I love lists. I attribute that to the obsessive-compulsive part of my personality.
But while I may be a bit biased, The Sporting News list of the best sports cities is just flat-out wrong.
Now I completely understand, as far as national publications and other media are concerned, football is only contested at major institutions. So any list of the best places to watch a football game surely isn’t going to include any facility that seats fewer than say, 70,000 people (although the U.S. military field at Michie Stadium at Army was listed 20th with just 40,000 available seats).
But on a list of the 402 (how did they settle on that number?) of the best sports cities, to list the top Montana town, Missoula, at 145 – surrounded by the likes of Huntsville, Tex., and Normal, Ill. – is quite frankly unconscionable.
Now for comparisons, let’s just look at cities in the Northwest with which I am most familiar. The basis of the rating, which of course pretty much eliminates small-town America where sports are the fabric of life, centers on categories like win-loss records, postseason appearances, applicable power ratings, number of teams and attendances.
Well I guess there will be no curve applied to those ratings because outside of cities with major sports franchises the remainder of the country can’t be comparatively competitive.
As far as Big Sky Conference teams, Portland far and away wins that category (No. 40), followed by Sacramento (No. 52) simply because of the existence of major sports in those areas.
Bozeman is third behind Missoula at No. 183, followed by Ogden (No. 156), Flagstaff (No. 191) Pocatello (No. 236) and Cheney (No. 237). Greeley isn’t listed.
Interesting too is that three of the final 16 – Yakima is last by the way – are in the Treasure State with Great Falls followed by Helena, then Billings, a spot ahead of Yakima.
I have no argument for Boise (No. 59), Eugene (No. 65) or Spokane (No. 114). But, come on, Logan, Utah (No. 99), Moscow, Id. (No. 111), Pullman (1No. 19), Laramie, Wy. (No. 121). Please say it ain’t so!
And you think I’m miffed? What about those folks in Tacoma. Wash., which is listed 297?
But being last of the 402 cornered ink for Yakima, making the Chamber of Commerce happy, as the city netted about 20 inches of copy and a couple of photos.
You will be happy to know that Frisco, Tex., the new site of the FCS National Championship ranks No. 328, while Chattanooga, for the last few years the championship game host, stands a solid No. 200.
One thing the list did do was allow me to find out in what state Elon University, a school solidly represented in the FCS poll, is located. That would be North Carolina.
Sporting News top-10 sports cities
1. Chicago + Evanston
2. Boston
3. Los Angeles
4. Philadelphia
5. Dallas + Fort Worth
6. New York
7. Phoenix + Tempe
8. Atlanta
9. Denver + Boulder
10. Detroit + Ann Arbor + Ypsilanti