Sunday Football is Back

Your NFL Sunday’s are back this weekend but, first you’ll get a Thursday night treat. Thursday Night will open up the NFL season with a rematch of the NFC championship game last year. The Minnesota Vikings will travel to New Orleans to take on the Saints. This highly anticipated game will air on NBC. The Vikings brought back quarterback Brett Favre this off-season having dreams of a Super Bowl run. The Saints will look to win their home-opener by also raising the championship banner from last year’s amazing Super Bowl victory. This Thursday night showcase of the NFL will be the first of many exciting games this year.

Following Thursday night’s game, the rest of the NFL will play Sunday September 12th and two games on Monday Night September 13th. All teams will be in action, as some notable games are the Carolina Panthers at the New York Giants, the Indianapolis Colts at the Houston Texans, the Green Bay Packers at the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Dallas Cowboys at the Washington Redskins. The two Monday Night Football games are airing on ESPN. The first game will be the Baltimore Ravens at the New York Jets in the New Meadowlands Stadium. The second game will be the San Diego Chargers at the Kansas City Chiefs.

Both the Giants and Jets are opening their new Stadium, The Meadowlands, for everyone to see. The Giants will show off their big blue pride Sunday afternoon and the Jets will show their gang green spirit Monday night. Both teams hope to open their Stadium with wins.

This is gearing up to be a fantastic opening week in the NFL. Get ready for kick-off this weekend and don’t miss any of the action. Premiere Global Sports is a great resource whether you are looking for tickets to the game, a memorable travel package or a turn-key tailgate experience. For more information please click here.

College Football Kicks Off Tonight

Are you ready for some football? The 2010 college football seasons start tonight with continuing games throughout the weekend.

With the NFL only a week away, get into your  football spirit with watching some of the best teams in the country compete against each other. ESPN kicks off the action tonight at 7 PM/ ET with the South Carolina Gamecocks hosting the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. Second ranked Ohio State is also starting tonight along with thirteenth ranked University of Miami (FL), fourteenth ranked USC, and fifteenth ranked Pittsburgh.

The second ranked Ohio State Buckeyes host the Marshall Fighting Herd tonight at Ohio Stadium (The Horseshoe) in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio Stadium is one of the largest venues in the country with capacity at 102,329 fans. The thirteenth ranked Miami Hurricanes open the season tonight hosting the Florida A&M Rattlers.

The fourteenth ranked USC Trojans travel to Hawaii for their game with the Warriors. Lane Kiffen will make his USC debut tonight and will look to rebound from the schools recent suspension from the NCAA for violating rules. The fifteenth ranked Pittsburgh Panthers will travel to Utah to take on the Utes. It looks like a great start to the college football season.

Saturday will be the first start to the fun and exciting weekends of fall and winter. Saturday kicks off at 12 PM/ET on ESPN with the fourth ranked Florida Gators hosting the Miami (OH) Redhawks at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (The Swamp). That game is followed by fifth ranked Texas traveling to Rice to play and first ranked Alabama hosting San Jose State looking to defend their National Championship Title.

The two show case games of the night are twenty-fourth ranked Oregon State traveling to sixth ranked TCU in a top 25 match up and twenty-first ranked LSU traveling to eighteenth ranked North Carolina in a South showdown on ABC at 8 PM/ET.

The opening weekend of college football will conclude with a Monday Night game on ESPN. Third ranked Boise State will take on tenth ranked Virginia Tech on a neutral site FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. Don’t miss any of the action this weekend, starting tonight. Premiere Global Sports is a great resource whether you are looking for tickets to the game, a memorable travel package or a turn-key tailgate experience.

The Two Best Teams in the League?

To most the Yankees are the “evil empire” and many believe that they bought their team, but be that as it may, it is evident that they have been the most consistent team in baseball for over a decade. It is hard to argue how good they really are, and baseball is a team game, and they are by far the definition for team. But what I think is the most intriguing situation that has risen up is the play of the Tampa Bay Rays.

In a crowded AL East, it has been the Yankees or the Red Sox and then everyone else. And now that the division is more competitive and the uprising of the Rays stands to show how well mid-level teams have come along in sports these days. For two weeks now every time I put on ESPN or MLB Network I see the competitive spirit that shows that baseball is alive and kicking.

The play of the Rays has out-shinned the consistent and hard-working Yankees, and the Red Sox are now an after thought. With names like Derek Jeter, who has over 2,000 hits and over 200 homeruns, and Alex Rodriguez who recently hit his 600th homerun, and the acquisitions of both C.C Sabathia and Mark Teixeira, coupled with the career year of Robinson Cano, the Yankees always are a threat on the field. But when one looks at the Rays they see a team anchored by a young and most talented pitcher in David Price, who is competing for the coveted award of a Cy Young, and a powerful bat in Carlos Peña in the middle of the order, as well as the ever reliable Carl Crawford is going to steal a modest 50 plus bases a year.

