Sporting News magazine named Pittsburgh its number one sports city today, beating out 398 other towns in the United States and Canada. It is the 16th year the magazine has issued its Best Sports Cities rankings and the first time Pittsburgh was so anointed, largely because of the dual Steelers and Penguins championships.

"I don't know how we don't win this every year," Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said at the announcement today, with Sporting News publisher Ed Baker.

Last year Boston won the honor and in 2007, Detroit. Mr. Baker said the selection incorporates the number of teams in each city (which hurts Pittsburgh, due to the lack of pro basketball), team won-loss records (where the Pirates hurt the ranking), and a lot of things that go in the city's favor, such as playoff records, attendance and fan ferocity.

"There's some science, some math and some subjectivity to it," Mr. Baker said.

Sidney Crosby and Ben Roethlisberger appear together on the magazine's cover in an issue that hits newsstands this week. It contains an 8-page spread on Pittsburgh sports, with stories on Western Pennsylvania quarterbacks, Pitt versus West Virginia, Steelers Super Bowl rings, and tips from ex-Pirates on making the team a winner again.

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