NYC vs. San Diego: A tale of two cities
NYC vs. San Diego
Who on the Jets will cover Antonio Gates? Can Mark Sanchez rise to the occasion again . . . on the road . . . against a team that has won 11 games in a row?
Who cares? Of course, we care, and you can find all those answers and more in our Jets section, where beat writer Roderick Boone, NFL columnist Bob Glauber and the rest of our team break down every angle of this Sunday's game.
Here, we're sticking to tradition and comparing the two cities in mostly non-football terms. New York teams are 2-0 in real life, and 3-0 in tale of two cities life. Not too shabby.
WILL FERRELL MOVIES
San Diego: "Anchorman"
New York: "Elf"
Such a tough call here. Ron Burgundy's mustache vs. "Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?" Oh, the pain of having to make such a decision. We'll give the nod to Burgundy because "Anchorman" can be shown on television at any point on the calendar . . . and because of the mustache, the hair, the burgundy-colored suit and the re-applicability of "Milk was a bad choice" into everyday life.
Edge: San Diego
POPULAR ETHNIC FOOD
San Diego: Mexican
New York: Italian
Who doesn't love a nice quesadilla, or taquito, or taco, or torta? Sure, they're all delightful. But compared to linguini and clams at Umberto's, or the sauce at Rao's, or any spot in Little Italy? Fuhgeddaboutit.
Edge: New York
AWESOME LEFT-HANDED HITTERS IN THE MID-1980s
San Diego: Tony Gwynn
New York: Don Mattingly
Tony Gwynn invented the "5.5 hole" where he slapped most of his 3,141 hits between the shortstop and third baseman. Don Mattingly is the only athlete to be nicknamed after the sport he plays, and Gwynn always spoke reverentially about "Donnie Baseball." Gwynn has the gaudier stats and played in two World Series with the Padres, losing both of them. Mattingly is the flawed hero in the Shakespearean tragedy of being a thirty-something Yankee fan. Both were and still are beloved among team fan bases.
Edge: Even
6-FOOT-6 RIGHTFIELDERS
San Diego: Dave Winfield
New York: Dave Winfield
Winfield was drafted by the Padres with the No. 4 overall pick in 1973, never played a game in the minors and was inducted to Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001 . . . as Padre. He put up bigger numbers in nine seasons with the Yankees and won four gold gloves. More importantly, George Steinbrenner imposed upon Winfield what was perhaps the greatest and most impactful derisive nickname in baseball history: "Mr. May"
Edge: New York
IDEAL, SUNNY WEATHER
San Diego: Pretty much every day
New York: Three months a year
Seriously, we won't even waste our own time talking about this one, let alone your time. Our brains are still frozen. The only comeback New Yorkers have in weather debates with San Diegons is "Oh yeah? Well, at least we know how cool it was when Freezy Freakies gloves came out?"
Edge: San Diego
WEEKEND ROAD TRIP
San Diego: Mexico
New York: Jersey Shore
One requires a passport to enter another country, the other just feels like you're in another country. The beaches, no border patrol issues, ease and convenience of drinkable water, overuse of hair product and sandwiches from the White House in Atlantic City make the Jersey Shore a worthy destination. The traffic? Eh, not so much.
Edge: New York
WATER PARKS
San Diego: Sea World
New York: Splish Splash
Oh sure, Sea World has the trained animals that jump in the air on command and splash down and soak patrons in the first few rows. But, watch this video from Splish Splash and tell us where you'd rather be.
Edge: New York
ZOOS
San Diego: San Diego Zoo
New York: Bronx Zoo
Most animals in New York wear team jerseys to games, but the actual Bronx Zoo holds its own in terms of places to see funky animals. But, San Diego holds its own and a few others. Panda watch!
Edge: San Diego
SUPER-SICK GOLF COURSE
San Diego: Torrey Pines
New York: Bethpage Black
Bethpage can't hold a candle to San Diego's Torrey Pines when it comes general course beauty and picturesque views. Technically, Torrey Pines is in La Jolla, but we can't deduct points there since Bethpage Black has a mailing address in Farmingdale. Torrey Pines has hosted several PGA events, but Bethpage Black was the first public course to host the U.S. Open in 2002. And the USGA brought its premier event back to the Black in 2009.
Edge: New York
NICK CANNON & MARIAH CAREY
San Diego: Nick Cannon
New York: Mariah Carey
"Drumline" was far superior to "Glitter" in movie world. "Nick Cannon" was far inferior to "Mariah Carey" in the self-titled album music world. "Wild 'N Out" is far more watchable in reruns on MTV than the Mariah Carey episode of "Cribs."
Edge: San Diego