Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Love 'Em or Hate 'Em: Sports Cities



We're back for another edition of "Love 'Em or Hate 'Em." This time, we'll take a look at major sports cities. The 10 listed below were taken from the Sporting News list of the best sports cities in America. Ready? Go!

Detroit - Teams: Lions, Tigers, Pistons, Red Wings - Detroit has certainly gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to the American economy. Most of its sports teams aren't fairing much better. The Lions are finally (knock on wood) starting to turn around their embarrassing play. The Pistons, an Eastern Conference superpower several years ago, now reside near the basement of their division. The Tigers have, it seems, recovered from a 119 loss season in 2003. The Red Wings have been the surest thing for the city, winning Stanley Cups or at the very least, contending for them. Hatred rarely stems from pity, and that is why I Love Detroit.

Denver - Teams: Broncos, Rockies, Nuggets, Avalanche, Rapids - Denver has plenty of good teams, but certainly can't be considered a sports superpower. The city's most recent title actually came this past year in the MLS, with the Rapids winning it all. The Avalanche and Rockies are fun teams to root for, and the Broncos wowed us during the Elway days. My answer would be unequivocal were it not for one man: Tim Tewbow. I just can't stand the guy. Still, I won't let one player ruin a city. I Love Denver.

Phoenix - Teams: Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Suns, Coyotes - Dear Phoenix, you have no business having a hockey team, your football and baseball teams have been less than impressive recently, and your basketball team is a perennial underachiever. And your climate is uncomfortably warm. I Hate Phoenix.

Atlanta - Teams: Falcons, Braves, Hawks, Thrashers - For some reason, I find myself rooting for Atlanta teams quite often. The Falcons went through a lot with the whole Mike Vick ordeal, and have bounced back admirably. The Braves, though struggling a bit, are one of the best run franchises in baseball. My only quip is that Atlanta absolutely should not have a hockey team. Has there ever been ice there? Whatever. I Love Atlanta.

New York - Teams: Jets, Giants, Yankees, Mets, Knicks, Rangers, Islanders, Red Bulls - New York has too many teams, and most of them are annoying. Plus it's dirty. I Hate New York.

Dallas - Teams: Cowboys, Rangers, Mavericks, Stars, FC Dallas - I don't mind the Rangers. I can tolerate the Stars and FC Dallas, and I actually kind of like the Mavs. But the Cowboys ruin Dallas for me. Thanks for taking a primetime game every week of the season. I hate the Cowboys and I Hate Dallas.

Philadelphia - Teams: Eagles, Phillies, 76ers, Flyers, Union - Philadelphia is rapidly become one of the best sports cities in America. The fans are passionate. The teams are excellent - the Eagles, Phillies, and Flyers contend for titles every year. (Now, about those Sixers...) I Love Philadelphia.

Los Angeles - Teams: Angels, Dodgers, Lakers, Clippers, Kings, Ducks, Galaxy, Chivas USA - Los Angeles doesn't have a football team. Yikes. Lost Angeles does have a Kobe Bryant. Double yikes. I Hate Los Angeles.

Boston - Teams: Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins, Revolution - No sense trying to hide the bias here. Go Pats, go Sox, go Celts, Go B's, and go Revs. I Love Boston.

Chicago - Teams: Bears, White Sox, Cubs, Blackhawks, Fire - Chicago is a great city with great sports teams. And I don't think anyone in the country would be upset if the Cubs won a world series. I Love Chicago.

1 comment:

  1. I think your brother, A Khan, would tell you that there in fact is ice in Atlanta.

    ReplyDelete