[TulliusCicero]

That's actually a decent point, though I think it's debatable whether this is actually useful.

There are probably otherwise-sad US cities with decent pro sports teams that help bring name recognition...but does that actually translate into anything productive? The data on economic benefits seems to indicate the answer is 'no'.

[dagw]

I probably couldn't find Green Bay on a map, yet I know the name thanks to their very famous and successful sports team. But as you say, I still have no interest in visiting.

[trophycase]

That may be true for you, but I know people who have been there purely because it has the sports team. Otherwise there is almost no reason to visit a Wisconsin town so far off of I94, even on a road trip.

[sidr]

And they visit, have a couple of beers, and leave. This influx is accounting for in the analysis of "is it worth it?" and the answer is a resounding "no". Well, it's a "no" for most large, dense cities, Green Bay could be interesting because it's not in a dense city. Green Bay is also a particularly bad example for this conversation, being a non-profit community owned team and all.