A parade for the Saints had already been planned prior to the actual outcome of the game.  Win or lose, the city of New Orleans agreed that they would honor their team.    However, the city was unaware of the great victory that would soon present itself to them.  Late in the fourth quarter, Tracy Porter’s 74-yard interception return on a pass from Manning clinched the win for the Saints leading to a final score of 31-17.  The New Orleans Saints were underdogs no more, and the city of New Orleans couldn’t be more deserving of such an epic victory.

Despite the dismay that has long since plagued the city, one thing is absolutely certain; New Orleans still knows how to party. Now the rest of the world is going to see what many in the Big Easy already know. …New Orleans is back in business!

While the Saint’s Super Bowl win couldn’t have come at a better time for the city, the parade which is set to take place on February 9th at 5PM is only going to serve as a small taste of what is to come for New Orleans.   With Mardi Gras only a week away, it is safe to assume that the Big Easy is the place everyone wants to be.   That is, if you think you can handle one of the most ostentatious celebrations in the city’s history.

The parade is set to begin right in front of the Superdome which is ironic since the building which once served as a shelter to over 20,000 people that were forced to evacuate from their homes, will now be the site of an enormous celebration.  It is no longer a symbol of New Orleans painful past.  Instead, the Superdome is a place to rejoice and embrace the city’s future and recovery.

Although the parade is not until Tuesday, you can rest assured that the celebration has already started in New Orleans.  Several diehard fans (many who have yet to sleep), are sitting in lawn chairs at the airport eagerly awaiting the arrival of their team showcasing their gratitude, dedication and just how much of an impact they have had on their city.   Even so, this is only the beginning of many sleepless adrenaline driven nights to come for Saints fans and New Orleans inhabitants alike.  With the official start of Mardi Gras in the coming weeks, this years Super Bowl celebration will without a doubt be extended.

I’d advise New Orleans to take a huge breather after all the Mardi Gras and Super Bowl excitement since this isn’t the only taste of football madness coming to town.   The BCS National Championship Game is set to take place at the Superdome in January 2012.  With three trophies going to a single winning team, there is always a great deal at stake and as much of a reason to celebrate. It’s time to welcome back New Orleans, one of the greatest cities in the world for hospitality.

I am just incredibly excited to be heading to Indianapolis this weekend to watch the one team I have literally obsessed about for over 30 years. Yes that team, my team, the New York Jets are heading to the AFC Championship Game to take on the top-seeded Colts this Sunday at 3 p.m. Where did this team come from? Where did Rex Ryan come from? Well in actuality they have been building this team up for a long time. Many people don’t realize that this group is not an overnight sensation. Our star studded offensive line has been being built for four years. Many of the defensive studs have put in more then a few seasons in a Jets uniform. Special teams aces like Brad Smith and Wallace Wright have been putting in their time in as well. Finally, though, we now have a coach who knows how to make it all work and knows how to motivate his players. He also is one hell of a coach. Lets also not forget some rookies who are making names for themselves like number 6 and number 23.

If I am dreaming please don’t wake me up now. Things are finally looking up for a franchise that has suffered through more then its fair share of difficult seasons. All of my close friends who are my age are Giants fans and have watched their team play in the Super Bowl four times during our lifetimes. Four times! Me, not one. Even the Arizona Cardinals have made it to the Super Bowl in my lifetime. I even had to take my father-in-law, a Giants die hard, to the Super Bowl in 2007 and sit through that game while he cheered relentlessly. This year I am hoping it’s my turn. Regardless if they go to the Super Bowl or not, I am excited to have a team still playing right now.

Shammy goes deep for a long TD pass from Tuchman

I am raring to go see the Jets play in their first conference championship since 1998. The only other time aside from 1998 the Jets made it this far in my lifetime was in 1982 when they played the Dolphins in the so called Mud Bowl down at the Orange Bowl. I remember I had to keep playing with the tin foil on the antenna on my little black and white television trying to get reception. I should have turned it off as my main memory is watching AJ Duhe pick off a pair of Richard Todd passes. I loved that team and loved those players but unfortunately they came up one game short in their quest to go to the Super Bowl. Sunday can’t come soon enough for championship-starved Jet fans. It’s not often your favorite team gets this far in the playoffs and in the Jet fan’s case, it’s a rare occurrence.

