My Sports Event Bucket List

istockphoto-1200553835-170667a.jpg

The Sports Talk Social community is one of my favourites here on Hive. I've been lucky enough to get regular support from the community over the past 6 months or so, which has really helped me to grow here on our platform. So, whenever there is a call to action or a request, I'm always keen to get involved. I spotted a recent post where @cryptoandcoffee and @coolguy123 requested that people post about their Sporting Bucket List. If you are reading this and you want to have a crack it yourself, then check out this link to find out more:

https://hive.blog/hive-101690/@cryptoandcoffee/what-is-on-your-sporting-bucket-list

If you love sport and blockchain like me, then this is the perfect community for you. If you've never posted before, now is your perfect chance with the subject matter already choosen and every Sports fan has a bucket list. Thanks guys for organising this, I hope it's a great success and we see a big increase in quality posts.

Ok, so I've been having a think about this now for a few days since I spotted the post advertising it, and these are the ones I've come up with, some will be no surprise for those of you who've gotten to know me.

The Masters

golfer-1960998__480.jpg

I apply for the lottery for these tickets every year, but I've yet to be successful, but I'll keep on trying. These four days in the golfing calender are always booked far in advance to make sure that I've nothing on especially during the evenings from 7pm until a while after midnight, when we get uninterrupted coverage from Augusta National beamed into our sitting rooms courtesy of Sky Sports here in Ireland.

There is just something special about Augusta where they play this competition every year. 88 of mainly the world's best golfers, as well as past champions, who are all invited, which is a nice touch and we've seen a few years when the elder statesmen do very well indeed and put themselves in contention.

Even for non golfers, Augusta National and the Masters holds some magic, but for golf fans like me, it is next level stuff and Augusta National is the only course in the world that I'd gladly pay €1000 to play at. Unfortunately for me, you need to be a former US president, a Sportsstar or Popstar or the likes to get a coveted invite to play this glorious course. There are some things which money can't buy and maybe that's part of the allure.

To be honest, the only way that I think I'll get here is if one of my three sons somehow become a professional golfer and break into the world's top fifty at the right time. Long shot, yes. Impossible, no! This Irish man is a proud owner of shiny rose-tinted glasses and I wear them proudly all the time! I'll get to Augusta some day! I'm sure of it!

The Ryder Cup

Ryder-Cup-2023.jpg

I'm going to go with golf again. This competition is fresh in my mind after last weekend's exploits and I couldn't have called it more wrongly myself! I had tipped Europe to upset the apple cart and win again, how wrong I was!

It went exactly according to the form book and the team with 8 of the top ten players in the world did the job and to be fair to the US team, it never looked in doubt. They were head and shoulders above Europe and were well worthy of their 19 - 9 thrashing, a record Ryder cup deficit and one the European players won't get over any time soon, not least Rory McIlroy who was in tears afterwards while apologising for his indifferent form on Saturday and Sunday.

I really want to be there in Rome in 2023, after the European players have had a chance to lick their wounds. The quality, youth, precociousness and desire within that US team is going to make it extremely hard for Europe to compete. The fact that the Ryder cup will be in Europe next time increases our chances, but it's hard to get beyond just how good the US youngsters are and there are more coming through as well. Europe on the other hand have maybe 5 world class golfers when on form and the rest are a level below that.

Regardless of whether Europe win it, get trounced 28-0 or have a ding-dong battle that ends in a 14-14 draw and US retention, I just want to be there to soak in the unique atmosphere and shout for and hopefully a couple of Irish lads, if Lowry and McIlroy qualify for the team once again.

Of my two golfing Bucket List items, this one is certainly the more doable and I would be hopeful I can tick this one off sometime in the next few years, the Masters, not so much!

Ireland at a soccer World Cup

Screenshot_20210929-074130_Gallery.jpg

I've been lucky enough to be at a European Championship finals with Ireland back in 2012 and it remains one of my fondest sporting memories. Major soccer tournaments that Ireland qualify for are something very special indeed. The atmosphere, the fun, the frolics are just a joy to be part of and you wouldn't believe how many friends, neighbours, cousins, school friends and college friends I bumped into in Poland. It seemed as though half the country went on a road trip to the Euros that year.

A world cup that Ireland qualify for would be even better. I imagine the atmosphere would trump the madness of the Euros. For a small country with a population closing in on just five million, we have had an impressive recent history over the past 35 years.

We have qualified for three soccer world cups - Italia 90, USA 94 and Japan and South Korea 2002. Unfortunately for me, I was too young for the first two and too skint as a poor student in 2002. That world cup was the infamous one where Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy had a bust up and Roy walked out on his country. I love Roy, but I'll never forgive him for that.

Looking at Ireland's current qualification group where we have 2 points from a possible 15 in our World Cup qualifiers, it's fair to say I won't be ticking this one off the bucket list in 2022, so I'll have to wait until 2026 at the earliest for this one and pray that we have a few decent players stepping up by then.

Arsenal in a Champions League knock out match

Screenshot_20210928-222919_Gallery.jpg

Right, now this one seems pretty far fetched to be honest and to just qualify for the Champions League would be a huge step forward from where we have been in the post-Wenger years. There are some chinks of light now however and we have now enjoyed 3 league wins in a row, following a disastrous start to the seaaon which saw us lose 3 in a row in our worst league start in my lifetime.

