though

I have also been to D3 games with terrible atmosphere. It's the parents and the die-hards.

[StillAWarrior]

Look man, a lot of places don't have a whole lot going on for entertainment.  Football Saturday college atmosphere is fun no matter what.  Even if the games don't matter much it is something to do and look forward to.  Especially, since the price to enjoy that day is much more reasonable than going to LSU/Alabama. 

Personally, I don't care much about college football.  I watch less than five games all year.  But if someone wants to go downtown to hang out and walk around near Camp Randall for a morning/afternoon/night I will say yes every time.  Because fun is fun.  I don't need to have a rooting interest in either team to enjoy the atmosphere.

Unlike you, I am a fan of college football. And, I wholeheartedly agree with what you've said. It's fun to be on a college campus on a football Saturday. My youngest daughter goes to a D3 school with a very strong football program. Those games are a blast. My son went to a FCS school and those were also fun. I've been to B10 games, ND games, USAFA, CU, etc. All have been fun. So much so that one of the things my wife and I have discussed is after retirement traveling to attend big rivalry football games. The idea is to take a 4-5 day trip to the area (e.g., Baton Rouge, Tuscaloosa, Norman, Austin, Lincoln, Eugene, Gainesville, etc.) and then go to the game on Saturday. Generally no rooting interest at all. We both think it would be a fun way to experience some parts of the country that we haven't seen.

[muwarrior97]

Unlike you, I am a fan of college football. And, I wholeheartedly agree with what you've said. It's fun to be on a college campus on a football Saturday. My youngest daughter goes to a D3 school with a very strong football program. Those games are a blast. My son went to a FCS school and those were also fun. I've been to B10 games, ND games, USAFA, CU, etc. All have been fun. So much so that one of the things my wife and I have discussed is after retirement traveling to attend big rivalry football games. The idea is to take a 4-5 day trip to the area (e.g., Baton Rouge, Tuscaloosa, Norman, Austin, Lincoln, Eugene, Gainesville, etc.) and then go to the game on Saturday. Generally no rooting interest at all. We both think it would be a fun way to experience some parts of the country that we haven't seen.

Love this! That sounds awesome......you will be living A DREAM for sure.  Basketball road-trips are fun and I'd love to go "on-tour" with a favorite band for a week or two....now I'm not sure I'll ever be able to retire but that is getting to close too the third rail of talking politics 

Enjoy your retirement StillAWarrior!

[MUDPT]

Agree.  I’m no Badgers fan but the atmosphere on game day is a blast.  Especially if they lose

Same. Went to the Penn State opener 3 years ago (first after COVID). So much energy walking in, reminding me of how much I missed live sports.

[StillAWarrior]

Love this! That sounds awesome......you will be living A DREAM for sure.  Basketball road-trips are fun and I'd love to go "on-tour" with a favorite band for a week or two....now I'm not sure I'll ever be able to retire but that is getting to close too the third rail of talking politics 

Enjoy your retirement StillAWarrior!

I'm not there yet, but I do think my retirement will involve a lot of sports...and not just college football. I'd like to see MU several times a year, and also attend some of the bigger events (e.g., Kentucky Derby, Daytona 500, Masters, Army-Navy, etc.). Thankfully, my wife is game.

[lawdog77]

I'm not there yet, but I do think my retirement will involve a lot of sports...and not just college football. I'd like to see MU several times a year, and also attend some of the bigger events (e.g., Kentucky Derby, Daytona 500, Masters, Army-Navy, etc.). Thankfully, my wife is game.

On that topic: Sporting events to see in person before one dies?
1. Super Bowl
2. NCAA basketball National Championship
3. Indy 500
4. Kentucky Derby
5. Tour de France
6. Wimbledon
7. Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party
8. World Series Game

What else?

[Goose]

I think the US Open tennis tournament is a great event to attend.

[mug644]

World Cup finals would be one I'd love to attend

[dgies9156]

Brother LawDog:

Some thoughts on your list:

1. Super Bowl (Been there, had tickets to the Bears/Colts game. $1,200 tickets, sold them for $5,000 for a game where the Bears were blown out and the best highlight from the Bears happened in the first 15 seconds of the game).

2. NCAA basketball National Championship (Only if Marquette is in them)

3. Indy 500 (Did it in 1977. Enjoyable but the event is better on television)

4. Kentucky Derby (Big money to watch horses, no thank you.)

5. Tour de France (Seeing France is worth the trip. Like watching marathon runners. Eeenh, unless you know someone)
 
6. Wimbledon (PPPLLLLEEEAAASSSEEE... the self-important of British society gather to be, well, self-important.

7. Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party (Jacksonville's claim to fame. Two "nearby schools" get together, drink themselves silly and watch another Gator slaughter. It's the southern version of the old Marquette Block Parties)

8. World Series Game (Now you're talking. Waiting for the Cardinals to return! May be a long wait!!!!)

[lawdog77]

Brother LawDog:

Some thoughts on your list:

1. Super Bowl (Been there, had tickets to the Bears/Colts game. $1,200 tickets, sold them for $5,000 for a game where the Bears were blown out and the best highlight from the Bears happened in the first 15 seconds of the game).