I honestly would trade tickets to all of the 100 sporting events in my book to be able to see the Jets play in the Super Bowl. They’re one win away and I don’t feel like waiting another year. Why not now? Why not them? Although Peyton Manning and the Colts will give the Jets fits, there’s no reason why the Jets can’t pull off another upset in this year’s playoffs. All you have to do is look at the last time the Jets were playing the Colts in a game of this magnitude. Namath came through. Can the Jets do it again?

Now I also don’t mind heading to Indianapolis. I think it is a fantastic city for sporting events. When I’m not cheering for the Jets defense to make a stop on third down, I’ll be visiting the NCAA Hall of Champions. The Hall was recently renovated and

reopened in 2009 because of a fire and I’m excited to see how the renovation came out. The museum offers an array of exhibits based on memorable student-athletes and NCAA athletic performances. I may also get over to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum. The collection of cars at the museum is one of the greatest in the world. Too bad I can’t drive one home from Indy. I’d love to take a former Indy 500 winning car on the freeway back to New York while gloating over a Jets victory. Looking forward also to a nice steak at St. Elmo’s Steakhouse.

Attending an NFL conference championship game is ranked 18 on the list of the 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live. I’ll also knock off another one in my book!

I’m really starting to grind out the list and knock off events at the top of the list. Let’s go Jets, allow me to have a rooting stake in this year’s Super Bowl, something I’ve never been able to do before!

“Lets hope it doesnt come down to this!!!!!!”

Preparations for this massive event have been well underway for some time now and as the start date approaches, employees and volunteers alike kick into high gear to ensure the smoothest conditions possible for the world’s winter athletes. The Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) have unleashed an arsenal of state-of-the-art snow making equipment as well as the world’s most experienced snow makers and masters of ice. Additionally, the federal department has made available $13.4 million worth of expertise and equipment including advanced weather tracking technology made available via Environment Canada.  The precautionary measures proved to be an essential with the unseasonably wet and warm weather dominating the area as of late. “As a precaution, we’re (also) stockpiling snow to ensure we’re ready no matter what the weather conditions are leading up to and during the games”, said Tim Gayda, Vice President of Sport for VANOC.

As the winter athletes of the world converge onto one stage since Torino in 2006, predictions and statistics become high topics of conversation. Returning champ countries include Germany, who won the most medals in Torino with 29, U.S.A, which won 25, and Canada itself, which took home 24 placed finish awards. Just a few American athletes to keep your eyes on as they go for the gold include Shaun White and Gretchn Bleiler for Snowboarding, Lindsey Vonn and Julia Mancuso for Alpine Skiing, Apolo Ohno for Short Track, Evan Lysacek, Johnny Weir, Sasha Cohen, and Rachel Flatt for the crowd favorite Figure Skating, and Noelle Pikus-Pace for Skeleton.

If you aren’t one of the 1.8 million ticket holders, 10,000 estimated media reps, 5,000 officials and athletes or 2,500 volunteers there’s still plenty to enjoy in Vancouver during the Olympics. Most notably, the 2010 Cultural Olympiad which runs from January 22nd to March 21st. ”Amazing feats of athleticism at the 2010 Winter Games won’t be restricted to snow and ice – they’ll also be on our stages throughout the Games region as some of the world’s premiere dancers, actors, and musicians join our cultural celebrations”, VANOC Vice President of Culture and Celebration Burke Taylor noted of the Cultural Olympiad. The official 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games website hails the Olympiad as a compilation of “genre-bending theatre; stunning virtuoso dance; fierce, fresh music; breathtaking visual and digital art extravaganza”.

While in Vancouver for the Games and the Cultural Olympiad, check out some of the permanent attractions the city has to offer: frolic the flora at Van Dusen Botanical Gardens or make a discovery at the scientific exhibits at Science World British Columbia. Travel back in time to when the high seas ruled at the Vancouver Maritime Museum which explores the rich history of the Pacific Coast. While certainly not for the faint of heart, adventurers with a flair for the wild side should cross the Capilano Suspension Bridge which towers 230 feet above the Capilano River and travel along it’s evergreens at the newest attraction, Treetops Adventures. Since Vancouver truly is a multicultural mecca, there is no shortage of unique and delicious eateries, restaurants, and dining experiences awaiting your arrival.

