Sports Tourism

Every new town I happen to visit I have the overwhelming desire to take pictures of the local stadiums. Sure, I like to get other landmarks here and there as well. I have pics of Times Square from my recent NYC trip and always get the obligatory recognizable places. My absolute weakness that sends me to total geekdom is stadiums and sports landmarks. While some women dream of a Paris shopping vacation (which I’m not opposed to some good shopping at all), my ideal vacation would be to hit all of the historic stadiums and sports landmarks. On my list to see before I die: Lambeau Field, Wrigley Field, Joe Robbie Stadium (or whatever it is called now – you know it is where the Dolphins play), Cooperstown, and Canton just to name a few. I’ve got to get to the UK and see a Man U and/or Chelsea game as well, some rugby, and cricket. I also want to go to every single Dodgers home game for one season. I’ll save that goal until the current ownership has been removed. They have enough of my money for now.

At any rate, I have some pics of some of the stadiums that I have visited over the years in the slideshow above. There’s Camden Yards, Madison Square Garden, Chavez Ravine, the Coliseum, and Invesco Field (which will always be Mile High to me). There are SEVERAL that I have been to that are missing from this collection. I have been to the old RFK stadium (saw the Redskins play the 49ers when Steve Young and Jerry Rice were still playing and also saw them play against the Giants when Jason Sehorn was still on the team), Candlestick Park (saw Bryant Young’s last home game), Raymond James Stadium, Tropicana Field, the Ice Palace (or whatever it is called now in Tampa where the Lightning plays), Staples Center, Great Western Forum, and somewhere else that I am forgetting. My college graduation ceremony was actually at the Ice Palace in Tampa (okay, I think it is the St. Pete Times Forum now) and I got to address the crowd and introduce one of the speakers. I will not get pictures of a few of those places for obvious reasons (as in, they no longer exist). The stadium I have been to the most times in my life has to be, hands down, Chavez Ravine. This is why I get so darn sensitive about the Dodgers.

At any rate, when you are traveling, many stadiums offer tours. For example, Invesco Field has a Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and tour of the stadium. I was standing ON THE SIDELINE and nearly lost my mind. I have also been on the field at Raymond James and thought I would just die.

Yes, I am a complete dork and totally in on it.

What is your weakness when it comes to sports? Is it having to see and photograph every stadium possible like me? Do you have a different thing that puts you in the dork category?