« on: February 09, 2010, 02:08:41 PM »
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=4899366
BIG EAST
Best Town: Washington, D.C. (12)
Comment: "You can head over to Georgetown's campus and hit The Tombs or venture to M Street. A quick Metro ride gets you to the Verizon Center where you might end up sitting next to the president."
Also receiving votes: New York, Milwaukee, Morgantown.
Worst Town: Storrs (13)
Comment: "Only college town I've ever seen that reminds you of a retirement community, and LIKES it that way."
Also receiving votes: Morgantown, South Bend, South Orange/Newark.
Best Basketball Town: Syracuse (14)
Comment: The epitome of Big East basketball -- a cold winter's night, 30,000-plus flock to the Carrier Dome on campus and ESPN trucks are parked at the arena loading dock. Brings back memories of what made the league so special. A stop at Dinosaur BBQ is a must before and even after the game. The threat of being buried by three feet of lake-effect snow just adds to the mystique.
Also receiving votes: Louisville, Philadelphia, Cincinnati.
Worst Basketball Town: tie between Piscataway (15) and Tampa (16).
Comments: On Piscataway: "I'll put the vote in for Piscataway. Rutgers hasn't been relevant since the Carter administration, the RAC is falling down and apathy is at an all-time high. The Knights have made plenty of advances in football, expanding the stadium and what not, but it hasn't done a thing to upgrade basketball."
On Tampa: "The Sun Dome has all the ambiance of an airplane hangar and the interest in Bulls basketball (until recently) has been nearly nonexistent. And the nice weather serves only as a constant reminder that there's 6 inches of snow gathering on your driveway back home."
Also receiving votes: Chicago.