The most recent of the three wins came on Sunday against our North East neighbours Spurs, where we absolutely destroyed them at times, though I'm unsure whether it was because Spurs were a shambles or if Arsenal have actually turned a corner. Our upcoming games against Brighton, Palace and Villa should help to add more colour to the tapestry of where we're really at.

Can we qualify for the Champions League this year and bring this Bucket list item a little closer? Of course we can. Will we qualify for the Champions League this year and bring this Bucket list item a little closer? That's a different question and even this optimistic Gunner has his doubts about it. What we do have is some quality young players in Saka, Smith-Rowe, White and Ødegaard and if these players continue to develop like they have the potential to and our talisman Aubamayang gets to 20+ league goals again, then we might just do it and I might bring the kids over for a midweek Champions League group game next season. A man can dream can't he!

Cheltenham

download (21).jpeg

I'm no horse racing fan. In fact, I know very little about it to be honest. However my hometown of Ireland hosts a very famous race meeting every year called the Galway Races and whether you know racing or like racing matrers very little. It is a festival atmosphere with suits, pints, big hats and banter. A day at the races is rarely a disappointment.

Cheltenham, from what I've heard from friends is next level stuff. The excitement, the fun, the quality of racing, the nightlife. The list goes on. Cheltenham is an institution, a mainstay on many people's calendars, racing people and non racing people alike. It's a special week and most years I have a few small bets on some of the big races and usually like! I figure that it will be even more fun to see my horse lose in the flesh!

It shouldn't be the hardest to knock off the Bucket list, as it is a 4 day festival with high capacity. So there you have it, those are my bucket list Sporting events. Like @cryptoandcoffee , i am lucky enough to have already ticked a lot of my Bucket list items off my list.

Most of the images used here are not my own and can be found here, except for the Ireland and Arsenal images, those are mine

https://pixabay.com/images/search/bucket%20list/
https://thegr8experience.com/experience/ryder-cup/
https://pixabay.com/photos/golfer-golf-course-golfing-player-1960998/
https://www.visitcheltenham.com/whats-on/the-cheltenham-festival-p2745253

Thanks for reading

Peace Out

hgjbks2vRxvdTZqrGLBoYwWBp8rgR9J79SFDpSmepFFhiR6Ms1XQYNxm9kthduYbC8rvbn89Q3imHuQx18xNYZoo2o (1).jpeg



0
0
0.000
15 comments
avatar

Some nice selections and The Masters was originally on my list but decided I needed to prioritize as there were too many. Really hoping everyone joins in as it guarantees original content at least.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Yes, I hope so too. It would be a good thing to recur on maybe a monthly basis, where you guys give a theme or topic for people to post about?

The Masters is a bit of a pipe dream tbh and may never materialise!

0
0
0.000
avatar

No Green Bay Packers game at Lambeau??? Haha, I'm sure it's not a thing outside of the state; we just had the Ryder Cup here, but I didn't have the luck to get over there this past weekend.

0
0
0.000
avatar
(Edited)

Ah sure I'm a season ticket holder for the Packers man, I take my private jet over to Wisconsin most weekends.. Myself, Tony Romo and Oprah go for a flake of pints and then catch the game.. Tony is an absolute animal for the sauce, Guinness of course being his favourite

0
0
0.000
avatar

haha, Romo is a 'sconnie too, so he knows how to get after it!

0
0
0.000
avatar

Hahahah it's a long shot, but you might be breeding future champions 😄!

Out of the 3 sons, which one has the most potential in becoming one?

0
0
0.000
avatar

My little man, he is sports mad and already has a bit of a swing at 3 years old, so the dream is still alive!

0
0
0.000
avatar

Football and Golf seems to be the major Sports you follow :)
I am not a fan of Football, that may be because of the obsessiveness with Cricket we have here in India.

Nice list :)

0
0
0.000
avatar

Yes, it happens to be football and golf, even though my favourite sport is not even on the list. It's an Irish game called hurling and there's no better sport on the planet in my eyes! I've been to all the big games many times though, so none are on the bucket list.

0
0
0.000
avatar

We will surely qualify for this season's champions league, we have fewer games and we just need to take it one at a time.

Go gunners

0
0
0.000
avatar

I admire your confidence!! Let's hope we can keep this mini run going now and get ourselves into a good position. As you say, maybe the rest from European football might help us.

0
0
0.000
avatar
(Edited)

Not judging or anything because people get to like what they like and that's that but I really don't understand the allure of going to watch golf. I suppose it could be fun to drink beer all day in the stands and be that close to your idols.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Ya know something it's a fair point and if I read the list as 20 year-old or 30 year-old me I'd hardly believe it! The thing is though, I play golf competitively every Sunday and I simply love it and can't get enough.

Watching the real pros play is unreal, to see their languid free flowing perfectly timed swings shot after shot.

I was at the Open in Portrush a couple of years ago and watched Irishman Shane Lowry win it on Sunday and that definitely sewed a seed for me.

It's not for everyone, but I love it and as soon as I step off the 18th, I'm looking forward to getting out for the next game.

0
0
0.000
avatar

I have a pal that feels the same way and I wonder if golf might be the most popular sport on the planet since it isn't necessarily a young man's game.

I don't see how it would be fun but then again, I enjoy going to WWE events and I'm sure there is plenty of valid criticism for that sort of thing :)

0
0
0.000
avatar

I never thought about that actually, but I think you might be right. Lots of ex players from other sports end up playing golf, as you can play right into your 70s or 80s. You can't say that about too many sports

0
0
0.000