Misconduct | Your best sports experience while traveling: your answers

I was on vacation in Barcelona for a few days. During my stay, I learned that there was a Champions League match between Glasgow Celtic and FC Barcelona. I inquired with the hotel where I was staying if it was possible to have a ticket for the match. I was told yes. During the day, Celtic supporters had invaded Barcelona. En route to the subway for the match, supporters of both clubs sang their respective rallying cries. I arrived at the legendary Camp Nou. I had no idea where the ticket was. In the end, I was located very close to the FC Barcelona bench. I saw nearby Lionel Messi and his teammates warming up for the game. The match started, there were 100,000 people in the stadium. Electrifying atmosphere of a Champions League match and as a bonus, FC Barcelona won. The experience of a lifetime.

Unquestionably, the Palio of Siena (Italy), in Piazza del Campo. I have never seen so much human energy in one place. A crowd in full swing before the race, the quarters of the city in the bleachers taking turns boosting their colorful chants at the top of their voices, which as soon as the horses enter, becomes completely silent to allow the riders to contain their mounts so that they line up. An extremely difficult maneuver given the energy that emanates from the enclosure which has become mute and the mad race to come. It should be known that there are often falls of riders, and the horses continue the race alone and can win it without them. And there is all the decorum before the race, the dignitaries on their balconies, the religious processions that last all day before the race in the streets of the city, the 10 groups of young people representing their neighborhood, all dressed in their traditional clothes of different colors, who come to settle in the bleachers, the spectators who surround the ring, and those who, like my daughter and I were, are inside the ring, and so on. An ultimate experience both for the energy and the magic of these community rivalries, for the celebration of victory – the victorious horseman being carried by the crowd at arm’s length – and for the beauty of the place. In short, the experience of a lifetime. And I’ve been to Forum playoff games against Boston…

Boston, for the legendary Fenway Park. What a beautiful ballpark. What a gem! It’s its history, its old-fashioned style, its oversized Green Monster that makes it special.

My wife and I used to spend our winters in Thailand. We also took the opportunity to discover other countries in Southeast Asia. Being great tennis fans, it was in the winter of 2018 that we decided to find a way to attend the Australian Open. On the internet, I found a tennis cruise to the tournament. Depart Sydney for Melbourne, tickets for two days of tennis at the Australian Open and return to Sydney. Superb experience!

On August 27, 2015, we took advantage of our vacation in Niagara Falls to watch the Alouettes’ game at the new Tiger-Cats stadium, Tim Hortons Field, in Hamilton. The Ticats had a better record than the Alouettes and had won their first ten games in their new stadium. On site, the whole family (two adults and three children) wears an Alouettes jersey. Tiger-Cats fans salute us. The atmosphere is good-natured. On the other hand, once the game started, the crowd was clearly hostile to the opponent, as is usual in Hamilton. The game is close and exciting, but with 70 seconds to go in the fourth quarter, Boris Bede pulls off the placement that makes the difference. To everyone’s surprise, the Alouettes won 26-23 and inflicted a first loss on the Ticats in their new stadium. By chance, our seats are right next to where the Alouettes leave the field. The players, who are euphoric following this unexpected victory, see us with our jerseys and practically all come to clap our hands. Among them, Marc-Olivier Brouillette and Alan-Michael Cash give their gloves to my 12 and 8 year old sons. Difficult to have a better match!

Hartford, April 1989. The Whalers arena was in the mall. The Canadian had won both games to eliminate the Whalers in four. Pure happiness and a meeting and photos with the Habs players.