Skip to content
Sports
Link copied to clipboard

Sports fans make Philly ‘snobby’?

Travel + Leisure seems to think so.

Picture the prototypical snob in your mind.

Is it a guy in a jersey chugging beer, chowing down on grilled sausage, peppers and onions, and tossing metal washers into a box in a parking lot?

Not too likely.

But in ranking Philadelphia tied for 14th among "America's Snobbiest Cities," Travel + Leisure makes an odd remark:

"The city's most prevailing 'haughtiness,' however, may involve face paint and foam fingers: the locals ranked highly for being sports-crazed."

Yeah, we were No. 1 in 2012 for "sports-crazed," but how does that translate into putting on airs of superiority? Sure, some sports-talk callers and hosts can be almost arrogant about how "sophisticated" Philadelphia fans are, but hardly in the sense of acting high-class or with fancy breeding.

Even if "Rocky" won an Oscar and spawned a statue at the Art Museum.

Also confusing were mentions of Chicago's passion for pizza and how a burger place in Providence serves beer in a boot.

Overall, though, Travel + Leisure's thinking seems on track, explaining that "to determine which city has the biggest nose in the air, we factored in some traditional staples of snobbery: a reputation for aloof and smarty-pants residents, along with high-end shopping and highbrow cultural offerings like classical music and theater. But we also considered 21st-century definitions of elitism: tech-savviness, artisanal coffeehouses, and a conspicuous eco-consciousness."

Since Philly has a healthy share of museums and universities, as well as fervent foodie scene, to go along with what Travel + Leisure calls "plenty of historic pomp," one could argue that the city should rank higher – not behind the likes of Minneapolis, Providence, "party town" Savannah and Nashville.

But who wants to finish high on a "Snobbiest" list? San Francisco, New York and Boston are welcome to finishing 1-2-3.

Philly's being tied for No. 14 (with Kansas City) is probably fine with many residents.

It's just not close to fine for any of our sports teams.

See Top 20 list on Philly Lists. See full Travel + Leisure presentation.

Contact staff writer Peter Mucha at 215-854-4342 or pmucha@phillynews.com.