These two teams are showing the world why baseball is America’s past time. Though the Yankees win with style and grace, the Rays do their work under the radar and with grit. Two different personalities, two great outcomes all to compete for the most coveted trophy in sports, the World Series Trophy.

The sad thing is that the large discrepancy between the average attendance of games between the two best teams in the league. The Yankees as always have their ruthless but always loyal fans that come on a game by game basis at a cool 46,399 people a game, whereas the Tampa Bay Rays pull in a meek 22,794, putting the Rays in the bottom 8 in the league. Let’s face it…even Mets fans believe enough in their always sputtering team to come out with almost 34,000 fans a game.

Whether you’re a Yankee, Rays, Mets or even just a fan of baseball or all sports for that matter, one can see that both these organizations should be praised for playing a great brand of baseball. And with three games left between both of these teams it sure to be a great stretch.

When the playoffs start to be shocked if both these teams square off in the ALCS game to determine who goes to play for the World Series. And as a fan there are great opportunities to get to an upcoming event around both Yankee Stadium and Tropicana Field, and to grab your playoff seat and find any other event plans visit Premiere Global Sports for any other information needed.

English Premiere League Begins

Wayne Rooney of Manchester United

With the World Cup final a little over a month old the most watched soccer league in the world opened up its season on Saturday, August 14.  The Barclays Premiere League is the top ranked league in England and employs the best players from around the world.  Some of the many stars that call the Premiere League home include England’s Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard, Ivory Coasts Didier Drogba, Argentina’s Carlos Tevez and Spain’s Fernando Torres and Cesc Fabregas.

The Premiere League is composed of twenty clubs from England.  The top teams are comprised of the “Big Four”, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.  Over the years these four teams have won the majority of Premiere League titles.  From 1997 up until last year there have only been three different teams that have hoisted the Premiere League title.  Manchester United has won 7 titles while defending champions Chelsea as well as Arsenal have won three a piece.

What separates the Premiere League from many sports in America is the process of relegation and promotion.  Every year the bottom three teams in the league are relegated down to what is called the English League Championship and the top two teams as well as a team determined through a playoff are promoted to the Premiere League.  Last years relegated teams are Hull, Burnley and Portsmouth.  These three teams are being replaced by Newcastle (champions), West Bromwich Albion (second place) and Blackpool who were the play-off winners.

One of the best experiences in sports is going to a Premiere League game in one of the great stadiums that are in England.  Located in London are two of the “Big Four” teams- Chelsea and Arsenal   One of the gem stadiums of the league is the Emirates Stadium home of the Arsenal Gunners.  The Emirates was built in 2006 and holds a maximum capacity crowd of 60,335 which makes it the second largest stadium with Manchester United’s Old Trafford being the biggest in the league.  The stadium itself is an astonishing sight with amazing sightlines.  You cannot go wrong coming here to see a game.

Stamford Bridge is the home of Chelsea FC the reigning champions of the league.  With a capacity of 41,881 it is considerably smaller than the Emirates but it makes up for it in history.  The stadium has gone through many renovations over the years but was originally opened in 1887 and has been home to the Chelsea FC since 1905.  There is nothing like being at a game at “The Bridge.” Stamford Bridge gives you the feeling that you are on top of the pitch while you are in your seat.  With the chanting and signing for The Blues there is nothing like spending an afternoon here.

Premiere Global Sports offers great packages to visit any of your favorite teams and stadiums in the Premiere League.  Whether you’re a Manchester United fan and you want to see your team crush their rival Liverpool or you want to go to see Chelsea and Arsenal battle in the London Derby Premiere Global Sports can help you make the most of you soccer experience.

2010 Tennis U.S. Open

Not only is the summer heat starting to break, but there is another reason New Yorkers are walking with an extra pep in their step. The 2010 Tennis U.S. Open is set to begin in less than a week. This yearly event will be held in the famous USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center located in Queens (across the street from the Mets’ Citi Field).

This special venue is the world’s largest public tennis facility. The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is open to the public seven days a week, twelve months a year, closing only on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. During these exciting two weeks of tennis, more than 650,000 fans pack the center enjoying every moment taking place.

100 million television viewers in the U.S. and 64 million online visitors enjoy the thrill and excitement of the US Open each year as well. The Center also offers premium dining experiences sure to satisfy every appetite at any hour. With the world’s best chefs and premium food’s you surely will not be disappointed. Furthermore I could go on for another 2,000 words on why New York City is the greatest place in the world.

Five championships are up for grabs, including men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles and mixed doubles. For the men, defending champion Juan Martin del Porto has withdrawn from the tournament. Martin del Porto had surgery on his right wrist in May and can not compete in this year’s tournament.

