The Pros I would Pay to See- Brian Kochheiser

There are many world class athletes and teams who provide entertainment that is second to none. When I think of male athletes who dominate their respective sport, the first names that come to mind are LeBron James, Roger Federer, Usain Bolt, Miguel Cabrera, and Lionel Messi. All five of them have experienced a great deal of success and often perform at a higher level than their peers. Female athletes are often times overshadowed by male athletes, but it is important to remember that there are some incredible female athletes out there too. A few names that pop into my head are Alex Morgan, Serena Williams, Missy Franklin, Gabby Douglas, and the ever so dominant duo of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings. These female athletes are all very entertaining and good at what they do. The question becomes, how much would you be willing to spend to watch these athletes pay? Is there a difference between male and female athletes? I have been very fortunate because I have had the opportunity to witness some great athletes compete. I was at game 5 of the 2002 Stanley Cup Finals where the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Carolina Hurricanes to hoist the Stanley Cup. The tickets were easily $350 a piece, but the experience was priceless and it is a memory that I will never forget with my father. That Detroit Red Wings team was probably one of the best NHL teams of all time. The team was loaded with NHL stars and future hall of famers in Steve Yzerman, Brendan Shanahan, Sergei Fedorov, Brett Hull, Nick Lidstrom, Luc Robitaille, Chris Chelios, Dominik Hasek, and Pavel Datsyuk. Additionally, I have been fortunate enough to see Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander, LeBron James, and Calvin Johnson perform live, so I would pick an athlete that I have never seen live. If I had to pick one male athlete that I would like to see play live then it would be Tiger Woods. I would pay a lot of money to go back in time and follow him on his final round of the 2005 Masters where he had the famous chip in on hole #16. He single handily put golf on the map with his legendary golf game. If I had to pick a female athlete that I would pay to see then it would be Alex Morgan (US Soccer player). I love international soccer and I would pay a good chunk of money to watch her and Team USA play in the FIFA 2015 Women's World Cup. Personally, I would pay more to see Tiger Woods than Alex Morgan, but that's just because that is just what the market value of the ticket and experience is. Financially, I just wouldn't want to pay more than I have to for a ticket. However, I will say, you can't put a price on history. If you attend a game that will be talked about for years to come and go down as a classic, then that ticket is priceless. One day, I hope to see both athletes compete in their respective sports. How much would you pay to see your favorite athlete play?