ABOUT MR. SPORTS TRAVEL!
There is only 1 GOAT - The Greatest of All-Time...Sports Fan Traveler!
As featured in The New York Times, Yahoo! Sports, and on the BBC, no sports fan in the world has enjoyed more variety of live sporting events than "The Everywhere Man!"
THE GOAT, Pope, King, Grandaddy, Marco Polo of Sports Fan Travel! ...On the Mount Rushmore of Sports Travel, he owns the facade!
Visited 7 Continents, 189 Countries, 44 Territories…Visited Every Sovereign Nation in the World Except for 6…Attended 100+ Different Live Sporting Events Across the 6 Inhabited Continents…In 149 Different Countries and 27 Separate Territories – That Equals 176!
Visited 7 Continents, 189 Countries, 44 Territories…Visited Every Sovereign Nation in the World Except for 6…Attended 100+ Different Live Sporting Events Across the 6 Inhabited Continents…In 149 Different Countries and 27 Separate Territories – That Equals 176!
This is THE Bio/About page....Versus detailed breakdown of the mind-boggling number of sporting events he's attended - see By THE GOAT Numbers page.
"(Mr. Sports Travel) is the kind of a guy who any sports fan would just like to sit down and have a beer with. (He) has traveled to…venues around the globe, racking up the kind of experiences that most of us just dream of." – Buffalo Weekly
“When you see a Ford Fusion decked out in the American flag it doesn’t give a whole lot of mystery as to who (Mr. Sports Travel) is…a combined love of sports and his country rolled into one big tribute. The man behind the wheel of this car is on a mission to live a life with passion and purpose...His journey has earned him the nickname 'Mr. Sports Travel.'" – Spectrum Sports 360 TV (Central Florida)
“If you haven't met (Mr. Sports Travel), chances are you will someday if you attend enough games. The man is constantly on the move." – Tampa Bay Times
675 Consecutive Days of Enjoying a Sporting Event...Celebrating his 50th Birthday Enjoying Sports in each of the 50 United States...
....Association football/soccer, basketball, baseball, horse racing, tennis, cricket, volleyball, and aquatic sports EACH on six continents...
"Mr. Sports Travel has been almost everywhere in the world of sports, experiences any sports fan would be envious of...(He) owns and drives a Ford Fusion wrapped in the American Flag with a rear windshield wrap asking those that see it, ”Thanked a Veteran, Service Member, First Responder, or their families today?”...He partners with Operation First Response (OFR). OFR is a non-for-profit organization that aids veterans and first responders." – KTVF, Fairbanks, AK
"Super-fan (Mr. Sports Travel) is not used to sitting around....he San Diego entrepreneur attended a live sporting event somewhere in the U.S. or Canada, every day for 675 days in a row. That’s why he’s known as “Mister Sports Travel.” - WSYR-TV, Syracuse, NY
"So you think your little ‘sports vacation’ of seeing ballgames in six different ballparks during your vacation is unique? You’ve got nothing on this non-ordinary…(Mr. Sports Travel) returned home...after seeing at least one sports event for 675 – not a typo! – consecutive days.” – Albuquerque Journal
THE MR. SPORTS TRAVEL STORY: IN SUMMARY
Born in the USA and a resident of San Diego, CA, Mr. Sports Travel, real name Joe Connor, has enjoyed 100+ different live sporting events across 170+ countries on six continents (he's been to Antarctica, too!). In North America, he’s enjoyed a game at every NBA, NHL, MLB, and NFL venue, plus every NCAA Division I college football, basketball, baseball, and hockey site too. He's also taken in a game at every Minor League Baseball park, every NBA G-League venue, and countless minor league hockey and Canadian junior arenas. Mr. Sports Travel has also enjoyed more than 100 museums across 15+ different sports on six continents! His global travels have been featured on ESPN, the Travel Channel and in news outlets across the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Arguably, no fan in the world has enjoyed more live sporting events than “The Everywhere Man” Mr. Sports Travel! From Feb. 5, 2018 to Dec. 11, 2019, THE GOAT of Sports Travel enjoyed a different sporting event in the U.S. or Canada for 675 consecutive days!
