Number 79-Great American Ballpark

This past baseball season I had the pleasure to attend 2 games at Great American Ballpark. It was a really cool experience. The environment is really cool. Something that I found really neat, especially being a Reds fan, was all of the history that was shown throughout the concourse. Then to walk out into where the ballpark was and see the championship pennants and retired jerseys and others honored was really cool. Something that I was also able to take part of was the induction of 3 players into their Hall of Fame. The Gala dinner that they had was simply outstanding and really such an amazing experience. This is just what the Reds are about. It really truly feels like a family and being inside of the ballpark makes that feel even more so. One thing that I would say is get there early. Not only would you have a better chance at recieving a promotional item, but watch Reds Live, the pregame show. This even takes place along the third base line in the concourse. Even if you catch part of the show it is still a cool experience. Another thing is the fact that they have a cool section for the kids along the first base line near the foul pole. Even if you get bad seats, it is still really fun to be there and be able to watch one of the greatest games ever, in one of the nicest stadiums in MLB.

Number 1-Mackey Arena

Mackey Arena is one of my favorite places on earth. Period nothing more. When Purdue is really playing well there is no other place in the universe that is louder. I know I am bias, but the thing is when an opponent comes in to play Purdue in Mackey Arena they will be tested not only by the team, but also by the atmosphere. With the Paint Crew almost on the court with them yelling at them it is hard to take your mind off of that. Not only the Paint Crew, but when you have 14,123 people screaming and yelling all at the same time, well you get the picture. It's one of those places where once you leave, you realize that your ears are ringing because of how loud everyone has been for the past 2 plus hours. It's more than the team coming ready to play, at Purdue all of the fans come ready as well. One of the best parts of the experience is just before they announce the starting line-ups and everyone and I mean EVERYONE joins the Purdue band singing the national anthem. It's very moving and a great way to start the game. From there it just gets louder. I'm telling you, if your a basketball fan, do yourself a favor and go visit Mackey Arena. Trust me you won't be disappointed, unless you are wearing IU gear, then you may be harassed by the Paint Crew screaming "IU Sucks" while pointing at you. Best of luck to the brave soul that decides to do that. Other than that you won't be disappointed, trust me!

Number 2-Ross-Ade Stadium

Ross-Ade Stadium is somewhere that I have going for most of my life. I have had a lot of great times and a lot of bad times. A few years ago Purdue renovated Ross-Ade in much needed changes with most notably the press box. The tradition of the quarterbacks has been something great. The greatest quarterback that I have seen there is in fact Drew Brees and he was a lot of fun to watch. The major problem with the stadium can be the fans. When Purdue is playing good they show up, however when they are not playing good then it is like a ghost town. The biggest improvement needs to be the fans and they need to support Purdue in good and bad. The stadium itself is fun to watch and there are only a few places in the whole stadium that are bad seats. If you want to watch a game and find a good seat, Ross-Ade is a great place to watch a game (trying not to be bias though).

Being a Purdue fan and attending a lot of games, I often hear a goal that is often raised. Wanting to attend a game at every Big Ten School. I thought a lot about that and decided that I would also like to do the same. However, when thinking about this goal I thought about a few other places/racetracks/rivalries that I would also like to attend. When doing this I came up with 133 different places that I would like to go. This is going to be a challenge and will cost a lot of money, but I wanted to start this blog so that everyone can get a glimpse of what the world of sports may look like from other arenas. I am looking forward to attending these sporting events and I am also excited to allow everyone to join me as well. Here is a look at the list that I have come up with. I am willing to make changes. It is very possible that the quest will expand from 133, but that's the fun part.

     1.     Mackey Arena (Purdue)

     2.     Ross-Ade Stadium (Purdue)

     3.     Kohl Center (Wisconsin)

     4.     Camp Randle Stadium (Wisconsin)

     5.     Beaver Stadium (Penn St.)

     6.     Bryce Jordan Center (Penn St.)

     7.     Michigan Stadium (Michigan)

     8.     Crisler Center (Michigan)

     9.     Ohio Stadium (Ohio St.)

     10.                         Value City Arena (Ohio St.)

     11.                         Assembly Hall (Illinois)

     12.                         Memorial Stadium (Illinois)

     13.                         Assembly Hall (Indiana)

     14.                         Memorial Stadium (Indiana)

     15.                         Kinnick Stadium (Iowa)

     16.                         Carver-Hawkeye Arena (Iowa)

     17.                         Breslin Center (Michigan St.)

     18.                         Spartan Stadium (Michigan St.)

     19.                         Williams Arena (Minnesota)

     20.                         TCF Bank Stadium (Minnesota)

     21.                         Memorial Stadium (Nebraska)

     22.                         Devaney Center (Nebraska)

     23.                         Welsh-Ryan Arena (Northwestern)

     24.                         Ryan Field (Northwestern)

     25.                         Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (Florida)

