Having covered all sports in the Broward County for over three decades now, I can pretty much tell you the events and venues that I very much look forward to attending.

Obviously, football is always appealing to me. Whether regular season games, practices, all-star events or camps, I will always be there. Entertaining basketball games, key softball games, wrestling tournaments and track meets always give me something to look forward to as well. That's part of this job that I always enjoy.

But perhaps the best event at any one venue has to be baseball at Nova's Pat McQuaid Stadium. Having known Coach McQuaid since he began coaching football and baseball at Nova back in the 1970s, there is a special place in my heart for this impressive man who always has great teams, discipline athletes and a facility that is simply second to none.

McQuaid is a true pioneer in this county. He is an innovator and a worker who continues to blaze a trail that will be hard to follow into the future. He has done so much for athletics in Broward County, it would take me several columns to bring you back to all the lives he has touched. But let's just say he has influenced many generations!

Last Friday night, I had the pleasure of watching a baseball game between then unbeaten Nova and district rival St. Thomas Aquinas. The experience is better than anything you can imagine. It was a rematch of the two great games the teams played to end the 2008 season with great pitching, tremendous defense and timely hitting.

While the Raiders won the game 6-1 with surprising ease, the total event was the story on this night. I have long said that outside the University of Miami, there is no amateur activity that rivals what you get at a Nova baseball game.

It's one of those experiences that you brag about and then tell as many people as you can. Last year I brought my friend Corey Long with me to witness the Nova baseball experience. Long, a veteran Florida journalist, was so blown away by the great time he had, he calls me and asks when we were going again!

Well, Corey, I can only tell you, while the baseball is always the show at McQuaid's "slice of heaven" in the heart of Davie, the overall experience of attending a game at this athletic oasis is worth the price of admission. It has always been that way, and it seems that even during tougher economic times, it' still the best value for your dollar!

While I usually flash my PRESS BADGE to get into games like this, last week, I paid my $4 to enjoy the game as a true fan. Even though I have covered athletics in this state for years and years, I am really a fan at heart! As the teams took infield, I grabbed a bag of fresh peanuts from the best concession stand outside a Saturday South Florida youth football game, and watched. The setting, with a minor league feel to it, is tremendous. Music, fan support, starting lineups, national anthem and a structure that Coach McQuaid helped to build with his own hands, is there for all those to enjoy.

As the fans began to pour in for the 6:30 game, parents and friends from both teams had the chance to greet each other and appreciate the facility that both teams were fortunate to be a part of. A night game at Nova is more than just a game. It's an event!

Excuse me for boosting the concession stand, but for less than $5, you can have a couple of grilled hamburgers, peanuts and a drink. They also have every other ballpark favorite that helps the program survive, and that includes a booster club of parents who work for nothing to ensure that the tradition lives on for a team that continues to churn out collegiate and professional players who are making a mark across the country.

If you have read my many columns here on BCAASports.com, you know that I am the great promoter. Whether it's players, coaches, fans or facilities, I am the first to make sure that everyone knows about it. Consider this enough time to tell you about McQuaid's baseball stadium, You have the annual Spring Break Tournament coming up, a few more regular season games and then the playoffs to get over there and see what I have long bragged about.

NEXT WEEK: With spring football on the horizon, many BCAA players are trying to gain an edge as well as sharpen their skills at combines.

You can reach Larry Blustein via e-mail at FloridaKids1@hotmail.com. He can also be heard every Thursday night (9-10) on the Miami Dolphins High School Gridiron Report on WQAM (560 AM).

You can reach Larry Blustein via e-mail at FloridaKids1@hotmail.com. He can also be heard every Thursday night (9-10) on the Miami Dolphins High School Gridiron Report on WQAM (560 AM).