Despite winning the NHL Draft Lottery, Edmonton is no longer the “City of Champions.”
Earlier this week, City Council voted to remove Edmonton’s non-official slogan from all welcome signs in the city. The move was initiated by councillor Michael Oshry, who said the slogan was outdated.
“We are in a post-tagline era,” Edmonton mayor Don Iveson told local reporters after the 7-5 vote to have it removed.
The “City of Champions” moniker was developed in Edmonton as a result of the community’s response to a devastating tornado in 1987. It was also reflective of the city’s vast sporting success in the 1980s. The Edmonton Eskimos (CFL) won five consecutive Grey Cups from 1978-1982, while the Edmonton Oilers (NHL) won four Stanley Cups in a span of five years from 1984-88.
Championships titles are a bit harder to come by in Edmonton these days: The Oilers have one of the NHL’s longest playoff droughts while the Eskimos last won the Grey Cup in 2005.
Now that Edmonton is dropping the moniker, we nominate five cities that could make a legitimate claim as the City of Champions, based on sporting success over the last decade.
Sorry Toronto, you just missed out on making the list.
Boston
After polling colleagues in the Sportsnet newsroom, this was the runaway choice. If you’re looking at championships and sporting achievements over the past 10-15 years, Boston has a pretty impressive resume. The Red Sox, one of baseball’s most historic franchises, have won three World Series since 2004. In the NFL, the New England Patriots are considered the model franchise, having won four Super Bowls since 2001 under coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. The Celtics, a NBA dynasty in the 1960s and 1980s, have won 17 NBA titles, their most recent coming in 2008. And the Bruins chipped in with a Stanley Cup during the 2010-11 season. The one negative mark for New England sports? The Revolution have been the Buffalo Bills of the MLS Cup, losing in the championship game four times in the last 10 years.
Los Angeles
Between the Kings, Lakers, Angels, Dodgers, USC football, UCLA basketball, and even the Galaxy of MLS, there have been plenty of titles to go around in Los Angeles. The Lakers, who last won a title in 2010, have accumulated 16 championships in franchise history while the NHL’s Kings have won two Stanley Cups in the last three years. Not helping L.A.’s cause, however, is the fact that those two teams failed to qualify for the post-season this year.
New York
Derek Jeter. Mariano Rivera. Eli Manning. The Big Apple has been home to many champions over the years, but the city’s case is held back by some of its dead weight franchises. Historically, the NFL’s Jets are among the most laughable franchises in their sport while the Knicks have developed into an abysmal organization. Even so, we can’t ignore the Giants’ two Super Bowls since 2007 — including the memorable upset over the 18-0 Patriots (take that, Boston) plus the success of the Yankees in baseball, who last won a World Series in 2009. And hey, the Rangers could add to the resume with a Stanley Cup championship after losing in last year’s final. Currently, they’re considered to be the favourites to win the Eastern Conference. Just keep Geno Smith away from the sign.
Pittsburgh
Sidney Crosby and the Penguins’ recent playoff letdowns are hurting Pittsburgh’s case. But, they still have a legitimate argument. The Steelers have won more championships than any other franchise in NFL history, winning as recently as the 2008 season. Also, the Penguins brought a championship to the city in 2009, one year after losing in the Stanley Cup final. The NHL club has won three Stanley Cups in their history. If only the Pirates could join the party; they last won a World Series in 1979.
San Francisco
In terms of recent history, the San Francisco Giants are the only team to provide the city with a championship. However, they’ve won a bunch of them — three World Series titles in the last five years. The 49ers haven’t won a Super Bowl recently, but they are regarded as one of the most decorated franchises in the NFL. The 49ers won four Super Bowls in the 1980s but haven’t won anything since the 1994 season. Technically, the NBA’s Golden State Warriors play in Oakland but they’re expected to move to San Francisco by 2017 or 2018. They are already the most popular NBA team in the city and could be next on the championship list. The Warriors finished the regular season as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and swept the Pelicans in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.