Sports Then and Now

As a sports spectator, it can be difficult finding the time and money needed to attend the most important games of the season, but even if you don’t have season tickets to your favorite sports event, there are plenty of great ways you can enjoy as a fan and spectator. There are 4 tips or rules to being considered a dedicated and authentic spectator and supporter.

Support Local Teams

To be a great fan, you have to support your local team. Smaller teams rely on your support in order to grow. Consider attending local high school and college games to encourage the up-and-comers. You can even consider donating to your local teams to help them afford equipment and travel costs. If you’re more interested in watching professional-level games, there are likely some local teams that you have yet to discover.

Avoid Switching Sides

If you are interested in becoming a part of the sports betting community, you might notice that it can be difficult to decide which teams you should bet on. After all, tracking the performance of every player and team can be especially time-consuming. Consistency is important when choosing a team to root for. Just remember that every team is bound to have a few rough games every now and then. If you don’t know much about the teams playing this season, consider using resources like Official Picks to help you stay up to date with which team is the favorite to win. Of course, it’s important to trust your own judgment as you use these kinds of resources. In the end, it’s up to you to make the final call.

Remember That Teams Change Constantly

It’s common to find a favorite player when you spectate a team for long enough. However, it’s important to remember that a single player is rarely responsible for a team’s strength. Remember that consistency and a well-rounded team should be valued when determining who will win.

Have you always wondered why Virginia does not have their own professional sports teams? This is something that actually applies to a number of states in the US. But, people are particularly surprised in Virginia because it is known to be a sport-loving state with a lot of football to baseball fans. So, has it always been this way and will Virginia ever get any major-league sports teams? Let’s take a closer look.

Are There Any Reasons for Not Having Major-League Sports Teams?

So, why does Virginia not have any huge sports teams in its territory? Well, there are a few reasons why this might be the case. Namely, there is no major city in Virginia. The places that have a lot of people living there are said to be too small to really have a professional sports team.

In addition, while it is argued that Virginia is a populous state and has enough people for a major sports team altogether, one of the problems is their distribution. In other words, people are spread out a lot in the state, which would lead to poor crowds since people are not going to be able to travel that far all the time. For example, someone that lives in Virginia Beach is not going to be able to attend games in Richmond all of the time.

But, it is important to note that this does not mean people in Virginia do not like sports. On the contrary, sports betting is something that is widely enjoyed here. It became legal to bet on sports in April 2020 and the industry is showing signs of doing very well. So, there are plenty of people that like sports and want to get involved. If you are from the state, you can check out the Unibet VA mobile betting app for example, and place a bet on games across the state and the country.

Has There Been Any Teams Rumored in Play in Virginia in the Past?

It is important to note that Virginia does have some sports teams. But, there are no teams that are in major-leagues in the state. It is interesting to note that there are professional teams that train and have their headquarters in Virginia. We are talking about the Washington Football Team and the Washington Capitals. But, they are teams that represent Washington D.C.

It’s true that most Americans don’t know where Old Trafford is but if you mention that name to billions of soccer fans, they not only know where the stadium is (Manchester, England) but what it looks like!

Some stadiums are simply part of the story, as much as the teams that play there.  We were moved to research famous stadiums because so many of the headlines announcing that Usain Bolt, the great Olympic sprinter, would play in a charity soccer game for the benefit of Unicef mentioned that the game would be played at Old Trafford.

Fame

The primary criterion for inclusion on our list is fame rather than architectural uniqueness or seating capacity.  We subjectively decided to exclude indoor stadiums because they simply aren’t famous now that the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, and Chicago Blackhawks play in newer stadiums.  It would be as if we were writing about the most famous Las Vegas casinos and decided to include an online casino! (Full disclosure: we prefer playing at an online casino but Vegas is more famous).

Soccer Stadiums

There are no stadiums in the US that were built exclusively for soccer.  In the rest of the world, the most famous stadiums are soccer stadiums first and foremost.

• Old Trafford has become famous because of the long-term success of Manchester United.
• Wembley Stadium is famous primarily for its name as the present Wembley is quite new, having replaced the old antiquated but big-hearted original Wembley.  Today it is the home of the British National team.
• River Plate Stadium is rarely called by its formal name.  It is 80 years old and is the iconic home of River Plate, one of the two premier soccer teams in soccer-mad Argentina.
• Not to be outdone by their arch-rivals to the south, Brazil also has its world-renowned stadium the Maracanã.
• Azteca, in Mexico City, is the largest stadium in the world that is used exclusively for soccer.  At over 7000 feet above sea level and beset by the equally famous Mexico City pollution, it presents a massive challenge to all teams that come from much lower elevation to play there.
• San Siro is home to the two rival soccer teams from Milan, known as Inter and Milan.  Since these two teams, along with Juventus from Turin, are perennially the top teams in Italy, San Siro has seen many classic soccer matches in both the local Italian top league and also in the European Cup.
• Camp Nou in Barcelona seats almost 100,000 rabid “Barca” fans.  It was long considered an also-ran behind the Barnabeu in Madrid since Real Madrid was usually the top team in Spain.  Camp Nou is now even better known because “Barca” is probably the most famous soccer club in the world.
• St. James Park in Newcastle is usually called The Cathedral on the Hill because it sits in the center of Newcastle and offers fans a great view of the city and countryside below.  This stadium was built in 1880 and is famous despite featuring a team that doesn’t challenge for a championship in most years. Read the rest of this entry →

Franklin Field

When most Americans relied on candles to see and washed clothes by hand, the first sports stadium was being laid brick by brick. Now there are more than 200 stadiums in the country, and some come with swimming pools and zip lines. Those interested in original sports stadiums should check out the 10 oldest stadiums still in use today in the United States:

1. Franklin Field

This stadium was built in 1895 for the first running of the track and field competition known as the Penn Relays. It holds the record for many firsts such as the nation’s first scoreboard, the first stadium to have an upper deck of seats and the first to broadcast a football game on the radio and on television. The National Collegiate Athletic Association recognizes Franklin Field as the oldest stadium still operating for football.

2. Harvard Stadium

This stadium was an architectural feat at the time of its construction in 1903. Led by former Civil Engineering professor Louis Johnson, the stadium’s design was the first vertical structure to use reinforced structural concrete. The material was previously only used in horizontal designs such as flooring. Many people were skeptical of the stadium’s design. It was believed that it wouldn’t hold the weight of the crowds or last through the cold New England winters. But the stadium still stands today and it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987. Read the rest of this entry →