20 Sports Fans' Fantasies

Fans pledge allegiance to a favorite team that they defend until the very end.

They watch every game in person or on television, and own every sort of merchandise possible.

And as they celebrate the wins and cry over the losses, fans develop certain sports fantasies that only could happen in their wildest dreams.

Throwing out the first pitch at a baseball game? Trying on a championship ring?

Here are 20 that any fan would take in a heartbeat.

No. 1 Throwing Out the First Pitch

For every baseball game, at least one person throws out the ceremonial first pitch. It's a tradition that dates way back, back, back.

At first, it started as a guest tossing the ball from his or her spot in the stands to the home team's catcher.

Now, celebrities, sponsors, and fans alike get a shot at taking the mound (or standing in front of it) to show off their arm in front of thousands of people.

Or to show why they shouldn't quit their day jobs.

No. 2 Batboy/batgirl

Kids of all ages get a shot, if they know the right people, to be the batboy or batgirl for an MLB team.

Handing a bat to Albert Pujols before he hits a game-winning homer is part of the job. So is nearly avoiding a collision at home plate with scoring runners.

Outfielders toss warm-up balls in between innings.

Being a batboy or batgirl is another excuse to try and find a legal way on the field for fans.

No. 3 Catching a Home Run Ball

The odds of catching a foul ball is slim, but to nab a home-run ball is even tougher.

Some people wait a lifetime for one to come their way.

Whether a ball comes sailing into bare hands or a mitt, it's not an everyday occurrence. Even during batting practice.

If at Wrigley Field, be sure to throw back the opposing team's homer, or the fans won't be too happy.

Catching-a-home run odds be damned.

No. 4 The Coin Toss

In football, fans sit further from the action than in other sports.

Footballs rarely fly into the stands unless it's following a field goal or a pass thrown out of bounds.

Baseball has foul balls and homers, even flying bats! Hockey has flying pucks and crashes into the boards. Basketball has court side seats and thundersticks to affect a free-throw shooter.

But to do an honorary coin toss with the referees and team captains in a circle?

That's as close as one can get.

No. 5 Singing the National Anthem

Pop singers and those waiting to be discovered have sung the national anthem at every sporting event.

And if there's a Canadian team competing, it's double the fun.

Just don't mess up like Roseanne Barr. Or forget the lyrics like Jesse McCartney.

It'll be an overnight YouTube hit.

No. 6 Running Through the Tunnel

The University of Miami's smoke tunnel. Clemson University's running down the Hill and touching Howard's Rock.

Every football team makes a cinematic entrance in order to get the fans pumped. Players wave their arms up and down to make the stadium reach ear-splitting levels.

To have thousands screaming upon their arrival must be a wonderful feeling. Plus, being on the field is something that fans only dream of.

No. 7 Tip-off

Basketball players appear as otherworldly beings thanks to their height, and that's just from afar.

Imagine what it would feel like to take part in a game's tip-off, the time when both teams surround mid court and await possession of the ball? These giants standing around that person with all the power.

Just don't mess it up and give one player an unfair advantage.

No. 8 Taking a Half-court Shot

John Schnatter made a half-court shot at a University of Louisville basketball game last year and turned it into a Papa John's pizza campaign.

Fans envision making that shot in front of a crowd—whether for their own amusement or contest.

In the park or in front of the house, the half-court shot with the buzzer sounding is something both players and fans dream about at an early age.

No. 9 Dropping the Puck

Just like in basketball, hockey drops the puck for possession.

Unlike basketball, it takes place after every stoppage of play.

The ceremonial puck drop has now become a mainstay, especially during the playoffs when the television cameras are around.

What could be cooler than walking out in skates and meeting the centers for both teams?

No. 10 Penalty Box

Ever wondered what that man dressed in a suit says to the player sent out to the penalty box?

Wouldn't it be interesting to find out?

Sure, the person alerts the players that only 30 seconds remain on the penalty. Or that his team doesn't stand a chance of killing it off (just kidding!).

It could get quite cozy in the box if a teammate decides to join him and make it a 5-on-3 penalty kill.

