Reader TTS

Mike Bresnahan covers the Lakers for the Los Angeles Times and travels every year to the 27 NBA cities outside of Los Angeles. Here’s his list of those cities, from worst to first. (Note:

New York and New Jersey count as one entry because, he says, everybody stays in nearby NYC when the Lakers play the New Jersey Nets..) 27. DETROIT: Never a good sign when you insist on

staying at a hotel at the airport. 26. INDIANAPOLIS: Always seems to be minus-147 degrees. 25. HOUSTON: Kind of boring, unless you enjoy Whataburger franchises on every corner. 24. SALT LAKE

CITY: Nice skiing, I guess. 23. SACRAMENTO: The worst arena in the NBA definitely doesn’t help matters. 22. MILWAUKEE: I went to school in Wisconsin and have several friends in Milwaukee,

or else it might be giving Detroit a run for its money on my list. 21. ORLANDO: Great for families but not so much for single, thirtysomething sportswriters. 20. MEMPHIS: Beale Street is fun

for one night, but what if you have to stay two nights? 19. CLEVELAND: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame helps, as does the underrated downtown area. 18. ATLANTA: You’ve got to give credit to

one of only three U.S. cities to host a Summer Olympics. 17. CHARLOTTE: It might be a little too high on this list, but I’ve never had a bad time there. 16. DALLAS: I hate the Dallas

Cowboys. Hate, hate, hate. 15. PHILADELPHIA: Cheesesteak sandwiches at Pat’s or Geno’s? I never decide until I get there. 14. TORONTO: Canada’s answer to New York City. 13. SAN ANTONIO: The

River Walk is fun, and Austin is only an hour away. 12. BOSTON: Whenever I leave, I feel like I could use another day to see everything I missed. 11. DENVER: Downtown is surprisingly

vibrant, even when there’s a foot of snow on the ground. 10. PORTLAND: See Seattle. 9. MINNEAPOLIS: Seriously underrated. I’m being totally serious. 8. PHOENIX: Just don’t go in June, July

or August. 7. NEW ORLEANS: Bourbon Street is on the rebound, as is downtown. 6. WASHINGTON, D.C.: My favorite daytime city in the U.S. Where else can you see so many memorials and monuments?

5. SAN FRANCISCO: The Golden State Warriors are in Oakland, but those in the know stay in S.F. 4. SEATTLE: Clean, crisp air makes it a must-smell. 3. MIAMI: South Beach is simply phenomenal

for so many reasons, day and night. 2. NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY: Always something to do. Always. 1. CHICAGO: Like New York, but without the attitude. MORE TO READ