THANK YOU, WASHINGTON POST SPORTS SECTION: Teams Without City Need No Pity. Preach on, Brother Strahan:

But if New Jersey has its detractors, it also has its champions. New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan, whose team plays just a few parking lots and overpasses away, has friends on both the Nets' and the Devils' rosters and believes "New Jersey could become the new sports mecca of the United States.

"There's nothing wrong with New Jersey," he says. "Everyone thinks New Jersey is this horrible place full of chemical plants and Tony Soprano look-alikes, but it's absolutely beautiful once you get away from the area right around the arena. There are parks and golf courses everywhere. This is the Garden State, man."