Sportsball

Two strangers, passing in an airport, both wearing the same color of laundry, each having watched their favorite team win on tiny televisions broadcasting the same game on different flights traveling from opposite ends of the earth, exchange high fives.

Sports are the great unifier, and my favorite thing is spending time at events big and small.

my phone goes flying during final out of the 2022 Mariners-Blue Jays Wild Card Series

Favorite events I’ve attended…

#10 TCU vs. Southern Miss — November 23, 2003
Southern Miss prevents TCU from earning a BCS berth and takes control of Conference USA West on ESPN primetime.

Sounders vs. Red Bulls — March 19, 2009
Seattle Sounders’ inaugural MLS match and the first franchise win. This was the game that turned me into a soccer fan.

Lazio vs. Roma — February 26, 2006
Derby della Capitale is the most intense environment I’ve ever experienced at any sporting event. Flairs on the field. Fights in the stands. Got frisked by the Nucleo Operativo Centrale di Sicurezza at the gate.

Seahawks vs. Packers — January 18, 2015,
2014 NFC Championship: Down 19-7 with 3 minutes left, Seattle wins in overtime to head to Super Bowl.

Reds vs. Mariners — June 22, 2007,
Ken Grifey Jr’s first game in Seattle since leaving the Mariners.

Kraken vs. Predators — October 14, 2021: The first franchise win for the Seattle Kraken and my first Kraken game.

#1 Florida vs. Auburn — October 13, 2001
Unranked Auburn hits a 44-yard field goal in the rain with 10 seconds left.

Brewster Whitecaps vs. Harwich Mariners — July 3, 2016
My first Cape League game. An insanely unique experience featuring the top college players, wooden bats, free entry, and free ice cream each time you return a foul ball.

Mariners vs. Red Sox — August 22, 2014
Mariners score 5 Runs with 2 Outs in the 9th Inning to beat the Red Sox 5-3.

Braves vs. Dodgers — October 23, 2021
2021 National League Championship Series, Game 6: Braves win the National League pennant.

2022 ALDS Mariners vs. Blue Jays — October 8, 2022
2022 American League Wild Card, Game 2: The Mariners, down 8-1, come back to win 10-9.

2022 ALDS: Mariners vs. Blue Jays — October 7, 2022
2022 American League Wild Card, Game 1: Alex Manoah gave up four runs in 5 2/3 innings, matching the total he allowed in six September starts.

Notre Dame vs. Boston College at Fenway Park — November 21, 2015
2015 Shamrock Series: A college football game at Fenway Park.

Dublin vs. Galway — November 22, 2015
2015 AIG Fenway Hurling Classic: A hurling match in a baseball stadium that just hosted a college football game 12 hours prior.

Tigers vs. Red Sox — October 13, 2013
2013 ALCS, Game 2: David Ortiz game-tying grand slam.

#24 Southern Miss vs. #6 Houston — December 3, 2011
2011 Conference USA Championship: Southern Miss wins the conference championship, prevents Houston from earning a BCS berth, squashes Case Keenum’s Heisman hopes, and does it all nationally televised on ABC.

Sounders vs. Crew — October 5, 2010
2010 U.S. Open Cup Final: Seattle wins second consecutive U.S. Open Cup with a record crowd of 31,311.

Seahawks vs. Cowboys — January 6, 2007
2006 NFC Wild Card Game: Seattle wins after the infamous botched field goal snap.

Mariners vs. Yankees — September 18, 2009
Ichiro Suzuki hits a 2-run walk-off homer against Mariano Rivera.

Venues visited…

How I “count” a venue
I have this rule that I only “count” a stadium or sports venue if I attend an event at that stadium. Sadly, this keeps me from counting stadiums I walk-on to or get a tour of. However, this rule also leads to some fun results, like attending a college football game at Fenway Park or a soccer game at Yankee Stadium.

Active vs. Inactive
A venue is considered Active if it still hosts the sport or league in question. For example, Legacy Arena in Birmingham is an active arena, but it no longer hosts arena football 2 (RIP Steeldogs). At the same time, Legacy Arena regularly hosts college basketball games, so it is Active for college basketball. Make sense?

