The fabled Sports Trip. It is one of those things that people always plan on doing, but rarely follow through with. Remember that bucket list of Wrigley Field and Fenway that you have been talking about for years and still haven’t done? Well, you should atleast make a few of those dreams a reality. In 2011 I made a handful of trips. Went to Georgia Tech/Kansas football game where I saw GT break almost every single-game rushing record by the 3rd quarter. I went to the Cowboys/Lions game in Dallas with the Lions making a record-breaking 2nd half comeback. I made the short trip to Minute Maid park to see the Red Sox take on the Astros in a series that will be the norm in a year or so. I got a chance to see the fabled ‘College Gameday’ at the University of Houston where Lee Corso dropped a F-bomb on live TV. A few weeks later I saw that same University of Houston lose in a conference championship game that would have meant the first BCS Bowl game in the history of the school. Lastly, I saw Texas A&M play their last football game as a member of the Big 12 against Northwestern in the bowl formerly known as the Texas Bowl. Many great memories and some history seen last year.
With 2011 as the springboard, and a wife that doesn’t mind, I have a few events circled in 2012. In no particular order -
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Kickoff Classic at Cowboys Stadium featuring the Michigan and Alabama – We enjoyed the drive up to and our experience at Cowboys Stadium last year so we are going to do it again. My wife is from Michigan, so it should be a good time regardless of the outcome.
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Rangers vs Tigers – I have seen the Tigers play once. That was in Detroit against the Orioles. I have seen the Rangers play in Arlington once, that was against the Astros on a 100+ degree day. So another trip to Dallas to see both teams seems to be in order. I am not sure the last time the Astros were even competitive against the Rangers so not in a hurry to see that match up.
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Lions vs Texans on Thanksgiving Day – Even before I met my wife, I always had a desire to see a Lions Thanksgiving Day game in person. With the rumored match-up with the Texans this season, this seems like the right time to do it. I will be repping Houston, BTW.
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U.S. Open Tennis – This one is a dream for my wife. I am trying to find a way to make it a reality. The first couple of round tickets are surprisingly affordable, so this maybe be closer than what I thought it would be.
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Michigan game at the Big House – My brother-in-law came up with this one. I have never seen a game at the Big House in Ann Arbor so this is high on my list.
That is my list so far. I am sure opportunities and surprises will be coming in the new year. One thing to do when considering a trip is expenses and how you can minimize them. Try to find events where you have family or friends. The tickets are going to be expensive enough, might as well try to save where you can. Try to look for tickets early on when they go on sale. For instance, I am buying the tickets for Rangers/Tigers the day single-game tickets go on sale. Going through stubhub or a similar site closer to the event date can be much more expensive. On the other side of the same coin, sometimes those sites can be helpful. I used the NFL TicketExchange for the Lions/Cowboys tickets last year and got in cheaper than face value. Explore all your options.
Lastly, and my wife hates this, spend the extra money to get good tickets! Why travel to a new stadium and then sit in the clouds? This is supposed to be special, make it a good time.
So does any one out there have and 2012 Sports Trips planned? If so, leave your plans in the comments.
Thursday, September 6, 2012 at 4:53PM 