The 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada is truly shaping up to be a can’t-miss world class event. Go Team U.S.A.!

In addition to the venue change, the 2010 Pro Bowl will be the first in NFL history to be played before the Super Bowl, also to be held at Land Shark Stadium. When probed for a reason to hold the Pro Bowl first, a potentially dangerous game for any Super Bowl hopeful player, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell explained to the Associated Press that he was hoping to avoid a “somewhat anticlimactic” ending to the 2009-10 season. When this plan originated, it was intended that any players on championship squads, both AFC and NFC, would not be asked to participate in the Pro Bowl. This notion, as has become obvious with the official 2010 Pro Bowl roster release, did not come to fruition.

26 of the NFL’s 32 teams will be represented at the upcoming game, to be played January 10, 2010. In a surprise turn-out, the Bengals have no representation in this years game, prompting Chad Ochocinco to return the snub by saying, “The Pro Bowl, it’s like being married for 30 years…you get tired of it.” This year, those representing the NFC will be 8 Minnesota Vikings (the most players from a single team for this year’s Pro Bowl, including a whopping 5 starters), 6 Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, 5 New Orleans Saints, and 4 Arizona Cardinals to name the teams with the most players in. The AFC’s heavy guns this year include 6 Indianapolis Colts, 5 players from the Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens and San Diego Chargers respectively, and 4 Houston Texans. Peyton Manning, of the Colts, will be starting Quarterback for the AFC, as Drew Brees, of the Saints, will stand in the same position for the NFC.

As the city of Miami sets itself up to host the two biggest NFL games of the year one week apart from each other, we highlight some positives for the league’s monumental moves. For one, Land Shark Stadium has a seating capacity of 72,000, trumping Aloha Stadium by 22,000 seats. For another, by most fans’ standards, Miami is a whole lot more accessible than Honolulu. “The Pro Bowl is really meant to be open to everyone, and the whole idea was to bring more fans to the Pro Bowl and more fans to the stadium than we ever have before… Now we’ve got an opportunity for (fans) them to come to the stadium and really enjoy something world class that was previously 6,000 miles away.” explains Frank Suporitz, NFL Senior Vice President of Events. In keeping with this spirit, there will be a free practice on January 30^th open for attendance.

Miami will be abuzz with football frenzy for a solid week straight, giving no break to the avid fans. The upside? No one has the time to lose interest, especially with the Pro Bowl taking place before the Super Bowl. Those of us not fortunate enough to make it to the sunshine state will be glued to the TV for both games, something the NFL is banking on to boost Pro Bowl ratings. If you have managed to finagle your way into tickets, you’re about to experience a game you’ll remember forever in a town with no shortage of entertainment in its own right. Hotels, dining, and nightlife are in abundance as is the warm weather and sandy beaches. Miami bars tend to stay open late for games as well as post game celebratory jubilee.

Thus the stage is set for what is sure to be an epic game in a stunning yet accessible location. Hawaii will host next season’s game again, so this is shaping up to be a rare opportunity sporting event, at least until the NFL makes an actual determination for a rotating annual Pro Bowl schedule. In short, if you have tickets for the 2010 Pro Bowl game at Land Shark Stadium in Miami, feel free to rub it in to all your friends.

As for Sunday night, from offensive mishaps to poor defense, the bottom line is that the Bengals didn’t show up.  Much can be said as to whether the absence and injuries of key players in the game had a significant impact on the win for the Jets, however, Bengals coaching staff and players alike, acknowledged that they were simply outplayed.  Luckily for them, it is a rare instance in the National Football League that two teams are scheduled to a rematch leading into the playoffs just a week apart.  They have a chance to suit up and turn it all around on their own home turf in Cincinnati.

After the game, Bengals Coach, Marvin Lewis, was quoted saying that the team is “blessed to have this opportunity”.  Bengals wide receiver, Chad Ochosinco, also sees the rematch as a positive opportunity.  Despite his knee injury late in the game, he says, “There isn’t much more they can do. There is no trickery they can add to their game plan. We know their offensive and defensive scheme. It just comes down to executing the plays”.  Let’s see if he can shake Darrell Revis Saturday. I doubt it as Revis has been ridiculously good this year.