He has been an independent contributing sports reporter and columnist since the 1990s. Over the years, his writing credits include the websites of ESPN, FOX Sports, NBC Sports, Los Angeles Times, and MLB, Major League Baseball’s official website, as well as Athlon Sports and USCHO, a premier college hockey site. His work has also been published in the Baltimore Sun, Basketball Times/CollegeBasketballTimes.com, and elsewhere. Earlier in his career, he was a FOX Sports Radio weekend baseball game day correspondent for its national network where he reported live updates of Padres Sunday home games in progress. He also contributed to KFWB-AM in Los Angeles when it was an all-news station. Mr. Sports Travel was first published while still in high school, writing on a twice monthly basis for his hometown West Hartford News in Connecticut. Because he was a minor at the time, his late mother signed a waiver so he could be published! He later wrote for college newspapers and then began his professional career at the Winter Haven News-Chief before relocating to San Diego where he covered high school and college sports for the San Diego Union-Tribune as a contributing reporter and also wrote for the weekly San Diego Newspaper Group chain, covering the Padres and Chargers.
MR. SPORTS TRAVEL IN THE MEDIA
THE MR. SPORTS TRAVEL STORY: IN DEPTH
Mr. Sports Travel hasn't been attending live sporting events since birth – but it's pretty darn close! His late father, Joe Connor III, whom this site is dedicated after, had an enormous and profound sports influence on his son as a child and teenager. They attended countless New England Whalers (of the World Hockey Association) and Hartford Whalers (now Carolina Hurricanes) games together from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, as well Red Sox games, Minor League Baseball and PGA golf events. Learn more about his father on the About the Dedication page and enjoy this news storyabout his Dad on his YouTube Channel.
SPORTS UPBRINGING AND EARLY TRAVELS
Mr. Sports Travel hasn't been attending live sporting events since birth – but it's pretty darn close! His late father, Joe Connor III, whom this site is dedicated after, had an enormous and profound sports influence on his son as a child and teenager. They attended countless New England Whalers (of the World Hockey Association) and Hartford Whalers (now Carolina Hurricanes) games together from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, as well Red Sox games, Minor League Baseball and PGA golf events. Learn more about his father on the About the Dedication page and enjoy this news storyabout his Dad on his YouTube Channel.
When not attending live sporting events, Mr. Sports Travel was playing sports or enjoying sports on television, including the weekend ABC program, Wide World of Sports and all sorts of sports when ESPN launched in 1979. He and his father marveled at the talent and showmanship of "The Greatest," Muhammad Ali. He also enjoyed the "Superstars" competitions in which celebrities competed in a number of different sporting events. He read the Hartford Courant sports page every day and Sports Illustrated each week. He collected baseball, football, basketball, and hockey cards. He made time every Saturday to enjoy This Week in Baseball hosted by Mel Allen and at least caught the first half of Monday Night Football each week (his parents made him to go to bed at halftime: "school in the morning Joey!").
Mr. Sports Travel’s parents introduced their children at a young age to literally playing or watching as a spectator a variety of sports, from fall and winter sports like gridiron football, association football/soccer, ice hockey, basketball, snow skiing, and figure skating to spring and summer sports such as baseball, tennis and water skiing. During a trip to Florida in the 1980s, Mr. Sports Travel enjoyed "running" the “Superstars” venue in Key Biscayne. He played travel ice hockey from his early teens, including prospective college recruiting camps at Maine, Brown, and in Verdun, Canada. A three-sport high school varsity athlete (cross country, ice hockey, track and field) and summer American Legion baseball player, Mr. Sports Travel graduated from the playing field to the stands when he entered college in the early 1990s!
