With the Nets and Devils both in their respective finals along with Anaheim playing fo the Stanley Cup and winning the World Series, ESPN.com has compiled a list of the Best Sports Seasons for a City.


10. Cleveland 1954
9. New York 1986-87
8. Los Angeles 1988
7. Detroit 1952
6. Boston 1986
5. Philadelphia 1980-81
4. Baltimore 1970-71
3. Pittsburgh 1979
2. Los Angeles 1972
1. New York 1969

Though the Spurs could win the title now, they may just have to add New Jersey 2003 to that list if the Nets pull out the stunner. And especially if lets say the NY(NJ) Giants make the Super Bowl this coming season.

Just for the sake of argument, I would consider throwing New York, 1994, into the mix. The Rangers won their first Stanley Cup in 54 years. The Knicks lost to the Rockets in a great 7 game series (which still kills me to this day). The Yankees were running away with the AL East, which was unfortunately cut short by the strike. However, the Mets, Giants, Jets, and St. John's basketball were nowhere on the radar.

The Giants fall under NY. They don't count as a Jersey team.

New Jersey should NEVER appear on this list. There are virtually NO "New Jersey" fans. The people follow either the New York or Philadelphia teams and don't really give a damn about either the Devils or Nets.

The Devils had their victory "parade" today. Again, in their arena's parking lot. In front of a "crowd" of only 20,000. It's pathetic that an organization that's won 3 Stanley Cups in 9 years is wasted in North Jersey.

There's some, as their Arena has been sold out for all the playoff games. I believe they only put the name 'N.Jersey' on the team to bring in more fans from Jersey, while expecting it to be assumed it's still New York City's team. (and never South Jersey/Philly ).

Side note: Newark airport is closer to Manhattan than JFK or LaGuardia - and the Statue of Liberty is in New Jersey (but under the jurisdiction of New York). wink Go Nets !

Philly stop yer whining. I cant help it a Philly team hasnt won a title in anything in ages.

And I think there are plenty of Devils fans, but a lot are abroad now because of work. When I lived in NC still, I went to the playoffs between Carolina and the Devils the first series they played, in my Devils jersey. There were Devils fans in each section of the arena, especially in our IBM section.

And if you want to count the Giants and Jets as NY teams thats fine. Theyll just never play in NY. Whats worse is they dont even play in the same state theyre supposed to be a franchise for!! Whats that say for NY?

Does that mean that the Washington Redskins are Maryland's team?

The Devils' early playoff games were sold out. It's not until the later rounds that they sell out. As for the regular season, virtually all of their sellouts occur when they play the Rangers or Flyers and the arena is filled up with fans of the visitors.

And there are surely fans of EVERY team who live away from where their team plays, but I seriously doubt the Devils have that many.

Joe is right! I live in South Jersey, Everybody cheers for the Philly teams! My Mother was from North Jersey and everybody was for the NY teams! There is no loyalty in the state of NJ, because we are so close to bigger cities! This why I get in fights for being a LAKER fan! Should it matter? Of course not, but it does!

Joe in Philly: the Rangers have a huge number of fans in northern NJ; even when NJ got a hockey franchise in 1985 they remained loyal to the lost cause known as the New York Rangers.

A major issue with the "New Jersey" teams is that NJ doesn't have a media market -- up North it is New York -- in South Jersey;Philadelphia and in between they get both markets. Very few people in SNJ root for the Devils over the Flyers or the Nets over the Sixers although, if they did, they would be a lot happier wink

Well you all should have lived in Central NJ like me and you wouldnt have such issues