     26.                         Doak S. Campbell Stadium (Florida St.)

     27.                         The Rose Bowl

     28.                         Texas Memorial Stadium (Texas)

     29.                         Memorial Stadium (Oklahoma)

     30.                         Memorial Stadium (Clemson)

     31.                         Tiger Stadium (LSU)

     32.                         Autzen Stadium (Oregon)

     33.                         Bryant Denny Stadium (Alabama)

     34.                         Notre Dame Stadium (Notre Dame)

     35.                         Neyland Stadium (Tennessee)

     36.                         Bright Football Complex (Texas A&M)

     37.                         Allen Fieldhouse (Kansas)

     38.                         Kimsey Athletic Center (Army)

     39.                         Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Navy)

     40.                         Army vs. Navy Football Game

     41.                         Yankees vs. Red Sox

     42.                         Michigan vs. Ohio St.

     43.                         Camron Indoor Stadium (Duke)

     44.                         Dean E. Smith Center (North Carolina)

     45.                         Hinkle Fieldhouse (Butler)

    46.                         Carrier Dome (Syracuse)

    47.                         Rupp Arena (Kentucky)

    48.                         Pauley Pavilion (UCLA)

    49.                         Verizon Center (Georgetown)

    50.                         Matt Arena (Oregon)

    51.                         The Palestra (Penn)

    52.                         Thompson-Boling Arena (Tennessee)

    53.                         CenturyLink Field (Seahawks)

    54.                         Lambeau Field (Green Bay)

    55.                         Sun Life Stadium (Dolphins)

    56.                         Sports Authority Field (Broncos)

    57.                         Arrowhead Stadium (Chiefs)

    58.                         Super Dome (Saints)

    59.                         Lucas Oil Stadium (Colts)

    60.                         Cowboys Stadium (Cowboys)

    61.                         FedEx Field (Redskins)

    62.                         Metlife Stadium (Giants/Jets)

    63.                         Heinz Field (Steelers)

    64.                         LP Field (Titans)

    65.                         Soldier Field (Bears)

    66.                         Paul Brown Stadium (Bengals)

    67.                         RJ Stadium (Bucs)

    68.                         O.co Coliseum (Raiders)

    69.                         Gillette Stadium (Patriots)

    70.                         Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Pacers)

    71.                         Madison Square Garden (Knicks)

    72.                         Staples Center (Lakers/Clippers)

    73.                         United Center (Bulls)

    74.                         The Palace of Auburn Hills (Pistons)

    75.                         Td Garden (Celtics)

    76.                         American Airlines Arena (Heat)

    77.                         Quicken Loans Arena (Cavs)

    78.                         Rose Garden (Trail Blazers)

    79.                         Great American Ballpark (Reds)

    80.                         Kauffman Stadium (Royals)

    81.                         Dodger Stadium (Dodgers)

    82.                         Busch Stadium (Cardinals)

    83.                         Fenway Park (Red Sox)

    84.                         Yankee Stadium (Yankees)

    85.                         Oriole Park at Camden Yards (Orioles)

    86.                         Wrigley Field (Cubs)

    87.                         AT&T Park (Giants)

    88.                         PNC Park (Pirates)

    89.                         Citi Field (Mets)

    90.                         Daytona

    91.                         Talladega

    92.                         Brickyard

    93.                         Michigan

    94.                         Las Vegas

    95.                         Bristol

    96.                         Fontana

    97.                         Texas

    98.                         Charlotte

    99.                         Dover

    100.                    Sonoma

    101.                   Atlanta

    102.                   Richmond

    103.                   Homestead

    104.                   PETCO Park (Padres)

    105.                   Edward Jones Dome (Rams)

    106.                   Amway Center (Magic)

    107.                   Nationals Park (Nationals)

    108.                   Chesapeake Energy Arena (Thunder)

    109.                   Coors Field (Rockies)

    110.                   Minute Maid Park (Astros)

    111.                   University of Phoenix Stadium (Arizona Cardinals)

    112.                   Miller Park (Brewers)

    113.                   Safeco Field (Mariners)

    114.                   Target Field (Twins) 

    115.                   Lane Stadium (Virginia Tech)

    116.                   The Pitt (New Mexico)

    117.                   Comerica Park (Tigers)

    118.                   Memorial Coliseum (USC)

    119.                   Sun Life Stadium (Miami U)

    120.                   Lincoln Financial Field (Eagles)

    121.                   Reliant Stadium (Texans)

    122.                   Folsom Field (Colorado Buffaloes)

    123.                   TD Gardens (Bruins)

    124.                   Citizens Bank Park (Phillies)

    125.                   Texas vs. Oklahoma

    126.                   Reds vs. Cardinals

    127.                   BCS Championship

    128.                   NCAA Tournament

    129.                   SuperBowl

    130.                   NBA Finals

    131.                   Big Ten Championship

    132.                   Big Ten Basketball Tournament

    133.                   SEC Championship

    

     I am looking forward to taking all of you on this journey that I am going to be taking and I will fill all of you in on each place as it comes off of the list. If you see someplace that would be a great place to add then please leave a comment and why that should be added to this list.