The world’s No. 1 tennis player Rafael Nadal will try to win his first U.S. Open, completing his career Grand Slam. Nadal will be the tournament’s top seed in singles followed by Roger Federer (2nd) and Novak Djokovic (3rd). Other Notables in the men’s singles are Andy Murray, Robin Soderling, Tomas Berdych, and American born Andy Roddick.

On the women’s side, top-ranked star Serena Williams has withdrawn from the tournament. Williams continues to recover from a cut to her right foot that required surgery in July. This makes the tournament wide open for anyone to win. Notables in the singles tournament are Kim Clijsters, Maria Sharapova, Caroline Wozniacki, and Serena’s sister Venus Williams.

This time of year is perfect to be visiting New York. The season starts to change and the excitement of fall spreads throughout the City. This could be a tennis fan’s trip of a lifetime. This one of a kind experience is why fans keeping coming back year after year, making the U.S Open the highest-attended annual sporting event in the world. Come be part of the action!

For more information please visit here.

2010 Ryder Cup

One of golf’s most famous tournaments is almost here. The Ryder Cup is only a month away with the action starting October 1. The bi-annual event will be held in Newport, South Wales at The Celtic Manor Resort. The Celtic Manor is one of Europe’s leading golf and business resorts.

This beautiful resort features five restaurants, two health clubs and spas, two clubhouses, and three breath taking golf courses. The United States and Europe will go up against each other in teams to compete for the cup. The United States are the defending cup winners as they beat Europe in 2008 at Louisville, Kentucky. Europe will try to regain the cup in front of their home crowd.

The action off the course is heating up as well. The world’s No. 1 golfer, Tiger Woods, failed to qualify for the Ryder Cup for the first time in his career. Woods has not been the same since his return to golf this summer. He has played the worst golf of his career including an 18-over par effort at the Firestone tournament. Woods now has to be chosen by team captain Corey Pavin to make the Ryder Cup team.

That will be the topic of discussion until the final rosters are announced. Eight players make the team automatically based on a points system and four more are added based on the captain’s decision.

The eight players for the United States are Phil Mickelson, Hunter Mahan, Bubba Watson, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson, Jeff Overton, and Matt Kuchar. The eight players leading in standings for Europe (Final standings come out Aug. 20th) are Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Luke Donald, Edoardo Molinari, Ian Poulter, and Padraig Harrington. With each team having golf’s stars, this should be a treat for fans.

For more information on how you can watch one of golf’s biggest tournaments at one of our planet’s most beautiful venues, 1 Comment »

Basketball During the Dog Days of Summer

While the summer began with the excitement of the NBA draft and free agency, by the time August rolled around, John Wall was already a member of the Washington Wizards, Lebron James was a member of the Miami Heat as well as Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, and Amar’e Stoudemire was already a member of the New York Knicks. While August is probably the slowest month in the NBA, there are other great basketball events such as the FIBA World Championship and the Entertainers Basketball Classic to keep basketball fans satisfied until the next season starts at the end of October.

In the past decade, basketball has gone from being a sport dominated by American players, to a sport in which it is very common to see more than one international player on the court at one time. Yao Ming and Andrea Barngani, two international players, were drafted first overall in 2001 and 2006 for the first two times in the history of the sport.

The FIBA World Basketball Championship is evidence of just how far globalization in basketball has gone. Every summer, professional basketball players around the world travel to different countries to compete in the tournament.

Featuring twenty-six NBA players on twenty-four different teams from around the world, the FIBA World Championship brings the excitement of NBA basketball during a time when the most exciting news in the league is rumors of Isiah Thomas being rehired by the New York Knicks. The USA team features NBA superstars Kevin Durant, Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose, and Rudy Gay. This past weekend, the team played an exhibition game at Madison Square Garden versus France. Tickets were sold out and the arena was filled close to capacity. Rudy Gay led all scorers and also made two incredible dunks during the game. One was a fast break dunk in which Gay stole the ball, drove down the court, and threw down a two-handed dunk. The other was when Rajon Rondo threw the ball up to Gay for an alley-oop dunk near the basket. Celebrities in attendance included; Kobe Bryant, Tony Parker, Thierry Henry, Eva Longoria, and Spike Lee. The actual championships will take place in Turkey, beginning on August 28.

While there is little basketball that takes place during the summer time, the FIBA World Basketball Championship boasts more talented and professional players than any other basketball tournament during the summer months.

Another exciting summer basketball tournament is the Entertainers Basketball Classic, which features the best playground basketball in the world. The tournament is held at the famous Rucker Park in Harlem, New York. In the past, the tournament has featured basketball legends such as Kobe Bryant, Julius Erving, and Wilt Chamberlain. Many celebrities also show up to watch some of the games. Sometimes celebrities including Denzel Washington, Bill Clinton, Howard Stern, and Jay-Z show up to watch the games as well.

