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I’ve been a lucky guy when it comes to attending ballgames.
I grew up in the Seattle area and had three professional teams to root for along with two major Pac-10 programs in Washington and Washington State University.
As a young pup, I was fortunate enough to have a family hooked on sports, which meant attending games was practically our religion.
Like many Seattleites, my sporting event experiences revolved around the Kingdome. I saw many Seahawks and Mariners games there each year.
I loved the Kingdome. How could I not? It was all I knew.
When I think of the top sporting events I’ve ever witnessed in person, they each revolve around the city of Seattle.
That doesn’t bother me. I love Seattle and its three pro teams. Well, now two.
I may never get over my Supersonics not being there.
Over the past year I’ve been able to see much of the country from a sporting perspective. After being hired as the radio play-by-play broadcaster for the University of Idaho women’s basketball team last year, I’ve been able to get paid and travel to places such as San Jose, San Diego, Fresno, Reno and even Honolulu.
I’ve been lucky.
I get paid to do a job I’d gladly do for free.
This weekend might change my perspective as far as top sporting events are concerned.
Though I love my job and hope to continue to rise in the broadcasting profession, I long for the days when I could watch a game and not have to worry about work or my performance.
It’s great to just be a fan sometimes, too.
Attending games purely as a fan is probably the best experience one can have while watching a game.
A fan is what I will be this weekend when I attend an South Eastern Conference football game in Knoxville, Tenn. between the University of Tennessee and Mississippi State University.
Take note the largest attended football game I’ve ever been to was several ballgames at Husky Stadium, which has a capacity of around 77,000.
I love Husky Stadium and it is without a doubt one of the most scenic ballparks in the country.
But Tennessee and the SEC is at another level of fanhood.
It’s the top of the sports mountain in terms of having a few cold ones and enjoying a game in a cathedral-like stadium.
The cathedral I’m referring to is Neyland Stadium, the home of the Tennessee Volunteers, which holds an unbelievable 104,000 people.
104,000 fans packed in a stadium to watch a football game — that’s the equivalent of five Kibbie Domes without fans bolting at halftime.
It’s a night game, too, which means pregame partying and tailgating will reach a new level.
I hope to partake.
People in the south take their football like I do. They pretty much rank it above anything else in life.
As a fan, I can’t tell you how excited I am for this weekend trip.
I won’t be broadcasting this game or have any other work related obligations.
I’ve never seen a collegiate football game outside of the Pac-10 or WAC conferences.
The Sporting News magazine ranked Neyland as the nation’s #1 college football stadium.
Hopefully now you understand why I’m so pumped for this one.
The best sporting event I’ve probably ever been to was a 1999 wild card playoff game between the Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks. It was the last game in Kingdome history.
Maybe I’ll have a new top ranking after this weekend.
Listen to the Johnny Ballgame Show on 89.3 fm or kuoi.org each Thursday at 9:30 a.m. and Sunday at 8:30 p.m.
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