Road Trip

After watching the race on Saturday, reading the recap to it on Sunday and listen to all the talking heads on ESPN Radio gush about it today, I got to thinking: If offered a ticket, would I go to the Kentucky Derby? I concluded that yes, I would make the six hour, 314 mile trip from the Chi to Louisville on the first Saturday in May to watch the pony’s. But is it on the top of my list of events I want to go to? Is Churchill Downs the greatest sports landmark that I have yet to visit?

So I began to ponder, which venues in the United States that I’ve never stepped foot in would I like to travel to the most? (I know what you’re thinking: Here goes another one of Eli’s crazy lists. Haven’t we seen this before? Can’t he just write a regular column, with a beginning, middle, and end? My response to that is…well, too bad. The Cubs have done nothing to deserve the effort it takes for me to write this column, the Bulls are done, the Bears have nothing worth complaining about yet, and I can only write so much about the NBA Playoffs. Plus this list is different then all the others you will read on this topic. There is no Augusta National, no Indianapolis Motor Speedway, no Notre Dame Stadium, and no Cameron Indoor. It's 100% my list, though if you happen to have a ticket to one of these places, please invite me, and we can share the credit.

5- Assembly Hall---Champaign, IL
This is a slightly biased pick, since the Fighting Illini are my favorite college b-ball team. But putting my loyalties aside, the I-double-L are arguably the best home team in all of college hoops. While some in the south may say that the Cameron Crazies are tops, and those in the middle of nowhere will argue that the Jayhawk fans know how to Rock Chalk it up the best, it is hard to argue with results. And the numbers say that the Orange Krush and the Illini are an NCAA best 68-2 at home since the 2000-01 campaign in Champaign. It’s going to be tough watching the team next season without #11 and his trademark headband. It’s going to be even tougher for opponents to come into the city of cornfields and leave with a win.

4- The Rose Bowl---Pasadena, CA
Though my uncle attended the school, this pick has no connection with the University of California at Los Angles. And though my bother will try to argue otherwise, this pick has no connection to the 0-0 final of the 1994 World Cup that Brazil eventually won in a shootout. (That’s not even the most famous 0-0 W.C. final held in Pasadena) This pick has to do with a game played here every January. The Rose Bowl is always the first premiere sporting event of the calendar year. Even people who don’t know Vince Young from Neil Young watch the Rose Bowl. Overlooking the mountains, never bothered by bad weather and always a great game, this historic venue is home to some of sports most famous battles. The only thing this field and the 93,986 seats have never seen: a Northwestern Wildcats victory. Will it ever happen? About as likely as Indiana overtaking NU as the Big 10’s premier university.

3- Lambeau Field---Green Bay, WI
Let me make this clear. I HATE the Green Bay Packers. I don’t drive down Green Bay road here in E-Town on weekend da Bears face off against the cheese-heads. I’m proud that Sweetness, Samurai Mike and the Punky QB said in the ‘Shuffle’ that This is one for Poppa Bear Hallas and not to win the Lombardi Trophy. I’m hesitant to befriend people named Bret. But even with all that, I’d still love to venture up north and visit the frozen tundra. Sit in the large bowl that has no upper deck. Be greeted in my seat by a guy wearing gold and green doing the Lambeau Leap. But what would make my trip even better? Seeing the Pack get creamed.

2- Yankee Stadium---Bronx, NY
Again, this is a building that houses a team I absolutely despise. You will hear me compliment George Steinbrenner as often as John Stewart says nice things about Bill O’Reilly. But for the fact it’s ‘The House that Ruth built’, the team has its own Hall of Fame out in centerfield and that there have been 33 World Series’ played there, it’s a must visit for any baseball fan. I better hurry up though. George is replacing the Stadium in 2009 with a newer, less historic building.

1- Ben Hill Griffin Stadium --- Gainesville, FL
The Swamp. Where only Gators come out alive.
I honestly would rather go to an UF/Southern Mississippi game at The Swamp then the National Title game. Why is this? Because football is much more then a game in Gainesville. It’s a religon. I bet you even after the UF basketball team won the championship, more people on the UF campus would like to meet Danny Wuerffel then Joakim Noah. Even on TV, which usually doesn’t capture emotion, I get chills when I see the Gators take the field. I see all 90,000 fans going crazy, rocking in their orange & blue, and the expression on the opponents face usually resembles what the token black guy looks like when he is unfairly killed in some crappy horror movie. The seats are built up and not out, making it very difficult for opponents to hear, and with the talent the Gators have to accompany this amazing environment, its no wonder their winning percentage since 1990 is 88%.