[ESPN] Which franchise rules your city?

[Clutch]

Had this sent to me. ESPN's Rick Reilly picks the one team that dominates each sports city. The only city he didn't pick a team for was Houston ...

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3576248

Which franchise rules your city? I know the answer.
by Rick Reilly

If your town could save one sports team—college or pro—and the others had to relocate to Vladivostok, Russia, which one would stay?

In Denver, for instance, the fans would keep the Broncos and happily drive all other teams to the airport. Proof: If you added your name to the season-ticket waiting list now, it'd be nearly 190 years before you got a call.

Some cities are easy that way. St. Louis is a Cards town. The Skins own DC, lock, stock and pork barrel. Dallas belongs to the Cowboys, and if you don't believe it you better be wearing steel-toed boots. The rest of America? Glad you asked:

ATLANTA Georgia football. Every SEC grad gets a job in Atlanta. The Braves can't even sell out playoff games. Everybody thinks the Hawks moved to Calgary years ago.

BALTIMORE Ravens, in a squeaker over Michael Phelps.

BOSTON Red Sox. Once, Boston was a hockey town, and Orr's Bruins ruled. It's never been a Celtics town—despite Russell and Bird—partly because of the finally fading racism. Patriots? Pssshhht. They're not even in Boston. The Red Sox, though, sell out a cramped, rusted ballpark as though there were Hope Diamonds under every seat. Says longtime Boston sports yakker Eddie Andelman: "Who can have a decent conversation about anything else?"

CHARLOTTE NASCAR. Bobcats players could give fans halftime mani-pedis and still not draw.

CHICAGO Bears. The Cubbies are the Windy City's cute Labradoodle pets, but the Bears are in the blood. "Everybody in Chicago loves the Bears," admits Cubs shortstop Ryan Theriot. Pro football is to Chicago what airplanes are to Dayton. In third, the Bulls. Fourth, Notre Dame football.

CLEVELAND Browns. Name one other city that lost a team and had the league give it back! Name, uniforms, everything! If the Cavaliers left, two janitors might look up.

DETROIT Red Wings. It's called Hockeytown, not Basketballtown.

HOUSTON Yesterday. Everything in Houston was better in the old days—Luv Ya Blue, Hakeem the Dream, the Ryan Express. Now everything is an Applebee's opening.

INDIANAPOLIS Colts, which is funny. Four years ago, they couldn't even sell out the RCA Dome, smallest venue in the league. Now they've got brand-new digs.

LOS ANGELES Lakers. The real folks in town—bus drivers, gardeners, school-teachers—own Lakers jerseys. Dodgertown is in Florida. "There's a radio guy here with 'I Slept with Shaq' tattooed on his forehead," marvels Laker Derek Fisher. Think anyone's got "I Slept with Chris Kaman" tattooed on his forehead?

MIAMI Dolphins. Second: U. of Miami football. Third: Miami spring football. Last: Marlins, once again the C-SPAN of MLB attendance.

MINNEAPOLIS Vikings. The Twins get no love. Once, they were playing a Saturday afternoon game in the HumpDome, and it went extra innings. The game was stopped so the stadium crew could get the field ready for a football game that night. Ouch.

NEW YORK You see more Yankees hats in NYC than all other teams combined. Win 26 titles, that happens. Then there's this: MoviesUnlimited.com lists 21 flicks about the Yanks, four on the Giants and Mets each, two on the Knicks and one on the Rangers.

PHILADELPHIA Used to be Eagles, now it's Phillies. This is partly because of the Phils' young stars and partly because the Iggles owner has handed it to them. Jeffrey Lurie is a Boston guy who's made $800 million so far on his Eagles purchase but not many friends. You always get the feeling that his jet bound for his beloved Beantown is double-parked.

PHOENIX The Suns are hanging on, with Arizona State closing fast. Suns owner Robert "Foam Finger" Sarver has turned off so many fans while the ASU AD, Lisa Love, has turned so many on. Cardinals? Worst ownership in the history of owning things.

SAN FRANCISCO Says San Francisco Chronicle columnist Scott Ostler: "A second-string 49er having his chakras aligned is bigger news than any other team's top player winning the MVP, a Nobel Prize and dying, all on the same day."

