Best sports cities? Baltimore ranked 43rd
The whole 'list' thing has jumped the shark several dozens times but that doesn't seem to stop anyone from doing them. And they are sort of irresistible if they include something about your team or city. The latest and, I'll concede, fairly ambitious list comes from SportingNews.com, which puts out a regular edition on the Internet these days, on the top 400 sports towns. That's right, top 400.
So, of course, we're eager to find out how Baltimore rates. How about 43rd. That seems way low to us. The criteria, in the words of SN.com, includes: "various categories, including but not limited to won-lost records, postseason appearances, applicable power ratings, number of teams and attendance.
Even considering that the time period being measured is October 2007 to October 2008, which means that the Ravens' dismal 2007 is part of the equation and of course, the Orioles' typical showing is factored in, that's hard to swallow, especially -- as colleague Rick Maese points out -- Charm City ranks behind behind places such as Salt Lake City, Lawrence, Kansas, Jacksonville and Orlando. Just the Ravens' parking lot on game day should get it into the top 25.
The No. 1 sports city? Get your barf bags ready -- Boston.
But I think the folks who should really be miffed are the good people of Burlington, N.C., the nominal home of the Elon University Phoenix (formerly Fighting Christians). Burlington (No. 400 out of 400) is somehow ranked behind behind Wappingers Falls, N.Y. (No. 376) and Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. (No. 355).
C'mon, what are those guys at SN.com thinking?
Comments
Sporting news lost their credibility when they left their roots as baseballs best paper many years ago and became a trashy magazine of trash sports.I wouldn't buy that rag for anything-and I was a subsriber for years.In the 50's and 60's there was none better.The original owners would not admit to knowing these clowns
Posted by: ron in va | October 8, 2008 10:30 AM
Elon is an awesome sports town, and I know, I went there. We are even going to have a massive contingent at College Park in December when the Phoenix beat the Terps.
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Dan,
I sent a lot of money to Elon. My daughter is a graduate, that's why the reference.
-- Bill O.
Posted by: Dan | October 8, 2008 10:53 AM
Interesting that Ann Arbor is included with Detroit and Boulder is included with Denver, yet Baltimore and Towson (#210) are considered separately. Towson is a lot closer to Baltimore than Ann Arbor to Detroit, or Boulder to Denver.
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Andrew,
Good point.
-- Bill O.
Posted by: Andrew | October 8, 2008 12:57 PM
YEAH TOWSON!!!!! No. 210!!!!!
College Park is 77
Annapolis is 119
Emmitsburg is 171
Bowie is 300
Salisbury is 332
Westminster is 345
Frederick is 364
Hagerstown is 365
Aberdeen is 378
Prince Anne is 385
Posted by: George | October 8, 2008 1:46 PM
After our showing in the divisional series in both the American and National leagues, I'm surprised Chicago wasn't automatically demoted down out of the top 20.
Maybe it was listed on the page, but I'd be interested in seeing what their actual ranking algorithm was. If you think about the number of professional sports titles Boston has earned this century, relative to the amount of people living there, it really is pretty remarkable. But I wonder what sports were included, if athletes in individual sports like golf were tabulated, etc.
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Jay,
I think you're giving these guys who made the list way too much credit. I believe it may have come down to how many times a city's team appeared on SportsCenter highlights.
-- Bill O.
Posted by: Jay Maduro | October 9, 2008 1:12 AM
apparently sports illustrated does
not remember 1969-1970??
the orioles were the best baseball
team, the colts won the super bowl
in 1970...
the bullets won the eastern
conference and advanced to the finals..
baltimore should be rated in the top
15 in the very least. brooks and
johnny u. exemplified the sportmanship and are household
names to sports fans.......
Posted by: bob m. | October 9, 2008 12:20 PM
You must be kidding. Salisbury is only 322nd? What a travesty. There is no way that they shouldn't be at least 320th.
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Rick,
I agree they're totally disrespecting the Gulls.
-- Bill O.
Posted by: rick | October 9, 2008 4:32 PM