Touches on the playoffs, why Larry Brown sucks, and the "black people city power rankings." http://espn.go.com/espnradio/grantland/player?id=9323482 If you haven't been listening to these yet, get on it. Best sports podcast out there.
As a synopsis, his criteria: -weather -food -music -gentlemans clubs -black population and diversity so... no. PDX wasn't top 5.
I can't wait to hear what 2 you think Portland has. I know you will say gentleman's Clubs, but I think he means quality, not quantity
Ya, I'd say food was probably the only one on the list. And that whole culture with foodcarts, health food, hipster stuff isn't really something rich athletes would care about. This isn't like BBQ in Memphis.
I have to say that Memphis is pretty much a shithole. At least, that's how it came across the few times I visited. And the BBQ is... okay, but nothing exciting. I lived in Arkansas for three years and pretty much concluded that everything I heard about "soul food" and "southern cookin'" was just BS propaganda. It's not only that it's unhealthy, it's not even that tasty. Any culture that praises grits is in trouble.
Amazing that actually black, actual ex-Blazers choose to settle in Portland, ain't it? (Anyone seen Channing Frye recently, BTW?)
Ex, normally means older. Portland is a fantastic place to raise a family. Probably not the first thing on a 21 year old black NBA players mind
You don't really need the "black" in there. About the only thing that wouldn't work there is "Mormon".
Despite what everyone wants to think, there is a huge cultural difference between black and white. There are absolutely people on both sides of color that are more or just as comfortable with the opposite race, but I think it's more than safe to say most people prefer to be with people they can relate to.
Not considering Jalen's perspective, but my view on the cities as a whole: In addition to your list, I'd put us above Cleveland, Indy, Detroit, Denver, Sacramento, Charlotte, OKC, New Orleans.
So his rankings were 1) Memphis 2) ATL 3) NO 4) Houston 5) DC? Sounds about right, but I'm surprised he didn't include Detroit on there, given his Michigan connections. I've gotta agree with you on the BBQ. I think you can really get good BBQ anywhere. I've got my favorite places down here, but I never really understood how people think our BBQ is better than any other city's. Our chicken wings though... I'll take any city on... even you, Buffalo. Also, fried chicken is friend chicken, kinda hard to screw it up, but it you'd split hairs on the best fried chicken, Gus's has got to be some of the best in the country. But yeah, we're kinda a shithole of a city, but we definitely satisfy his criteria, for whatever that's worth. NOLA, on the other, pretty much defines his criteria, so they should have probably been #1.
