How many points will the Boston Bruins win by? I say 3 to 2 score.

Of course Philadelphia isn't going to win a poll like this...people from outside of Philly don't like Philly!

But that doesn't make it any less of a sports town than Boston. I often say that Philly, Boston and Chicago are the top-3 sports cities. You need to break it down by each sport to get to the bottom of it. I won't get into sports like soccer or boxing or even take a look at the local talent produced by each of the three cities. Lets just concentrate on the "major" team sports for now...

NFL: 1) Philadelphia, 2) Chicago, 3) Boston

* This is the one sport where I don't think Boston fans would dispute. Eagles have the highest attendance percentage of any team since 1990 and their fanbase however crude is rabinous and supportive in spite the team not having won a championship since 1960. Chicago is hard core for their Bears as well and the team has something of a national following. The Patriots are well supported in New England also but much of that has been in recent history and a product of their staggering success in this decade. When owner Bob Craft bought the Pats back in 1993 the franchise was lowest in the NFL in both attendance and revenue...certainly Philly and Chicago have never fallen to those depths...

MLB: 1) Boston, 2) Chicago, 3) Philadelphia

They are all great baseball towns but I think most would agree that this is the appropriate order. The Phillies are huge in Philly right now having been to the last two World Series and their attendance percentage was the highest in the MLB this season. The Red Sox ordinary top that statistic and also have the highest local TV ratings in the league year after year. The Cubs and Sox both have strong followings outside of their local areas, something the Phillies cannot claim. Chicago all sports two teams with the White Sox pretty well supported over the years. Overall Philly is easily a top-10 and perhaps a top-5 baseball town, but Boston and Chicago are probably #1 & 2.

NBA: 1) Chicago, 2) Boston, 3) Philadelphia

The Celtics won 16-titles and still couldn't make Boston a basketball-first city. The Sixers have had an uneven history in Philadelphia but have experienced woeful attendance and revenue figures in recent years. Now yes it's true that Chicago probably would not have been considered among the best basketball towns before Michael Jordan, and it's also true their fans were spoiled by having the best player and best team on the planet for most of the 90s. That said Chicago has been fiercely loyal to the Bulls even in the 2000s which overall has been a terrible decade for them. Celtics fans have the historical edge but in down seasons Boston struggles to get excited about their Celts. Philly is a great "local" BBall town but has never had a huge affection for the Sixers outside of years when they are a top-team.

NHL: 1) Philadelphia, 2) Boston, 3) Chicago

Sure people will argue the fact that the Flyers aren't even an original six team but their loyalty for the Flyers is virtually unmatched by any American based hockey team. Neither Boston, Philly, not Chicago have won a championship in the past three decades so no fanbase can claim to be spoiled by success. The numbers then speak for themselves. The Flyers are a top attendance, tv rating and revenue year after year. The Blackhawks were essentially dead in Chicago for the better part of the past decade and the Bruins were at best in hibernation in Boston since the late-90s. The Flyers are always a major attraction in Philadelphia. Both Sports Illustrated and the Sporting News have named it either the best American hockey city or top-three over the past few years. Philly also has something of a national following of support.

College Sports: Draw!

Yes it's even folks! I've thought long and hard about this but Philly with the famous and historical Big-5 rivalry clearly wins college basketball. Boston is tops for college hockey and manages impressive football rivalries as well.Chicago meanwhile has an assortment of greatness in a variety of sports stretching across Chicago and the surrounding areas of northwestern Indiana and southern Wisconsin. All three are tip-top college towns.

OVERALL, IT'S A DRAW!

Amazing. Give each city a point if they came in third, two points for second and three for a first place win in each sport...give them all two points for the college category that I declared a draw. Add up those totals and what do you got? 10-points Boston, 10-points Chicago, 10-points Philadelphia.

Again, and with all do respect to New York, Cleveland, etc...these are the three best sports towns in America!