| Are some American cities cursed when it
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| | reasonably proud of their franchises. San
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| comes to sports?
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| | Francisco can boast success with its two
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| It's time for the World Series to begin
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| | football teams (Raiders and 49ers) and
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| and, again, New York and Los Angeles make
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| | one of its two baseball teams. Boston can
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| up the bulk of the teams -- big cities
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| | look to the Patriots and Red Sox for
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| with big populations and wealthy team
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| | winning seasons and even the Celtics and
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| owners. But wait - we also have teams in
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| | Bruins have won championships within
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| this year's playoffs from Minneapolis, St
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| | living memory. Finally, Chicago and
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| Louis and San Diego. Not huge cities by
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| | Detroit can provide sport's fans with at
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| any means, so maybe size really doesn't
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| | least a reasonable hope of victories
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| matter.
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| | every couple of years.
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| We've all heard of the 'Curse of the
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| | Decades of hurt
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| Bambino' and Boston's 86 years of hurt.
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| | Plenty of cities have one or two teams
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| The curse was finally broken in 2004 and
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| | that do badly. New Orleans has the Saints
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| Bostonians finally sighed in relief as
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| | and the Hornets neither of whom has made
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| the Red Sox won their first World Series
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| | it the finals of their respective sports.
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| since 1918. Boston became a happy place,
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| | Houston has the Astros and Texans both of
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| for a time, basking in their team's
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| | which have mostly losing records.
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| glory. But Boston has had the joy of a
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| | Washington escapes the worst list on the
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| winning NFL football team recently, it
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| | back of the NFL Redskins, but it's not
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| wasn't long ago that the NBA Celtics were
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| | helped by the abysmal records of the NHL
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| a powerhouse and the city's NHL team had
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| | Capitals and NBA Wizards. The new
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| a good run in the 1970s. So Boston, in
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| | baseball franchise is too new to count.
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| spite of the "Curse" had plenty to cheer
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| | Seattle has not won a major sports
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| about between World Series wins. Even
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| | championship in any sport other than
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| the 'Curse of the Black Sox' was lifted
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| | basketball. The NBA's Seattle Super
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| in 2005 when the Chicago White Sox
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| | Sonics won a national title in 1979.
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| finally won a world series after failing
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| | Neither the Seahawks nor the Mariners
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| to win baseball's ultimate prize since
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| | have ever won a national title. The
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| the infamous Black Sox series of 1917.
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| | nearest Seattle came to winning a
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| Some US cities, however, have a number of
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| | championship recently was when the
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| teams that seem to win year after year.
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| | Seahawks lost Super Bowl XL to the
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| We usually ascribe big populations or
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| | Pittsburgh Steelers in 2006.
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| owner's deep pockets for that year on
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| | Those who believe in the "Buffalo Curse"
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| year success. That doesn't always
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| | cite as examples the four consecutive
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| guarantee success -- Hockey's New York
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| | Super Bowl losses by the Buffalo Bills
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| Rangers are the wealthiest team in the
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| | from 1990-1993, and their failure to even
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| league and they have just one cup to show
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| | reach the conference playoffs in
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| for 40 years of play - but some cities
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| | subsequent years as well as the failure
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| seem to do well in spite of small
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| | of the Buffalo Sabres to ever win the
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| populations. Football's Green Bay Packers
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| | Stanley Cup.
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| being perhaps the best example.
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| | So what of the remaining Grand Slam
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| Other cities however seem to fail to win
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| | cities?
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| anything, cities that fear each playoff
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| | It is unfair to include Phoenix in this
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| with dread and a sense of foreboding --
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| | list as their franchises are all
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| an almost fatalistic expectation that
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| | relatively new. Cleveland has three of
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| hopes and dreams will be dashed again.
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| | the major league teams. The NBA Cavaliers
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| The fans of these cities hurt. Some
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| | have never appeared in the playoffs. The
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| cities even have their own ongoing curses
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| | Browns have never made the Super Bowl, in
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| such as the "Curse of William Penn."
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| | spite of the league's most rabid fans,
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| So, which American city earns the
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| | and the Indians have one just World
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| reputation as the most pitiful sports
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| | Series appearance in 1995 since the last
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| city? Conversely, which place is the
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| | time they won baseball's biggest prize in
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| most successful sports city? If sport is
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| | 1948.
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| your thing and you were planning a move,
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| | The relative small size of Minneapolis
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| which city would give you most joy and
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| | creates a special place in the hearts of
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| which would have you crying in your suds.
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| | sports fans everywhere. In the NFL, the
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| has looked at the stats and demographics
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| | powerhouse Vikings have made it to four
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| and come up with the best and worst
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| | Super Bowls only to lose all four times.
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| sports cities in the US.
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| | The NHL North Stars managed to make it to
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| Grand Slam Cities
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| | the Stanley Cup finals twice losing each
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| As of 2005, 13 American metropolitan
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| | time. At least the Twins have won two
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| areas have at least one team in each of
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| | World Series in 1987 and 1991. The
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| the four major leagues (baseball,
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| | Original Minneapolis Lakers won five
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| football, basketball and hockey); a Grand
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| | championships in the 1950s but had to do
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| Slam of teams. Atlanta, Boston, Dallas,
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| | without a hoops team for 20 years.