1990s TRAVELS
In the early to mid-1990s, Mr. Sports Travel’s journeys were limited – due to being in college and limited funds! He didn't own his first car until after college: a 1982 French Le Junk! When his father took him to a Florida Gators home football game at “The Swamp” in September 1992, he became immediately hooked on attending college athletics. He covered high school and college sports during his freshman year at Elizabethtown College, contributing to the school newspaper, radio station, and Talk of the Towns on the campus television station. Later, he attended college football and basketball games while studying journalism at Texas Christian University (TCU) where he wrote a sports column for the school newspaper and hosted a news interview show on the campus radio station which included guests such as TCU alums like football players Bob Lilly and Larry Brown, golf columnist Dan Jenkins, and journalist Bob Schieffer. He also filled in a few times as the color commentary for Fort Worth Fire Minor League Hockey games that were broadcast on the campus radio station. When in Florida where his parents had relocated from Connecticut, he enjoyed baseball spring training, Orlando Magic basketball and Tampa Bay Lightning hockey games and other sports. He also briefly contributed on-air sports updates on the campus radio station at the University of Central Florida (UCF), including covering Magic games.
In 1996, Mr. Sports Travel moved to San Diego, California. He first began covering mostly high school football and basketball as well as college volleyball for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Later, he began writing a weekly sports column for a San Diego community newspaper chain, covering a variety of high school sports, including water polo and swimming, plus special San Diego events such as the Summer X Games in the late 1990s and the annual Bayfair boat race. While covering high school football games for the San Diego Union-Tribune, he also contributed his game recap to John Kentera's "Friday Night High School Show" on XTRA Sports 690-AM radio station. During this period, he was making decent enough money that his sports travel escapades jumped entirely to another level!
His first goal: see all 30 MLB parks by the end of the decade, so in 1998, he enjoyed 15 baseball contests over 21 days, calling his father from the road after many games. In April 1999, his father died. Mr. Sports Travel dedicated the remaining journey to honor his Dad, completing his goal six months later by enjoying a game at his 30th different MLB park on the last weekend of the regular season. Within a year, he had also enjoyed a game at every MLB spring training site.
In the early to mid-1990s, Mr. Sports Travel’s journeys were limited – due to being in college and limited funds! He didn't own his first car until after college: a 1982 French Le Junk! When his father took him to a Florida Gators home football game at “The Swamp” in September 1992, he became immediately hooked on attending college athletics. He covered high school and college sports during his freshman year at Elizabethtown College, contributing to the school newspaper, radio station, and Talk of the Towns on the campus television station. Later, he attended college football and basketball games while studying journalism at Texas Christian University (TCU) where he wrote a sports column for the school newspaper and hosted a news interview show on the campus radio station which included guests such as TCU alums like football players Bob Lilly and Larry Brown, golf columnist Dan Jenkins, and journalist Bob Schieffer. He also filled in a few times as the color commentary for Fort Worth Fire Minor League Hockey games that were broadcast on the campus radio station. When in Florida where his parents had relocated from Connecticut, he enjoyed baseball spring training, Orlando Magic basketball and Tampa Bay Lightning hockey games and other sports. He also briefly contributed on-air sports updates on the campus radio station at the University of Central Florida (UCF), including covering Magic games.
In 1996, Mr. Sports Travel moved to San Diego, California. He first began covering mostly high school football and basketball as well as college volleyball for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Later, he began writing a weekly sports column for a San Diego community newspaper chain, covering a variety of high school sports, including water polo and swimming, plus special San Diego events such as the Summer X Games in the late 1990s and the annual Bayfair boat race. While covering high school football games for the San Diego Union-Tribune, he also contributed his game recap to John Kentera's "Friday Night High School Show" on XTRA Sports 690-AM radio station. During this period, he was making decent enough money that his sports travel escapades jumped entirely to another level!