SEATTLE Seahawks, but that's new. "When I first got here," says Matt Hasselbeck, "we'd play at Husky Stadium. They'd get 72,000 on Saturdays. We'd get 25,000 the next day, and 10,000 would be there for the Raiders."

TAMPA Bucs. "How can the Rays be ahead of two of the top franchises in baseball history and still get only 14,000 some nights?" asks Bucs corner Ronde Barber.

So there you have it. Meanwhile, I'm getting a time-share in Vladivostok. It's going to have some sick teams.

Nice slap, Rick. The funny thing is, the answer clearly would have been the OILERS... now I'm not sure the answer (between the Astros and Texans I'm sure).

[msn]

Pretty stupid, really. The "Ryan Express" was *not* better than 6 playoff trips and a WS birth in 9 years. Clearly not.

I'll even take Bagwell/Biggio over Nolie--as much as I loved Nolie, the Killer B's played every day, not every five.

And no, we're not collectively pining for the Oilers and the Rainbow Gut Astros. Great memories, but we don't want to go back there any more than Pittsburgh wants to go back to the Steel Curtain and "We Are Family".

[MadMax]

There is no measure by which you can say the Astros are in worse shape today than they were when Nolan was pitching for them. That's beyond silly.

[H-townhero]

My pick would be the Rockets and Astros, the Texans haven't done anything to establish themselves yet. I remember when I was like 6 watching the Rockets win their back to back championships with my father.

This author is an idiot. :o

[ima_drummer2k]

Used to be the Oilers, no question about it.

Now, I'm pretty sure it's the Astros. Texans haven't done anything and the Rockets have always been 2nd or 3rd fiddle.

[mateo]

I left Houston 4 years ago this week.

I religiously still follow the Astros...I roadtrip to see em and I got the MLB package.

I root for the Rox but wont get the NBA package, or to a bar to see them unless its the playoffs. However I go see em play once a year in MSG. I wont go to Jersey to see them though. East Rutherford sucks.

I had Texans season tickets, but if they arent on TV or I dont have them on my fantasy team, then I wish em well but dont really pay that much attention.

However, if the Oilers were still around, they would trump the Astros. I bled columbia blue and died when they went to Nashville (where I went to college - those bastards!!!!)

1. Astros
2. Yesterday
3. Rockets
4. Texans

[JBIIRockets]

If the Texans ever get good, like, say, Indianapolis good, then they will take over as ruling franchise, but their play on the field the last six seasons has not embraced the fans.

I wish Houston was more of a Rockets town.

[Lil Pun]

Just got through reading this. I was kind of surprised.

[Zacatecas]

Astros fan show up even when the team is losing. I think people just love sitting at Minute Maid Park. Great Atmosphere. Especially Friday Night games when you get a Kicking fireworks show.

One could still argue that the Texans have had so many sell outs because of the Nostalgia of winning an NFL team over again.

But the Hard Core fans are the Rocket fans.

[david_rocket]

I will go with the Rockets! :p

But between the astros and the texans, I choose the astros, because of they history, (not counting the texans as the oilers)

Here it is my list:

Rockets
Oilers
Astros
Texans or Dyamo

[yobod]

I will go with the Rockets! :p

But between the astros and the texans, I choose the astros, because of they history, (not counting the texans as the oilers)

Here it is my list:

Rockets
Oilers
Astros
Texans or Dyamo

Rockets are by FAR a distant third after the Astros and the Texans......and the thing is, I wouldn't even put the Astros first. Football is in the blood of every true Texan, and always will be. I think if you were to put a gun to every Houstonian's head and ask them to pick, a large majority of them would pick the Texans. We all know what the city was like when the Astros were winning the pennant....now imagine how crazy the city would be if the Texans ever see that kind of success. Hard to say no to that.

[Uprising]

Astros
Texans
Rockets





Dynamo

[ubigred]

If Yao Ming was healthy and playing during the 22 streak.....this would of been a Rockets town with anything else being distant second.

[SuperBeeKay]

Everybody's head is so deep into their little biases that they forgot to even mention that Dallas isnt even on the list

[msn]

Everybody's head is so deep into their little biases that they forgot to even mention that Dallas isnt even on the list
Whose head is shoved where, once again?
Some cities are easy that way. St. Louis is a Cards town. The Skins own DC, lock, stock and pork barrel. Dallas belongs to the Cowboys, and if you don't believe it you better be wearing steel-toed boots. The rest of America? Glad you asked:
...let us know if you need any help with that head problem of yours, bro.

