According to a report in the Dallas Business Journal, DFW has been named the ninth-best sports city in the the United States and Canada, per an annual ranking by the Sporting News.
This is an honor for the Metroplex, to be sure, but it's also wholly unsurprising; Dallas-Fort Worth, in every one of these polls I've seen, has been between eight and 15 -- good, but never enough to compete with the old sporting bastions of the northeast.
The list begins as follows:
1. Pittsburgh
2. Philadelphia
3. Boston
4. Chicago + Evanston
5. Los Angeles
6. New York
7. Phoenix + Tempe
8. Miami
9. Dallas-Fort Worth
“The North Texas area has it all," said Stars President Jeff Cogen, in the Sporting News. "Highly competitive teams in all four major sports leagues, and these teams play in arguably the top facilities in their leagues. Add to those Texas Motor Speedway, FC Dallas, the Roughriders, Air Hogs, Fort Worth Cats, SMU, TCU and UNT, and you have quality sporting options across all areas of the Metroplex, across all sports and something for each pocketbook.”
Not surprisingly, and certainly justifiably, the new Cowboys Stadium was cited in the report as a major boost to the city's draw, with respect to sports.
"The completion of Cowboys Stadium for the 2009 NFL season, not only marks the opening of the newest and most complete NFL venue, but it has also served as a catalyst to attract a lineup of major sporting events to our region that crosses over the lines of professional and college athletics," said Cowboys COO Stephen Jones. "The NBA All Star Game, the Big XXII Conference Football Championship Game, The AT&T Cotton Bowl, The Super Bowl and the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four will all be coming to the stadium in the very near future."