His first goal: see all 30 MLB parks by the end of the decade, so in 1998, he enjoyed 15 baseball contests over 21 days, calling his father from the road after many games. In April 1999, his father died. Mr. Sports Travel dedicated the remaining journey to honor his Dad, completing his goal six months later by enjoying a game at his 30th different MLB park on the last weekend of the regular season. Within a year, he had also enjoyed a game at every MLB spring training site.
During this period, he was featured on The Travel Channel about MLB parks and as a guest on ESPN’s Outside the Lines following his mlb.com five-part series on Cuban baseball. He provided baseball research support on Cuban baseball to NBC Sports coverage of the sport at the 2004 Summer Olympics. ESPN.com later hired him to write profiles on each of the participants for the inaugural World Baseball Classic (WBC) as well as the 2009 WBC.
2000s TRAVELS
In the 2000s, Mr. Sports Travel went sports travel crazy! He expanded his sports-capades across basketball, gridiron football, and ice hockey – and took his travels abroad, too, enjoying sports on six continents. Additionally, he began to share his passion with fellow fans. He launched modernerabaseball.com (now MrSportsTravel.com) in April 2001 on the two-year anniversary of his father’s passing and began selling online baseball travel guides for fans to make the most of spring training and planning an MLB and minors parks tour. He later added guides for college and pro gridiron football, basketball and baseball which can be purchased in The Shop.
During this period, he was featured on The Travel Channel about MLB parks and as a guest on ESPN’s Outside the Lines following his mlb.com five-part series on Cuban baseball. He provided baseball research support on Cuban baseball to NBC Sports coverage of the sport at the 2004 Summer Olympics. ESPN.com later hired him to write profiles on each of the participants for the inaugural World Baseball Classic (WBC) as well as the 2009 WBC.
Throughout the 2000s, in addition to writing for local outlets, Mr. Sports Travel also contributed to mlb.com and foxsports.com. For a few years, he was also a weekend on-air San Diego game day correspondence for FOX Sports Radio’s live coverage around MLB. He also contributed to then KFWB-AM in Los Angeles.
Following the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Mr. Sports Travel purchased a 1984 Mercedes and converted the car to run on vegetable oil to raise awareness of renewals fuels while sports traveling. Backed by corporate sponsors such as Louisville Slugger, StubHub, AutoTrader, and MapQuest, among others, Mr. Sports Travel crisscrossed the U.S. and Canada over parts of three years, from 2006 through 2008 (news stories about the green car here and here). During these trips, he took in numerous professional and college games across baseball, basketball, football, and ice hockey. In 2007, then ESPN.com columnist Jim Caple dubbed his journey, “Road Trip of the Year.” Mr. Sports Travel documented his 2008 west coast travels on LATimes.com, the website of the Los Angeles Times.
2010s TRAVELS
In December 2010, Mr. Sports Travel completed a mission he began eight years earlier – to enjoy a game at every NHL arena. Two years later, he achieved a similar, long-term goal – taking in a game at every NBA arena. Around this timeframe, he also began contributing travel columns for NBCSports.com, Basketball Times and USCHO.com, a top college hockey site, sharing stories with fans about his adventures. During this period, Mr. Sports Travel also completed a goal of enjoying a game at every NFL stadium, plus nearly every top program in NCAA Division I gridiron football, basketball, baseball, and hockey. Additionally, he took in auto racing events such as the Indianapolis 500, and premier NASCAR races at Daytona, Talladega and Martinsville.
From Feb. 5, 2018 until Dec. 11, 2019, he enjoyed a sporting event for 675 consecutive days either in the U.S. or Canada, driving a car “wrapped” in the American flag to thank service members, veterans, and first responders. You can learn about this bonkers, out-of-the-mind trip on his YouTube channel!