Even so, if the way the Bengals played last night showed any inkling as to how they will play next Saturday; the Jets need not to worry.  Essentially, no matter how you spin it, the shutout gave the Jets a massive boost of confidence for their next opponent which just so happens to be the Bengals.  The Bengals, who hadn’t been shutout since Dec. 23, 2001 (in a game against the Baltimore Ravens), also ended up setting a new club record of 72 yards for the least amount of yards gained within a single game.

Knowing it could go both ways, I will be anxiously taking my place in the stands at Paul Brown Stadium next Saturday in Cincinnati for the AFC Wild Card Round.   This very stadium, which is often referred to as “The Jungle” by Bengal fans, is actually a clean slate for the New York Jets who will be making their first playoff appearance since 2006.  As far as most Jets fans are concerned, all that happened in the regular season is irrelevant up to this point.  They’ve made it to the playoffs where every team’s record is sitting pretty at 0-0.  The Jets have big aspirations and aim to prove that they are worthy contenders while the Bengals are looking to make up for the travesty that occurred late Sunday night.   

That being said, I intend to make the most of my stay in Cincinnati but hopefully won’t be coming home without some Cincinnati style chili from Skyline and a big “W” for Team Gangreen.  At games end, I will have either made my way to the Head First Sports Café to drown my sorrows with a cold beer or I’ll be feasting at the infamous Montgomery Inn to celebrate with some of “the greatest ribs in the U.S.A” as proclaimed by Cincinnati Red’s legend, Ken Griffey, Jr.  I do love the Natti and have some good Bengal friend fans in the area so either way it will be a good time.

The magnitude of the game has caused the NFL to flex the game to an 8:30 pm start. A national audience will get  the chance to watch a double feature. They’ll watch the last game at Giants Stadium and they’ll also see if the Jets can pull off a Wild Card birth that looked unattainable as recent as a week ago.

The Jets are in the classic scenario of “win and you’re in”. They’ll be hosting a Bengals team that may have nothing to play for. The Bengals have already locked up the AFC North and unless the Patriots lose earlier in the day, the Bengals cannot move up or down in the AFC playoff seedings no matter the outcome of their game with the Jets. That may mean the Bengals will rest their starters against the Jets.  If the Jets win, the two teams will play a rematch in Cincinnati the following week in the first round of the playoffs.

I wonder who scheduled the Jets to play the final game at Giants Stadium? When the schedules were first released, it seemed absurd. Now it seems ingenious. Instead of the Giants playing the last game at the stadium in a meaningless game, it’s the Jets who are doing it in a game where a playoff birth is on the line.

The Giants’ finale at their stadium didn’t go so well. They looked flat and lifeless and lost to the Panthers 41-9. The Giants’ loss, combined with wins by the Cowboys and Packers, put an official end to the Giants’ playoff aspirations. The Jets hope not to follow suit. They have a chance to leave one final lasting mark on Giants Stadium.

Rose Bowl Presented by Citi: Oregon vs. Ohio State  

January 1, 2010 at 5 p.m. ET

Pasadena, California

“The Granddaddy of them All” has been providing fans with a chance to see the best of the best in college football since 1923. This year’s game has Oregon (Pac-10 Champions) going up against Ohio State (Big Ten Champs) and, of course, will take place on New Years day. As always, the stunning floats in the Tournament of Roses parade are sure to please the entire family. As proven by its #26 ranking in “The 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live,” this event is not-to-be missed. Should you plan on attending live, please reference pages 88-91 in the abovementioned book for information on the event itself as well as the Pasadena and LA areas.

Allstate Sugar Bowl: Cincinnati vs. Florida

January 1, 2010 at 8:30 p.m. ET

New Orleans, Louisiana

Saturday’s disappointing 32-13 loss to Alabama in the Southeastern Conference championship game landed the highly regarded Gators in the 76^th annual Sugar Bowl. The SEC At-Large selection will take on the undefeated Cincinnati Bearcats (Big East Champs) at the Louisiana Superdome on New Years day. It’s no secret that the Big Easy is a passionate city when it comes to sports, culture, food and fun, among other things. More information on New Orleans can be found in “The 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live” on pages 53-56 & 330.

