Anyone travel for sports?

[rstones199]

Im a big baseball nut and like to travel around the coutry to watch baseball.

Is anyone else a sports traveler?

[drgoodtrips]

I saw games at three stadiums this summer: Miller Park, Minute Maid, and Busch Stadium :)

[wphelan]

I saw games at three stadiums this summer: Miller Park, Minute Maid, and Busch Stadium :)

You didn't catch any games in Chicago?

I made it to one game at Wrigley and one game at Comiskey this year. I (kind of) watched another game from one of the rooftops at Wrigley too.

The only other major league baseball stadiums I've been to are Fenway and the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati.

[Michael]

I like to go to a baseball game in every American city I visit. I'm not really into pro-sports, but I do love the local flavor one encounters sitting in the cheap seats at baseball stadiums.

Been to Fenway, old Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium, Wrigley, Comiskey, Tiger Stadium and Veterans Stadium (Philly) - plus the Big O in Montreal.

I think sitting in the cheap bleacher seats is a riot and you really get a feel for the local traditions.

* * *

And since I live right in the heart of downtown Toronto, I do see on a daily basis, tourist-types getting their pictures taken standing in front of the venerable Maple Leaf Gardens. This seems to be very popular - probably just Canadians, but still, it is clear that sports can be an important component of tourism.

[drgoodtrips]

You didn't catch any games in Chicago?

I made it to one game at Wrigley and one game at Comiskey this year. I (kind of) watched another game from one of the rooftops at Wrigley too.

The only other major league baseball stadiums I've been to are Fenway and the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati.

I've been to more games at Wrigley and Comiskey than I can count. I used to live a few blocks from Wrigley and I'd walk over sometimes in the second inning and buy tickets from scalpers at like half of face value. (That was pre-2003 playoff run and the following endless sellouts).

In general, I know someone who works for both teams and can get me good tickets most of the time. I rarely take advantage these days because driving down to the city and dealing with parking is a hassle. I'll only usually go if it's a particularly interesting/unusual game or if I get a cool seat (last game I went to, I sat in the sky box, which was fun).

A few years back, I decided that I'd pick out a Cubs away game or two per year, and make a travel weekend of visiting the city, seeing the Cubs play there and the ballpark, and exploring a little. This year, I'm thinking of shooting for Great American Ballpark and one of the AL West teams that the Cubs play (Seattle would be nice).

[The Drunk Girl]

Most of my 'travels' have been for college basketball and generally involve UK. Big surprise, huh?

I went to Knoxville, TN to see a NFL exhibition game back in 1994. It was the Redskins against the Oilers, I believe. The only reason why the game was in Knoxville was because UT's former quarterback, Heath Shuler (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heath_Shuler) was drafted to Washington. He never had a good professional career, but it appears that he has found him a place in the HOR...

I wouldn't mind to go to Cincinnati to watch the Bengals play...they kind of grew on me over the past two seasons.

Baseball I would love to go watch. I think I could get over my dislike of the game simply for the fact of being there in person. The whole feeling that surrounds being at a game (from what I hear) is something I want to experience.

[Greendruid]

My first and only NFL game was a drive to Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium from Columbia, MO for a game with the visiting L.A. Raiders. I was told it was the loudest stadium on earth and I have no arguments against that after the experience. I'm not typically a sports watcher - I'm more inclined to be a participant, though not frequently these days.

Having grown up going to CFL games in Hamilton, I was floored at the 90k+ fans at Arrowhead. It was cavernous. The amazing thing was that the home team possession time was largely a quiet, concentrating event and the fans were largely respectful of this - eerie considering the number of people that were there.

At halftime some poor L.A. Raiders fan - decked out in full regalia with the hard-hat and silver face paint, little Raider shield on his cheek, decided he needed to pee. Brave man I'll say that. Surprising he didn't get jumped the way the washroom crowd was razzing him. L.A. ended up losing that day I believe.

[Evangeline]

I travel for music, not sports. I traveled all around the USA to see the Grateful Dead. Those were the days. :D

[rstones199]

I'm a huge baseball nut. I'm usually good for 10+ stadiums a year. Living in so cal helps. I've got Petco Park, Anaheim Stadium and that dump up in LA (Dodgers Std). Plus the bay area and Phoenix is an hour flight or a 6 hour drive away. Plus I haved some good friends in KC so I always have a place to stay out there.


All total I've been to 32 baseball parks. I still have 11 current stadiums to go. They keep building news ones – gets hard keeping up – ugh.


If anyone would like some tips for sports travel, let me know. I am not the only nutcase out there that travels for sports. I know a couple of guys in NYC that has been to every hockey, basketball, football and baseball stadium in the US and Canada. Of course we are always looking for more nut cases like us.

[rstones199]

I travel for music, not sports. I traveled all around the USA to see the Grateful Dead. Those were the days. :D

LOL - I know the feeling. I used to travel for the stones. An expensive litte habbit!

[Americano]

I travel for music, not sports. I traveled all around the USA to see the Grateful Dead. Those were the days. :D

A Deadhead! I've known a couple.

[Michael]

Apparently its a fast growing trend...

Taking the Plane to the Game

Airlines Woo Die-Hard Sports Fans Who Follow Their Team on the Road; Facing Hecklers in the Home Crowd.

Sports travel—following your team on the road to away games or vacationing at major attractions like the college football bowls that proliferate during the holiday season—is scoring big, travel researchers say. Some aspects of sports travel have even been recession-proof, growing while so many other travel categories slump.

Airlines are increasingly catering to sports fans. Some carriers, including Southwest Airlines Co., AMR Corp.'s American Airlines and JetBlue Airways Corp., have added special flights for some championship games. AirTran Airways advertises in Atlanta as "The Official Airline of the Away Game." American also has an advertising campaign specifically targeting sports fans and their desire to travel to see their team. And flight attendants and ground crews get in on the marketing, too. Southwest paints some ground vehicles in team colors in different cities–Tampa has a Tampa Bay Buccaneers plane-mover, for example. And the company lets employees wear jerseys on game weekends.

Article (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703521904574614140936212048.html)

Who knew? :shrug:

[rstones199]

Apparently its a fast growing trend...

Article (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703521904574614140936212048.html)

Who knew? :shrug:

When I flew from OC to Dallas for the Cowboys home opener againts the Giants this past season, I has a lay over in Vegas. From Vages to Dallas, the plane was mostly filled with people wearing Cowboys gear.

Expect one woman who came on wearing a Giants jersey. She was booed as she quickly walked back to her seat towards the back of the plane. That was hillarious!

[SMadsen]

I travel for music, not sports. I traveled all around the USA to see the Grateful Dead. Those were the days. :D
Noted.

In case I have to guess your age one day :)

[Americano]

Noted.

In case I have to guess your age one day :)

Deadheads were actually expanding their ranks with younger devotees until Garcia's Jones got him. The good old days for Deadheads could be anywhere from 1965-1995.

[cook1]

Yes I have travel for sports mainly to watch cricket matches. There is old international cricket stadium in my country and I have gone there to watch most of the matches.