Titletown, FLA? It's MIA

ESPN is doing a series called Titletown, USA.

According to them, Florida's honor falls to a little berg north of Ocala. Not sure if it's Williston or Gainesville or Milton.

'What you talkin' bout, Williston?'

This one, friends, is a no-brainer.

Miami, err, South Florida, is Florida's Titletown.

No offense Gainesville, but this one is what we call a 'no contest.' I mean, you can make fun of Miami demolishing the Orange Bowl all you want; Truth is, the old OB hosted more Miami (and even a few Florida/FSU) championship teams than any other single city -- or county -- in our entire state.

Combined.

And that's just talking football.

ESPN got this one wrong, so much so, Chris Berman and his short sleeves can't really argue the fact.

Miami (the State of Miami goes from Key West to Deerfield Beach IMHO) has more championships - professional or amateur - than any other region in the Sunshine State. Chop the State of Miami into, well, Miami proper, and the same holds true.

No county in our fair state has bred more champs than Miami-Dade.

From the Dolphins' pair of Super Bowl wins (one better than Tampa) to the Marlins pair of World Series titles (two more than the 'Devil' Rays) to the Heat's big ring (does Orlando have one?), it's all about the 305, babe.

Yes, even the Florida Panthers were winners in Miami, the Cats winning the 1996 Eastern Conference title while playing in the County of Dade.

Apparently, ESPN was talking about collegiate titles.

Guess what? The MIA wins that one too. And it's not even close.

Hey, congrats to the school in Gainesville for winning two basketball titles and a football championship within a 12 month span. That is a feat no school has ever done and I don't know if we'll see something similar repeated in the coming years.

Yet UF is still chasing that little private school in Coral Gables for most major championships. The State University from Tallahassee is as well.

Miami has five national football championships, four more in baseball. Florida has two in football and two in basketball. Florida State has two in football and no baseball or basketball titles, but the Noles' track team is racking up championships. Starting a dynasty, actually.

Still, advantage, Coral Gables.

Advantage, Miami.

Titletown, FLA? It's the 305, kids.

Sorry Tallahassee, sorry Tampa (good job with the Stanley Cup, the Bucs and those Arena titles), sorry Gainesville. And, yes, sorry we haven't mentioned Jacksonville or even, really, Orlando.

The truth is in the titles.

Miami is King Orange. 

Miami is Florida's home of champions.

Here's your chance to vote on it with a special On Frozen Poll.

Enjoy.

UPDATE: This poll has been up for less than eight hours, yet we have close to 800 votes from around the world (but mostly from the eastern coast of the USA). Keep it coming.

Miami, not surprisingly, leading Gainesville by a healthy margin, getting almost nine of every 10 votes.

Opinion Polls & Market Research

Comments

[Kentucky Mike]

Amen Brotha. Was bitching about this at the bars tonight. I'm sure it had nothing to do with Erin "Eye Candy Only" Andrews ties to Joe's Deli.
Also, you forgot one major local champ... Joey!!!!!

[850standup]

TALLAHASSEE SHOULDNT EVEN BEEN ON THE LIST.....THERE'S NO PRO SPORTS TEAMS THERE TO ADD TO THE LIST.

[EJ]

JayBo's hearing is 7/29

[tony p]

Correction: Miami has no World Series wins b/c the FLORIDA Marlins are NOT in the city of Miami proper. And Coral Gables is NOT in the city of Miami, either.

[Michael]

maybe Miami would get more attention if after they win the championship they actually support their teams by showing up for games . Not that I care who Espn declares is titletown usa , but it would be hard to argue the worst sports town in America , Miami, is titletown usa

[spgna]

Uh, Tallahassee has more than one school.
FAMU has 11 national championships in football. That's right, ELEVEN.
So perhaps we may want to rethink this.

[Eddy]

Correction: Miami has no World Series wins b/c the FLORIDA Marlins are NOT in the city of Miami proper. And Coral Gables is NOT in the city of Miami, either.
Posted by: tony p | July 15, 2008 at 08:54 AM

Sorry to correct you Tony P. but both the Florida Marlins and UM are part of Miami-Dade county. Check the map its all Miami. And Miami should be in the titletown. You also have to think about the H/S that have won Nation Championships

[Mal]

The correct name of that north central Florida place is HOGTOWN. As they used to say, "you could look it up."
And there STILL is a sign inside the city limits that tells you you are crossing HOGTOWN CREEK.
Oh, and that University in Hogtown? It used to be located in Lake City until the Hogtown city fathers offered FREE WATER FOREVER to get it to move about 45 miles down the road.

[Bo]

I don't really watch ESPN anymore. The NHL games are on Versus, HD.net and NHL Network, for nightly NHL updates and highlights I watch NHL Network. Why wait for hockey updates on ESPN when they are mixed so much garbage? ESPN baseball is mainly New York teams, yawn. I find most of their programing a big bore. On the championships I have to agree Miami is tops. I have been to many Orange Bowl games even after the Overtown riots, paying to park on someone's lawn. That was classic football.

[Joe Bob]

The Marlins are from FLORIDA. Not Miami!
Since when is Coral Gables in Miami?

[CanesFishFinsHeat'nCats]

Well said. ESPN never respects any South Florida teams. And to the douchebag that said:

"The Marlins are from FLORIDA. Not Miami! SInce when is Coral Gables in Miami?"

You're obviously not from here or even remotely educated if you are.

GO MIAMI!! F#@K Gainesville!!

[Greg]

Wow, you guys really need to look at a map. Last I checked the canes played in Coral gables and thats Miami. They pay Miami dade taxes.

Same for the Marlins. They are from miami. Plan and simple. Don't be hating cause you guys don't got no championships.

Plus yeah, Our high schools kick butt

[Anthony]

spgna,

I'm a FAMU Grad and we DO NOT have eleven football titles, we have ONE.

[RICK TRUTH SPEAKER]

MIAMI NORTHWESTERN JUST RECENTLY WON THE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP. EIGHT PLAYERS WENT TO THE UM. NEED I SAY MORE.

[EJ]

Who cares; this is stupid!

[RoadDoggFL]

Wait, counties are in the running for titleTOWN?

Seems kinda common sense that it should be limited to proper cities for such a title, not an area bigger than some states...

[d00d]

spgna,

FAMU has won the "black college football national championship" eight times. I'm going to go out on a limb an take a wild guess as to why the black college football national championship titles aren't factored in on choosing the best championship city in the country.

[TG17]

Miami leads Gainesville for "Titletown" in an online poll on the MIAMI Herald website?

COLOR ME SHOCKED.

If you wanted Miami considered, maybe you should have wrote ESPN an essay saying why it should be considered like people did for Gainesville?

You shame the last name Richards.

[Gator]

This has little brother complex written all over it. LMFAO.

[canegirl]

"The Marlins are from FLORIDA. Not Miami! SInce when is Coral Gables in Miami?"

If you wanted Miami considered, maybe you should have wrote ESPN an essay saying why it should be considered like people did for Gainesville?"

WOW is it just me or is gator fans really that stupid...coral gables is in miami check a map, florida marlins play in dolphin stadium which is in miami n last time i check just because the have florida in their name doesnt mean they're from gainesville.....seriously even if we did write to espn that wouldnt matter cuz espn is all about tim tebow soo of course they're goin to say gainesvile even though miami has won more titles than probably both fsu n uf combined. so yes gainesville in Espn's mind is title town but EVERYONE knows that miami is the top dynasty in florida.