City rivalries

[Michael in Philly]

Columbus is the pretty younger sister that's getting all the attention.  Cleveland's just pissy because it was always the biggest and brawniest.  In baseball, Cincy and Cleveland are in different leagues and they both suck at football anyway.  I've always gotten a sense that Cincy is off doing its own thing, all flirting with Dayton and just being Cincy.  

Does Cincinnati have as much interest in the rest of Ohio as it does in Kentucky?  (And there are probably good historic reasons for the Kentucky orientation, i.e., 19th-century commercial patterns.)

The local AM news/talk just concluded a survey re: football loyalties.  I'd expected the results to be like this, but I was surprised at the low Bengals tally.  I'd say that lines up with the feelings in general.

Code Select Expand



Who's your NFL team?
Browns
41.80 %
Bengals
15.16 %
Steelers
27.05 %
Colts
6.15 %
Other
9.84 %


Local = Columbus?

I once left my parents' in New Jersey one late-fall afternoon, a bit before sunset, and had the radio set to WTAM 1100 in Cleveland (I'd been playing with AM the night before, I guess).  Oddly, not only was it coming in 400 miles away before dark, it was carrying a Bengals broadcast.

[Coelacanth]

Columbus is the pretty younger sister that's getting all the attention.  Cleveland's just pissy because it was always the biggest and brawniest.  In baseball, Cincy and Cleveland are in different leagues and they both suck at football anyway.  I've always gotten a sense that Cincy is off doing its own thing, all flirting with Dayton and just being Cincy. 

Does Cincinnati have as much interest in the rest of Ohio as it does in Kentucky?  (And there are probably good historic reasons for the Kentucky orientation, i.e., 19th-century commercial patterns.)

The local AM news/talk just concluded a survey re: football loyalties.  I'd expected the results to be like this, but I was surprised at the low Bengals tally.  I'd say that lines up with the feelings in general.

Code Select Expand



Who's your NFL team?
Browns
41.80 %
Bengals
15.16 %
Steelers
27.05 %
Colts
6.15 %
Other
9.84 %


It's interesting how these in-between cities break down their sports loyalties.

A couple of years ago I was in a sports-bar type place in Iowa City on an NFL gameday. There were separate, approximately equal-sized groups watching the Bears, Packers, Vikings, Chiefs and Rams. I would guess the Bears group was the largest, and the Packers were obviously the most annoying.

[PAHighways]

If you read from the start of the thread, we weren't necessarily talking sports rivalries.  I figured it was more economic/cultural stuff, long predating the existence of major sports.

My original reply was addressing sports and non-sports rivalries.

THAT SAID, it's remarkably pushy of the Steelers to have an FM station in Harrisburg carrying their games; there are five NFL teams closer to Harrisburg than the Steelers are, one of them in the same state.

Why should the Steelers concede the capital of the state they are based in to other teams that aren't in this state?  There are people living in the Mid-State region who are Steeler fans, and one of them is in the Governor's Mansion.

[Brandon]

A couple of years ago I was in a sports-bar type place in Iowa City on an NFL gameday. There were separate, approximately equal-sized groups watching the Bears, Packers, Vikings, Chiefs and Rams. I would guess the Bears group was the largest, and the Packers were obviously the most annoying.

That's why we have the Punch A Packer Person Polka. 

[Michael in Philly]

If you read from the start of the thread, we weren't necessarily talking sports rivalries.  I figured it was more economic/cultural stuff, long predating the existence of major sports.

My original reply was addressing sports and non-sports rivalries.

THAT SAID, it's remarkably pushy of the Steelers to have an FM station in Harrisburg carrying their games; there are five NFL teams closer to Harrisburg than the Steelers are, one of them in the same state.

Why should the Steelers concede the capital of the state they are based in to other teams that aren't in this state?  There are people living in the Mid-State region who are Steeler fans, and one of them is in the Governor's Mansion.

As long as they're not expecting the Eagles concede a share of the capital of their state to a team from a far smaller city twice as far away    (Um, I mean the Eagles' share.  I'm not saying they can't have one.)

Now, here's an interesting map:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MLB_Blackout_Areas.png

[NWI_Irish96]

Now, here's an interesting map:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MLB_Blackout_Areas.png

Here's a much better version of that map:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wvoLtwni0kc/RhUvZd19-xI/AAAAAAAAHg4/nE8fsbE7hmg/s1600-h/MLBBLACKOUT.jpg

[huskeroadgeek]

Salt Lake City and Provo, sports and otherwise. Salt Lake City has the University of Utah, and Provo has Brigham Young University. The rivalry between the two universities is intense. Outside the realm of collegiate athletics, Provo sees Salt Lake as a den of iniquity, while Salt Lake sees Provo as an insular Mormon enclave. Can't get much better than that.

