The rain has finally stopped in San Francisco.We are down to the final two teams. On February 5^th, 2012 the New England Patriots will face the New York Giants in Indianapolis for Super Bowl XLVI. There is always something special in the emotion of the day when these two cities meet in a sports championship. There is a rivalry that is so strong it almost seems irrational. It can be the Yankees playing the Red Sox. Years ago it was the Knicks playing the Celtics. It even goes beyond the sports arena. Theses two cities have contributed so much to American history. They have given us the essence of Americana. New England and New York really are very similar places, as are the teams that represent them. Let’s compare how these two cities stack up in six non-football areas. Call it the “Chowder Bowl”. We start with political history:

New York has produced 6 presidents so far: Van Buren (8), Fillmore (13), Arthur (21), Cleveland (22 & 24), T. Roosevelt (26), and F. Roosevelt (32). On the other hand Boston has produced 4: John Adams (2) J.Q. Adams (6), Coolidge (30), and Kennedy (35). Being that they are actually the New England Patriots we will give them New Hampshire native son Pierce (14) for a total of 5. Edge: New York

In New York the oldest bar is supposedly McSorely’s Tavern at 15E 7^th street. Opened in 1854. It’s a national historical landmark. From it’s floor covered in saw dust to it’s ceiling, where you will find old poultry wishbones, said to have been hung by soldiers leaving for the first World War. In Boston at 45 Union Street you will find the “Bell in Hand”. It is said to have been in business since 1795.Opened by Jimmy Wilson, Boston’s last known town crier. He was one of the first to report on the Boston tea party. Edge: New England

For higher eduction we have from New York, Columbia University and Princeton (actually in N.J. but then again so are the Giants). In New England you have Yale and Harvard. Edge: New England

For food you have Boston baked beans which are cooked with molasses and salt pork. This hearty specialty was responsible for Boston getting the nickname “Bean Town”. For the epicurious in New York, travel on down to 205 Houston Street , Katz’s deli.Order the pastrami on rye. Say no more. Edge: New York

For dessert in 1856 at the Parker House in Boston hotel Chef Sanzain came up with the “Boston cream pie”. Ninety years later at Junior’s restaurant in downtown Brooklyn Chef Eigel Peterson perfected the delightful “Junior’s cheese cake.” On the dessert under card New England brings us Ben and Jerry’s ice cream against the timeless, soda shop classic “New York Egg Cream.” Edge:even

So picking the winner of this game finally comes down to chowder. New England or Manhattan. As the story goes it was when tomato chunks were added to the New England chowder there was such a local uproar that in 1939 a law passed in Boston banning the tomato from the New England chowder recipe. Meanwhile back at New York’s Fulton Fish market tomato chunks had been used in Fulton Fish chowder since 1930. That practice continued and the Fulton fish chowder became known as it is called today, Manhattan style.They both are delicious. It is simply a matter of taste. As for the football game, based on the above chowder facts we can conclude that the winning team will be in a red, white and blue uniforms. The blue came from whoever threw the overalls in Mrs. Murphy’s chowder.

Sources:

www.newengland.com

www.boston.com

www.wikipedia

www.sloshspot.com