Best Sports Cities

[HarmanSingh]

Remember when I mentioned in passing that Detroit is the best sports city in America, and some of you guys thought I was foolish to think that? Well, Sporting News recognizes the greatness of Detroit Sports and ranks us #2 this year, after finishing #1 last year. Can't knock the #1 pick, which was Boston, since they had a crazy good year with the Celtics, Patriots, Red Sox.

But I am sure someone will come in here claiming San Jose or Toronto deserves the title or something, lol.

 

[ranjit singh]

detroit shock babyyyyyyy....DYNASTY

 

[Havish]

Yay Boston!!!

Go Patriots, Celtics and Red Sox!!!!

 

[Waleed]

Faisalabad ;D

Best cricket, hockey & kabaddi team in Pak.

 

[Vick]

I'm happy for Detroit.... But lets be real here... There only like 4 major markets in the sports industry... The Bay Area... L.A. area... New York and Boston Areas... When we talk about sports cities, Detroit is never mentioned... I dont think iv ever mentioned detroit in any conversation I've ever had about sports, and I'm sure that goes for most of America....

 

[Summy]

The sporting news also pegged the leafs to have a "breakout season" last year. Lets be honest, Detriot is a decent sports town, but who do they have? I believe the pistons are on the down especially with how much the east improved this year. When you have the likes of Jermaine Oneal, Elton Brand, and Mo williams, being added to rosters without them losing much, you have to worry about the aging pistons and their chances.

Red Wings, cant argue, best run team in the NHL, maybe all 4 sports.
Tigers, SUCK.
Lions, WHOA.
---
I would have to disagree and put Philly over Detroit. Phillies now in the NLCS. Flyers are an amazing up and coming team, have grit and speed, anchored by a good goalie. 76ers are one of the better teams in the east, and could rival the celtics. Imagine if they gave the pistons a run without brand. Salembert, Brand, Igudola, Williams and Miller, wow. Eagles are a nice team.

Philly is better than detriot mostly because of millen and kitna.


P.S. The Toronto Rock would eat all other teams alive.

 

[Vick]

Philly is better than detriot mostly because of millen and kitna.

Summy you do know that Millen is no longer GM right??? Is old age settling in Summy boy?

 

[Summy]

yeah i meant his affect on detriot. kitna is no longer the QB anymore either.

Vick, be honest, do you HONESTLY really think any bay area team is good other than the sharks? angels suck.

im am getting old, my goday hurt when i climb pooriyaa.

 

[Meistro]

yeah i meant his affect on detriot. kitna is no longer the QB anymore either.

Vick, be honest, do you HONESTLY really think any bay area team is good other than the sharks? angels suck.

im am getting old, my goday hurt when i climb pooriyaa.

loll the angels are from southern cali. GO DODGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


sidenote: dont forget southern cali region............they have the Kings and the Ducks (I hate both teams, but they're decent i guess), Lakers and Clippers, DODGERS and Angels, San Diego Chargers. I'd say thats a pretty decent lineup of teams for that part of cali.

 

[HarmanSingh]

The sporting news also pegged the leafs to have a "breakout season" last year. Lets be honest, Detriot is a decent sports town, but who do they have? I believe the pistons are on the down especially with how much the east improved this year. When you have the likes of Jermaine Oneal, Elton Brand, and Mo williams, being added to rosters without them losing much, you have to worry about the aging pistons and their chances.

Red Wings, cant argue, best run team in the NHL, maybe all 4 sports.
Tigers, SUCK.
Lions, WHOA.
---
I would have to disagree and put Philly over Detroit. Phillies now in the NLCS. Flyers are an amazing up and coming team, have grit and speed, anchored by a good goalie. 76ers are one of the better teams in the east, and could rival the celtics. Imagine if they gave the pistons a run without brand. Salembert, Brand, Igudola, Williams and Miller, wow. Eagles are a nice team.

Philly is better than detriot mostly because of millen and kitna.


P.S. The Toronto Rock would eat all other teams alive.

lol, you sure are funny.

Red Wings: As you said, best franchise in NHL and probably all of sports for their consistency and commitment to winning titles. Storied original franchise.

Pistons: As far as history, the Bad Boys era of 88-90 was amazing and if not for MJ the Pistons would be considered one of the best franchises ever. Still, back to back titles make this team a part of NBA history. Add to that the 2004 title, returning to the finals only to lose in game 7 the following year and 6 straight trips to the eastern conf. finals, and you have the Pistons as being one of the most consistent franchises in the 2000s. You can say they are dropping off Summy, but I will bet you when the playoffs start, the Pistons will be picked to make it to the ECF again. Maybe not win, but do not discount a franchise that is remarkably consistent. Plus you got a great NBA stadium and a fanbase which sells out every game.

Tigers: Yeah, a very disappointing season. What can you say, the huge trade for Cabrera and DTrain put a lot of hype around this team and they came up short due to injuries and a lack of consistent arms. But still, the framework is there with a great GM and some great young bats (Cabrera and Granderson). But Comerica Park was bumpin all season and the city loves the Tigers. Since the trip to the World Series a couple years ago, this town has forgiven the Tigers for its wrongs in the 90s and the fans stuck by the team. A great new ballpark also.

Lions: Worst run organization in NFL. No doubt about that. But the fans love the Lions, and I guarantee you that if they even sniff the playoffs, this city is going nuts. Only thing this franchise has to be proud of is Barry Sanders, who is in my opinion, one of the most amazing athletes in NFL history. Oh, yet again- a great stadium.

Then you get to COLLEGE sports, which Philly cant hold a candle to in comparison to Detroit (they count the suburbs of Detroit and basically the area around the city). You got U of M football, which has a great history and the best rivalry in NCAA football with Ohio State. You have MSU basketball, which is always competing with Tom Izzo. And you have some great college hockey in this area too. And like Ranjit Said, WNBA's Shock are a dynasty lol.

Think about this, since 2000 Detroit has had: 2 NBA finals series, 1 NBA title, 2 NHL titles, a World Series appearance, a super bowl played here, a MLB All Star game here, 3 WNBA titles, and consistent bowl games/sweet 16s from U of M and MSU. A great fan base for all the sports too.

 

[Summy]

I dont understand how bay area fans get to cheer for like 8 cities and their teams.

--
Harman,

haha just because the pistons have been in the ECF in the last couple years in a shitty conference doesnt mean they will get back there. The conference is completly different, its not longer a 2 team race. If dumars is the brillant GM he is, why was he shopping all his starters this off season? He labelled the only untouchable as the stuckey. Doesnt that speak to situation of the team? That they were thinking trading the likes of Prince, Hamilton, Billups, Sheed and Maxiell? If you wanna talk about respect, they are a disgraceful team, they are a bunch of wanna be thug millionaires. Whether it is fighting in the crowd to having their player swear at fans, and get fined more than any other player and the team not being able to control sheed, its sad to watch. They may be a decent ball team, but they are disgraceful. You cant begin to put the pistons in the same league as the spurs and others, because these idiots act like they have no moral purpose in life.

Having said that, who cares about your arenas? Im glad you mentioned the all star games held there, and the superbowl there, because its gonna be a good 100 years or so until the lions get anywhere close to there.

Tigers are a joke. With so much talent, with such a payroll, they stunk it up.

The red wings are like the leafs, except they win. History is on both sides, I would argue ours is greater.

Philly has history with the flyers. The Eagles would kill the lions. The Phillies would smash the tigers. The 76ers with brand would probably beat the pistons in a 7 game series.

I dont pay attention to college sports except for the sweet 16, because I dont enjoy amateur athletes.

 

[HarmanSingh]

Except the guy you ride or die for, Jermaine O'Neal, was suspended 25 games (more than any Piston) in the brawl. So drop the whole morality issue...NHL players are told to specifically fight and no one cares. It is straight up racism to call these ball players thugs and NHL players "enforcers" for their actions, but that is another issue. Just because Ben had a fro, dark skin and was muscular, he scared the shit out of of white America and was labeled a "thug" along with others in the brawl. The reason for the brawl was a dumb suburban white guy...are you telling me if I walked up to you and threw beer on you, you wouldn't fight back? And do me a favor and show me which Piston player has a criminal history beyond some minor marijuana use. You make the debate about somethign else completely when you see your evidence is not there. The Spurs are in their own league. After that, tell me which NBA team has been more consistent as of late. And please dont tell me the "shitty conference" from which your Raptors cannot escape the 1st round negates the Pistons success..because the NBA champion Celtics, Heat and Pistons would disagree.

Who cares about the arenas? The people here and the people who judge them to decide which sports city is best. It is the overall experience which Sporting NEws used (fans, arenas, team success, etc). So to act like College sports (which are HUGEE in America, not so much in Canada) dont matter is absurd. It is a completely different world, and Detroit has it on lockdown.

 

[Summy]

Harman, when you extend sports talk to an underlying racial subtext, it really devalues when the world actually goes through those disappointments. Straight up racism? Fighting in hockey has been part of the game, it is legal in the midst of the game. It is outlawed in basketball, and doesnt have a place in the game. You HONESTLY REALLY think the disgusting part of the brawl was big black guy ben wallace scaring white america? Harman, you cant extend actions of miniorities to the race card, your beginning to sound a little too excited to use race as an excuse for everything.

THe disgusting part of the game was that kids, children, fans and innocent people all alike went to a BASKETBALL game, to have fun. They ended up being in the midst of a fight. You remember seeing the footage of that little girl holding her brother who was crying. These people are role models, and kids aspire to be them, and your telling me, you think the offensive part of that whole fight was that white people were scared of a big black guy? Common Harman, lets be real.

If someone threw a beer at me, and Im a professional basketball player, I would be upset, but I wouldnt run into the stands and start fighting the guy (who infact didnt even throw it). "some minor marijuana use" haha, that was funny.

But there is something to be said about an organization that led the league in technicals. Maybe a lack of discipline, maybe the culture around there is messed up. Rasheed Wallace was the ONLY player in history to be ever thrown out of a McDonalds All American Game.

No need to get into the technical count, because there is no arguement there. And then, there is his media relationship, swearing, yelling, etc...

Detriot already has this negative horrible image as a city, why reinforce those notions? Hey your basketball team maybe more successful, but I am more proud of my team. International players who are good community people, our superstar who wouldnt say 'damn', and a upper brass staff that doesnt allow their players to act like idiots both in their professional and personal lives.


Hey we dont have the NFL in canada but I am a huge fan. College sports maybe huge in america, but that would speak more to the driving entertainment value. I dont watch college sports because the athletes are sub par to the pros. I dont get caught up in the hype of cheering for my colleges team, because i dont have one. I think they are boring and full of sub par sport, but hey, thats my personal opinion.

 

[Summy]

P.S.

Harman, I didnt catch the Wings Leafs game yesterday.... what was the score? Who won?

 

[HarmanSingh]

Did I say I was happy about the brawl? No. But it was one incident which escalated out of control by a PACER, not a Piston. The backlash after the brawl was racist. Believe me, the things people were saying about Ben Wallace and others was absurd. Calling Ben a "thug" is completely out of line. Tell me what the guy has done to deserve such a title? He has a clean record, went to college, has a family and keeps to himself. Ask yourself if you hear of hockey players being called thugs after a fight. And are these hockey players not role models? Everyone LOVED the big brawl between Wings and Avs in hockey a while back. The media praised the team for its toughness. Is that part of the game? Goalies fighting? And do kids not look up to them and want to emulate their fighting/violence? People called this team "ghetto" "gangster" "thug". etc after the brawl. You know what that is code for. Dont underestimate the way white America was scared of these players and the image Stern is trying to create.

As far as your beloved Raptors, lets check out some players:
Jermaine O'Neal: A key player in the brawl and was suspended 25 games, more than any other Piston. And he has fought before during a game too (with Corillis Williamson)
Hassan Adams- 2 DUIs and was suspended in college.
Yep, management is so clean for the Raps.

Your favorite San Antonio Spurs? Won a title with Stephan Jackson who we all know about. Bruce Bowen is known as a dirty player out to injure people. Damon Stoudemire was a part of the Jailblazers too.

Point is, every team has its problems and problem players. The "technical fouls" thing is a joke. lol. You are really telling me I should be disgusted by the pistons b/c Rasheed and Rip argue calls? Give me a break man. Kids have far worse problems in today's world than watching Rip argue a call.

Besides, the Pistons don't even play in Detroit, and most of the people at the games are not from Detroit, and the guy who threw the beer? From one of the most affluent cities in America, Bloomfield Hills.

 

[Summy]

chal ho paa, your gonna cheer for your pistons no matter what idiots they put out there, and I am going to cheer for mine. Funny thing about J.O and Hassan Adams... neither of them have ever played a regular season game for the raptors.

Dont try to equate fighting in hockey to fighting in basketball, because one is legal and part of the game and the other is not. One is within the rules, and one is not. You can talk about the validity of having fighting in hockey, but dont talk about how it sets a bad example, because it is part of the game, and there is a good chance people might see a fight when they come to the rink.

Nobody expects a fight at a ball game. On top of that, nobody expects fans to be involved with that, and furthermore nobody expects a fan to be punched in the face.

Racial undertones in the brawl is something I dont buy. I like to think I am viligant of those occurences, but what happened would have been disgusting and recieved the same whether it was Ben Wallace of Austin Croshere committing the acts.

Let me tell a bit of a story Harman:

In a stretch of the regular season last year, the raptors went on a bit of a slump. A reporter asked Chris Bosh about his feelings about not getting the calls that other superstars are getting, and if it is a reflection of "unwillingness" to work down low. He said the refs are just doing their job, there is nothing I can do. THEN, a reporter asked, well you have these superstars who fight for their calls, and let the ref know that they should be getting those calls... wanna know what bosh said? He said when he puts that jersey on, he represents a city. Hard working people, who watch a game to enjoy and cheer for their team. He said if I were to get tech'd up and thrown out, with that jersey on, its disrespectful to the city.

Maybe Sheed and the pistons should have coffee with bosh one day.

Guys like Chris Bosh, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, Bibby, Deron Williams, these are guys are guys that you are proud that they put on your jersey. But then again, obviously, that might not matter to some fans.

We will let the regular season do the talking? I like the wings, (even though you didnt tell me the score yesterday), the lions suck, the tigers are a waste, and the pistons are on the downfall. Philly and Boston, two best sport cities in North america, hands down.

 

[Vick]

Vick, be honest, do you HONESTLY really think any bay area team is good other than the sharks? angels suck.

haha nope... We have history thoughhhhhhhh...

 

[HarmanSingh]

chal ho paa, your gonna cheer for your pistons no matter what idiots they put out there, and I am going to cheer for mine. Funny thing about J.O and Hassan Adams... neither of them have ever played a regular season game for the raptors.

Dont try to equate fighting in hockey to fighting in basketball, because one is legal and part of the game and the other is not. One is within the rules, and one is not. You can talk about the validity of having fighting in hockey, but dont talk about how it sets a bad example, because it is part of the game, and there is a good chance people might see a fight when they come to the rink.

Nobody expects a fight at a ball game. On top of that, nobody expects fans to be involved with that, and furthermore nobody expects a fan to be punched in the face.

Racial undertones in the brawl is something I dont buy. I like to think I am viligant of those occurences, but what happened would have been disgusting and recieved the same whether it was Ben Wallace of Austin Croshere committing the acts.

Let me tell a bit of a story Harman:

In a stretch of the regular season last year, the raptors went on a bit of a slump. A reporter asked Chris Bosh about his feelings about not getting the calls that other superstars are getting, and if it is a reflection of "unwillingness" to work down low. He said the refs are just doing their job, there is nothing I can do. THEN, a reporter asked, well you have these superstars who fight for their calls, and let the ref know that they should be getting those calls... wanna know what bosh said? He said when he puts that jersey on, he represents a city. Hard working people, who watch a game to enjoy and cheer for their team. He said if I were to get tech'd up and thrown out, with that jersey on, its disrespectful to the city.

Maybe Sheed and the pistons should have coffee with bosh one day.

Guys like Chris Bosh, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, Bibby, Deron Williams, these are guys are guys that you are proud that they put on your jersey. But then again, obviously, that might not matter to some fans.

We will let the regular season do the talking? I like the wings, (even though you didnt tell me the score yesterday), the lions suck, the tigers are a waste, and the pistons are on the downfall. Philly and Boston, two best sport cities in North america, hands down.

So when O'Neal and Adams play a regular season game you will admit that Toronto management doesn't REALLY care about character? Allright, great. In a couple weeks, Toronto will be just like every other city, who has a sports team with shady players and bad decision makers. Especially O'Neal who was a key player in the brawl. Please Summy, tell us how much you are disgusted by Colangelo for trading for such a terrible person.

If you truly are afraid of what the brawl will do to young kids, why do you watch hockey? It is part of the game? ok, great. But why watch it then? Aren't people fighting just people fighting? An 8 year old doesn't know if fighting should be in bball or hockey...they just see a fight. So why support hockey when it not only allows but ENCOURAGES fighting. Is that not setting a bad example to young kids? That it is okay to fight while playing a game, and that the winner gets applauded and is the bigger man?

Hey, I am with you. I like Bosh a lot. He seems like a nice enough guy, and is a hell of a player. Maybe he can win the "Joe Dumars Trophy", named after the first recipient of the award, which is given to the best sportsmanlike player. Oh yeah, Joe D. is the GM of the Pistons...

And believe me man, in this city, people were making VERY racist and hateful comments about players who weren't even involved. Again, I ask you why folks were calling Ben Wallace a "thug". Could it be that he is a black man with tatoos and an afro? He didnt throw punches...he didnt hit fans...he is known in this city as a nice guy who keeps to himself and is a family man...not anything CLOSE to a thug. Same with the rest of these guys. People were talking about it being natural a bunch of these black guys would fight, and played into the "angry black man" stereotype. Their has been a lot of scholarship into the way young black youth are labeled as delinquents in schools for aggressive behavior, but young white students have been given the excuse of "boys being boys". This too is a part of that mentality. Do not underestimate the hatred and ignorance white America has towards black males. This incident, like many others, brought such ignorance and hatred to the forefront.

Also, I have talked to a lot of black athletes at my school about this subject, and have had conversations regarding the idea of playing for a bunch of rich white guys. A lot of people have told me they have often feel like "monkeys", playing for the approval of white folks, who think they are nothing more than physical brutes. And when Artest was ASSAULTED by a white male, in such a disrespctful manner, I can see where he came from fighting back. When your history in this country has been marred by the abuse of your ancestors by white people, you tend to be a little testy when a white man treats you like trash on national TV. Race is so deeply ingrained in our world, and the way people respond to things is sadly the result of race so often. Perhaps race played a role in the way Artest responded. And surely, race played a role when white people were sitting around calling these players thugs and gangsters while they applaud violence in boxing, wrestling and hockey.

 

[Vick]

Harman just drop it dude... No one thinks of Detroit as a sports city regardless of the history or whatever else has gone on there... I've been to Detroit twice in the past 3 years, If you want an honest opinion, I think its a giant shithole of a city... The downtown area is ghetto as hell... Oakland looks nicer than Detroit...

 

[Vivek]

Oakland only looks nicer because of Bub Rub and Lil Sis