In December 2010, Mr. Sports Travel completed a mission he began eight years earlier – to enjoy a game at every NHL arena. Two years later, he achieved a similar, long-term goal – taking in a game at every NBA arena. Around this timeframe, he also began contributing travel columns for NBCSports.com, Basketball Times and USCHO.com, a top college hockey site, sharing stories with fans about his adventures. During this period, Mr. Sports Travel also completed a goal of enjoying a game at every NFL stadium, plus nearly every top program in NCAA Division I gridiron football, basketball, baseball, and hockey. Additionally, he took in auto racing events such as the Indianapolis 500, and premier NASCAR races at Daytona, Talladega and Martinsville.
From Feb. 5, 2018 until Dec. 11, 2019, he enjoyed a sporting event for 675 consecutive days either in the U.S. or Canada, driving a car “wrapped” in the American flag to thank service members, veterans, and first responders. You can learn about this bonkers, out-of-the-mind trip on his YouTube channel!
2021 AND 2022 TRAVELS
After getting vaccinated for COVID-19, Mr. Sports Travel was back on the road in 2021. He enjoyed a different sporting event from Sept. 2, 2021 to Dec. 22, 2021 while raising awareness of OperationFirstResponse.org, a four-star rated charity benefiting veterans, service members, first responders, and their families.
In 2022, to celebrate turning 50 years of age, The Everywhere Man enjoyed a sporting event in each of the 50 United States! He drove the American flag mobile to sporting events in each of the lower 48 states and took flights to Hawaii and Alaska to enjoy sports there. In 2022, Mr. Sports Travel achieved multiple sports travel milestones (when you’ve been sports traveling for more than half your life, you reach milestones - unlike anyone else!). The Milestones:
On 5 November 2022 in Logan, UT, completed enjoying a game at every NCAA D-I gridiron football venue (years previously had already savored a game at home of every NFL team).
On 2 October 2022 in Anchorage, AK: completed enjoying a game at every NCAA Division I men's hockey venue (years previously saw a game at every NHL arena). News Story Here.
On 23 April 2022 in Sioux City, IA: completed enjoying a game at every United States Hockey League (USHL) venue, a top amateur ice hockey league.
On 3 March 2022 in Loudonville, NY: completed enjoying a game at every NCAA Division I women's hoops venue (about 20 programs or so have separate sites from the men).
On 24 February 2022 in Stephenville, TX: completed enjoying a game at every NCAA D-I men’s hoops venue too!
On 20 January 2022 in Stockton, CA: completed enjoyed a game at every NBA G-League venue (finished catching a game at every NBA venue back in 2012 and have caught an NBA game at all new venues opened since 2012).
On 3 March 2022 in Loudonville, NY: completed enjoying a game at every NCAA Division I women's hoops venue (about 20 programs or so have separate sites from the men).
On 24 February 2022 in Stephenville, TX: completed enjoying a game at every NCAA D-I men’s hoops venue too!
On 20 January 2022 in Stockton, CA: completed enjoyed a game at every NBA G-League venue (finished catching a game at every NBA venue back in 2012 and have caught an NBA game at all new venues opened since 2012).
JANUARY 2023 THROUGH APRIL 2026: THE EPIC WORLD TOUR!
During this 40-month start-to-end journey, Mr. Sports Travel enjoyed live sports in 143 different countries and 26 territories, taking in 44 different live sports. The primary sport was football/soccer. The second most watched was basketball - but he also enjoyed 42 - yes, 42! - additional sports live.
2023:
From 2023 January through 2023 May, THE Sports Travel GOAT visited 11 countries and three continents, enjoying both association football (Americans read soccer!) and basketball across 11 countries in the Americas, from Jamaica to southern Chile. He also enjoyed nine other different sports and knocked off his 7th continent, Antarctica!
From 2023 August through 2024 January, THE Sports Travel GOAT visited 35 countries, enjoying sports across Asia and Oceania!
2024:
In 2024 March and April, THE Sports Travel GOAT visited 30+ countries, enjoying both association football and basketball across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He reached another milestone: enjoying an association football and basketball match on six continents!
