Sorry ER, but the vote is in....

[by-tor]

The Sporting News ranked the best sports cities for the different sports (as well as overall).....

Best Overall Sports City : Boston
Best Baseball : Bay Area
Best College Football : Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Baseball Quote :
"Two teams, 162 home games, 114 home victories (57 each) in the 2003 season. That's a combined .704 home winning percentage for San Francisco and Oakland, which means if you saw the home team(s) lose more than a handful of times last season, you're either a season-ticket holder or a jinx. Though neither the Giants nor the A's parlayed regular-season dominance at home into a World Series appearance, they gave the home crowds plenty to cheer and outdistanced the other multi-team metropolitan areas in the home-record standings"

The Angels-Dodgers were third on the list behind the ChiSox and Cubs, and ahead of the Yankees-Mets.

College Football Quote :
"No, no, no, you misunderstood. When the Sporting News crowned Southern California as it's national champion after the 2003 college football season, it was a mistake. OK, actually the mistake was when we inadvertently sent a USC-based cover into parts of Louisiana. If we needed proof of an entire state's passion, it's energies focused on one team in one city, then the LSU fans gave it to us. Boy, did they give it to us. E-mail. Phone calls. Letters. We got an idea of what opponents feel like when stadium public-address announcer Dan Borne says, "It's Saturday Night in Death Valley, and here come your Fighting Tigers of LSU". Sellout (91,600 plus) after raucous sellout, and a BCS championship victory down the road in New Orleans, too, mean one thing in our Best Sports City rankings: Baton Rouge is No. 1. Really"

*Note on the sellouts in BR....1964...last time LSU didn't sell out a game.

Cool facts about Tiger Stadium :
-- #6 On-Campus Stadium Capacities in the Nation
-- Sport Magazine named Tiger Stadium "the most feared road playing site in America."
-- ESPN named LSU's pre-game party the best in all of America
-- Data compiled by the Sporting News and the College Football Associationt show Tiger Stadium to be the most difficult place for a visiting team to play
-- Sports Illustrated's Rick Reilly, in a column debating college football vs. pro football, penned that "College football is LSU's Tiger Stadium at night."
-- When Tiger quarterback Tommy Hodson threw to Eddie Fuller for a winning touchdown against Auburn, the explosion of the crowd was so thunderous that it caused an earth tremor that registered on a seismograph meter in LSU's Geology Department across campus.

Quotes about Tiger Statium :
"I stood in Tiger Stadium and I thought, 'This is what the Colosseum in Rome must have been like.'" -- Ed Simonini, Texas A&M linebacker.

"It was like the Colosseum in Rome and we were the Christians." -- The late Bobby Dodd of Georgia Tech.

"Unbelievable, crazy. That place makes Notre Dame seem like Romper Room." -- Brad Budde, USC lineman.

"It makes a body tingle. These folks go berserk when the band marches on the field. A huge roar is heard for the invocation, for heaven's sake. They not only know the words to the national anthem, they sing them, loudly. And when the Tigers win the toss...there are tears of ecstasy." -- Douglas Looney, Sports Illustrated describing a Saturday night in Death Valley.

"Baton Rouge happens to be the worst place in the world to be a visiting team." -- The Late Paul "Bear" Bryant, head coach of Kentucky, Texas A&M and Alabama.

Miami coach Terry Hoeppener said of Tiger Stadium, "that's an exciting as an environment as you can have. I thought the crowd was a factor for us because we had communication problems we haven't had at Michigan and Ohio State."

[EndlesslyRocking]

I don't have anything against Lose-iana. I've drank Hurricanes in wax cups on the streets of the French Quarter. Actually, I think I saw the governor there in the gutter trying to lift a dead hooker into his car.



All that matters is wins, baby. And when it comes to wins, The City of Angels runs circles around all of your boys down south. Want to compare National Titles between USC and LSU? Nope, didn't think so. Yeah the fans are loud. Big whoop! They have nothing better to do with their sorry lives.

