Ranking the Top Summer Sporting Events

It's no shock that everyone enjoys the summer just a little bit better than any other season.

Sure, there are those snow bunnies out there who like shredding the gnar, but when the sun is out and the days are long, everyone just seems to be in a better mood.

You know what else summer brings? A hell of a lot of good sporting events.

From baseball to the NBA Finals and finally, the NFL preseason, sports nuts are overstimulated with all kinds of things to look forward to over these next few months, with those who have tickets even luckier than the normal fan.

To honor all of these things, I decided to rank the top 12, so make sure you clear your calendar and tune-in when these sporting events are on.

12. NBA Draft

Julie Jacobson/Associated Press

OK, so some may think that the NBA draft is, typically, an anticlimactic event that introduces hoops fans to the next wave of NBA superstars and busts. But, isn't that what makes this thing so beautiful, too?

For months, scouts, front-offices and draft prognosticators spend hours watching film of every single prospect, breaking down their strengths and weaknesses and predicting where a kid might be selected.

In some cases, the draft stays status quo and there aren't many surprises at the top. In other instances, everyone—and I mean, everyone—is shocked with how things shake up.

Anytime new blood comes into a big-time sport like basketball, it's something that every sports fan needs to pay attention to, so don't miss out on the June 25 event.

11. NFL Training Camp and Preseason

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

More than anything, the NFL preseason is probably just a waste of time.

I mean, it's really just a bunch of our favorite superstar NFL players competing for about a half of a game, trying to avoid injuries, while fine-tuning their updated playbooks in meaningless games.

Yet, at the same time, it's so much more for sports fans.

In addition to the return of football, the preseason gives fans a chance to do the one thing every football fan talks about all year—draft their fantasy football team.

Sure, seeing a bunch of guys hitting one another on the gridiron is great and all, but watching games in August to figure out which player will be your late-round sleeper makes the NFL preseason an event worth circling on your calendar.

10. French Open

Darko Vojinovic/Associated Press

It has become a recurring theme for the French Open over the past decade—Rafael Nadal ends up kissing and crying over The Musketeers' Trophy, as he has won nine of the past 10 Opens.

Yet somehow, that's what makes this event so damn intriguing, as we all wonder if Nadal's days are numbered and if there's another player who can uproot him from the clay court.

Maybe even more intriguing, on the women's side, is whether Serena Williams can capture her second Grand Slam singles title this year—and 20th of her illustrious career—now that her rival, Maria Sharapova, has been beaten and is unable to defend last year's title.

Like a few others on this list, matches may be at odd hours because of the location in France, but that's no excuse not to either wake up early or set your DVR to watch how things unfold.

9. Champions League Final

Getty Images/Getty Images

In Juventus and FC Barcelona, the Champions League Final doesn't only pit two classic teams against one another, but it also has, arguably, the world's best player, Lionel Messi, on the biggest stage in European soccer.

With Messi falling short in his bid to win last summer's World Cup, all eyes will be on him to see if the little man can lead a stacked Barca squad to a major championship, which would be their first since the 2010-11 season.

Their opponent, Juventus, will be without one of their stars due to injury—defender Giorgio Chiellini—but that doesn't diminish the Italian club's hopes of winning their first Champions League title in nearly 20 years.

No matter if you're a soccer fan or not, when two of the best teams in the world go head-to-head in one of the most historic club matches in the world, you watch.

8. MLB All-Star Weekend

Some argue that the MLB All-Star Weekend is a bit of a bummer because it's nothing more than a popularity contest when it comes to choosing the rosters.

You know what, I agree—and that's what makes it awesome.

Small market fans can raise their arms up in disgust over the amount of players from bigger, more popular teams, but those are the squads with the most identifiable players, making the guys selected to partake in the Midsummer Classic much more intriguing to fans.

The good part is that the biggest stars don't always take part in the real fun of the weekend, though—namely, the Home Run Derby—leaving the big boppers to flex their muscles and entertain viewers with jaw-dropping dingers.

Considering the winner of the All-Star Game decides home-field advantage for the World Series, it's totally worth wasting a night watching—even if you're not a big MLB fan.

7. Tour De France

Jerome Prevost/Associated Press

I know, no one actually watches the Tour de France, right? Wrong.

Even those who don't reside in Europe have found that the most grueling bicycle race on the planet is pretty damn entertaining, providing both emotional and physical drama with the completion of each stage.

While some find the sport of cycling tainted after past winners of this race have either admitted to or have been linked to doping, it's an injustice to just give up on watching the Tour de France.