In 2024 June, The Marco Polo of Sports Travel took in an association football and basketball game in the South American countries of Guyana or Suriname, as well as in the Caribbean. As a result, he reached another milestone, enjoying both an association football and basketball game across six continents within just six months! = Oceania (January), Europe (March), Asia/the Middle East and Africa (April), and North and South America (June).
In 2024 August and September, the Everywhere Man enjoyed football, basketball, and other sports in East and Southern Africa, West Asia, and the Balkans. He also enjoyed cricket and horse racing on his fifth continent, taking in events in Mauritius and Zimbabwe, respectively.
In 2024 November and December, Mr. Sports Travel took in football and basketball across West, Central and North Africa, from Guinea to Cameroon and Ivory Coast to Senegal and Algeria. He also enjoyed baseball in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) - yes, baseball in the UAE!
2025:
From 2025 February through May, the Pope of Sports Travel enjoyed sporting events in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. He caught a horse race in Europe, marking yet another sport he's now seen each across six continents!
From 2025 July through September, he reached additional milestones: catching a volleyball, cricket, and tennis match on his sixth continent each! In late 2025 October and November he also visited Central America to enjoy sports.
2026:
THE Sports Travel GOAT embarked on two, separate trips and finished enjoying a football match (Americans that would be soccer!) inside every country that qualified for the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup. The lone exception was Iran, however, he watched Iran's men's national team play live in Tajikistan in 2025 in the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) tournament during the FIFA men's international window.
FAVORITE TEAMS
Mr. Sports Travel grew up in Hartford, Connecticut in an Irish Catholic household a Notre Dame gridiron football fan. Senior year, he was a three-sport varsity athlete in high school (cross country in fall; ice hockey in winter; and track and field in spring). He played American Legion Baseball in the summer. Primarily left-handed, he batted and threw lefty. He also writes and plays tennis left-handed. Yet while playing ice hockey and golfing, Mr. Sports Travel is right handed!
He is also a fan of Texas Christian University (TCU) athletics where he studied journalism. As a child, he became a fan of the Boston Red Sox and has remained since. His favorite ice hockey team is the New York Rangers, basketball, the Celtics, and American football, the Patriots.
MEDIA MEMBER? PODCAST HOST? CREATOR? FILMMAKER? GET IN TOUCH WITH MR. SPORTS TRAVEL!
With his unique knowledge and perspective as well as engaging personality, Mr. Sports Travel makes for a great guest on any television, podcast or radio show. He's appeared on ESPN, the Travel Channel and the BBC, as well as on multiple different broadcasts in Africa, and many local TV stations in the USA. Additionally, he’s been quoted as an expert by reporters about sports travel stories. He has also assisted students at multiple U.S. universities with their thesis projects about international baseball.
A charismatic, talented and experienced public speaker and storyteller, he’s also available for appearances, including speaking engagements and has spoken before teams in the USA, Caribbean, Middle East, and Africa, including sports clubs and high schools and business and community groups.
A charismatic, talented and experienced public speaker and storyteller, he’s also available for appearances, including speaking engagements and has spoken before teams in the USA, Caribbean, Middle East, and Africa, including sports clubs and high schools and business and community groups.
Over the years, Mr. Sports Travel been a guest on more than 500 broadcast stations in the Americas, including ESPN Radio; FOX Sports Radio; Canada's radio network; and online/digital broadcast outlets around the world - from Tunisia in North Africa to Tanzania in East Africa to the United Kingdom to Kazakhstan in Asia, plus Mexico, Venezuela, and Colombia in Latin America. Print and online news services such as the Associated Press, Scripps Howard News Service, Sporting News, Chicago Sun-Times, and San Francisco Chronicle have also attributed Mr. Sports Travel for his expertise.
He can be reached at mrsportstravel@gmail.com or WhatsApp +1 858-531-7128.
