Off the beaten path sporting events and leagues
I have an affinity for some quirky, or at least less popular sporting events. Some of my list is that off beat but still.
1. Tour de France
The action is good of course but a big part of watching is the scenery. One reason I why I started watching it many years ago was Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen, the announcers. Paul died suddenly in 2018. His passing was of course very said, NBC paid a proper tribute to him which was nice and while I still watch faithfully, it's not the same without Paul.
2. Dakar Rally
The last couple of years the only way to watch has been on streaming. There are SUV/pickups, motorcycles, various types of ATVs and big trucks. The big trucks are by far my favorite.
3. Small conference basketball tournaments
Watching the NCAA basketball tournament is one of my favorite things to do. Before I was self-employed, I would schedule days off for the first two days of the tourney when there are games on all day. The thing with the small conferences though is that the schools have more to play for. Unlike the big conferences, there's usually only going to be one team that will get invited into the big tournament versus a conference like the SEC or ACC where at least half the teams will get it.
4. Lower division European soccer
I get a kick out of the usually smaller stadiums but beyond that I am not sure what the attraction is.
5. College Baseball World Series
This might be fairly mainstream, I'm not sure but the thing with college baseball is no lead is safe.
6. Small conference college football
I especially like the Big Sky Conference which is FCS level as opposed to FBS level. FBS is the highest level where Alabama, Georgia and Clemson play. I'm not sure what the attraction is here but I really enjoy these games.
7. Grand Prix of Monaco
This happens every Memorial Day Sunday. It's a road course so it drives on the streets and scenery is epic. It looks like it is straight out of the 1966 Movie Grand Prix staring James Garner.
8. Scottish Premier League Soccer
Similar to number 4. The best Scottish teams are Celtic and Ranger but they're really not top tier in Europe. The players don't dive and flop like they do in many of the other leagues, the fans are as close to soccer hooligans as I think you'll see anywhere these days thinking nothing of throwing debris onto the field. Also the announcers' accents are of course fantastic.
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