Urban Meyer was on ESPNU yesterday doing a report on Utah's football team and he refused to refer to BYU by name. Remember, he used to coach Utah before heading to Florida.

I can't refer to A & M by their state name.  Usually I call them aTm or something far worse.

Like "University of Texas"?

/Ask anyone from our newest member of the Big Ten, Nebraska. 

That would be me. Actually, I don't like A&M or Texas. A&M has what I call the "Boston Red Sox complex"-they're so obsessed with not being like their main rival that they don't realize how much they are like them anyway. A&M is to Texas like the Red Sox are to the Yankees. Both are teams with huge natural fanbases with great resources and big egos to match-not really much difference between the two from an outsider's perspective.

[hobsini2]

A couple of years ago I was in a sports-bar type place in Iowa City on an NFL gameday. There were separate, approximately equal-sized groups watching the Bears, Packers, Vikings, Chiefs and Rams. I would guess the Bears group was the largest, and the Packers were obviously the most annoying.

That's why we have the Punch A Packer Person Polka. 

This is what gets me about Bear fans. You can not have a civilized conversation with one when it comes to football.  Bear fans refuse to acknowledge the gift of a win the Bears got in the season opener against the Lions.  The also always seem to omit the fact that the team was remarkably healthy last year.

[agentsteel53]

the gift of a win the Bears got in the season opener against the Lions. 

the Lions being on the schedule is gift enough already...

[PAHighways]

As long as they're not expecting the Eagles concede a share of the capital of their state to a team from a far smaller city twice as far away    (Um, I mean the Eagles' share.  I'm not saying they can't have one.)

I think you can rest assured that is not their plan.

[texaskdog]

Salt Lake City and Provo, sports and otherwise. Salt Lake City has the University of Utah, and Provo has Brigham Young University. The rivalry between the two universities is intense. Outside the realm of collegiate athletics, Provo sees Salt Lake as a den of iniquity, while Salt Lake sees Provo as an insular Mormon enclave. Can't get much better than that.

Urban Meyer was on ESPNU yesterday doing a report on Utah's football team and he refused to refer to BYU by name. Remember, he used to coach Utah before heading to Florida.

I can't refer to A & M by their state name.  Usually I call them aTm or something far worse.

Like "University of Texas"?

/Ask anyone from our newest member of the Big Ten, Nebraska. 

That would be me. Actually, I don't like A&M or Texas. A&M has what I call the "Boston Red Sox complex"-they're so obsessed with not being like their main rival that they don't realize how much they are like them anyway. A&M is to Texas like the Red Sox are to the Yankees. Both are teams with huge natural fanbases with great resources and big egos to match-not really much difference between the two from an outsider's perspective.

I know they have their fans but aTm's whole season resolves around being UT.  UT's season is about trying to win the championship, and of course beating OU & aTm both among other tough opponents.  No championship for UT this year though, sadly.

What's most annoying about Red Sox fans is they think they are so different & less obnoxious than Yankee fans.

[texaskdog]

the gift of a win the Bears got in the season opener against the Lions.

the Lions being on the schedule is gift enough already...

I remember the creampuff schedule the Viqueens had 2 years ago and everyone thought Farve was so awesome.  They managed to play every crappy team in the league that year.  Last year they didn't get that gift.
Post Merge: August 14, 2011, 03:59:52 PM

Columbus is the pretty younger sister that's getting all the attention.  Cleveland's just pissy because it was always the biggest and brawniest.  In baseball, Cincy and Cleveland are in different leagues and they both suck at football anyway.  I've always gotten a sense that Cincy is off doing its own thing, all flirting with Dayton and just being Cincy. 

Does Cincinnati have as much interest in the rest of Ohio as it does in Kentucky?  (And there are probably good historic reasons for the Kentucky orientation, i.e., 19th-century commercial patterns.)

The local AM news/talk just concluded a survey re: football loyalties.  I'd expected the results to be like this, but I was surprised at the low Bengals tally.  I'd say that lines up with the feelings in general.

Code Select Expand



Who's your NFL team?
Browns
41.80 %
Bengals
15.16 %
Steelers
27.05 %
Colts
6.15 %
Other
9.84 %


The Browns that play in Baltimore now or the Faux Browns?

[ftballfan]

It's Favre, and the Lions are not creampuffs (three blind mice screwed them out of a win in Week 1 at Chicago last year).

And there are no such thing as the Faux Browns. The Ravens are technically an expansion club.

[texaskdog]

It's Favre, and the Lions are not creampuffs (three blind mice screwed them out of a win in Week 1 at Chicago last year).

