We're No. 1! We're No. 1!
At least in the eyes of Stephen A. Smith.
On ESPN's "First Take" Wednesday, Chris "Mad Dog" Russo unveiled his list of the top five sports cities — a proven topic for sports talk radio hosts looking to create some debate in mid-June. And Smith took the bait.
Russo ranked Philadelphia, Chicago, New York, Detroit and Cleveland as his top five. Boston was a glaring omission.
Stephen A. let him have it.
"Boston is No. 1! Boston is No. 1!," he shouted.
Russo's counter argument was the provincial nature of Boston sports fans. Traditionally, out-of-market games don't rate as well here as across the country.
"When the Boston teams don't win, they don't care about any other team," he said. "All they know are the Boston teams. If this an NBA Final with Miami and Golden State, NOBODY WOULD WATCH! They only care about their team."
To Russo's point, that's often the case, with one notable exception: Tom Brady. His Super Bowl win two years ago with the Buccaneers drew a 57.6 household rating in Boston — good for second in the U.S. The game scored a 52.3 TV rating in Tampa Bay.
Then again, Boston fans obviously have a deep connection with Brady. But is it so bad to be obsessed with your own teams and players?
"Rabid fanbase! That means you are literally out of control for your peeps. Boston! No. 1!," Smith shouted.
Russo brought up an anecdote about the treatment of Bill Russell, which Smith shot down as well.
"I've only been around 50 years, and I'm going with the last 50 years. I've got Boston, No. 1!," he said.
Stephen A. Smith is not necessarily the champion we wanted. But as it turns out, he's the champion we need.
