In a world where anything can be produced everywhere, and shipped (or printed) anywhere, innovation is the most valuable asset in the world. Every city in the world, even Buffalo, aspires to be the next Silicon Valley or at least capture the Valley's spirit of innovation to kick start their economies into the 21st century.
Athletics is an industry severely slanted in the favor of the incumbents. Between the 70's and 90's you'd see 3-4 new champions every decade (New champs are teams who win their first ever championship). Football hasn't seen a new champion in TWENTY years, since 1996 when Florida won their first National Championship.