Sport / League Stadium / Venue Status
College Football Albertsons Stadium Active
College Football Alumni Stadium Active
College Football Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Active
College Football Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium Active
College Football Bobby Dodd Stadium Active
College Football Bryant–Denny Stadium Active
College Football M.M. Roberts Stadium Active
College Football Davis Wade Stadium Active
College Football Fenway Park Active
College Football Harvard Stadium Active
College Football Husky Stadium Active
College Football Jordan–Hare Stadium Active
College Football Legion Field Active
College Football Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Active
College Football L.T. Smith Stadium Active
College Football Lumen Field Active
College Football Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium Active
College Football Robinson-Hale Stadium Active
College Football Sanford Stadium Active
College Football Tiger Stadium Active
College Football Vaught–Hemingway Stadium Active
College Football Robertson Stadium Inactive
College Football Independence Stadium Inactive
Major League Baseball
 Dodger Stadium Active
Major League Baseball
 Fenway Park Active
Major League Baseball
 Guaranteed Rate Field Active
Major League Baseball
 Minute Maid Park Active
Major League Baseball
 Oracle Park Active
Major League Baseball
 Oriole Park at Camden Yards Active
Major League Baseball
 RingCentral Coliseum Active
Major League Baseball
 Rogers Centre Active
Major League Baseball
 T-Mobile Park Active
Major League Baseball
 Citi Field Active
Major League Baseball
 Truist Park Active
Major League Baseball
 Wrigley Field Active
Major League Baseball
 Yankee Stadium Active
Major League Baseball
 Fulton County Stadium Inactive
Major League Baseball
 Globe Life Park in Arlington Inactive
Major League Baseball
 Riverfront Stadium Inactive
Major League Baseball
 Tiger Stadium Inactive
Major League Baseball
 Turner Field Inactive
Major League Baseball
 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Inactive
Major League Soccer
 Bank of America Stadium Active
Major League Soccer
 GEODIS Park Active
Major League Soccer
 Gillette Stadium Active
Major League Soccer
 Lumen Field Active
Major League Soccer
 Mercedes-Benz Stadium Active
Major League Soccer
 PayPal Park Active
Major League Soccer
 Yankee Stadium Active
Major League Soccer
 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Inactive
Major League Soccer
 Stevens Stadium Inactive
NFL
 Caesars Superdome Active
NFL
 Levi’s Stadium Active
NFL
 Lumen Field Active
NFL
 Mercedes-Benz Stadium Active
NFL
 Soldier Field Active
NFL
 Georgia Dome Inactive
NFL
 RingCentral Coliseum Inactive
NBA Madison Square Garden Active
NBA
 State Farm Arena Active
NBA
 TD Garden Active
NBA
 Scotiabank Arena Active
NBA
 Oracle Arena Inactive
NBA
 Climate Pledge Arena Inactive
NHL
 Bridgestone Arena Active
NHL
 Climate Pledge Arena Active
NHL
 TD Garden Active
NHL
 PNC Arena Active
College Basketball A. E. Wood Coliseum Active
College Basketball Bartow Arena Active
College Basketball Beard–Eaves–Memorial Coliseum Inactive
College Basketball Bill Battle Coliseum Active
College Basketball Conte Forum Active
College Basketball Georgia State Convocation Center Active
College Basketball Gainbridge Fieldhouse Active
College Basketball Matthews Arena Active
College Basketball McCamish Pavilion Active
College Basketball Legacy Arena Active
College Basketball SAP Center Active
College Basketball Tad Smith Coliseum Inactive
College Basketball The War Memorial at the Sobrato Center Active
College Basketball Woodruff Athletic Complex Active
College Hockey
 Conte Forum Active
College Hockey
 Matthews Arena Active
College Hockey
 Agganis Arena Active
College Hockey
 TD Garden Active
College Gymnastics
 Coleman Coliseum Active
College Gymnastics
 Legacy Arena Active
College Gymnastics
 Stegeman Coliseum Active
College Baseball
 Frierson Field Active
College Baseball
 Hoover Metropolitan Stadium Active
College Baseball
 Jerry D. Young Memorial Field Active
College Baseball
 Plainsman Park Active
College Baseball
 Russ Chandler Stadium Active
College Baseball
 Sewell–Thomas Stadium Active
College Lacrosse
 Cooper Field Active
MiLB
 Coolray Field Active
MiLB
 Excite Ballpark Active
MiLB
 Rickwood Field Active
MiLB
 Hoover Metropolitan Stadium Inactive
MiLB
 Smith-Wills Stadium Inactive
Serie A
 Stadio Olimpico Active
Cape Cod Baseball League Whitehouse Field Active
Olympic Soccer
 Legion Field Inactive
USMNT
 Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field Inactive
Rowing
 Head Of The Charles Regatta Active
NASCAR
 Talladega Superspeedway Active
IMSA
 Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta Active
ECHL Gas South Arena Active
ECHL Legacy Arena Inactive
ECHL Mississippi Coliseum Inactive
National Lacrosse League
 Gas South Arena Active
Canadian Football League
 Legion Field Inactive
US Open Cup
 Starfire Sports Active
US Open Cup
 Lumen Field Active
PGA
 Greystone Golf & Country Club Active
USL Championship
 Fifth Third Bank Stadium Inactive
USL Championship
 PNC Field Inactive
GAA
 Fenway Park Active
arena football 2
 Legacy Arena Inactive
League of Ireland Premier Division Dalymount Park Active