A four-year tradition continues at GLS, as we waste company time comparing the cities that will battle on wild-card weekend. What if the coolest cities always prevailed? Who’d win this weekend? Enjoy our fourth annual city vs. city wild-card breakdown.
(Category winners italicized.)
Cincinnati vs. Houston
Population
Cincinnati: 330,000
Houston: 2.1 million
Claims to fame
Cincinnati: Known for historic architecture; birthplace of Charles Manson
Houston: NASA; health care
Nickname
Cincinnati: The Queen City
Houston: Space City
Coolest celebrities
Cincinnati: Steven Spielberg, Dan Patrick, Jerry Springer
Houston: Hilary Duff, Jennifer Garner
Hottest celebrities
Cincinnati: Heidi Mueller, Carmen Electra, Brooklyn Decker
Houston: Beyonce Knowles
Weather
Cincinnati: Blue
Houston: Red
Winner: Houston. You have to go back to the roaring twenties to find Cincy celebs, and Houston wins every category except the girls.
Pittsburgh vs. Denver
Population
Pittsburgh: 300,000
Denver: 600,000
Claims to fame
Pittsburgh: Steel, bridges, rivers, the Steelers
Denver: Altitude and the Rocky Mountains
Nickname
Pittsburgh: Steel City
Denver: Mile-High City
Coolest celebrities
Pittsburgh: Mark Cuban, Bret Michaels
Denver: Um, Dog the Bounty Hunter? The Fray?
Hottest celebrities
Pittsburgh: Christina Aguilera
Denver: Kristin Cavallari, Lindsey Vonn
Weather
Pittsburgh: Blue
Denver: Red
Winner: Denver. Close, low-scoring game, but definitely Denver thanks to the mountains and the snow.
Detroit vs. New Orleans
Population
Detroit: 950,000
New Orleans: 500,000
Claims to fame
Detroit: High violent crime and unemployment rates; a particularly rich music history
New Orleans: Mardi Gras
Nickname(s)
Detroit: Motor City, MoTown, Hockeytown
New Orleans: The Big Easy, The Crescent City
Coolest celebrities
Detroit: Eminem, Kid Rock
New Orleans: Lil Wayne, Ellen DeGeneres
Hottest celebrities
Detroit: Kristen Bell
New Orleans: Reese Witherspoon, Tia Texada
Weather
Detroit: Blue
New Orleans: Red
Winner: New Orleans. Detroit is cool, but c’mon…
Atlanta vs. New York
Population
Atlanta: 400,000
New York: 8 million
Claim to fame
Atlanta: Home to the world’s busiest airport and Turner Broadcasting (CNN)
New York: 47 million tourists visit NYC each year; Broadway; Statue of Liberty
Nickname(s)
Atlanta: Hotlanta
New York: The Big Apple, The City that Never Sleeps, Gotham
Coolest celebrities
Atlanta: Ed Helms, Kanye West, Usher, Ryan Seacrest
New York: Adam Sandler, Jon Stewart, Steve Buscemi, Jimmy Fallon, Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, Anne Hathaway
Hottest celebrities
Atlanta: Ciara, Keri Hilson
New York: Hayden Panettiere, Scarlett Johannson, Olivia Wilde, Emmy Rossum
Weather
Atlanta: Blue
New York: Red
Winner: New York. Poor Atlanta ran into a juggernaut on wild-card weekend.
(Weather graphs via Weather.com)
