A recent story shows that costs for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi have eclipsed $51 billion.  But don’t worry.  You won’t need that much to enjoy them.  You don’t need to take out any billion dollar loans to go to the Winter Games.  500 million should be just fine.  Only kidding.

Like anything else, your taste determines your cost and if you want luxury then you will have to pay the big bucks.  But we don’t want to focus on the lavish.  We are concerned with the average traveler.  And the average traveler does not want to spend tens of thousands of dollars on the Olympics.

Here is a list of key questions that can help you determine your Winter Olympic costs. (more…)

The largest field of the 4 majors belongs to the U.S. Open Golf Tournament.  Some say that the U.S. Open is one of the purest competitions in  sports because of the opportunity it creates for golfers all around the country and the world.  This events holds the top level of prestige, difficulty, and excitement.  Last year we got the pleasure of seeing amateur Beau Hossler compete for the championship until the last round.  The U.S Open is one of the few events where pro’s and amateurs get a chance to compete for one of the game’s highest honors.

The casual golf fan probably knows that the Masters Tournament happens every April, but can the average fan tell you when the U.S. Open takes place?  The Masters is on of the most covered sporting events in the US and I think the events proximity in time to the Final Four has something to do with it.  Especially since the same network carries both events (CBS). (more…)

Are you a soccer fan?  Well I guess most soccer fans around the world refer to it as football but to save confusion I’ll just stick with calling it soccer.  Besides, its pretty clear that there is only one sport of football in this country.  Anyways, if you are a soccer fan then you should know all about the Gold Cup.  If you don’t know about the Gold Cup then you might need to re-commit your fan-hood and get with the program.  The Gold Cup is a very popular event and crucial in determining the best team in North America. (more…)

It seems like just last week we were anxiously waiting for the Belmont Stakes in hopes that I’ll Have Another could complete the first Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978.  As fate would have it the Triple Crown was not meant to be and I’ll Have Another was pulled from the race with an injury.  Now we embark on a new journey.  Tomorrow will mark the 139th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY.  Louisville has already had the pleasure of crowning a national champion in college basketball and just 1 month later the city finds itself amidst intense excitement once again.

The Kentucky Derby has long been one of the most exciting events in sports and this year will be no different.  The field appears to be wide open with a the usual group favorites.  I have provided our readers with odds and post position for each of the Derby contestants. (more…)

According to USA Today, Lindsay Czarniak will be the first on-air television host for the Indianapolis 500.  This is big news for the racing world but also for our culture in this country.  We are far from where we need to be in the battle for gender equality but it is great to see barriers and walls being busted down everyday.  Unfortunately Danica Patrick will not be running in this year’s Indy 500, otherwise we could have seen the first woman winner of the 500 on the same day that the first woman hosted the event.  However, Danica’s presence in NASCAR and the sport of racing continues to bolster popularity of the sports among the female demographic. (more…)

Whoa!  The sports world is going crazy right now!  So much going on and it is all too exciting to miss.  To catch up with the sports world I have harnessed all the major news/results from the recent events.  I am going to briefly hit on each sport and give a few predictions for the Masters, MLB, NBA, and NHL.  Ready?  Lets go!

NHL

Seems like the season just started but it will shortly be coming to an end.  But I guess that’s what happens when you are in a shortened and compressed 46 game season.  Thanks lockout.  The story early on in the season was the winning streak by the Chicago Blackhawks and then both the Anaheim Ducks and Pittsburgh Penguins went on their own winning streaks.  Although no one has matched a start like the Blackhawks, it seemed for a while like the Penguins might be the best team.  Now that Crosby is out the battle for best appears to be between the Ducks and Blackhawks. (more…)

It has been quite some time since you could say Tiger is the best golfer in the world and be accurate.  Whether or not he is the best is up in the air right now but his world ranking indicates that he is currently the top dog.  Tiger climbs to number 1 after a 29 month hiatus from the top spot.

He does so by claiming his record tying eighth victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.  He already owns the record for most navy jackets but this time he ties the record with Sam Snead for most victories at a single event.  Woods also continues to chip away at the all time victories record which is also held by Snead.  Woods earned his 77th victory and is now just 5 behind Snead. (more…)

This current century is still relatively young but I think it is time to look back on the NCAA Tournament since the millennium changed over.  It was hard to narrow the list down to 10 so the Top 10 essentially becomes the most memorable for me.  A lot happens from year to year and sometimes it can be hard to remember a buzzer-beater or crazy comeback.  But then again, if it is hard to remember then perhaps it wasn’t that great.

*I apologize in advance if I have done a disservice to an outstanding NCAA Tournament moment by leaving it off of this list.

The Tournament is my favorite postseason for any sport at any level.  It just does not get any better.  So many games…. So much on the line….  This is what sports fans live for. (more…)

Seriously, is there anything better than the NCAA Tournament?  Throughout the world there are sporting events that capture excitement and majesty in the performance of excellence.  Some say the Super Bowl is the greatest event.  Others might contend that the Olympics or the World Cup represents the best that organized sport has to offer.  A fan representative from every major sport could file an argument for their sport’s top event.

Most times we are consumed with professional athletes and for good reason.  Pro athletes are at the top of their game and talent levels across the board are much higher than that of any amateur league.  However, there is just something special about college basketball.

Sure some of the pageantry has been lost over the years from players leaving college early.  And yes there are a litany of dirty coaches in college but at the end of the day these players should be allowed to receive compensation.  Tax friendly of course.  The only obvious problem is the disparity between schools and the pocket books of their boosters.  But until the NCAA cleans up their act that is a conversation for another day.  For now we just get to enjoy the amazingly competitive basketball we have had the pleasure of watching all season. (more…)