Also instead of announcers for the games, they have an MC that does play-by-play for the games. This is not your average basketball game. The game is played with playground rules and the players are given much more free reign to play the way that they choose to play.

All of it is why I ranked watching a game at Rucker Park number 76 in my book 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live.

If you are a basketball fan, these are two exciting opportunities to watch some of the best basketball players of the world compete against each other during the month of August and early September when there is little else to quench hoop junkies’ thirst.

A Stadium to See

There’s a new kid on the block of iconic New York stadiums. Citi Field, Yankee Stadium and The Garden will have to make room for the New Meadowlands Stadium which opened its doors over the summer and will host its inaugural NFL season this fall.

At a total cost of $1.6 billion, it is one of the most expensive stadiums ever built, putting it right there with the new Wembley Stadium (London, England), the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium (Dallas, Texas), and the new Yankee Stadium (Bronx, New York). With a seating capacity of over 80,000 it also seats the second most fans for a NFL stadium, behind FedEx Field home of the Redskins.

With four giant (30 x118 feet) HDTV screens at every corner of the stadium, and over 2,000 other TV monitors throughout the stadium, you would have to try hard to miss any of the action. If the technology does not have you drooling, this will. The suites now offer a martini lounge, brick pizza ovens, fire places, celebrity chef cooking areas, and an on-field patio in which you are within five feet of the players and coaches!

Imagine that, you can share a hot dog with Rex Ryan on a third down play, or receive a Tom Coughlin death stare for not cheering loud enough.

If you’re not a big NFL fan, two college games will be played in October at the new stadium. The first (October 16) features the hometown Scarlet Knights of Rutgers playing against Army while the second (October 23) features the storied Fighting Irish and new coach Brian Kelly of Notre Dame against Navy. Both of those games should be huge attractions.

Personally, I could not wait for football season to kick-off, so I will be going to the USA versus Brazil soccer game this coming Tuesday, August 10.

Coming to see New York City is an experience everyone should have, between the sites, the history, the museums, and Broadway there is never a shortage of things to do.

It’s fair to say the best time to be in the Big Apple is late September or early October, the weather is perfect for those few weeks and nothing looks better than Central Park when all the leaves are changing.

Luckily enough, there are also quite a few good sporting events occurring at that time, be it a Giants game, a Jets game, a Rangers game, or hopefully a Yankee playoff game, you can easily spend a week in New York and not get tired of everything non-sports. For more information click here.

Welcome to Cooperstown

To say the Baseball Hall of Fame is simply a baseball museum, is akin to saying baseball is just a sport. But for those who truly love the game the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY is much, much more than a museum.

Andre Dawson, Whitey Herzog, and Doug Harvey are inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on July 25, 2010.

As Whitey Herzog said during his speech on Sunday about what it feels like on being elected, “Being elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame is like going to heaven before you die.”

There is a good reason over 350,000 visitors come from all over the world each year to see the Hall. It is a tribute to the game’s best stars and the history of the greatest American pastime.

The 2010 class included slugger Andre Dawson, manager Whitey Herzog, and umpire Doug Harvey. It is an immense honor to be elected into the Hall of Fame and shows how much of an impact and dedication you had on the game of baseball.

Andre Dawson was born on July 10, 1954 and was drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 11th round of the 1975 draft. Andre had an outstanding career and played with the Expos for 11 seasons until going to the Chicago Cubs in 1987. He finished his career by playing 2 seasons with the Boston Red Sox and 2 seasons with the Florida Marlins. In his 21 seasons, he played in 2627 games, had 2774 hits, 438 homeruns, and 1591 runs batted in (RBI). In his plaque that will go into the HOF, he is wearing the Montreal Expos cap.

Whitey Herzog was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee. He managed four teams including the Texas Rangers, California Angels, Kansas City Royals, and the St. Louis Cardinals. Herzog is wearing the Cardinals hat in his plaque since having managed there for 10 years and the club won the World Series in 1982.

Doug Harvey was born on March 13, 1930 in California. He worked in the National League from 1962-1992. He umpired a total of 4,673 games that included five World Series, and six All Star Games.

Harvey believes that if you are a fan of baseball, it a must. “Cooperstown is the home of baseball. One of the many duties of the home plate umpire is to make sure that the runner touches home. Well, if you’re a true baseball fan you need to visit Cooperstown. This is home and you need to be sure you’ll touch home by the end of the game. I’ll be watching to make sure you do.”

If you have not been to the baseball Hall of Fame, you must book a trip to visit. It is located on Main Street in the beautiful town of Cooperstown. Take the entire family for a weekend trip or bring your team and enjoy all of the festivities.