ESPN is holding a "official" TitleTown USA Competition Online until May 20th seeing which top 20 cities can fight for the right to be called THE TitleTown of the U.S. of A.

Synopsis of the contest:

Quote :

"This summer, "SportsCenter" will visit 20 towns that lay claim to the name of TitleTown USA. You may nominate your championship city with a video or essay. We'll review the submissions and highlight the best ones. In May, a select nationwide panel to be determined by ESPN's "SportsCenter" will pick 19 of the finalists, including Green Bay, Wis. The 20th finalist will be determined by online fan voting during the week of May 26. "SportsCenter" will announce the 20 finalists in June and will tour each during a 20-day span in July, culminating with online fan voting to determine which is truly TitleTown USA."

Yesterday I submitted one for Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill. My logic? Why not combine the greatest 3 city sporting area known to man? It was worth a shot.

It paid off. So far RDCH is the 3rd top submission (2nd after automatic Green Bay) on the website:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/titletown/index

For your sake I'll post it here. Caution, WORDS.

Quote :

"While mere sport fan mortals debate in vain about which one city or town is the Title Town of America, the sports gods know where the real Rivers of milk and honey flow. Those rivers of sweet honey and championships flow down old Tobacco Road, through the most prestigious research park in America, and touch the fortunate lives of citizens living in Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill North Carolina. Yes you heard me correctly my little Green Bay grasshopper. Yes Babe and Big Papi, your shadows do not loom as large as you might think. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill is the Mecca of sportsdom in which annual pilgrimages are being used as examples for Canadian hockey. Lets refresh your silly "one city" mind my friend to why this competition belongs to the Tri-fecta of Cities, the Triple Title Towns. Chapel Hill. Oh the sweet rolling baby blue skies of Chapel Thrill. Where do we begin? Do we talk about the amazing amount of talent born to the country here? Jordan, the original LT, Vince Carter, Julius Peppers, Mia Hamm? Yes, yes amazing talent. Or how about two legendary coaches, both with bling on their ring fingers, Smith and Williams? Ah but nothing can start this tour but this fact from Tarheel Nation, 39 National Championships in 6 different collegiate sports. Everyone knows about the men's basketball team in National Titles in 1924, 1957, 1982, 1993, and 2005. But did you know they hold 19 women's soccer National Title since 1981? Now that is domination. But those 5 men's titles are nothing to laugh at, but 17 ACC Titles too? Chapel Hill holds precedence over all cities as the real college town in America, and not only because of the male-female ratio. The oldest University in the nation has more than a one trick pony sports franchise. Durham. But lets move down the road if I may, over the Line of Demarcation, the 35th Parallel, to the second city on our tour. The city of dark blue prognosticators, devilish intent, and a passion for excellence it leads the state in Medicine. Bull Durham. Or as some would like to say, the city that K built. Inside of its majestic Middle Ages campus, where one can be confused for living in feudal England, is a wealth of knowledge and promise from the next generation. And once you step outside those buildings, champions. Duke owns three men's basketball National Titles, 1991, 1992, and 2001. Not to mention 16 ACC Titles. Rivals much? Duke owns 9 National Titles in three collegiate sports. And Durham is also home to the most watched college basketball game in ESPN history, between who else, UNC and Duke on March 4th 2006. And let us give thanks in our stop in Durham to one of the iconic sports films of all times, Bull Durham. What other city can claim to have captured the spirit of baseball in such a fashion as Durham? Cleveland? I laugh at that poor attempt to cash in on America's game. Cleveland does not have a team with 11 League Titles. Durham does. Raleigh. No one loves this Capital City of Red and White more than I. A budding metropolis, with an outrageous nightlife, and the Southern culture everyone wants to live in. And in this Capital City is the red brick playground, home to the inventors of Astro-turf, one of the largest University research parks in the country, and the famished Wolfpack, of NC State. Residency to 2 men's basketball National Titles, 1974 & 1983, and 6 more Titles in various college sports. The Red & White serves as center stage in the Tri-Cities, where dreams are born. You might remember, if your mind is still with me mortal, of great names like David Thompson, Bill Cowher, Lorenzo Charles, or Roman Gabriel. If not how about Philip Rivers, Mario Williams, or Torry Holt? However some would say none or these names, or their combined effort, hold a candle to the embodiment of NC State in a human form, the late revered James Thomas Anthony Valvano. But you and I know him better by, Jimmy V. His team's 1983 legendary story, the Cardiac Pack, of the original Cinderella team does not need to be repeated here. For if you don't know it, then well, you need to. Today. And to compliment NC State, the city of Raleigh owns rights to Lord Stanley's Cup. The Carolina Hurricanes, whose blue ice graces the illustrious RBC Center, has 2 Eastern Conference titles and one remarkable run to become Stanley Cup Champions in 2006 in only 10 years in Raleigh. So there it is America. There is your Triple Title Towns. Your Tri-fecta of sports perfection. With a plethora of National Titles, Championships, Athletes and Legends, no ONE city can compare to the Tri-Domination of Sports, Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill. "