2. NCAA basketball National Championship (Only if Marquette is in them)

3. Indy 500 (Did it in 1977. Enjoyable but the event is better on television)

4. Kentucky Derby (Big money to watch horses, no thank you.)

5. Tour de France (Seeing France is worth the trip. Like watching marathon runners. Eeenh, unless you know someone)
 
6. Wimbledon (PPPLLLLEEEAAASSSEEE... the self-important of British society gather to be, well, self-important.

7. Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party (Jacksonville's claim to fame. Two "nearby schools" get together, drink themselves silly and watch another Gator slaughter. It's the southern version of the old Marquette Block Parties)

8. World Series Game (Now you're talking. Waiting for the Cardinals to return! May be a long wait!!!!)

The Tour is amazing in person. It's not just standing in one spot and seeing the bikes whiz by you. You map out the tour, and spend a week (or how many days) enjoying the sites, getting to the same town where the riders have a rest day. If you are lucky (and have a bike) you can ride near/with them on their rest day. My wife was an exchange student in France and her host family's village is often near the route. We have been fortunate to go over there several times.

[wadesworld]

Would love to see the Tour de France.  When we were driving through the Dolomites in July and seeing people biking up those narrow winding roads it made me think of some of the stages of the Tour de France.

As if driving there wasn't stressful enough as it was (with narrow lanes that people don't stay in anyway, so you're coming around a blind curve alongside a mountain/cliff and a car is coming at you taking up 1/2 your lane), we got caught driving through a bike race at one point.  It was hard enough finding space to pass 1 or 2 bikers at a time.  Having to try to pass a big pack of bikers that are tire to tire with each other, taking up your entire lane, while the Italians driving behind you are basically rear ending you to force you to floor it around them was probably the least enjoyable driving experience I've ever had.

[tower912]

Got tickets for Thursday at Oakmont next June.

[StillAWarrior]

On that topic: Sporting events to see in person before one dies?
1. Super Bowl
2. NCAA basketball National Championship
3. Indy 500
4. Kentucky Derby
5. Tour de France
6. Wimbledon
7. Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party
8. World Series Game

What else?

9. The Masters
10. The Ryder Cup (I think I'm going when it returns to USA)
11. FA Cup Final
12. World Cup match
13. Olympics
14. Pretty much any major in tennis or golf

Honestly, I have zero desire to see a Super Bowl in person (I've already been to a NCAA national championship bowl game). Would I go if someone offered me free tickets...well, I guess I would. But aside from that, I'm not interested. And, unless Marquette is involved, I have no desire to see a NCAA basketball championship or final four game. I am not interested in watching basketball in a football stadium.  I've bene to a couple WS games, so that box is checked. The others you listed, I would like to see. And the WLOCP is part of the basis for my initial post about attending various college football games.

[brewcity77]

On that topic: Sporting events to see in person before one dies?
1. Super Bowl
2. NCAA basketball National Championship
3. Indy 500
4. Kentucky Derby
5. Tour de France
6. Wimbledon
7. Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party
8. World Series Game

What else?

If I'm a neutral, World Cup Final is #1 with a bullet, and by a wide margin. Marquette in the NC game or USA in a WC Final would be by far the two I'd most be invested in as a fan.

I feel like there are a number of Olympic events I would add as well, but it's hard to narrow it to one because there's so much great stuff at the Olympics, and much of it is just athlete dependent that year. You could single out a swimming event, but I think the draw is more Phelps/Ledecky/etc. I would probably say the 100M final, but it's over so quick. Olympic basketball, hockey, women's volleyball, and soccer would all be amazing, especially if your team was in the final.

[tower912]

No Super Bowl, even if Detroit goes.
NCAA final if MU is there.
Going to the US Open next summer.
Augusta? 
British Open?

[CTWarrior]

I think the US Open tennis tournament is a great event to attend.

I'll vouch for this.  Went for the first time last week with my son and we had a great time.

[StillAWarrior]

The Tour is amazing in person. It's not just standing in one spot and seeing the bikes whiz by you. You map out the tour, and spend a week (or how many days) enjoying the sites, getting to the same town where the riders have a rest day. If you are lucky (and have a bike) you can ride near/with them on their rest day. My wife was an exchange student in France and her host family's village is often near the route. We have been fortunate to go over there several times.

I'd love to go to the Tour. One of the top riders is from my home town and I know some of his relatives (one was in my high school class). It would be great to see him race. He had to sit out the Tour this year because of COVID.

[BCHoopster]

Really liked going to Wimbledon, amazing event.  Better than the Super Bowl, cooler, and I worked for NFL films for both Packer games in the 90’s. Meeting Steve Sabol was pretty nice.

[Billy Hoyle]

I think the US Open tennis tournament is a great event to attend.

It is, especially the first weekend when there are a bunch of competitive matches you can bounce around to. I saw three five set matches involving three guys who were eventual grand slam champs, as well as Serena and Rafa in the main stadium on the first Saturday. The day session didn't end until 9:30 pm.