The Sports Bucket List: 50 Things Fans Should See Before They Die

The Bucket List is a film made in 2007 starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson (hence the picture).

The basic premise behind it is both characters are dying from terminal diseases.

There's Freeman's character, who has nothing (money) but really has everything (a family), and Nicholson's character, who has everything (money—the guy owns the hospital they're staying in) but really has nothing (ex-wives and a daughter he hasn't seen in years).

The title comes from a list Freeman's character made while in the hospital of things he wanted to do before he "kicked the bucket." With Nicholson's massive amount of money, they attempt to accomplish all the things on the list.

So, at a ripe old age of 23, I created my own Bucket List of things that I would like to see happen in the sports world before I die. Some are more personal to me than others, but I can confidently say that everyone should agree with at least ONE item on my list, and then disagree with more than one. The list will be broken down into categories that will become immediately apparent.

Let's get started.

1. The Michigan Wolverines Win a National Championship

I was 10 when they won in '97 and don't remember much from it. I'd like to see it again, though with the way the team it is now, it looks like there's going to be a wait.

2. No Primarily Defensive Player Wins the Heisman Trophy

Charles Woodson is my favorite football player ever. I hope you can figure out why I have this on here.

3. A Division I-A/FBS playoff

The BCS is horrible. I don't care if it's a four, eight, 16, or 32-team tournament, but a playoff needs to happen.

4. A Non-Major Conference Team Wins the National Championship

Hopefully a result of the playoff system, or the cause of it. Needless to say, I'll be rooting for Boise State and TCU this season.

5. An Even OSU-Michigan Rivalry

Best rivalry in all of college football (sorry Bama-Auburn) that hasn't been evenly matched since I've been born. As a kid, Michigan dominated OSU, and as a young adult OSU has turned the tables. It'd be nice if going into the season it wasn't apparent who was going to win in November.

6. College Athletes Given Money

This would normally take much more than a few sentences to explain my reasoning, as it's definitely a hot button topic.

I figure if a sports team is bringing in a ton of revenue for the university, those players should be rewarded in some fashion. If anything, allow them to make money on their own during the school year so they're not broke like most other college students.

7. Keep the NCAA Basketball Tournament As It Is

I don't mind 68 teams, but let's keep it there. There's no need to bring in 96 teams or 128. If it isn't broken, don't fix it. Of all things in sports, March Madness is not broken.

8. A No. 16 Seed Defeats a No. 1 Seed

Probably the least likely of all on my list, but man, wouldn't it be cool? Watching Duke or UNC go down to the likes of Delaware State or Quinnipiac would be amazing.

9. Cinderella Wins It All

George Mason came pretty close a few years back, and I don't regard Villanova back in the '80s as a Cinderella. I'm talking about a non-major conference team seeded lower than six (or out of the top 25).

10. Another Larry Bird

Not necessarily a player who plays the game like Bird, but a guy who comes out of nowhere on a mid-major team and takes that team to at least the Final Four. Sort of like Stephen Curry if had he beaten Kansas back in 2008.

11. Northwestern Makes the NCAA Tournament

This may happen this year, but it's a team that's NEVER made the tournament, and they play in one of the big conferences. This needs to change, and the fans and alumni of that school would go absolutely nuts even if they lose in the first round.

12. A Duke-UNC Final

The biggest rivalry in college basketball on the biggest stage.

Fans would take one of three adamant approaches: Go UNC, go Duke, or I can't stand either of these teams.

13. More High School Basketball Games Nationally Televised

With the one-and-done kids coming out like wildfire, it would give college fans that don't bother going online to research the top prep kids a chance to see them before they get to college. That way, a lot more people would've known about John Wall, Kevin Durant, and Michael Beasley before they even enrolled in college.

14. LeBron James Ends His Career with No Championships

Keep in mind I used to defend the guy until he quit in the playoffs. Quitters should not be rewarded with such things as glory and championships.

15. Kevin Durant Becomes the Best Small Forward of All Time

He becomes the face of the league, wins multiple championships, and stays the way he is right now: humble, hard-working, no drama, good teammate, and a winner. Guys like that should be rewarded with such things as glory and championships.

16. Chris Paul and Dwight Howard Team Up

I've been saying for years that if those two ever got together, they would be one of the most unstoppable tandems the league has ever seen. Paul made Tyson Chandler look like an All-Star for a time—imagine what he could do with the most athletic center in the league.

17. We Witness a Flip Dunk

That's right—a guy does a flip in the air and dunks the ball. If the 720 can be done (if you haven't seen it, look up 720 dunk on YouTube; it was done by a guy on the AND 1 mixtape tour a few years ago), a flip dunk can be done. Make it happen, somebody.

18. A Player Averages a Triple-Double for a Season

We all know of a guy right now who could probably do it in LeBron James if he wants to. If he's willing to become a Magic Johnson-type player for the Heat, this could happen in the next year or two.

19. A Player Gets a Quadruple-Double

There are a few people in the league right now who have a shot, but it would have to be a concerted effort to make it happen.

20. The Knicks Become Good Again

Not necessarily winning a championship, but at least make them an annual playoff team. It's been a long time since that was the case, and the league would greatly benefit from it.

21. We Witness the Greatest Player Ever

Yes, better than Jordan, because I think he can be topped. Kobe Bryant would've had a great chance had part of his prime been stuck in first round playoff exits.

I want to see a guy who comes in immediately and just dominates the league, winning title after title. Maybe a combination of Jordan's tenacity, LeBron's athleticism, and Magic's playmaking ability. He isn't in the league yet, but he could be coming.

