Boston Still Dominates as Hub of Excitement for Sports Fans Despite Philadelphia’s Recent Success

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Dec 20, 2010

Boston Still Dominates as Hub of Excitement for Sports Fans Despite Philadelphia's Recent SuccessThis holiday season, Boston is humming with success, solidifying its status as the best city for sports fans. Another city, however, is threatening to take that title.

A recent article featured on SI.com described Philadelphia as the best place to be a sports fan right now, arguing that Boston fans have reached the point of "sports-fan gluttony."

Not so much.

I admit, Philly fans are on a deserved high in the thick of the Eagles' and Flyers' success. There's also the recent addition of this season's highly coveted ace, Cliff Lee, giving the Phillies one of the most potent rotations in MLB history. But Boston's glory days are far from over, and living in the Hub is as exciting as ever.

Three of Boston's four teams may have lifted a championship banner in the past decade, but that doesn't mean the novelty has worn off — not one little bit.

Fan excitement for the Boston Red Sox reached new levels this offseason, because for once in the team's longstanding history, the Sox are steps ahead of their bitter New York rivals. Not only did the Red Sox pull out a few blockbuster moves early in the offseason, but they also watched the Yankees lose out on their primary offseason target (thank you, Philadelphia). After a season of watching the Red Sox suffer at the hands of a persistent injury bug, it seems the light has appeared at the end of the tunnel.

The Patriots are also riding high, and much like their Philadelphia counterparts, they've endured a few bumps along the road. Granted, the Pats have won the Lombardi Trophy on three different occasions since the millennium, but there has been plenty of controversy surrounding New England since their last win, and they were regarded as underdogs through the first few weeks of the 2010-11 season. Their success is just as thrilling to watch as the excitement in Philly, as the Patriots' pack of youngsters develops under the tutelage of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.

While the success of the Celtics has fallen into a comfortable pattern in the past few years, the hunger for banner No. 18 couldn't be more alive in Boston. After the disappointing loss in Game 7 of the NBA Finals last year, the Big Three have put their best efforts toward another banner year in Boston.

And while the Bruins have fallen into somewhat of a December rut, fans in the hockey hub don't give in until the last buzzer, and there is still a lot of hockey to be played this season.

Fandom in Boston has become a way of life, and most fans in this town still remember watching their teams fall just short of the ultimate victory. A few seasons of success can never erase an 86-year drought, or the feeling of a 16-0 season without a title, or the final horn in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals last May.

Success is never taken for granted in Boston, and while the sports scene in Philly may be thriving, the buzz in Boston is alive and well — and it's only going to get louder as the season presses on.

Do you think Philadelphia is a better sports town than Boston? Share your thoughts below.

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