As for the Bay Area...how did you become an A's fan? Probably because there's not even a professional team in Lose-iana.

Grasping at straws is the sign of a desparate man, by-tor.



(You're a good sport, I try to be too).

[by-tor]

All that matters is wins, baby. And when it comes to wins, The City of Angels runs circles around all of your boys down south. Want to compare National Titles between USC and LSU?

Ya know what that says? The Condoms know how to blow better. And wasn't it you hacking on me for the A's fans' not supporting their team? Yet here we have the 'mighty' Condoms and all their titles (one in the past 25 years, just like LSU), and I didn't see how great their fans are in any of those stats.

Want to compare titles between the A's and the Halo's? I'll make it fair, and only compare titles of the Oakland A's.

As for the Bay Area...how did you become an A's fan? Probably because there's not even a professional team in Lose-iana.

In the early 70's....long before cable, I started getting interested in baseball. Well, games only came on one of the three channels on the weekend (you were lucky to get one game a week then), and we all know how they like to show the teams who are doing good. The year was 1974. The year that the A's won their 3rd consecutive Series....so it's basically the team I 'grew up' with. There are the Zeyphers in New Orleans now (triple-a for the Astro's), and the New Orleans Pelicans from 1887 - 1959 (a bit before my time).

Grasping at straws is the sign of a desparate man, by-tor.



(You're a good sport, I try to be too).

Hey, it's not my fault that a city the size of L.A. can't support the Condoms better than little-bitty ole Baton Rouge.

Hell, the only good thing the University of Spoiled Children ever had going for it was McGwire....and he was smart enough to get the hell out of there and go play for a real team.

I can see where you would be upset though....having one football team turn their back on you is bad enough, but L.A. has had to suffer thru TWO NFL teams packing up and moving away.

[EndlesslyRocking]

I'm not sure where this "support" thing is coming from. When USC won the Rose Bowl, we stayed in the stadium singing fight songs and drinking for hours after the game was over. It was truly a wonderful experience. The Notre Dame and UCLA games usually draw in the 90-100,000 fans. There were 87,000 at the Washington State game this year (I was at that one too).

The Rams leaving LA really broke my heart. Los Angeles is pretty kick back...whatever kind of attitude...and the Raiders were just shitty, from the top down. Still, I'd rather have no team than the Aints.

As for the A's...they blow goats. That's all I can say.

[by-tor]

and the Raiders were just shitty

Ahhh, now I see, you only like the girly football that the Lambs play. Not the smash-mouth man's version like the Radiers play.

As for the A's...they blow goats. That's all I can say.

And yet they're one of only two teams in the history of MLB to win 3 consecutive WS titles....have the Halo's even been in the playoffs three times?

[Soup4Rush]

Are not the goat blowers in 1st place? and the Saints are pretty decent. I would rather have them than nobody, and USC well being a Notre Dame fan, I will not touch that...

[EndlesslyRocking]

4-12? Smashmouth? Puhleeze!

The Raiders are wheezing their way to the Arena league. Add their psycho owner and parole-heavy fans, and you see why they sell the fewest tickets in the NFL no matter where they play.

I remember those A's teams: Rollie Fingers, Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson, Sal Bando...But WAKE UP! That was 30 years ago! What have they done since 89? (Answer: Choke badly and/or Diddley Squat)

Is that all you got? Living on ancient memories? I hope those keep you warm at night.

Pfft!

[EndlesslyRocking]

Are not the goat blowers in 1st place? and the Saints are pretty decent. I would rather have them than nobody, and USC well being a Notre Dame fan, I will not touch that...

No the A's fell back to second yesterday, the Angels are 3 out.

You're a Notre Dame fan? Holy crap...

We should probably not interact during football season at all...

[by-tor]

4-12? Smashmouth? Puhleeze!

Don't confuse record with style of play. Granted, the Radiers aren't the team from the 70's where they judged success not on how many games they won, but how many QB's they killed, but they're still fun to watch. And when you ask people who they would rather be, only the gay men would choose somebody like Marc Bulger over Howie Long.