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| New York, Chicago, Detroit, Denver,
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| | Atlanta boasts the Atlanta Braves -- a
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| Miami, Minneapolis, Philadelphia,
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| | team that won 14 consecutive division
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| Phoenix, San Francisco, Washington all
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| | championships but has just one World
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| have at least one team in each league.
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| | Series title (1995) to show for it. The
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| (Phoenix and Washington are new members
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| | Atlanta Falcons have just one appearance
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| of the club, while San Francisco is a
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| | in the Super Bowl, losing to Denver in
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| member only when you include Oakland and
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| | 1999. The city's hockey franchises, the
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| San Jose).
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| | short lived Flames and the new Thrashers
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| Los Angeles, St. Louis, Kansas City and
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| | both have yet to win anything and,
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| Cleveland all previously had teams in all
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| | finally the Atlanta Hawks made regular
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| four major sports leagues but due to
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| | appearances in the playoffs in the 70s
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| franchise moves none qualifies today.
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| | but since then the franchise has slowly
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| The happiest sports city in the US
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| | declined. In 2006 was the worst team in
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| looked at the last 25 years of NHL
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| | basketball.
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| Stanley Cups, NBA Championship Finals,
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| | But the record for the city with the
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| NFL Super Bowls and Major League Baseball
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| | worst sports record is Philadelphia. In
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| World Series' to see which cities
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| | the city of brotherly love you'll need
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| produced the most successful franchises.
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| | some bonding to get through the sports
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| You'd be happy camper if you lived in
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| | seasons of Pennsylvania's largest city.
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| Chicago, where the White Sox won the 2005
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| | Some people blame another curse. The
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| Baseball World Series, or in Raleigh
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| | Curse of William Penn. By
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| where the Carolina Hurricanes won the
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| | tradition-though not by law-no building
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| Stanley Cup. If you lived in Miami you'd
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| | in the city was to rise above the statue
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| still be toasting the win of the Miami
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| | of William Penn atop City Hall. Since the
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| Heat in the 2006 NBA Championships and,
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| | March 1987 erection of the One Liberty
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| finally, it would be easier living in
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| | Place skyscraper, which exceeded the
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| Pittsburgh knowing your Steelers won
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| | height of the statue, no Philadelphia
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| their fifth Super Bowl.
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| | major sports team (baseball, football,
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| But which city would have given you the
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| | basketball, or ice hockey) has won a
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| most joy over the last two and a half
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| | championship in its respective league.
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| decades?
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| | The last time a Philadelphia team won a
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| Not surprisingly, New York wins this race
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| | championship was in 1983, when the 76ers
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| in a canter. With two NFL franchises
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| | won the NBA title.
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| (Giants and Jets), two baseball teams
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| | Philadelphia now boasts one of the best
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| (Yankees and Mets), three hockey teams
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| | Quarterbacks in football and Donovan
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| (Devils, Rangers, and Islanders) and two
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| | McNabb did lead the Eagles into the 2004
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| basketball franchises (Nicks and Nets)
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| | Super Bowl where they lost to the
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| it's not surprising that they in the last
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| | Patriots. In 1991, the Eagles also made
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| 25 years the city has won 25
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| | the final only to lose to the rampant
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| championships. That's one a year. With
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| | Raiders. But that is it for football
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| the largest urban population in the US
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| | glory. Philadelphia is recognized as a
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| supporting those teams, the Big Apple can
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| | hockey mad town and remains one of the
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| finance a number of successful
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| | most solid franchises in the NHL, but
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| franchises. Those recent franchise wins
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| | you'd have to go back to 1975 and the
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| are also spread around so you can support
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| | Broad Street Bullies to find the last
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| any of New York's teams and be reasonably
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| | time the Flyers won a Stanley Cup. The
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| happy.
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| | 76ers have made it to the NBA finals four
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| Like New York, the sheer number of teams
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| | times taking home the title just once. On
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| aids the second biggest winner on the
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| | the plus side the Philadelphia Athletics
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| list. Los Angeles has two hockey teams
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| | have won four World Series -- but not
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| (Ducks and Kings), two basketball teams
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| | since 1930. The Phillies won the 1980
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| (Lakers and Clippers), and two baseball
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| | World Series but has been on the losing
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| teams (Angels and Dodgers) It lost its
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| | end four more times and that win ended 97
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| two football franchises in the 1990s.
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| | years of fruitless ball playing. So, if
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| However, unlike New York, LA relies on
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| | seasons of frustration and depression are
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| just one franchise for most of its city
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| | you thing then head to Philadelphia and
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| pride. The NBA Lakers who won seven of
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| | enjoy a pretzel and Philly sandwich
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| Los Angeles' recent 11 franchise wins.
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| | because the on field entertainment isn't
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| A number of other cities can be
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| | anything to write home about.
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