22. Barry Bonds Gets into the Hall of Fame

If it means so does Roger Clemens, Joe Jackson, and Pete Rose, then fine. Bonds deserves it as a player, though not as a person.

Take away all his numbers he put up after 2000 (when he allegedly started using PEDs) and he's still a first ballot HOF player. Cut his numbers in half from 2000 on, and he's probably one of the 25 best players ever.

23. Pedro Martinez Gets His Due

Most likely, he is my favorite athlete ever. One of the most dominant pitchers of all time in his prime.

I hope one day we'll remember him as this generation's Sandy Koufax with an attitude and never-say-die approach to the game (which is what got him in trouble in the 2003 ALCS). His performance in the 1999 All-Star Game rivals anything a player has ever done in any All-Star Game in all of sports.

24. Stephen Strasburg and David Price Pitch for 20 Injury-Free Years

The best arms of the next generation deserve the chance to become two of the greatest pitchers of all time.

25. A Player Wins the Triple Crown

Hasn't been done since 1967, but I think it can be done. Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera have a chance to do it at some point in their careers.

26. A Player Bats .400

Probably harder to achieve than the Triple Crown. I always thought Ichiro could pull it off, but it looks like this milestone will have to wait until the next generation comes in.

27. A Player Hits 50 HR and 50 SB in a Season

Never been done before, and a 40-40 season has only been done a handful of times. There is a guy out there that I think can do it in a few years: Hanley Ramirez. If he can get on a good team, it'll be possible.

28. A Player Gets 4,000 Hits for a Career

Only Ty Cobb and Pete Rose have done it, but I think it can be done again. It's going to take 20-plus years of injury-free baseball, so this will have to wait a while.

29. A Home Run Derby with Batters Using Metal Bats

This would just be fun to watch. Instead of 350 to 450-foot homers, there would be 500 to 600-foot bombs. Many people have never hit with a wood bat and don't understand how hard it is to hit a home run. Letting players use metal might give them an idea.

30. The Pittsburgh Pirates Win the World Series

There are kids who are going to college right now that weren't even born the last time the Pirates even sniffed .500. This will probably take a long time to happen, but it would be nice to see.

31. The Chicago Cubs Never Win the World Series

Because it's the Cubs.

32. The Cleveland Browns Win the Super Bowl

Ask any Cleveland fan if they could have one franchise win it all, and most will say the Browns.

This city is so desperate for a championship they'd probably sink the city into Lake Erie if it meant the Browns would win the Super Bowl. Let the suffering end. The Fumble, The Shot, The Drive, The Decision, and hopefully The Championship.

33. The Buffalo Bills Win the Super Bowl

They made the Super Bowl four straight years and lost each, and then there's the Music City Miracle. There's also talk of the franchise moving to Toronto. Add in the Buffalo Sabres' lack of success, and this city needs a championship almost as much as Cleveland.

34. The Green Bay Packers Win the Super Bowl

I hardly remember their last title. I love the team more than any other franchise in sports. My personal goal is to make it to Lambeau at some point. It'd be nice to get another one.

35. All of Brett Favre's Records Get Broken, Except the INTs

No, I haven't forgiven him, and probably won't until he's long gone from the league.

36. A Scrambling Quarterback Wins a Super Bowl

This stigma needs to change. I don't get it. Let one guy win it, and the premise is gone forever.

37. The Second Coming of Bo Jackson

Widely regarded as the greatest athlete since Jim Thorpe.

I don't remember him—I just hear stories and watch videos of this freak of nature. It'd be nice to see an athlete who's an all-star in two sports again.

38. A Golfer Breaks Jack Nicklaus' 18 Majors

Whether it's Tiger Woods or another phenom, it's the biggest record in golf. Records are meant to be broken.

39. A Golfer Shoots 58

Never been done, yet a 59 has been done multiple times. I don't get it. It's one less stroke. Someone can do it.

40. A Golfer Wins the True Grand Slam

Screw the Tiger slam. That wasn't a slam of anything. He won four consecutive majors. Someone can do it in the same season.

41. A British Player Wins Wimbledon

It would be great to see the reaction, and I think Andy Murray can do it. We share the same first name, which automatically makes him awesome (kidding, kind of).

42. No Frenchman Wins the French Open

Because it's the French.

43. The Death of Boxing

It's over, folks. Give us Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather and be done with it. MMA's better and safer.

44. A Catastrophe Happens in MMA

The one uncertain thing about MMA is what will happen once something horrible happens (a death in the ring, retired fighters die off quickly). I don't like predicting deaths, but we need to find out if MMA can recover from something like that.

45. WWE Goes Back to How It Was in the Mid to Late '90s

No more kid-friendly shows. Go back to middle fingers, lingerie contests, and blood everywhere. Problem is it won't be happening anytime soon, which will probably be too late.

46. The NHL Becomes Mainstream Again

I went to my first NHL game earlier this past winter. Loved it. I hope it gets back into being a popular sport. With the success of the Olympics, it may have a chance.

47. Wooden Bats Being Used in College Baseball

Players at that level swing the bat too hard to be using a metal bat. One of these days, a pitcher is going to be killed instantly by a line drive. That's a crisis I don't want to see.

48. A Horse Wins the Triple Crown

It's been so close in the past and hasn't been done since Seattle Slew in the late '70s. Unlike boxing, this isn't a year-round thing. It's three events in the spring and could be extremely exciting should this milestone be reached.

49. A Poker Pro Wins the Main Event

I'm not talking about an online professional. I'm talking a Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, or Sam Farha—a widely recognized professional. The amateurs can only get lucky for so long.

50. The U.S. Wins the World Cup

We're America. We're great at almost every major sport. It's only natural we find a way to beat everyone else at "their" game.