No. 11 Holding the Hardware

In every sport, it all leads to a quest for a championship and the hardware that comes with it.

From hockey's Lord Stanley's Cup to football's Vince Lombardi Trophy, a fan would die to touch it.

And months later, what they would do to catch a glimpse of one of the rings in person. Or to try one on?

No. 12 Being a Caddy

Golf is the ultimate recreational sport. Anyone can play (if the price is right), but only the best compete on the PGA Tour.

What could be cooler than walking around as Tiger Woods' or Jack Nicklaus' caddy? You know, shooting the breeze about anything and everything.

And don't worry.

A golf cart isn't that big of a deal. Consider lugging around a golf bag full of clubs as good exercise.

No. 13 Attending a Championship Parade

How often does one's sports team win a championship?

Unless the person lives in Los Angeles, New York City, or the Boston area, not often.

A championship parade not only congratulates the organization, but the city that it calls home. Loads of floats drive past thousands of well-wishers sporting the team's gear and holding up cameras.

Confetti and off-the-wall rapping are commonplace (see Juan Pierre and Dontrelle Willis in 2003).

Euphoria is in the air.

No. 14 Part of the Celebration

The Lambeau Leap goes down as one of the most recognizable celebrations in all of sports.

Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens like to express their creativity following touchdowns, and they sometimes get the fans involved.

And to be one of the lucky fans that the player celebrates with?

Priceless, unless you count the ticket price, of course.

No. 15 Making the Calls

Sports talk feeds off the bad calls that cost a team the game. Fans dial in to say how they would've done things different.

Hindsight is 20/20.

Recently, a minor league team allowed fans to vote on calls during a game: when to change the pitcher, when to use a pinch hitter, etc.

Sounds like the perfect scenario for any fan who has ever complained while on the sofa with the remote in one hand.

No. 16 Seat Upgrade

Some of the most diehard of fans cannot afford lower-level seats at Yankees Stadium and other sports facilities around the country.

Some grow envious of corporate sponsors and celebrities who can.

But when teams do a seat upgrade each game to reward fans, it's a dream come true.

This comes from a person who had her dream become a reality less than a month ago when an upgrade meant Founder's Club seats on the field at Sun Life Stadium for the Florida Marlins/Tampa Bay Rays game.

No. 17 "Hey, Ma! I'm On TV"

Got a crazy wig or poster?

TV cameras are sure to gravitate toward you.

A jumbotron is a fan's most narcissistic tool. Throughout the World Cup, fans could be caught by a TV camera seeing themselves on the stadium's big screen.

With the innovation of digital video recording, fans can replay their television appearances for both family and friends.

No. 18 Trying On a Uniform

It's one thing to own an authentic jersey and another to own the rest of the uniform.

In football, what would it feel like to try on the shoulder pads and helmet? To make sure the quarterback jacket protects the ribs?

Only in golf, tennis, and maybe soccer can a regular fan get away with looking like a competitor.

To play the part, it's essential to look the part as well.

No. 19 Traveling With the Team

By this, it's not meant to signify groupies.

Every diehard fan would love to bump into his or her team in the middle of Times Square while it's on the road playing the New York Mets for a weekend series.

Not only does the person stand out and get special treatment from the players he or she loves to watch, but it also means catching a game at a different ballpark.

Besides that, it's not too shabby to take in the town's sights.

No. 20 Meeting the Favorite Player

Fans camp out before and after games. They spend money to meet athletes at memorabilia conventions.

Whether the athlete is nice or not, one goal that is common among all fans is meeting their favorite players.

There's just something about the larger-than-life figure standing right in front of them.

Not a Fantasy: The Goat

When trying to catch a souvenir, make sure that the ball is out of play.

Ask Steve Bartman, who had to leave Chicago after his attempt at nabbing Luis Castillo's foul ball during game six of the 2003 NLCS.

Thanks to instant replay on home-run calls, fans can be saved some trouble, but it still doesn't mean that fellow attendees will forgive.

Even if it's an amazing catch by a fan, it's easy to go from hero to goat.