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Boise State vs. TCU

January 4, 2010 at 8 p.m. ET

Glendale, Arizona

The Boise State Broncos and TCU Horned Frogs should put on a spectacular show on January 4^th, as they are both undefeated with nationally ranked offenses. Adding to the excitement is the fact that this is the first time that two undefeated teams are matched in a BCS game other than the National Championship. The 39^th annual Tostitos Fiesta Bowl will take place at the remarkable 63,400-seat stadium at Glendale’s University of Phoenix.

FedEx Orange Bowl: Iowa vs. Georgia Tech

January 5, 2010 at 8 p.m. ET

Miami, Florida

No. 10 Iowa (Big Ten At-Large Selection) will face No. 9 Georgia Tech (ACC Champs) at Miami’s Landshark Stadium on January 5^th. The Hawkeyes’ 11th-ranked defense will go up against the Yellow Jackets’ 11th-ranked offense, setting the stage for what should be a very interesting and potentially off-balance bowl game. As discussed on page 329 of “The 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live,” Miami has a ton to offer in the way of sports fans, bars and restaurants, beaches and, of course, amazing weather.

Citi National Championship Game: Alabama vs. Texas

January 7, 2010 at 8:30 p.m. ET

Pasadena, California

Coming in at #15 in “The 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live,” it’s no secret that I am a huge fan of this event. The big matchup between Longhorns and the Crimson Tide (both undefeated) represents some of the best young athletes in the country fighting for the title of national champion. This will be the 9^th meeting between Alabama and Texas starting with the 1982 Cotton Bowl Classic and the last year the event can be seen on terrestrial television for at least four years. As of 2011, ESPN will take over the BCS.  If you’re interested in attending in person, please visit pages 52-56.

Navy currently leads the all-time series with a record of 53-49-7 over Army. They shutout Army last season 34-0, which was the first time either team has been shutout against the other in the last 30 years. This game will be the final regular season college football game in 2009.

So why does this game rank 5th on the list of 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live? The answer is not talent, scheming, or football dominance. It’s not because the two academies are separated by a short distance like other great college football rivalries. Underneath a layer of football that most college teams take for granted, this rivalry stands for tradition, pride, camaraderie and respect.

The rivalry cannot be truly understood until you take a step on either campus. Everywhere you turn you’ll see something or hear something that says “Beat Army” or “Beat Navy”. Unlike some other college football rivalries, there is a great deal or respect between the participants and fans of the two academies.

The talent in this college football rivalry doesn’t compare to the amount of potential NFL stars that play in other rivalries such as Florida vs. Florida State, Michigan vs. Ohio State, or USC vs. UCLA. You won’t find either of these teams contending for a National Championship or a BSC Bowl game, but you will be seeing some of the hardest working kids in the country on the field.

The teams won’t “wow” you or play near perfect football, but they’ll give you everything they have. This college football game isn’t about the drunk college kids who drank too much before the game and became unruly in the stands. It’s not about future NFL stars being on a display for the nation to witness. It doesn’t have two schools from nearby cities, if not the same city, competing for bragging rights. It has members of the military, an occasional visit from the president, and emotional ties to the country in which the game resides.

(1908 – Army vs. Navy at Franklin Field)

Year in and year out, annual contests between certain pairs of gridiron rivals produce a special aura of divine madness. You know the games I mean. When a contest against a particular, historically inevitable rival school rolls around, students, alumni, the media and, of course, the members of the team all start to get a strange look in their eyes. It’s a look that says, “Get out of my way. This is serious.”

Take that intense look and multiply it by several hundred thousand people, all gathered in the same place at the same time, and you have the special combination of Mardi Gras, tribal pilgrimage and military combat that is a Big Game.

I wondered: With rival groups of partisans all converging on the same stadium, with spirits high and with media types swarming all over the place, why don’t we see more things going disastrously wrong on game day?

The answer, I found out, lies in the efforts of a special breed of people I call Game Savers. They have many different job titles, but all have one common mission: to keep the pregame, game and postgame revelry from descending into chaos.

I tracked down four people, each responsible for bringing sanity and order to a little corner of one Big Game, and asked each, “How on earth do you do it? And has anything weird happened while you were trying to do it?”

You probably have never heard of these folks before or thought about all the stuff they have to do to prepare for a Big Game. My sense from talking to them is they like it that way.

