Voice of the Fan

Sporting News, The, August 9, 1999

Choice voice `What a shock. The cities with the so-called best fans also happen to support very successful teams. It really takes great fans to support a winner, doesn't it?'

--Jim Acquilano

Farmington, N.Y.

Apple picking

I have been waiting for years for New York City to be named No. 1 (TSN, July 26). The article was exactly on target

Brian Mauro

Murray Hill, N.J.

Your selection of New York as the TSN's Best Sports City is a good one, especially considering the success of the Yankees and the surprising Knicks. But managing editor Bob Hille lists overall fan fervor and atmosphere among the selection criteria.

I have attended many games at Camden Yards in Baltimore when the Orioles have hosted the Yankees, and New Yorkers are not an ideal example of fan fervor and do not represent what is a good sports atmosphere. No other city's team that visits Camden Yards displays such vulgar behavior.

John Dukes

Westminster, Md.

Not to say New York is not the best sports city in America, but something is out of kilter. There appears to be an importance placed on the Big 6 sports (pro and college football, pro and college basketball, hockey and baseball) in the selection process, so much so that you've listed the five best cities for each. However, nowhere in the individual listings is the Big Apple found. Maybe NYC was No. 6 in each of the Big 6 rankings.

Larry Little

Starkville, Miss.

With all due respect to those so-called fans in New York, how can New York be considered the No. 1 sports city in the country without a solid college football program? College football is an important part of the equation that must not be overlooked. The fact there is no Division I-A college football in the New York area besides Rutgers and Army is reason enough to leave New York off the entire list.

Rich Fimbres

Los Angeles

Fan support?

Cleveland for best baseball city? I have seen more people turn out to watch a Little League game than to watch the Indians in their lean years.

Your choice should have been St. Louis. With or without a pennant race, fans come out to support the Cardinals. And it happened well before Mark McGwire showed up.

Chris Moresi

Springfield, Mo.

Atlanta is No. 4? L.A. is No. 9? Isn't Atlanta the city that can't sell out playoff games for either the Braves or the Hawks and didn't jump on the Falcons' bandwagon until about four or five weeks after the rest of the nation knew they were for real?

L.A. has lost two NFL teams: That, along with the abysmal attendance for Kings games since Wayne Gretzky left, is the real L.A.-not the Cosmo photo shoot Lakers games have always been.

Get out of your office and go to an event in Pittsburgh (19), Buffalo (21) or Cleveland (22), and you will realize that bigger does not mean better.

Joe Frollo

Canton, OH

On campus

Durham does not deserve to be called the best college basketball city.

Duke has an extremely loyal and vocal student body, but if you asked the permanent inhabitants of Durham to name their favorite team, Duke would probably finish third behind UNC and NC State. Chapel Hill should have been the choice.

Tom Hicks

Carrboro, N. C.

I don't really have any qualms with naming Durham the best college basketball city, but your "Best of the Rest" leaves me wondering. How can you list Cincinnati and Lexington, and leave out Louisville? It's ludicrous.

Mike Guetig

Louisville, Ky.

Got a comment?. THE SPORTING NEWS would love to hear from you. Write Voice of the Fan, 10176 Corporate Square Drive, Suite 200, St. Louis, MO 63132, fax your message to us at 314-997-0765, or send us electronic mail at tsnmail@aol.com. Be sure to include your name and city with your e-mail. THE SPORTING NEWS reserves the right to edit letters for brevity and content.