Let’s talk attending multiple sports events, if you can afford them.
Have you ever been to a live sporting event, or have you seen all of your sports on TV? For many, there’s nothing like seeing an event live, in person and mingling with the crowd … “Take me out to the ballgame. Take me out with the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack. I don’t care if I never get back. Let me root, root, root for the home team …”
For some, a sports event road trip involves seeing live games at all MLB baseball parks – 30 cities in a season. It would take a few years to see games at all NFL stadiums, but you could do all MLB, NHL or NBA venues in a season.
If you want to try the ultimate sports road trip – seeing all the great “can’t-miss” events – and stay in America, you already missed the Super Bowl, the NCAA football championship, Daytona 500, NCAA Women’s Final Four, NCAA Men’s Final Four, NCAA Frozen Four Hockey tournament, the Masters golf tournament and MLB spring training at all spring sites in Florida and Arizona. So, if those events are on your bucket list, you’d better get a jump start and plan for 2024 if you want to catch them.
For this season, events to plan for might include the Kentucky Derby on May 6 in Louisville, Kentucky; the Indianapolis 500 on May 28 in Indianapolis; the U.S. Open golf tournament on June 15-18 in Los Angeles; and the Stanley Cup Finals on June 8-18 at sites to be determined – though Boston is a favorite at this point to be one of the sites.
If you want to hop across the Atlantic Ocean, you could leave the country to witness the opening rounds of Wimbledon in London on July 3-16; then return to the States for the MLB All-Star game on July 11 in Seattle; the MLS All-Star game on July 19 in Washington, D.C.; the U.S. Open of Surfing on July 29-Aug. 6 in Huntington Beach, California; the U.S. Tennis Open on Aug. 28-Sept. 10 in Queens, New York; the MLB World Series (sites and date to be determined, likely the last week of October through Nov. 4); and the NASCAR Cup Series on Nov. 5 in Phoenix.
And maybe you have your own list of can’t-miss events that include nonannual competitions, such as the Summer Olympics, Winter Olympics, World Cup or America’s Cup.
Now, tickets alone will cost a bundle, as will travel (planes, trains and automobiles, etc.), lodging accommodations and food. Back in the day, events were inexpensive and most fans could consider seats at multiple events. Now, not so much as tickets cost so much.
Tickets at just some of the events range from the Super Bowl (most tickets start at $5,000 and go up from there); the Masters ($700 for a practice round and $10,000 for all four rounds); Indy 500 ($123 average); Daytona 500 (start at $209 and average $1,731); Kentucky Derby (you can attend from $67 to $87 and they go up from there, and grandstand seats range from $375 to $1,000); Men’s Final Four (prices ranged from $389 to $52,000); MLB All-Star Game (starts at $275); World Series (starts at $300, could cost $10,000/game) and Stanley Cup Finals tickets (average price $4,400).
OK, it is much cheaper to buy a big-screen TV and throw parties at your place for all of your friends for all of the events. But if you do want to see the games in person and have the funds, you can make your own itinerary, find a travel agent who can arrange it all or find another way to make it happen.
The betting.us blog has set up a virtual road trip spanning 10 states and nine months, packing in attractions and events to appeal to a variety of sports fans from coast to coast, and they have outlined the events without setting up arrangements. Their blog is for information only.
Now, it used to be easier and more affordable, with baseball bleacher seats costing $3 or hockey tickets at $5.50 or a Super Bowl ticket for $30. So, instead of an entire road trip costing the price of a luxury car or a small home, are there one or two events on your bucket list? What are they?
What do you think? Do you prefer staying home or having a party and watching the events on TV? Or do you like seeing the events live and being in on the excitement with the crowd and being part of the history? Costs aside or costs what they are, do you select certain events to attend or would you like to see them all? Let me know at mike.blake@mountvernonnews.com
