The creation of basketball, baseball, American football, even auto racing — all were rooted on U.S. soil, which of course explains some of the reasons we go absolutely insane when Alabama loses the Iron Bowl, the Cowboys lose another playoff game or the Red Sox drop another save to the Yankees.
If you’re the ultimate well-rounded sports fan and you want to see the best our country has to offer, you must start with these 10 destinations first.
Related: Cooperstown: My Trip To The Baseball Hall of Fame
Josh Helmuth is the editor of CraveOnline Sports.
Photo Credit: Getty
10 Sports Places To Visit Before You Die
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Cameron Indoor Stadium
UNC vs. Duke -- by far the best rivalry in basketball, and it's not even close.
Only 10 miles separate the schools -- both oozing with an illustrious basketball history (9 championships total). Each fan base is obsessed with hoops, sometimes camping out days in advance to get tickets. They don't call the Dukies' student section the 'Cameron Crazies' for no reason.
While Chapel Hill or Durham are both great locations to see a game, Cameron Indoor at Duke is more iconic and the much smaller arena will make the experience that much more intimate. Plus, Coach K is an absolute rockstar and will go down as one of the best -- if not the best -- college coach in history.
Tickets: http://www.goduke.com/tickets/
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Cooperstown, NY
The Baseball Hall of Fame -- although flawed -- is still the most illustrious and prestigious Hall of Fame in sports.
If you're a baseball fan who's never been, my article (featuring dozens of pictures) showcasing my first trip this past summer is a must-read. The only downside? It wasn't during the induction ceremony.
If you can make it out to upstate New York (and Cooperstown really is a tiny town in the middle of the hills) during the midst of summer to watch your favorite player be enshrined forever with thousands of other fans, it will make your trip that much more incredible.
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Fenway Park
Ah, Fenway. One of the final two deadball era baseball stadiums still left in existence. It literally looks almost exactly like it did more than 100 years ago when it first opened on April 20, 1912 -- the same year and month the Titanic sank.
Sure, they have a Green Monster, but many don't realize the stadium only holds about 37,000 people, either.
It's small, it's old -- but it's historic. And there isn't a fan base in the country as obsessed with their baseball team than Sox fans.
If you want a true baseball experience, hit up Fenway while they're playing the Yankees.
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The Indy 500
Sure, you could hit up the Daytona 500 as well if your more into stock car, but for those who are looking for something a little more refined yet even more intense, the Indy 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been the 'greatest spectacle in racing' since 1911.
Parades, balloons, bricks, milk ... this is the richest tradition in racing -- and it's all surrounded by dozens of formula-1 cars steaming down the track at more than 200 miles per hour.
Tickets: http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/events/indy500/buy-tickets
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The Iron Bowl
One could argue that Michigan-Ohio State, Army-Navy or Oklahoma-Texas hold the hottest rivalry in football. However, those who have been to the south know that Alabama-Auburn take it to a whole new level.
The "Iron Bowl" is a clash of titans at the end of each season between the two in-state rivals. At one point, it became so heated, the two teams didn't play each other for more than 40 years.
This is a rivalry you need to see to believe. And to hype yourself up before heading to the heart of dixie where football is religion, I highly recommend watching ESPN's 'Roll Tide/War Eagle.'
Note: Jordan-Hare Stadium (Auburn) or Bryant-Denny Stadium (Tuscaloosa) have both been two of the loudest stadiums I have ever been in and will feature hundreds-of-thousands of people that put their entire livelihoods on the line for a win that one day in November each year. In other words -- either stadium will give you goosebumps (or bruises depending on your alcohol intake).
Tickets: (for 2015) http://www.auburntigers.com/aubtix/football.html
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The Kentucky Derby
The final leg of the 'triple crown' has been dubbed the 'most exciting two minutes in sports,' and for good reason.
Not only do people show up for the race, but you're basically attending the cap to a giant two-week Louisville, KY party. So dress up real nice, place your bets and sip on your mint juleps while you cheer on your favorite three-year-old Thoroughbred.
Tickets: http://www.kentuckyderby.com/
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Lambeau Field
Why not attend the stadium that was once home to the man the NFL Super Bowl trophy is named after (Vince Lombardi)?
Sure, it will likely be freezing -- it's called the "frozen tundra," after all. And you're in a stadium that would likely fill up all of Green Bay, Wisconsin -- but Lambeau Field is the most iconic stadium within the most popular American sport. So grab your cheesehead and sit near the endzone so you can catch Aaron Rodgers the next time he does the "Lambeau leap!"
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The NCAA Tournament
With 65 teams battling out a one-and-done type format, promoting everyone and their grandmother (literally) to fill out their own bracket, the NCAA tournament has become the most watched event in all of sports.
Whether you attend a regional to watch a cinderella try on her glass slipper just before the stroke of midnight (ie., George Mason, Butler, Gonzaga), or you love the thrill of watching iconic teams meetup in the Final Four (ie., Kentucky, Kansas, Duke), there's no bigger thrill in basketball than watching these kids lay everything out on the floor.
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The Super Bowl
Of course only about one percent of tickets are open to the public (slight hyperbole), but if you have the means to attend the biggest game on American soil, it's obviously a can't-miss event.
Everyone knows how big the Super Bowl is and what it entails -- what you might not know is how expensive it is. Depending on the destination and who is playing, seats can start at around $1,9000. Parking will be another $100 -- then you have your hotel stay ... You can see how it all adds up quickly.
Make it a once in a lifetime trip the year your team gets there!
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Wrigley Field
The oldest stadium in the National League is almost more of a tourist attraction than a host for the Chicago Cubs. Still, even for the most casual fan, Wrigley is in a great part of Chicago and has hosted the "lovable losers" for more than 100 years.
Be sure to have a drink near the vines and sing during the Cubs' famous 7th-inning stretch before heading over to Harry Caray's for a night-cap.
Note: It's best to see a Cardinals game at Wrigley, or even better yet, while they are in a pennant race (which only happens about once every decade).
Tickets: http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/ticketing