The Big Game: Ohio State vs. Michigan

The Game Saver: Larry Romanoff, director of football external relations, Ohio State

“Michigan Week is different, that’s for sure,” Romanoff said when I reached him by phone. “The week before that game, we close everything down. Normally, if there’s a former player or a major donor or an alumni from one of the military services or some other kind of special guest who wants to get in and sit in on a practice and watch the players, we can arrange that. But during Michigan Week, we always say no. That week, there are to be no distractions.”

Romanoff, who’s been with Ohio State for decades, has the presumably thankless job of handling security and other logistical issues for Michigan players.

“It’s my responsibility,” he said, “to make sure every visiting team is safe and is treated with respect and dignity, but we do take a lot more precautions with regard to the visiting team when we’re planning for Michigan Week. I have to make sure that there aren’t crazies out there yelling and screaming at them the night before the game.”

Like all of the Game Savers I spoke to for this article, Romanoff seemed wary about revealing too many details in print, which makes sense, given the maniacal lengths to which some of the off-the-field participants in the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry have gone.

Back in the mid-1970s, Romanoff watched at ground level as a Michigan fan tried to run out of the tunnel and onto the field in the stolen costume of Ohio State mascot Brutus Buckeye, which had been painted Michigan blue.

“Our security people saw him and pretty much destroyed the guy before he got on the field,” Romanoff said. “Not a pleasant experience for that young man, I’m sure. That’s the kind of thing we keep from happening.

“It’s always a bigger challenge when the game is against Michigan,” he continued, “because a lot of the fans have such very strong emotions. But those are the fans. It’s important to remember that the coaches and the players and the security people all have enormous respect for each other.”

Even on game day?

“It’s just like Woody and Bo,” he said. (They would be the legendary coaches Hayes and Schembechler, of course.) “On game day, they weren’t going to be best buddies, but as soon as the game was over, they were the best of friends.”

The Big Game: Florida vs. Georgia

The Game Saver: Greg McGarity, executive associate athletic director,
University of Florida

McGarity helps coordinate a game that is held in neutral territory — Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, home of the NFL’s Jaguars. That means he works with his Georgia counterparts and with a private contractor for each and every year’s Big Game — although much of the logistical responsibility for the Big Game falls to Florida’s people.

“The good thing about our two institutions,” McGarity said, “is that our administrative staffs have always been very close. We’ve worked well with each other, because that’s been necessary to make a neutral-site game happen each year. Both sides have always had a tremendous amount of respect for each other.”

Working at an NFL stadium to set up a major college game carries both challenges and opportunities; the organizational template is different.

“There’s much more of a tailgating environment for our game as opposed to an NFL game,” said McGarity, who worked at archrival Georgia back in the late ’70s. “So you’ve got to coordinate the parking and you’ve got to coordinate when the gates open, that kind of thing. When do the teams get to practice? When do the referees come in?”

There’s also the question of what to do about tailgate participants continuing the party once inside the stadium.

“If I could make one of my game day problems just go away,” McGarity said, “it would be the problem of underage drinking. We’ve made some progress in that area on game day, but we’ve still got a long way to go.”

Game organizers have taken a big step toward addressing the drinking problem by harnessing the texting powers of modern cell phones.

“If you experience a problem in the stands with someone who’s had too much to drink and is being abusive or bothering you, you can just send a text message to a stadium number, and then law enforcement or someone from game operations is going to respond to that,” McGarity said.

“So if someone who’s sitting behind you will not sit down and you feel threatened, or if someone is using vulgar language you don’t want your kids to hear or you don’t want to hear, you even don’t have to talk into the phone in order to get some help.”

The Big Game: Army vs. Navy

The Game Saver: Jason Boothe, associate athletic director of operations,
United States Naval Academy

“We don’t have a lot of problems like that,” Boothe said politely when I told him about the occasional challenges some schools had reported with pranks and excessive, alcohol-driven exuberance in the stands. “Our concerns are a whole lot bigger.”

For this Big Game, more than 4,000 Navy midshipmen and an equal number of Army cadets — the future military elite of the country — are bussed in the morning of the contest. The biggest logistical hurdle Boothe could recall was a big snowstorm in 2003 that briefly appeared to threaten the arrival of both student bodies to the tilt, which was held at a neutral site that year.

Those 8,000-plus students are pretty well behaved before, during and after the game, Boothe said, thanks to a disciplinary system at both academies that operates with military precision.

