# Has there ever been a more dominant pro sports town than Boston of the last decade? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 11, 2011, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-more-dominant-pro-sports-town-than-boston-of-the-last-decade/599237 "2011-10-11T00:46:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-more-dominant-pro-sports-town-than-boston-of-the-last-decade/599237/1 "2011-10-11T00:46:18Z")
Bruins, Celtics, Red Sox, Patriots have all won multiple championships in the last decade (cept the Bruins I believe). Has any town/region ever dominated pro sports like this? Could any other town/region manage a feat like this? Chicago and New York seem like the only other towns that have the teams/payrolls to pull something like this off. (This question comes from my buddy crying over the Sox collapsing in Sept. I wanted to punch him. Hasn’t Boston won enough championships? Quit pouting) ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-more-dominant-pro-sports-town-than-boston-of-the-last-decade/599237/2 "2011-10-11T02:02:37Z")
The Celtics only won one championship. Splitting hairs, I know. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-more-dominant-pro-sports-town-than-boston-of-the-last-decade/599237/3 "2011-10-11T02:20:19Z")
I was, at first, thinking about New York in the 1950s, but their status would mostly be because of baseball. Over the decade of the 1950s, the three New York baseball teams (Yankees, plus the Dodgers and Giants before they moved to California) accounted for 13 of the 20 World Series appearances across both leagues, and won 8 out of the 10 Series. In the NFL, the Giants won one championship, lost two championship games to the Colts, and lost one other playoff game. But, in the other major sports, the 1950s weren’t too good for Gotham. The Knicks only made it to the playoffs twice. The Rangers only made it to the playoffs three times, and never won a playoff series – that’s pretty pathetic in an era in which there were only six NHL teams, and four of the six teams went to the playoffs. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-more-dominant-pro-sports-town-than-boston-of-the-last-decade/599237/4 "2011-10-11T02:24:48Z")
You could probably make a good case for New York with Super Bowls in '86 and '90, a Stanley Cup in '94, World Series in '96, '98, '99 and '00 for the Yankees and Mets in '86 plus a runner up in '00. You might cheat and give them credit for the Devils in '95, '00 and '03. Obviously the weak link is the Knicks, but they had runners ups in '94 and '99 while the Nets did the same in '02 and '03. It depends where you want to clip the “decade” at, but New York with so many teams had a pretty amazing run from '86 to '03. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-more-dominant-pro-sports-town-than-boston-of-the-last-decade/599237/5 "2011-10-11T02:49:10Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > You could probably make a good case for New York with Super Bowls in '86 and '90, a Stanley Cup in '94, World Series in '96, '98, '99 and '00 for the Yankees and Mets in '86 plus a runner up in '00. You might cheat and give them credit for the Devils in '95, '00 and '03. Obviously the weak link is the Knicks, but they had runners ups in '94 and '99 while the Nets did the same in '02 and '03. > > It depends where you want to clip the “decade” at, but New York with so many teams had a pretty amazing run from '86 to '03. Good points. I dunno, I think Boston still has the Motts by a hair but NY was certainly on point for quite some time. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_jeffrey_lebowski/32/215_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Jeffrey_Lebowski)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-more-dominant-pro-sports-town-than-boston-of-the-last-decade/599237/6 "2011-10-11T04:22:22Z")
Boston is the only city to **ever** win titles in the 4 major sports within a decade. ---
**Author:** ![Crawlspace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Crawlspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crawlspace)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-more-dominant-pro-sports-town-than-boston-of-the-last-decade/599237/7 "2011-10-11T04:36:27Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](#): > > Boston is the only city to **ever** win titles in the 4 major sports within a decade. Boston doesn’t have a football team. ---
**Author:** ![Bootis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Bootis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootis)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-more-dominant-pro-sports-town-than-boston-of-the-last-decade/599237/8 "2011-10-11T04:44:46Z")
> [@Crawlspace](#): > > Boston doesn’t have a football team. Because foxborough is 30 minutes outside Boston? In that case, New York doesn’t have 2, or even 1 football team either. ---
**Author:** ![Crawlspace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Crawlspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crawlspace)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-more-dominant-pro-sports-town-than-boston-of-the-last-decade/599237/9 "2011-10-11T04:48:21Z")
> [@Bootis](#): > > Because fox borough is 30 minutes ousted Boston? In that case, New York doesn’t have 2 or even 1 football team either No, because they are neither located within or named after Boston. They’re called the New England Patriots, not the Boston Patriots. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-more-dominant-pro-sports-town-than-boston-of-the-last-decade/599237/10 "2011-10-11T04:52:49Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Jeffrey\_Lebowski](#): > > Boston is the only city to **ever** win titles in the 4 major sports within a decade. How are you defining decade? Any 10 year span or the 00s, 90s, 50s etc? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-more-dominant-pro-sports-town-than-boston-of-the-last-decade/599237/11 "2011-10-11T05:00:01Z")