The Raiders are wheezing their way to the Arena league. Add their psycho owner and parole-heavy fans, and you see why they sell the fewest tickets in the NFL no matter where they play.

And yet they are the team who's played more MNF/Nationally Televised games than any other. People want to see bones breaking, and teeth flying.

I remember those A's teams: Rollie Fingers, Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson, Sal Bando...But WAKE UP! That was 30 years ago! What have they done since 89? (Answer: Choke badly and/or Diddley Squat)

Yep, only one WS title since '89....like the Halo's....but still ahead of the Halo's.

Is that all you got? Living on ancient memories? I hope those keep you warm at night.

Pfft!

I can see why you don't want to look at the past....given your Lams and Halo's just last year.

[EndlesslyRocking]

I can see why you don't want to look at the past....given your Lams and Halo's just last year.

I see you left the Lakers off that list...



The Rams still hold the NFL record for winning their division 7 years in a row. The won the NFL Championship in 1945 and 1951 (long before the Super Bowl). The past of the Rams isn't too bad...especially compared to the Aints. They have never done anything! (except introduce the sporting world to paper bag fashion and throwing bottles on the field during a game). Hardly a stellar past there, my misguided friend.

BTW: Been to any Jazz games lately? Oh...never mind. Hornets now, is it?

[by-tor]

I see you left the Lakers off that list...

Oh yes...how silly of me to forget that they lost last year too.

The Rams still hold the NFL record for winning their division 7 years in a row. The won the NFL Championship in 1945 and 1951 (long before the Super Bowl). The past of the Rams isn't too bad...especially compared to the Aints.

No, no, no....If I can't use the A's history pre-1989, you surely can't use Lambs history from before you were a thought.

They have never done anything! (except introduce the sporting world to paper bag fashion and throwing bottles on the field during a game). Hardly a stellar past there, my misguided friend.

Well, they did knock the Lambs out of the playoffs. I'm sure that doesn't sit too well with you....a sorry ass team like the Saints....one playoff win in 30+ years....and it's against YOUR. That's like being the pitcher who gave up McGwire's 62nd.

BTW: Been to any Jazz games lately? Oh...never mind. Hornets now, is it?

I wouldn't know. I hate baskeball....as I'm sure you will next year after the L.A. Kobe's finish dead last.

[EndlesslyRocking]

We've got our own little pissing match going here, don't we? And we both know I've got the bigger weapon...

Well, they did knock the Lambs out of the playoffs. I'm sure that doesn't sit too well with you....a sorry ass team like the Saints....one playoff win in 30+ years....and it's against YOUR. That's like being the pitcher who gave up McGwire's 62nd.

When the entirety of your football lore is one wildcard win at home, how can I argue any further? There's not even any sport to it now...like swatting a fly with a sledgehammer...

[by-tor]

We've got our own little pissing match going here, don't we? And we both know I've got the bigger weapon...

Oh, so the operation was a success then? Thank god for organ doners. Now you don't have to hide in the locker room, eh?

When the entirety of your football lore is one wildcard win at home, how can I argue any further? There's not even any sport to it now...like swatting a fly with a sledgehammer...

Funny, I was under the impression that you couldn't lift a sledehammer.

[EndlesslyRocking]

Oh, so the operation was a success then? Thank god for organ doners. Now you don't have to hide in the locker room, eh?

Organ doners? I guess English class wasn't high on your list at LSU, Hmm? Well, it's not your fault. Cultural deprivation is a tragic story throughout the south. Someday, you'll read and write with the big boys.



I LOVE L.A.!

[by-tor]

I guess English class wasn't high on your list at LSU, Hmm? Well, it's not your fault. Cultural deprivation is a tragic story throughout the south. Someday, you'll read and write with the big boys.

Of course not. I started out as an EE major, and ended up getting my degree in CS. What to I need with English?

Now if you want to have a math contest, I'm game.

I LOVE L.A.!

Well, we all have our faults.

BTW, my wife read this thread, and claims that we're both ready for the funny farm.