Super Bowl 2011: Would a Another Ring Make Pittsburgh a True City Of Champions?
Cities cling hard to their championship teams. Years and decades may pass, but the pride never fades.
But winning a few championships over the years isn't the only thing that makes a town a "Championship City." Show me championships per franchise, championships spread over time and multi-sport success to make your case.
Sorry Edmonton and Cincinnati, but getting it done for a short period of time in one sport won't cut it.
If Pittsburgh gets one more Super Bowl ring—meaning the Green Bay Packers don't—where does that put them among the top 20 championship cities in North America?
20. Cleveland
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Make this list in the 1960s and Cleveland ranks much higher. But every time a Cleveland franchise has sniffed at a championship since, it has gone awry.
Success by both the Browns and the Indians helps, but it's still been decades since Clevelanders had a championship to celebrate.
19. Denver
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The Denver Broncos had more chances at Super Bowls, but were only able to cash in twice. Quebec Nordique fans aren't too please about the two Colorado Avalanche Stanley Cups coming only five years after the team left.
The 2010 Colorado Rapids MLS title gets tossed in for good measure, the only thing elevating Denver over Cleveland.
18. Miami
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Miami gets love for spreading the wealth among its three franchises and for also having modern success. A couple of old Super Bowl championships are helped along by a couple of Florida Marlin World Series titles.
The Heat's magnificent NBA Finals comeback from two games down adds legitimacy to the town's championship chops. Let's just hope any more championships in the near future come from the other franchises.
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17. San Antonio
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San Antonio is a one-team town and that team has been pretty darn good over the past 12 years.
The Spurs have won four NBA championships, spread out over the past 11 seasons and are on the short list of contenders this year.
San Antonio is helped by the fact that every one of its franchises has a championship. However, its hurt by only having one franchise.
16. Montreal
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Montreal could claim being the ultimate championship city if only hockey were considered. The Canadiens have won 24 Stanley Cups, far and away the highest total of any NHL franchise.
But they haven't won since 1993. And then there's the debacle that was the Montreal Expos. It's tough to argue with 24 titles, but it's been so long.
15. Oakland
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It has been a long time since an Oakland team won a championship. The last one came in 1989 when the Athletics won the World Series.
But five championships spread among the three major franchises, all three having won, is impressive. They need another one soon to stay on the list.
14. Dallas
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The Texas Rangers are really holding Dallas back. Win the 2010 World Series and we've got a completely different discussion.
Five Super Bowl championships by the Cowboys is what's carrying this town's argument. A Stanley Cup for the Stars in 1999 helps.
San Francisco
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Make this list last October and San Francisco may not even make it. Five Super Bowl championships by the 49ers is a strong showing, but not enough on its own.
The City by the Bay needed its other franchise, the Giants, to finally win since residing in New York. They did so this past November, jumping their city several spots in the championship city rankings.
12. Baltimore
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Baltimore has had two NFL franchises win a total of three NFL championships and two Super Bowl championships.
The Orioles are owners of three World Series titles, although none are younger than 27 years old. Throw in a Baltimore Bullets NBA championship to help the cause.
11. Toronto
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Despite the Maple Leafs' recent woes, they were once a dominant NHL presence. Beginning in the 1910s and extending through the 1960s, the Leafs won 13 Stanley Cups.
The Raptors are still a young franchise and haven't won anything yet. But the Blue Jays have won two World Series championships in 1992 and 1993.
10. Washington D.C.
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Washington D.C. hangs its hat on the Redskins, winners of two NFL Championships and three Super Bowls.
Outside of that impressive accomplishment, the nation's capital doesn't have much to celebrate. The Washington Senators pitched in a World Series win in 1924 and the Washington Bullets turned an 1974 NBA Championship.
9. Green Bay
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Bonus points handed out generously here for having the NFL's championship trophy named after Green Bay's legendary coach.
Green Bay has one franchise and its as successful as any other, having won 12 NFL Championships and three Super Bowls.
8. St. Louis
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St. Louis is the forgotten championship city. But the Cardinals have won 10 World Series, the last coming in 2006.
The Rams provided a Super Bowl win in 1999. The St. Louis Hawks scored an NBA Championship over the Boston Celtics in 1958.
7. Philadelphia
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The City of Brotherly Love spreads the love around. It has franchises that have won championships in each of the four major American sports.
The Phillies lead the way with seven World Series wins. The 76ers have four NBA Finals wins and the Eagles have three NFL Championships. Even the Flyers are doing their part with two Stanley Cups.
6. Los Angeles
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There have been the Los Angeles Lakers, the Dodgers, the Rams, the Raiders, the Clippers and the Kings.
The Dodgers won five of its World Series titles while in L.A. The Rams won one NFL Championship while in town. The Raiders won a Super Bowl while in L.A. as well.
And of course, the Lakers have won 11 NBA Finals for the City of Angels.
But the Kings have been awful in the NHL and the Clippers have been worse in the NBA. There are two few championships spread amongst too many franchises to put Los Angeles any higher.
5. Pittsburgh
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Pittsburgh is the home to three major franchises: the NFL's Steelers, the NHL's Penguins and the MLB's Pirates.
If the Steelers were to add a seventh Super Bowl win this season, that would bring the city's total championships to 14. That's very championship city-like. What's more, each franchise has won it all at least twice.
4. Chicago
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Everybody wins in Chicago. Yes, the Cubs have even won a World Series. Two, in fact, in 1907 and 1908. The White Sox have won three themselves.
The Blackhawks just won the Stanley Cup in 2010, bringing their total to three. The Bulls three-peated twice in the NBA.
And of course there are the 11 championships from the Bears.
3. Detroit
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Win 11 Stanley Cups and you getaway with using Hockeytown, USA as your moniker. That's what the Red Wings have done.
The Pistons have won three NBA Finals, the Tigers have won four World Series and Lions have four NFL Championships to their name.
Everybody has been a winner in Detroit.
2. Boston
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Boston owns 33 championships spread amongst just four franchises. The Patriots recent successes and the Red Sox return to glory both really aid Boston's case.
The Celtics enjoyed their glory days but added another NBA Finals win in 2008. Even the Bruins have won five Stanley Cups.
1. New York
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It's going to take a long time for any city to knock New York off the top of this list. It's almost not fair. The Big Apple is currently home to seven major franchises.
And one of those is the Yankees.
The Mets have won and so have the Knicks. The Rangers and the Islanders have both won multiple Stanley Cups. The Jets and the Giants have been NFL Champions.
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