The Top ten sporting events you must see before you die

Recently, I read an article from Jim Caple on espn.com on the 101 things all sports fans must see before you die. Some I agreed, others I have done, and some I kind of wonder whether they were consider sports. Lets start with Caple's list of things I have done.

#100 Go see Harlem Globetrotters game

#62 Midnight madness at a KU basketball game

#22 Cubs game at wringley field

#35 Opening Day in Baseball



Now here are the ones that I kind of wonder are really sports

#98 Calveras county California Frog jumping jubilee....where wine tasting and 2,000 frogs are involved.

#94 the Hot dog eating championships at coney island on the fourth of July....can anybody say disgusting

#90 The show me state games in Columbia, Mo in July.......this is where 30,000 average joe missourians compete in summer games ages range from 3 to 83. I would like to participate in this, but I feel like I would get embarass by a guy in his 50's if I were running the 100m dash.

#65 The wife carrying championships in Sonka jarvi, Finland......I have seen this event on TV before and it's funny.

#47 Running of the bulls ......Pamplona, spain ........Now, my brother has done this and you have to be very careful on the cobble streets. At least he did this event before he got married.



Now Caple's 10

1. Summer Olympics

2.World Cup soccer

3.Winter Olympics

4.world series

5.NCAA subregional baskeball championships

6Spring training

7. NFL Conference championships

8. The Masters

9.Wimbledon

10. Tour de France during the mountain stage



Tim Dawg's top ten ...........the number in parethesis is where caple put it.

1.Hall of Fame Induction in Cooperstown (16)

2.World Series (4)

3.Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa (74)

4. SuperBowl (not even numbered, in fact caple put it at 10 things to avoid)

5Indy 500 (33)

6.Kentucky Derby (32)

7.The masters (8)

8. Visiting Fenway Park (not numbered but should be)

9.Wimbledon (9) If anything just for strawberries and cream

10.Big 12 tournament (only if it's K.C. and was not listed)

Honarable Mention

The Prefontaine Classic (70) Where some of best runners compete

Signed
Tim "that's my list and I'm sticking to it" Crippen

My Brother's Wedding and more fun stuff

Let me just say one thing before I get into my post, I must apologize to the State of Maryland. If you take out the city of Baltimore and Washington D.C. the area it is really beautiful and very woody. I never realize how great a state can be until you can go outside the city limits.

Okay, now onto the wedding. This was my first time ever to serve as best man as well as attending an outdoor wedding. The wedding was held at Crystal's parents backyard which was a perfect setting with the creek on the left hand side of the picture. God created a masterpiece when it came to the weather. The sun was out no humidity, no rain, and very little wind. But he really created a masterpiece when he brought my brother and crystal together as one.

However, there was one little hitch in the wedding. It will be remembered from both the Crippen family and Namie family who attended the wedding.

Crystal's jack russell terrier "Tess" decided to take a little stretch during the wedding cremony we all had a pretty good laugh at this moment. Ray and Brenda Namie (Crystal's parents) were just absoulutely great host to us. They went beyond expectations to cook for us, setting up the wedding and even giving me and my brother Donald Trump ties for the ceremony. To which I say thank you to both of you for your hospitality. This weekend couldn't have been any better and was very special moment in my brother's life. Crystal you married a great guy and you have brought joy into his life. I hope your marriage is as beutiful as this picture I took at the botanical gardens.

I did do some other things besides go to a wedding. I got to meet a lot of Crystal's brothers and sisters and their families. I really got to know Crystal's brother Paul the most. I never realized of just how much we really had in common. He did challenge me to a game of horseshoes in which case I accepted his challenge.

Although, I haven't played a game since I was 9-10 years old. I still had a good time even if I lost every single game. I did have few ringers, but I still need some work on my throwing technique. I told Paul, if you come to K.C. play my game the batting cages and see how many 80 mph baseballs you can hit. He had good laugh when I told him that. We even went to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. It once was the place where John Brown's famous raid took place in which he was trying to end slavery. Now, it is a National Historic Park where you can visit some the old town buildings as well as tubing down the Potomac River as these people in this picture

It reminded me like Hannibal, Mo, but only with a better scenery. If you come down this area, I would highly recommend it. In a way I almost wanted to grab a tube and join in there with them. Then before the wedding, I rode the metro with my brother before he went to work and stop at the Rossylyn station to go see the Iwo Jima memorial around sunrise. Wow, what an awesome time.

Signed

Tim " I think put more pictures and wrote my longest post ever" Crippen

PS: Okay, here's one more wedding photo

Thoroughly Modern Millie

Flappers, the Charleston, prohibition and our very own Jason Bridges who plays a dishwasher, newspaperman and Harpo Marx in this 2002 musical set in the 1920's called "Thoroughly Modern Millie." Now I have heard of the play, but have never seen the Broadway production. Which is good because the only thing I had to go with is just a synopsis of the play which is about a small town girl from Kansas name Millie who trys to make it big in New York City. She is scared and excited at the same time and along the way she goes through some trouble times. She meets Jimmy Smith who is this brash New yorker that changes her life forever, but not at first because Millie considers him a jerk. Millie's life does get better, but I don't want to spoil it for those who have not seen it. I went last night and it was great from the weather till the end of the show. There are a couple of funny moments in the play from the office window scene with Jimmy and Millie as well as the Chinese translator in the laundry room. I really have to give credit to all these actors and actresses who do this because they love community theater. To take time out of their busy schedule is really truly amazing. My favorite character in this play is Mrs Meers and the woman who plays her does a really great job. If you haven't seen this play, don't worry you still got this weekend to see Jason perform his high flying leap as Harpo marx. Out of four stars, I would give Thoroughly Modern Millie four out four and extra 1/2 star for Jason's performance as well as showing me the backstage area.

Signed
Tim "Raspberries" Crippen

A tribute to a TV legend

Unless you have been living in a cave you probably have known that Bob Barker was retiring after 35 years on The Price is Right and 50 years on TV. Yesterday, he taped his last show and there were long lines just to get into the studio. Why do people like this show? Is is because of the competiveness on getting the clossest price without going over? Is it because of Bob's midwest charm? The family atmosphere? Or maybe it's because when we were kids that during summer break from school we liked the show and there was nothing else going on during the daytime except going to the pool.

Now I'll admit that I don't like everything about Bob Barker from his animal rights stances to being a vegetarian. Yet, for all these years there are parts of him that remind me of my grandfather. Served in the millitary, loved baseball and most importantly loved being around young folks. He started on Truth or Consequences and then to the Price is right. There have been some funny moments on the show. From the tube top incident of woman coming on down and then they came out........to a contestant who would later be an assitant to another game show, who knew that Vanna White would get first TV appearance on the show.

To me the most memorable moment of Bob will be his small role in the Adam Sandler film "Happy Gilmore." Seing Bob Barker beat up Adam Sandler in the film still makes me laugh even today. Whoever decides to host the show we'll never have the same effect as Bob did....It's kind of like that same feeling when Johnny Carson left the tonight show and Jay Leno took over. Sure, the show was funny but it was never quite the same when he left. The last show will air on June 15th. Bob Barker enjoy retirement you deserve it.

Signed Tim "Come on down" Crippen