Book on Must-See Sports a Fun Read by Various Sports Writers on Creators.com

Recently

Basketball on Aircraft Carrier Offers Different Kind of Flight By Nick Canepa Gigantic basketball players weren't comfortably made for Navy ships. They weren't even made for a comfortable fit on gigantic Navy aircraft carriers. They fly coach, it's on Air Sardine. The height limit may be 6-8, but even the …Read more. Realignment? MLB Has So Much More to Work On By Nick Canepa Realignment should be reserved for automobiles and spines, not baseball. They're constantly massaging this game. They should leave it alone. But there is discussion about it in Commissioner Bud Selig's court, talk of realignment, …Read more. Draft History Indicates Padres Picks in Trouble By Nick Canepa Not since the Dust Bowl have we seen infertility on farms to equal those plowed by the Padres. Nothing has worked. They've rotated their crops, tried both cheap and expensive fertilizer, changed owners, changed GMs, changed scouts, …Read more. Sweetening Scholarships Won't Affect Big Divide By Tim Sullivan Jim Delany has launched a trial balloon that a lot of people have mistaken for the Hindenburg. The Big Ten commissioner wants to sweeten the deal for scholarship athletes, to divert some of his conference's bulging coffers into the …Read more.

Book on Must-See Sports a Fun Read

By Nick Canepa

If put on the spot, my immediate guess would be that, if you asked San Diego sports fans to name the one sporting event they'd like to see live before they die, it would either be the Chargers winning a Super Bowl or the Padres a World Series. But this particular book doesn't involve science fiction.

Written by highly qualified Robert Tuchman, the recently released book is: "The 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live." It's subtitled: "An Insider's Guide to Creating the Sports Experience of a Lifetime." It also could be sub-subtitled: "If you're not wealthy, don't try this."

Nor does it mention anything about dying, but if you plan to get to these 100, it might be wise to get started.

I love lists. In this case, it's easy to agree and disagree, which is how it should be. I know I can think of at least 100 sporting events I wouldn't care to see again.

But it's fun. This isn't Joyce or Faulkner. You still have hair on your head when you're finished. It's a good bathroom read and broken down so even I can understand it. It runs 1 through 100.

We won't go through the entire 100 here. This is Tuchman's top 10:

1. Masters

2. World Cup

3. Super Bowl

4. Summer Olympics

5. Army-Navy football game

6. New York City Marathon

7. World Series

8. Winter Olympics

9. Red Sox vs. Yankees at Yankee Stadium

10. North Carolina-Duke basketball game at Cameron Indoor Stadium

Among those 10, I have been to the Masters, World Cup (in Italy, where it matters), Super Bowls, Summer Olympics and World Series.

The New York Marathon? A must-see? Just because it's in New York? Boston's is far more historic. And you can't watch marathons unless you're in a helicopter.

The Army-Navy game, yes. In fact, I wish they would bring it to San Diego. We have some Navy here. The International Sports Council should make it a project.

Haven't been to a Winter Olympics. Very cold.

I've been to the old Yankee Stadium. I'd prefer to see the Yanks and Sox in Fenway. To get into a game now in the Bronx, you'd better be Bill Gates.

No Breeders' Cup mention. A great event.

Tuchman also lists the top 10 cities for hosting a major event. San Diego is sixth, but he says the city is too spread out. What?

But I totally agree with some of his choices.

The Masters is my favorite sporting event. Gorgeous. Historic. No gouging. But you probably have a better chance of getting invited to high tea with the queen than walking Augusta National.

The World Cup must be seen in another country to be fully appreciated. Passion runs amok.

He has the Final Four ranked 20th. Has to be in the top 10. As does the Kentucky Derby (24) and Rose Bowl (26), the best annual sporting event in California and right near the top in this country.

I've been to 25 Super Bowls, and a few games actually have been memorable. The week leading up to it is the thing. New Orleans and San Diego are the best Super Bowl cities. I loved San Francisco, but the venue, old Stanford Stadium, was horrible.

Summer Olympics are great to watch, but most of them are held in oppressive heat and can be logistical nightmares.

I've been to 16 of Tuchman's 100 events, but there are many on his list I wouldn't watch if held in my backyard.

The Iditarod (No. 74)? Animal cruelty. Cold.

A Cowboys "Monday Night Football" game in Dallas (78)? What makes that special? What the hell makes the Cowboys special?

Baseball Opening Day in Cincinnati (72)? It no longer matters.

Ironman World Championship (51)? No, thanks.

NBA All-Star Game (82)? Please.

Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest (73)? Sickening.

Running of the Bulls (36)? Idiots. Should be outlawed.

The Dubai World Cup (33)? I'd have to go to Dubai.

He does have some different things in here I'd love to see. Head of the Charles Regatta. Indiana High School Basketball Tournament Finals. Harvard-Yale football at Yale. Basketball game at Rucker Park in Harlem. Westminster Dog Show. Penn Relays. A soccer game at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro would be thrilling.

Among those he mentions that I've missed, here are the five I'd most like to see before the one great scorer comes to write my name:

1. Kentucky Derby

2. Wimbledon

3. British Open

4. Indy 500

5. Horse racing at Saratoga.

No matter what you think of Notre Dame football (far too low here at 39), if you like the college game, go. Nothing like it. An amazing experience.

The book lists many events I could avoid without regret. My life will not be incomplete if I miss the Backyard Brawl in Morgantown (88) or the World Junior Hockey Championship (92), although I presume most of the kids playing it have yet to have their teeth knocked out.

Obviously, Tuchman's biggest problem was coming up with 100 events we must see live. It might be easier to arrive at 100 we shouldn't bother attending.

Nick Canepa writes about sports for The San Diego Union-Tribune. Contact him at nick.canepa@uniontrib.com.

DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM