What’s the sound of a drought’s imminent end? Is it a faint, foreshadowing rumble in the distance? The soft, steady patter of raindrops?
Or is it the full, unmitigated roar of 2 million fans at a victory parade for the Blackhawks, Stanley Cup in tow, as the end of Chicago hockey’s Dust Bowl era, 49 years of a friggin’ dry spell?
Patrick Kane, from left, Joakim Noah and Jonathan Toews shine brightly on the Chicago sports scene. (Jay Drowns / Sporting News)
In a Best Sports City year in which thirsting fans in New Orleans and Tuscaloosa, even the Bronx, were quenched with championships and L.A. and Durham filled their Camelbaks full again, there was something special about the Blackhawks’ Rocky road from Bill Wirtz to first.
“I never would have imagined it changing this quickly,” Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Toews says.
Yet a single championship—remarkable as it may be—doesn’t make a Best Sports City. Otherwise how could we overlook the Saints’ Super Bowl victory?
There’s big league baseball, two teams’ worth; there’s the Bulls, a team surely on the rise. There’s the beloved Bears and DePaul hoops, Northwestern football and NASCAR Sprint Cup racing.
There is the city’s head-over-heels love for sports, all sports, and the people who play them.
“When you’re an athlete in Chicago,” Pro Football Hall of Famer Dick Butkus says, “everybody’s your friend.” — Bob Hille
It takes more than championships. Sporting News’ Best Sports Cities rankings, which look at the 12 months from summer 2009 to summer 2010, are based on point values assigned to various categories, including but not limited to won-lost records, postseason appearances, applicable power ratings, number of teams and attendance.
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
11. Miami
12. Pittsburgh
13. Minneapolis + St. Paul
14. Houston
15. Indianapolis
16. Cincinnati
17. Salt Lake City
18. Nashville
19. San Jose + Palo Alto + Santa Clara
20. Washington
21. San Diego
22. New Orleans
23. Anaheim
24. Orlando
25. Raleigh + Durham + Chapel Hill
26. St. Louis
27. Tampa + St. Petersburg
28. Cleveland
29. Baltimore
30. Charlotte
31. Oklahoma City + Norman
32. San Francisco
33. Seattle
34. Milwaukee
35. Buffalo
36. San Antonio
37. Oakland + Berkeley
38. Columbus
39. Vancouver
40. Portland
41. Tuscaloosa, Ala.
42. Green Bay
43. Austin, Texas
44. Toronto
45. Montreal
46. Ottawa
47. Memphis
48. Calgary
49. Jacksonville
50. Gainesville, Fla.
51. Kansas City
52. Sacramento
53. Edmonton
54. Madison, Wis.
55. Morgantown, W.Va.
56. Blacksburg, Va.
57. Lexington, Ky.
58. Knoxville, Tenn.
59. Boise, Idaho
60. Storrs, Conn.
61. Iowa City, Iowa
62. Clemson, S.C.
63. Lincoln, Neb.
64. East Lansing, Mich.
65. Eugene, Ore.
66. Oxford, Miss.
67. State College, Pa.
68. Lubbock, Texas
69. Stillwater, Okla.
70. Athens, Ga.
71. Waco, Texas
72. College Station, Texas
73. Lawrence, Kan.
74. Columbia, Mo.
75. South Bend, Ind.
76. Manhattan, Kan.
77. Fayetteville, Ark.
78. Starkville, Miss.
79. West Lafayette, Ind.
80. Syracuse, N.Y.
81. Auburn, Ala.
82. Tallahassee, Fla.
83. Tucson, Ariz.
84. Columbia, S.C.
85. Piscataway, N.J.
86. Louisville, Ky.
87. Baton Rouge, La.
88. Reno, Nev.
89. Las Vegas
90. Ames, Iowa
91. College Park, Md.
92. Corvallis, Ore.
93. Mount Pleasant, Mich.
94. Winston-Salem, N.C.
95. Charlottesville, Va.
96. Huntington, W.Va.
97. Albuquerque, N.M.
98. Athens, Ohio
99. Logan, Utah
100. Fresno, Calif.
101. El Paso, Texas
102. Champaign + Urbana, Ill.
103. Colorado Springs, Colo.
104. Murfreesboro, Tenn.
105. Hattiesburg, Miss.
106. Ruston, La.
107. Troy, Ala.
108. Tulsa, Okla.
109. Greenville, N.C.
110. Annapolis, Md.
111. Moscow, Idaho
112. Kent, Ohio
113. Birmingham, Ala.
114. Spokane, Wash.
115. Las Cruces, N.M.
116. Bowling Green, Ohio
117. Akron, Ohio
118. Bloomington, Ind.
119. Pullman, Wash.
120. Fort Collins, Colo.
121. Laramie, Wyo.
122. Kalamazoo, Mich.
123. Denton, Texas
124. DeKalb, Ill.
125. Bowling Green, Ky.
126. Oxford, Ohio
127. Cedar Falls, Iowa
128. Honolulu
129. Jonesboro, Ark.
130. Lafayette, La.
131. Muncie, Ind.
132. Monroe, La.
133. West Point, N.Y.
134. Omaha, Neb.
135. Toledo, Ohio
136. Moraga, Calif.
137. Ithaca, N.Y.
138. Richmond, Va.
139. Murray, Ky.
140. Dayton, Ohio
141. Kingston, R.I.
142. Springfield, Mo.
143. Wichita, Kan.
144. Huntsville, Texas
145. Missoula, Mont.
146. Stockton, Calif.
147. Normal, Ill.
148. Peoria, Ill.
149. Williamsburg, Va.
150. Burlington, Vt.
151. Norfolk, Va.
152. Santa Barbara, Calif.
153. Princeton, N.J.
154. Boone, N.C.
155. Morehead, Ky.
156. Ogden, Utah
157. Johnson City, Tenn.
158. Terre Haute, Ind.
159. Des Moines, Iowa
160. Greeley, Colo.
161. Carbondale, Ill.
162. Albany, N.Y.
163. Olean, N.Y.
164. Niagara, N.Y.
165. Cullowhee, N.C.
166. Spartanburg, S.C.
167. Hempstead, N.Y.
168. Bethlehem, Pa.
169. Conway, S.C.
170. Amherst, Mass.
171. Valparaiso, Ind.
172. Jersey City, N.J.
173. Nacogdoches, Texas
174. Buies Creek, N.C.
175. Lawrenceville, N.J.
176. Stony Brook, N.Y.
177. Clarksville, Tenn.
178. Richmond, Ky.
179. Providence, R.I.
180. Corpus Christi, Texas
181. Pine Bluff, Ark.
182. Hamden, Conn.
183. Bozeman, Mont.
184. Charleston, Ill.
185. Charleston, S.C.
186. Mobile, Ala.
187. Orono, Maine
188. Hammond, La.
189. Rock Hill, S.C.
190. Emmitsburg, Md.
191. Flagstaff, Ariz.
192. Fort Wayne, Ind.
193. Macon, Ga.
194. Radford, Va.
195. Harrisonburg, Va.
196. Wilmington, N.C.
197. Riverside, Calif.
198. Brookings, S.D.
199. Evansville, Ind.
200. Chattanooga, Tenn.
201. Davis, Calif.
202. Vermillion, S.D.
203. San Luis Obispo, Calif.
204. Greenville, S.C.
205. Youngstown, Ohio
206. Cookeville, Tenn.
207. Jackson, Miss.
208. Dover, Del.
209. San Marcos, Texas
210. Hampton, Va.
211. Easton, Pa.
212. Binghamton, N.Y.
213. Daytona Beach, Fla.
214. Towson, Md.
215. Worcester, Mass.
216. Orangeburg, S.C.
217. Fargo, N.D.
218. Newark, Del.
219. Lewisburg, Pa.
220. Little Rock, Ark.
221. Fairfield, Conn.
222. Lynchburg, Va.
223. Durham, N.H.
224. Greensboro, N.C.
225. Elon, N.C.
226. Kennesaw, Ga.
227. Asheville, N.C.
228. Jacksonville, Ala.
229. New Haven, Conn.
230. Fort Myers, Fla.
231. Bakersfield, Calif.
232. Statesboro, Ga.
233. Thibodaux, La.
234. Beaumont, Texas
235. High Point, N.C.
236. Pocatello, Idaho
237. Cheney, Wash.
238. Macomb, Ill.
239. Montgomery, Ala.
240. Hartford, Conn.
241. Hamilton, N.Y.
242. Lake Charles, La.
243. West Long Branch, N.J.
244. Savannah, Ga.
245. Farmville, Va.
246. New Britain, Conn.
247. Natchitoches, La.
248. Prairie View, Texas
249. Loretto, Pa.
250. Shreveport, La.
251. Cape Girardeau, Mo.
252. Orem, Utah
253. Conway, Ark.
254. Edwardsville, Ill.
255. Portland, Maine
256. Teaneck, N.J.
257. Princess Anne, Md.
258. Erie, Pa.
259. Rochester, N.Y.
260. Huntsville + Normal, Ala.
261. Jupiter, Fla.
262. Cedar City, Utah
263. Lexington, Va.
264. Quad Cities (Moline, East Moline and Rock Island, Ill. + Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa)
265. DeLand, Fla.
266. Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
267. Manchester, N.H.
268. Fontana, Calif.
269. Loudon, N.H.
270. Martinsville, Va.
271. Talladega, Ala.
272. Augusta, Ga.
273. Boiling Springs, N.C.
274. Itta Bena, Miss.
275. McAllen, Texas
276. Springfield, Mass.
277. Viera, Fla.
278. Bristol, Tenn.
279. Brooklyn, Mich.
280. Darlington, S.C.
281. Long Pond, Pa.
282. Martin, Tenn.
283. Sonoma, Calif.
284. Watkins Glen, N.Y.
285. Hershey, Pa.
286. Lowell, Mass.
287. Port Charlotte, Fla.
288. Clearwater, Fla.
289. Dunedin, Fla.
290. Hamilton, Ont.
291. Clinton, S.C.
292. Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
293. Port St. Lucie, Fla.
294. Sioux Falls, S.D.
295. Grand Rapids, Mich.
296. Bismarck, N.D.
297. Tacoma, Wash.
298. Lakeland, Fla.
299. Rockford, Ill.
300. Sarasota, Fla.
301. Edinburg, Texas
302. Abbotsford, B.C.
303. Allentown, Pa.
304. Winnipeg, Manitoba
305. Bridgeport, Conn.
306. Uncasville, Conn.
307. Pawtucket, R.I.
308. Norwich, Conn.
309. Bradenton, Fla.
310. Carlsbad, Calif.
311. Cromwell, Conn.
312. Hanover, N.H.
313. Hilton Head Island, S.C.
314. Kapalua, Hawaii
315. Kissimmee, Fla.
316. La Quinta, Calif.
317. Monterey, Calif.
318. Oakville, Ont.
319. Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
320. Palm Springs, Calif.
321. Reading, Pa.
322. Verona, N.Y.
323. Bowie, Md.
324. Kodak, Tenn.
325. Midland, Texas
326. Zebulon, N.C.
327. Springdale, Ark.
328. Frisco, Texas
329. Harrisburg, Pa.
330. Kannapolis, N.C.
331. Lakewood, N.J.
332. Trenton, N.J.
333. Mankato, Minn.
334. Georgetown, Ky.
335. Cortland, N.Y.
336. Latrobe, Pa.
337. Westminster, Md.
338. Altoona, Pa.
339. Jackson, Tenn.
340. Bourbonnais, Ill.
341. Eastlake, Ohio
342. Glens Falls, N.Y.
343. Midland, Mich.
344. Napa, Calif.
345. River Falls, Wis.
346. Grand Forks, N.D.
347. Adelanto, Calif.
348. Cedar Rapids, Iowa
349. Charleston, W.Va.
350. Modesto, Calif.
351. Wilmington, Del.
352. Geneva, Ill.
353. Tri-Cities (Pasco + Kennewick + Richland, Wash.)
354. Rome, Ga.
355. Salisbury, Md.
356. Woodbridge, Va.
357. Clinton, Iowa
358. Lake Elsinore, Calif.
359. Burlington, Iowa
360. Visalia, Calif.
361. Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
362. Salem, Va.
363. Grambling, La.
364. Frederick, Md.
365. Hickory, N.C.
366. Kinston, N.C.
367. San Bernardino, Calif.
368. Appleton, Wis.
369. Hagerstown, Md.
370. Lancaster, Calif.
371. Myrtle Beach, S.C.
372. Albany, Ga.
373. Amarillo, Texas
374. Beloit, Wis.
375. Danville, Va.
376. Williamsport, Pa.
377. Elizabethton, Tenn.
378. Wappingers Falls, N.Y.
379. Salem + Keizer, Ore.
380. Batavia, N.Y.
381. Idaho Falls, Idaho
382. Princeton, W.Va.
383. Smithfield, R.I.
384. Bluefield, W.Va.
385. Everett, Wash.
386. Great Falls, Mont.
387. Oneonta, N.Y.
388. Jamestown, N.Y.
389. Kingsport, Tenn.
390. Winooski, Vt.
391. Pulaski, Va.
392. Lorman, Miss.
393. Aberdeen, Md.
394. Bristol, Va.
395. Greeneville, Tenn.
396. Helena, Mont.
397. Casper, Wyo.
398. Troy, N.Y.
399. Auburn, N.Y.
400. Burlington, N.C.
401. Billings, Mont.
402. Yakima, Wash.
Things are not as they seem in Yakima. Remember the grainy footage of “Bigfoot”—the one in which a giant hairy beast is walking in the woods and casually looks at the camera? Bob Heironimus—of the Yakima Heironimuses—claims to have been the monster, says he wore a costume and, thus, scammed the world, or at least a few Pacific Northwesterners.
There remains a great debate (using great loosely) about whether he’s telling the truth, but the point is not to get to the bottom of that. The point is that just as the footage of Bigfoot might not be real, Yakima’s status as 2010’s “least best” (we won’t say “worst”) sports city is a costume, too.
The central Washington city comes in last in this year’s Best Sports City survey, based on the Yakima Bears’ abysmal (28-48, .368) 2009 baseball season.
But that’s not the whole story. Take off the ugly 2009 suit, tailored by a lag in the standings we use in our survey, and you’ll see that the Diamondbacks’ Class A short-season affiliate rebounded from the horrific 2009 with a terrific 2010: 43-33 and an appearance in the Northwest League playoffs.
So Bigfoot might or might not be real, and Yakima might or might not deserve last place. There are, thankfully, undeniable truths in Yakima. To wit: glorious views of the mountains, the soul-enriching fly-fishing available on rivers in those mountains and locals’ devotion to baseball in particular and sports in general.
Home-grown Dave Edler is a Yakima city councilman, onetime mayor and, yes, former big leaguer. He played four seasons (1980-83) for the Mariners before retiring and returning home. He says Yakima has beautiful sports facilities and is a frequent host of state, regional and national American Legion baseball tournaments, among other events.
“It’s amazing how many dollars pour into our community because of our focus on creating an atmosphere where athletics are embraced,” he says. “We really know how to throw a sports party.”
So buck up, Yakimaniacs. A better truth is coming. You’ll be on the list again next year, and you won’t be last. No matter where you rank, sports will leave a big footprint on the city. — Matt Crossman
This story first appeared in the Oct. 11 edition of Sporting News magazine. If you are not receiving the magazine, subscribe today at www.sportingnews.com/magazine/subscribe, or pick up a copy, available at most Barnes & Noble, Borders and Hudson Retail outlets.