[ubigred]

Everybody's head is so deep into their little biases that they forgot to even mention that Dallas isnt even on the list

Where?

[Nick]

Everybody's head is so deep into their little biases that they forgot to even mention that Dallas isnt even on the list

He mentioned it in one of the first paragraphs... how he wasn't going to even bother listing the "obvious" cities (St. Louis, Dallas).

The NBA is pretty much a distant third in most cities that have the three major sports. Phoenix may be an exception... but if the Cardinals ever get good, they could be converted.

[plcmts17]

It has to be the Astros by a mile.
I haven't cared about baseball since 1995, but my family and friends still can name more Astros players than they can name Rockets championship players.

It used to bother me quite a bit, but not as much now.

[david_rocket]

Everybody's head is so deep into their little biases that they forgot to even mention that Dallas isnt even on the list

Well, he mentioned on this paragraph:

Some cities are easy that way. St. Louis is a Cards town. The Skins own DC, lock, stock and pork barrel. Dallas belongs to the Cowboys, and if you don't believe it you better be wearing steel-toed boots. The rest of America? Glad you asked:

[CaseyH]

Nice way to say we don;t even have a sports town loser.

[Wakko67]

Watch how the city goes crazy if the 'Stros make the playoffs.

If the Texans do, it would be huge as well.

Unfortunately soccer isn't bigger, but the Dynamo deserve our support.

Come this June, it will be Rockets. Mark it. ;)

[dandorotik]

By all accounts, the team that rules a city is either (1) the one that's been there the longest, or (2) the one that's had the most success. Usually, #2 is more the rule than #1- Cowboys in Dallas, Steelers in Pittsburgh, Lakers in LA, etc. By this rule, the Rockets should be the hands-down #1 favorite. But the Astros, according to reason (1), should be the favorite. Yet, because Houston HAS to be different, the Texans rule the local radio. Every time I come to Houston, it's Texans this and Texans that, then the Stros, then they throw a crumb to the Rockets. Like the Suns and Lakers, the Rockets should rule this town- but they need playoff success to surpass the Stros and Texans- and it probably still won't happen that they get the respect they deserve.

[what]

Even in the Luv Ya Blue era and Hakeem era, the Houston Astros were the king of the mountain in my opinion. Back in 1986 when the Astros when to the postseason this town went nuts and Jose Cruz is still as beloved as any past player including Hakeem and Earl and when Mike Scott through that no-hitter to get the astros into the postseason, you had to live through it. A world series championship would be bigger in Houston than anything past present or future in Houston.

Take my mom as an example. My mother doesn't even watch sports, but if the Astros even get close to getting into the postseason she'll sweat every game, not so with football or basketball.

[msn]

Even in the Luv Ya Blue era and Hakeem era, the Houston Astros were the king of the mountain in my opinion. Back in 1986 when the Astros when to the postseason this town went nuts and Jose Cruz is still as beloved as any past player including Hakeem and Earl and when Mike Scott through that no-hitter to get the astros into the postseason, you had to live through it. A world series championship would be bigger in Houston than anything past present or future in Houston.

Take my mom as an example. My mother doesn't even watch sports, but if the Astros even get close to getting into the postseason she'll sweat every game, not so with football or basketball.
Earl Campbell was a bigger rock star here than Cruz ever dreamed of being. Not even close.

I mean, I love baseball and the Astros and all, but Houston is a football town. It's big enough to *also* be a baseball town, but football rules the roost. Give the Texans a few years to build some modicum of "history", give them one--just one--superstar RB or QB (sorry AJ), and the Texans will eclipse the Astros easily.

[what]

Earl Campbell was a bigger rock star here than Cruz ever dreamed of being. Not even close.

I mean, I love baseball and the Astros and all, but Houston is a football town. It's big enough to *also* be a baseball town, but football rules the roost. Give the Texans a few years to build some modicum of "history", give them one--just one--superstar RB or QB (sorry AJ), and the Texans will eclipse the Astros easily.