So here's why I'm posting this. Because I want us to WIN.

If that is selected as one of the cities ESPN will visit in the summer, we gots to ban together to make RDCH get there.

See something I didn't cover? Want to plug Raleigh more? I know there are UNC and Duke fans on here, so if you think I shafted your town, this is whats up. Write an essay/blog on your ESPN account, if you have one. I did not use mine until 5 months earlier, so shit, you can too.
The more Raleigh Durham Chapel Hill get plugged the better.

And importantly hopefully when this comes up in May, we can vote our cities to the top.

Because its not like you're doing anything else. Am I right?

4/12/2008 2:20:53 PM

suck a dick Roy!

4/12/2008 2:31:18 PM

I will cut off my right arm to ensure that you lose for this line alone:

Quote :

"the sports gods know where the real Rivers of milk and honey flow."

that is SO horrible. Jesus Christ thats bad. So fucking tacky and cheesy

4/12/2008 2:48:53 PM

this would be a good idea if raleigh, durham, and chapel hill were all one city

4/12/2008 2:49:55 PM

yeah, I want Knoxville to win so I am going to include St. Louis, NYC, and Dallas

4/12/2008 2:51:19 PM

I voted for the tri-cities of Los Angeles, Anaheim, and San Diego

Quote :

"High school and college teams represent the town where they are based. For instance, DeMatha High School is in Hyattsville, Md., and can't be included in an essay on Washington, D.C. Concord De La Salle is in Concord, Calif., and can't be used to bolster Oakland."

[Edited on April 12, 2008 at 3:09 PM. Reason : rules]

4/12/2008 3:07:27 PM

hey hate on, I don't mind. if you got something better than write your own.

and the Rivers thing was just a sleight of hand, to be fun, however they at ESPN edited out on their page. Can't hurt to try for shit sake, but thanks for the vote of confidence.


^ it is on their front page, but what do they know. oh well, maybe they'll take one city from the 3. Or seeing our unique nature as an MSA, they'll break a rule.

[Edited on April 12, 2008 at 3:15 PM. Reason : quick quick be the 1st person to be the typical wolfweb pessimist!]

4/12/2008 3:12:10 PM

ESPN can suck my dick

4/12/2008 3:20:20 PM

This would be a great idea, had it not been thought of 40 years ago.



[Edited on April 12, 2008 at 3:22 PM. Reason : ]

4/12/2008 3:20:38 PM

LA has over 200 combined NCAA titles (USC, UCLA, Pepperdine), the Lakers, the Dodgers, and whoever else. All of these teams play within 15 miles of each other. Not to mention all of the great high schoolers from LA-their is probably one on every NBA, MLB, or NFL roster The winner will have a professional basketball team, baseball team, or football team. NY, Boston, or LA.

I'm not sure what they're trying to accomplish here, but I'm sure every town will be on SC for 20 minutes a day soon.

4/12/2008 3:31:19 PM

yeah, it's pretty much got to be L.A.

4/12/2008 4:09:48 PM

Quote :

"This would be a great idea, had it not been thought of 40 years ago. "

40 years is a long time. Maybe it's time to reevaluate things?

4/12/2008 4:20:29 PM

Quote :

"ESPN can suck my dick"

4/12/2008 4:25:45 PM