Indianapolis ranked as best North American sports city
by Brad Wells on May 23, 2009 10:16 AM EDT
in Colts Analysis
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PrintTake this into Memorial Day weekend as you lounge on a beach somewhere, wondering what the 2009 season will bring for the Colts: The best sports city in all of North America is not New York. It's not Los Angeles or San Francisco. It's not Chicago, Cleveland, Miami, or Dallas. It is NOT friggin Boston (though they were close).
The best sports city in all of North America is Indianapolis.
A Star analysis of winning percentages among professional sports teams in 37 North American cities since 2000 shows Toronto ranks in the middle of the pack.
Our city's legendary sporting mediocrity places us well below Indianapolis, Boston and Vancouver, which top the list of civic sporting overachievers.
...
For its relatively diminutive size and low Midwestern profile, Indianapolis is a sporting powerhouse. The city's National Football League Colts and National Basketball Association Pacers have logged wins 66 per cent of the time since 2000.
Perhaps best known for the Indianapolis 500, the city is home to the NCAA and many of its major tournaments, has hosted more than 400 national and international championships since 1980 and will welcome the Super Bowl in 2012.
They built this city on sports, says Bill Benner, a former sports columnist at The Indianapolis Star. "Indianapolis, beginning about 30 years ago, used sports ... as an economic development strategy. Using sports as the cornerstone played out beyond anyone's imagination."
Indianapolis mayor Gregg Ballard has an interesting quote in this article about how winning in Indiana is nice, but even more important than winning is "winning the right way." Such statements are very "Midwestern," and take their roots in Indiana.
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Indy needs to stray away from the minor league teams such as the Indianapolis Ice and Indians. If Indy got an MLB and NHL team, this town would be rockin for sure.
I love the Indians
and I dont think the MLB is looking to expand any time soon.
OH NO WE SUCK AGAIN!
by colts9318rock on May 23, 2009 11:51 AM EDT up reply actions
They don’t need to expand. There are plenty of franchises that could move.
by KingRichard on May 23, 2009 12:08 PM EDT up reply actions
There needs to be an NHL team. Conseco is too nice for just one tenant
"I saw a commercial on late night TV, it said,'Forget everything you know about slipcovers.' So I did. And it was a load off my mind. Then the commercial tried to sell me slipcovers, and I didn't know what the hell they were."
-Mitch Hedberg
Although your point makes sense considering the CIB is in dire straits. I blame that on their retardation more than the city not being able to support another professional team.
by KingRichard on May 23, 2009 12:10 PM EDT up reply actions
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