Friends of the Stack: Ralph Strangis on sports trips with SportsSturm, and other travels...
My pal Bob Sturm is on another soccer trip - and he asked me to write about sports travel - with and without him. We're fans, and regular people... just like you.
Editor’s note: Bob is currently out of the office, he will be back next week. In the meantime, friends of Sturm Stack are co-publishing work in this space. Today, Ralph Strangis joins the group in a piece this is co-published over at Ralph Stack.
When what you do for a living is traveling and going to sporting events - what kind of sick-o do you have to be that in your free time you travel to go to sporting events???
Answer- our kind of sick-o. We’re (clears throat…) fans too!
We work in the business. We’ve seen the inside of elite sausage factories and have first-hand knowledge of all the crap fans never see and don’t get. You’d think that would make guys like me and Bob and others jaded, impervious to charms, and looking to run to something else when we get some time to ourselves.
Nonsense. Sort of. And - these trips are different. Because, we get to be literal outsiders, unfamiliar (or at least less familiar) with other sports and their venues and customs and fans. We get to - in short - be fans.
For me - these trips started with my Dad taking me to Candlestick Park on Jan 1, 1989 for Vikings - 49ers in the NFC Divisional Playoff Round. The Vikings beat them the year before at the “Stick” - but this one - like most of the rest - was a kick in the nuts. 34-9 Niners. But I loved the experience of being in another stadium, and seeing how all that worked.
And I wanted to do more. I wanted to see everything! In 1989, I was working for the AWA and Women’s Pro Volleyball. In less than 18 months I’d be working for the Minnesota North Stars, traveling North America and calling hockey games.
So between my work and my free time, I’ve found awesome adventures and great destinations.
Some include;
Barcelona - Barca - Camp Nou - Messi in Spain
Soccer trip - Tottenham, Wembley - with Sports Sturm
Lambeau with Sports Sturm
Pinehurst to play golf
NHL Global Series in Berlin, Prague, Lausanne, Switzerland
2018 Olympic Winter Games, South Korea
Dodger Stadium
Yankee Stadium (old and new)
US Women’s Open Golf - Pebble Beach
Road bike trips through France, Croatia, Turkey and Greece
And more!
So - a bit of a travelogue homage today - to my friend Bob - lots of pics and a few good stories.
Let’s go!
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