Page 5 - Sports Traveler Blog

There are still some qualifying games left before the 2014 Brazil World Cup schedule is complete, but some teams have already claimed their spot in the World Cup. Among those teams is the Netherlands, Italy, and Team USA.

A rocky start to international play has turned into a wonderful stretch for the Americans. Surprisingly the opposite can be said for North American counterpart Mexico. Team Mexico is on the verge of elimination and faces the first World Cup absence since the nation was banned from competition in 1990. Team USA now appears to be the strongest representative from North America. Jurgen Klinsmann has the Americans playing better than ever and it would be nice to see them make a legitimate run in the 2014 World Cup.

In light of the recent Team USA World Cup qualification, I have prepared a look at the World Cup schedule as the tournament in Brazil grows closer to a reality. Please note that we do not know where each team will be playing yet. That information will become available after the World Cup draw in December. The one thing we do know is that Team Brazil should be A1 and will play the opening match in Sao Paulo.

2013 NFL Hall of Fame Game

Dallas Cowboys vs. Miami Dolphins
August 4, 2013 - Canton, OH

The start of the 2013 NFL season is upon us.  Seems like just yesterday that Rahim Moore blew the coverage on Jacoby Jones and the Ravens used a game tying touchdown as the momentum they needed to win the Super Bowl. Oh the memories.  Well now its time to make some new memories.

Sure the regular season is still a month away but in many ways the season will begin this weekend in Canton at the NFL Hall of Fame.  The Hall of Fame Game will be our first look at the helmet cracking action we have all missed over the last several months.  The HOF Game is just another preseason game but this is when the routine of the regular season will kick in for most teams.

This year we get the pleasure of watching the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins.  We probably won't see much play from the starters but this is a great chance for new players to get acclimated with their teammates and coaches during actual game situations.

Some coaches look at the Hall of Fame Game as an extra opportunity to a get a look at some guys that won't see much playing time moving forward.  So in some aspects there is an advantage to playing in the Hall of Fame Game.  However, it is an earlier start for these 2 teams and that can make the preseason drag on for veterans.

What we will learn from Hall of Fame Weekend

The other day someone asked me "what is the largest sporting event in the world?"  The first thing that came to mind was the World Cup and then the Super Bowl.  I commented that in this country the clear answer is the Super Bowl but worldwide I would have to say the World Cup.

After I answered the question I wondered how I could figure out what is the largest sporting event in the world.  After some research I determined it was basically impossible to factually state what is the largest so I decided to write a blog about 5 of the largest sporting events in the world.  I won't say top 5 because I'm not sure anyone has the data to support that kind of claim.

So in essence these are 5 of the largest sporting events as seen through my eyes.  I have a lot of sports knowledge and I have researched many sporting events outside of the US.  Based on my findings and experiences I have chose 5 events to represent the largest sporting events in the world.

My History of a Dallas Cowboys Fan

It was all decided when my aunt bought me the first jersey I had ever owned.  Who did it belong to?  Hall of Fame RB Emmitt Smith.  Good 'ol #22.

From that moment on I became a Dallas Cowboys fan.  I will admit that this was right around 1990 so 3 Super Bowl victories during the early 90's made the selection pretty easy to stand by.

Through all the years of being a fan I was never able to see a Dallas Cowboys game.  Distance, time, and finances made it almost impossible to see the Cowboys play.  Especially a home game.

A recent story shows that 2014 Winter Olympics costs 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.

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.

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 basketballand 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.

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.

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.

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.