> [@Crawlspace](#): > > Boston doesn’t have a football team. Boston isn’t in New England? ---
**Author:** ![Bootis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Bootis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootis)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-more-dominant-pro-sports-town-than-boston-of-the-last-decade/599237/12 "2011-10-11T05:03:14Z")
> [@Crawlspace](#): > > No, because they are neither located within or named after Boston. They’re called the New England Patriots, not the Boston Patriots. So if they didn’t change their name from the Boston patriots to the new England patriots when they moved to a stadium in the greater Boston area, then that would have made them remain a Boston team? What if they played a foot outside of the city limits and went by the Massachusetts patriots? ---
**Author:** ![Crawlspace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Crawlspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crawlspace)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-more-dominant-pro-sports-town-than-boston-of-the-last-decade/599237/13 "2011-10-11T05:56:05Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Boston isn’t in New England? I’m happy to nullify your deliberate obtuseness and let you know that Boston is indeed within the boundaries of New England. So are dozens of other cities which would hold equal claim over the Patriots title. > [@Bootis](#): > > So if they didn’t change their name from the Boston patriots to the new England patriots when they moved to a stadium in the greater Boston area, then that would have made them remain a Boston team? What if they played a foot outside of the city limits and went by the Massachusetts patriots? To your first part, yes. Foxborough isn’t in the greater Boston area as much as it’s in the greater Providence area. The move to RE-name them the “New England” Patriots upon the move to Foxborough was a deliberate attempt to capitalize on the geography. Your second part is inconsequential, as that did not happen. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-more-dominant-pro-sports-town-than-boston-of-the-last-decade/599237/14 "2011-10-11T11:56:54Z")
As a total outside, I have to admit I did not think of the New England Patriots as “Boston’s team”. I think they belong to a larger region there. I will admit that Boston has had a great sports decade, though. Detroit, a smaller market, has had a Stanley Cup, a NBA Championship, and one World Series appearance. Let’s not discuss football. Not bad for a smaller city. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-more-dominant-pro-sports-town-than-boston-of-the-last-decade/599237/15 "2011-10-11T12:19:52Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > As a total outside, I have to admit I did not think of the New England Patriots as “Boston’s team”. I think they belong to a larger region there. > . Same here. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-more-dominant-pro-sports-town-than-boston-of-the-last-decade/599237/16 "2011-10-11T12:25:45Z")
> [@Crawlspace](#): > > I’m happy to nullify your deliberate obtuseness and let you know that Boston is indeed within the boundaries of New England. So are dozens of other cities which would hold equal claim over the Patriots title. > > To your first part, yes. Foxborough isn’t in the greater Boston area as much as it’s in the greater Providence area. The move to RE-name them the “New England” Patriots upon the move to Foxborough was a deliberate attempt to capitalize on the geography. > > Your second part is inconsequential, as that did not happen. This is pedantic hairsplitting. Every single Boston-based media outlet regards them as the local team. Boston fans regard them as the local team. The NFL regards them as Boston’s team; if they don’t sell out, it’s not Hartford or Portland getting blacked out. Naming teams for the largest geographical body one can get away with has been standard practice for 30 years now. Get over it. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-more-dominant-pro-sports-town-than-boston-of-the-last-decade/599237/17 "2011-10-11T12:44:44Z")
In 1935, the Detroit Tigers won the World Series, and the Detroit Lions won the NFL Championship. The Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup in 1936, given them three world champions simultaneously. (There was no NBA.) ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-more-dominant-pro-sports-town-than-boston-of-the-last-decade/599237/18 "2011-10-11T12:49:54Z")
> [@furt](#): > > This is pedantic hairsplitting. > > Every single Boston-based media outlet regards them as the local team. Boston fans regard them as the local team. The NFL regards them as Boston’s team; if they don’t sell out, it’s not Hartford or Portland getting blacked out. > > Naming teams for the largest geographical body one can get away with has been standard practice for 30 years now. Get over it. Plus, the Super Bowl victory parades were all held in Boston. Not Providence, not Hartford. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-more-dominant-pro-sports-town-than-boston-of-the-last-decade/599237/19 "2011-10-11T13:28:37Z")
I grew up a few short miles from Schafer/Sullivan/Foxboro/Gillette Stadium (you could see the lights from my house). Believe me, we considered ourselves to be the outskirts of the Boston area, not the Providence area. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-more-dominant-pro-sports-town-than-boston-of-the-last-decade/599237/20 "2011-10-11T13:37:26Z")
They were the Boston Patriots until 1971 when they started playing their games in Foxborough. But they are a Boston team by any conceivable measure. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-there-ever-been-a-more-dominant-pro-sports-town-than-boston-of-the-last-decade/599237.md?page=2)