What’s The Best Major Sporting Event Of The Year?

If you had to pick just one major sporting event to watch each year, what would it be?

It's the Master's week in America, and this question above was inspired by hearing Mike Greenberg of ESPN say that the Masters is his favorite sporting event of all, and he would choose this golf tournament as the answer to the question.

What's unique about the Masters or any similar golf tournament is that it's carried over the course of a few days. To stay consistent, you can make the same argument for the NBA Finals, NHL Stanley Cup, MLB World Series, or the U.S. Open in tennis.

In the NFL however, the major events are just one single date. The same holds true for NCAA championship games. This obviously results in millions of viewers.

The NFL has also done a great job making its major events a gigantic spectacle. For a few years now, the NFL draft has been held in a different American city rather than, for instance,  just Radio City Music Hall in New York.

When you think about the opening question, it's important to weigh what's on the line. Obviously for most sports, it's a championship ring. For other events, the event helps set the stage for something in the future.

Perhaps those who answer the Masters here simply enjoy the relaxation of the event. If you have a favorite player, that you root hard for, perhaps the stress is not removed then.

Other x-factors to include here include what the overall experience entails for you. If the New York Giants are not in the Super Bowl, then much of what I think about for Super Sunday entails the food and party scene that will unfold at my house.

For sports such as basketball, hockey, or baseball, where a championship is won via a series, very few things compare to the intensity of a championship game seven. But not every series goes that far.

However, for my choice. I am going with a NFL event I know is going to happen.

If I had to pick just one four-hour block to be dedicated to one major U.S. sporting event, it would be the first round of the NFL Draft. This year, it is being held in Detroit, and it is one of the most fascinating drafts in recent history.

This is due to the incredible quarterback class and the need for a new guy in many franchises. Regardless, I always love watching a player get selected and the TV camera catching their emotional reaction as they realize their dreams just came true and their lives are changed forever.

There's a mysterious component to the draft that heightens the wonder. What's so interesting about this question of picking one favorite sporting event is that you are not comparing apples to apples.

Nonetheless, as a diehard fan, I consider this one of the most pivotal drafts in the Giants' franchise history. At pick number six, there is so much on the line regarding how the future will be shaped that the team's decision as to who to draft is incredibly important.

As of now, there is no saying what the team will do. They may not even know yet, which makes the intrigue of this event that much more compelling.

We've officially made it to Major League Baseball's opening day. And we've got four bold predictions for the 2024 MLB season.

Last year felt like a nice setup for this season to really hit one out of the park, so to speak. 2023 saw the new MLB rules take hold. This was notable with the pitch clock and the attempt to speed up the game. The looming question of what's next for Shohei Ohtani was lingering all year. Obviously the uncommon pitcher/hitter superstar chose to stay in southern California, but headed to move over to the Dodgers.

A consistent, no-frills style of baseball led the Texas Rangers to defeat a young and scrappy Arizona Diamondbacks in the World Series. Both have similar rosters this year, but will either team be as good?

We are already off to a unique start with the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers splitting the Seoul Series in Korea. We are certainly teed up for an exciting seven months of baseball.

Some factors came close to finding their way into my four bold predictions, but were not strong enough to grab a spot in the lineup. However, they do remain open questions for baseball fans to look out for as the season unfolds.

In New York, will the Yankees adding the fierce bat of Juan Soto to the team bounce them back from a disappointing season? Soto may have to make up for the lack of depth at pitching now the Cy Young winner, Gerrit Cole is starting the season injured.

In Atlanta, the Braves are so talented across the board, it's hard to pick against them in all of the National League. However, I do expect some epic NL East clashes throughout the year between division rivals, the Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.

We shall see about all of the above. In the meantime, let's hit some 2024 MLB bold predictions to get the ball rolling.

It may be a news subject that fades away, but Shohei Ohtani's name being involved in a potential gambling scandal is not a great way to kick off the season. This general topic is one that all pro sports are taking very seriously and could hang over the organization's head for much of the season. The Dodgers are certainly loaded with stars, but as the Yankees have proven in years past, a monster payroll does not guarantee wins. In fact, too many superstars in one clubhouse can be detrimental to team unity.

MLB has been faced with the challenge of making the games more exciting and engaging. There's only so much you can do to change the rules of the sport without stepping on the integrity of the game. The adjustments to speed things up certainly helped. So did the arrival of flashy alternate uniforms. Nine new teams will have a creative new jersey thrown into their mix. They will be unveiled soon. However, rocking a special edition jersey that is a nod to your home city should make this gear a top-seller in the shops. We've already seen teams like the Diamondbacks add accents of teal and fluorescents into their color schemes. This City Connect theme has been a very successful model in the NBA.

Speaking of uniforms, the Padres adding a sand tone to their away threads is an all-time classic look. The beach and baseball are synonymous. That has nothing to do with why SD will finish ahead of the bigger names like the Dodgers or San Francisco Giants. Fernando Tatis Jr is fully back, and the cornerstone to a team that is full of both speed and strength. The Padres did a great job of giving fans an inside glimpse of their spring training this year, and it certainly appeared as if the club was already having a blast. Their team unity and chemistry will carry them far.

Seattle, and the great state of Washington was so close to starting the year off with a championship parade thanks to the Huskies making the college football finals. They may end the year with one instead, and it will be well worth the wait. Julio Rodríguez is one of the most well-rounded players in the game. He's also just 23 years old. The X factor for the M's, though, will be how solid their pitching is, with the bulk of the rotation remaining healthy all year. The lineup then institutes small-ball baseball beautifully throughout the year, where the team seems to always know how to close out the close games. Ultimately, I'm taking the Mariners over the Braves in the 2024 World Series, which I can foresee being one of the most thrilling finals we've seen in a long time.