The sport might be one of the most corrupt of any in the world, yet in that moment, when riders are giving their all to cross the finish line for the right to don the yellow jersey, that doesn't matter—nor should it, because that struggle is what makes sports so great.

6. Wimbledon

While hesitant to include two tennis events on this list, there's no denying that Wimbledon belongs on this list, as it is, arguably, the biggest and most desired Grand Slam.

Plus, the headlines for this year's event mirror those of the aforementioned French Open, where Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams have a chance to join history that hasn't occurred in a long time.

Not only will Djokovic be defending his epic title from last year, but should he win the French Open, he'll be just the first male player since Jim Courier 23 years ago to enter Wimbledon with the first two Slams under his belt.

In Serena's case, if she can lock up the French Open, she would become the first woman in 14 years to enter the All English Club with the first two Slams to her credit.

No matter what happens, the 129th edition of Wimbledon will no doubt have drama that will keep sports fans on the edge of their seats.

5. Stanley Cup Final

Want to know what's awesome about the sport of hockey? The minute the postseason starts, the sport's popularity goes up by about 150 percent—OK, that may be exaggerating a bit.

Still, the drama of the NHL playoffs is nearly unmatched, with last-second goals and extremely long overtime games keeping sports fans up way past their bedtime.

With this year's Stanley Cup Final including a team that has already won two titles in the past five years in the Chicago Blackhawks, fans should be interested to see if they can add to their great history by capturing their sixth-ever championship.

Standing in their way are the Tampa Bay Lightning, who, like the Blackhawks, have won at least one Stanley Cup in the past decade and are a group of scrappy dudes.

Do yourself a favor and watch the world's fastest sport to see who hoists Lord Stanley's Cup.

4. FIFA Women's World Cup

We all remember that feeling of sneaking out of the office for a couple hours to watch the men's World Cup last summer, so why not do it again this year?

No, the FIFA Women's World Cup doesn't quite carry the same enthusiasm as the men's game. That doesn't mean that it doesn't feature the world's best female soccer players, looking to win the World Cup for their country.

As we saw in the 2011 final between the United States and Japan, there's no lack of drama when it comes to any soccer match, and one would be foolish to discount the high-level of drama and skill of the Women's World Cup—which is why there's no good reason to skip watching a match.

3. Belmont Stakes

A lot of people might not be horse racing fans for 10.5 months out of the year, but as soon as one colt gets hot, the entire nation gets intrigued.

This year, that horse is American Pharoah, who is the latest horse to try his hand at the vaunted Triple Crown—a feat that hasn't been seen in the sport since 1978 when Affirmed did it.

In other years when the accomplishment isn't attainable, the Belmont would certainly lack interest. But, with American Pharoah already winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, this year's race could set up to be historic—which we've heard plenty of times in recent years.

2. NBA Finals

Besides my bias because I'm a Cleveland sports fan, this year's NBA Finals has plenty of intrigue for every sports fan to want to watch.

In addition to the top two teams in the league vying for a title, this matchup pits four-time league MVP and arguably, the most dominant hoops player on the planet, LeBron James, against the baby-faced assassin, Steph Curry, who won this year's MVP Award and is arguably the greatest shooter the league has ever seen!

There are so many storylines for this series between the Cavs and Golden State Warriors that it's hard to keep track of them all.

From LeBron trying to win one for his hometown, to Steph trying to supplant himself as a true superstar, to two first-year head coaches vying for a ring, sports fans can only hope that this year's NBA Finals resembles anything close to the 2013 version between James' Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs, which went the full seven games and had enough drama to make the Kardashian-Jenner household seem normal.

Game 1 already gave us a little tease, so here's to hoping we see plenty more over the remaining games.

1. The U.S. Open

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

Maybe it's just me, but I am extremely intrigued by the fresh new blood that has established itself on the PGA Tour.

In fact, even more so, the young guns versus the wily vets is something that piques my interest, as it's interesting to see who holds their own in some of golf's major tourneys this summer.

With phenom Jordan Spieth already winning the Masters at age 21, and 26-year-old and four-time Major champ Rory McIlroy holding down the world's No. 1 ranking, golf has been on the cusp of evolving beyond just Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

Sure, there are other players on tour who are more than capable of winning the U.S. Open, but these four—along with a handful of others—will lead the conversation as both favorites and most-watched during the most demanding Major of the year.

When you add in the fact that it's America's championship on an extremely challenging course this year, it makes it even more interesting to see who walks away as champ.