Not to spark a debate, but I remember when the Oilers games were regularly blacked out do to fan support. There might be a dearth of hardcore sports fans that would put the Rockets ahead of everybody, and those fans might even live and die oiler blue, but to the casual fan in Houston there is a section of people that when the astros get hot it is BIG news. The oilers had one moment like that, Luv Ya Blue, and by the way I swear by Luv Ya Blue, I lived through it, but the astros just have been that way for as long as I can remember. Those are the fans I am talking about, people like my mom.

[msn]

Not to spark a debate, but I remember when the Oilers games were regularly blacked out do to fan support. There might be a dearth of hardcore sports fans that would put the Rockets ahead of everybody, and those fans might even live and die oiler blue, but to the casual fan in Houston there is a section of people that when the astros get hot it is BIG news. The oilers had one moment like that, Luv Ya Blue, and by the way I swear by Luv Ya Blue, I lived through it, but the astros just have been that way for as long as I can remember. Those are the fans I am talking about, people like my mom.
Nothing wrong with a good, civil debate. "People like your mom" includes me, by the way. And others here like bobrek and MadMax. So, it's cool.

The Oilers games were blacked out due to ticket sales--during the oil bust, when Houston's economy was in the toilet. I remember a time when the Astros, who've always had the hard-core following like any team will (your mom, me, etc.), were Marlins-esque with regards to attendance. Houston had a label as a "bad baseball town" whose people were "disinterested". I took exception to that, and I'm sure you might also, but it was the impression on a national scale regardless. 1986 was big news, but while 1987 attendance rose a bit it was *still* below league average. Even 1986 attendance was below league average. They were above league average in '79 through '81, but through the rest of the 80s and early 90s well below league average.

Attendance finally peeked above league average in 1998, and hasn't looked back since. That's right: Drayton McLane has turned this into a baseball town. (To be fair, Bagwell, Biggio, Hampton, Kile, Reynolds, Berkman, Oswalt, etc. had more to do with it--but McLane paid their salaries and has led this organization through its most successful era in its short history. That might not be saying too terribly much, but it's *something*, anyway!)

All told, here are the years where the Astros' attendance has been above league average:
1965-69 (New stadium)
1972-73
1979-81
1998-2007

In 36 seasons prior to 1997, the Astros were above league average attendance 10 times. (3 more times they were within 150,000 of league average.) In 10 seasons since (and including) 1998, they have been above league average 10 times.

I couldn't find similar NFL numbers; I'd be very interested.

[rhino17]

For me its

Rockets
Astros
Dynamo







Texans

i dont really care for the texans

[DaDakota]

Rockets 1A
Astros 1B
Texans distant 3rd.

[msn]

Rockets 1A
Astros 1B
VY 1C
Texans distant 4th.
Fixed that for you!! :p

[Jturbofuel]

Its Rockets/Astros but once the Texans make the post season it will be over in their favor. Houston was and still is a pro football city and success by the home team is all that is keeping them from owning this city.

[Scientific1]

I love all three of the teams but if I had to choose one, it would be my Rockets first. Its a generational thing I guess if you were growing up as a kid in the 90s and basketball was about the only sport we played and followed religiously.

But no matter what, I think football rules this city. We were starving for it when the Oilers left. The Texans will always be number 1, I think.

[pgabriel]

rick riley is the most overrated sports columnist ever. he's even worse on sports reporters.

typical, everything was great when i was young, these guys make too much money now, they don't love the game, blah, blah, freakin blah and he's not funny.

edit: just remember, this is the guy who thought he was so cool when handed sammy sosa a cup to pee in. and all his media cronies supported him in making himself a part of the story.

[Smokey]

Football will always be the top dog in Texas.

IMO Houston is:

1) Astros
2) Longhorns Football
3) Texans (NFL)
4) Rockets

[dumbartonbass]

I would put my list as...

Rockets
Dynamo



Astros
Texans

Baseball on the whole lost me when all of the steroids came to light, but I had been waning before. I think Homer Simpson, when on a break from Duff, put it best he said at a baseball game, "I never realized how boring this game is without alcohol!" I followed the Texans when they first started, but they've really done nothing to endear themselves to me. Add to that my dwindling liking of football and they go to the bottom of the list.

[ubigred]

1. Rockets


2. everything else