And there are no such thing as the Faux Browns. The Ravens are technically an expansion club.

and there is also a "hole" in their history where they flew into outer space and playe din the intergalactic league for a year. 

I have no beef with the lions....tying the Viqueens record last year was a great gift

[ftballfan]

I have no beef with the lions....tying the Viqueens record last year was a great gift

And the remarkable thing is that the Lions were as successful as the Vikings despite using a third string QB for a couple of games and the starting QB missing most of the season.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

It's Favre, and the Lions are not creampuffs (three blind mice screwed them out of a win in Week 1 at Chicago last year).

And there are no such thing as the Faux Browns. The Ravens are technically an expansion club.

and there is also a "hole" in their history where they flew into outer space and playe din the intergalactic league for a year. 

And the original Colts (that migrated from the AAFC, with the 49ers & Browns before the 1950 season) folded after one year later and were replaced by the original Dallas Texans starting in 1953. So there is presidence for breaks in one's franchise's existance.

[hbelkins]

The good thing about the Browns moving to Baltimore and a new Browns franchise starting up in Cleveland is that it gave me two sets of Cleveland Browns to hate! 

[PAHighways]

And there are no such thing as the Faux Browns.

True, as Steelers radio play-by-play man Bill Hillgrove referred to them once as the "recycled Browns."

[golden eagle]

I've often wondered how Columbus' NFL loyalties broke down. They're within easy driving distance from Cleveland, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, and Indianapolis isn't too far away. Heck, Detroit isn't too terribly far either. Wilmington and Philadelphia have five teams within such easy driving distances (Eagles, Ravens, Redskins, Jets & Giants).

[Brandon]

I've often wondered how Columbus' NFL loyalties broke down. They're within easy driving distance from Cleveland, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, and Indianapolis isn't too far away. Heck, Detroit isn't too terribly far either. Wilmington and Philadelphia have five teams within such easy driving distances (Eagles, Ravens, Redskins, Jets & Giants).

Somehow I sincerely doubt that much if anybody in Columbus roots for the Lions.  They're too near that which damn near everybody in Columbus seems to hate with a passion.

[Michael in Philly]

I've often wondered how Columbus' NFL loyalties broke down. They're within easy driving distance from Cleveland, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, and Indianapolis isn't too far away. Heck, Detroit isn't too terribly far either. Wilmington and Philadelphia have five teams within such easy driving distances (Eagles, Ravens, Redskins, Jets & Giants).

[shudder]  You root for the Giants around here, you keep it quiet.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

I've often wondered how Columbus' NFL loyalties broke down. They're within easy driving distance from Cleveland, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, and Indianapolis isn't too far away. Heck, Detroit isn't too terribly far either. Wilmington and Philadelphia have five teams within such easy driving distances (Eagles, Ravens, Redskins, Jets & Giants).

C-bus (originally) was a Browns/Reds town.  Browns games were generally given preference over the Bengals and Steelers, while the CBS affliate would show whatever national game they had (exception being when Cleveland or Cincy hosted a NFC team). Whereas with baseball we always had the Reds local broadcasts, but no Indian games (except for the '87 season).
Thanks to Browns exit and subsequent retchedness and the Bengals elongated retchedness (dating back to the start of the 1990s after the passing of patriarch Paul Brown), the Steelers have aquired a sizeable following over the last decade plus. Beyond that we have our share of Cowboys, Colts, Raiders, and Bears fans. And one Eagles fan.

[corco]

My Dad split his life between Columbus and Dayton from the 50s to the 90s and ended up a Reds/Bengals fan- doesn't like the Browns/Indians and hates the Lions/Tigers simply because they're in Michigan.

He always said the only thing you should ever do that's Michigan related is always buy a car from a Detroit-based manufacturer.

[Brandon]

My Dad split his life between Columbus and Dayton from the 50s to the 90s and ended up a Reds/Bengals fan- doesn't like the Browns/Indians and hates the Lions/Tigers simply because they're in Michigan.

He always said the only thing you should ever do that's Michigan related is always buy a car from a Detroit-based manufacturer.

And the only thing you should ever do that's Ohio related is Cedar Point.

[SP Cook]

Now, here's an interesting map:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MLB_Blackout_Areas.png

That map has been much discussed on some other forums I visit.  Pretty much the deal is that, except for modifications related to expansion, it dates to the late 1970s, long before the regional sports network was even thought of, for radio purposes.  Each team was allowed to make whatever claim it wanted, which lead to "overlaps".  Rather than fight it out or think it through, the MLB management has just let the thing fester.  Obviously there are plenty of areas, including mine, claimed as "home territory" by teams that have no traction locally at all.

BTW the map is slightly out of date as the two Florida teams no longer divide the state, but, like the two Texas teams, just make a joint claim to the entire place now.