He was understandably reticent when it came to discussing the most interesting security problems he faces. You would be, too, if your work regularly intersected with the Department of Defense and the Secret Service. Attendees typically include 4,000 senior military officers, assorted VIPs, the secretaries of both the Army and the Navy, and, “every couple of years,” the president of the United States.

“It’s pretty obvious what the game is and who’s going to be here,” Boothe said, “so it’s fair to say that the security for Army-Navy is a step above some of the other college games.”

I asked him to think of a time when something unexpected happened at one of these contests; he had to think for a while. Eventually, he recalled an incident involving President George W. Bush at the 2004 game, which was played in Philadelphia.

“He deviated from his schedule and went onto the field pregame to mingle with the players, cheerleaders, fans and so on,” Boothe said. “It didn’t affect us so much, but the Secret Service went nuts.”

The Big Game: Harvard vs. Yale

The Game Saver: Ryan Bamford, senior associate athletic director, Yale University

The annual Harvard-Yale contest might well be the Big Game with the longest, most illustrious pedigree in American sport. Bamford estimated it drew 100,000 attendees in 2007, when both teams were in contention for the Ivy League title.

That’s a pretty impressive number, especially when you consider the Yale Bowl holds only about 60,000 people. (An estimated 40,000 people crowded the parking lot, a situation presenting significant security challenges.)

I asked Bamford about the weirdest thing that has ever happened on his watch, and he immediately started talking about student pranks. The chief instigators on his list, though, were not Harvard students or Yale students, but MIT students, who have a proud tradition of launching complex, engineering-driven stunts to disrupt the Harvard-Yale game.

“In 1982, the MIT kids somehow found a way to embed a big weather balloon at the 50-yard line,” he said. “It inflated automatically during the game. For the 2003 game, they placed a mechanism on the Yale Bowl scoreboard, but our security personnel took it down before it could be activated.”

The strange device was supposed to display a huge message on the scoreboard: “SCHOOL ON MONDAY.” This apparently was designed to taunt the Harvard and Yale students, who didn’t have the Monday after Thanksgiving off, while MIT students did.

It gets worse. In 2006, two male MIT students executed a comparatively low-tech prank: streaking across the playing field naked during the Big Game, each with “MIT” painted on his back.

Bamford, a devoted student of MIT shenanigans, was circumspect when I asked him what steps he’s taken to intercept the next wacky disruption of the Big Game.

“I wouldn’t want it to be part of the article,” he said, “but let’s just say we have safeguards in place.”

It must be noted that Bamford’s counterparts at Harvard have had to deal with pranks as well. At the 2004 game at Harvard Stadium, Yale students disguised as the non-existent Harvard Pep Squad handed out white and crimson placards to fans on the Harvard side of the stadium, which was comprised primarily of Harvard alumni.

The group told the crowd that by displaying the placards at the same time, they would spell “Go Harvard.” The placards actually were arranged to spell “We Suck.” Harvard got the last laugh, however, by beating Yale 35-3.

This article can be found on ESPN.com

Robert Tuchman runs a company that specializes in sports event travel. Who better than to compile a list of the top 100 events to see live?

What a daunting task! Of course, he admits, there will be omissions, and people will wonder why a particular event did or didn’t make the list and why it was ranked as it did.

Yes, Tuchman not only culled 100 must-see events, but he also ranked them.

OK, I know you’re all dying to know: #1–The Masters.

Already I have a disagreement!

I would have put the Iron Bowl at #1, which Tuchman only ranks as #41. But at least he suggests seeing it in Tuscaloosa.

Check back in with me Monday, and I’ll have an interview(!) with Tuchman about the book and his process.

Meanwhile, if you’re a sports fan, this is a must-read.

Traveling to a sporting event makes the intangible tangible. People long for an interactive experience.

And Tuchman describes that whole experience in the book, listing quotes about the events, their significance, history, and, of course, travel and tourist suggestions for the cities themselves.

The list is about the entire experience and not just the sporting event itself.

What else is on the list? No-brainers such as the Super Bowl, World Series and Final Four. But you’ll also find non-mainstream entertainment like Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, the Westminster Dog Show and the X Games (although that was an honorable mention) and plenty of international options as well.

Again…sports fans? Read it. You’ll love scouring it to find if your favorite event is included and, if so, what is said about it. And don’t forget–the interview is coming Monday.