LITTLE ROCK — Trying to compare Boston and Denver is much like trying to choose between a Renoir and a Matisse.
One was an impressionist, the other a classic artist. One came from a different era, the other is more modern.
But, in the end, they both wielded a pretty mean stick. So while the Red Sox and Rockies figure out their superiority on the field, we're giving you a primer on which city better paints a Picasso.
VENUE
Fenway Park vs. Coors Field. Fenway has history, tiny seats, bad food and wooden seats installed during the FDR administration. It offers a stunning view of the Mass Turnpike from those pricey Monster Seats in left field. Coors is a mid-1990s beaut, with all the amenities of a modern-day stadium and arguably the best view in baseball - that of the Rocky Mountains (which will be useless for those 6:30 p.m. Mountain time starts.) Edge: Still Coors
SIGNATURE DISH
The Bean and Cod vs. Rocky Mountain Oysters. Take the bean and cod. And don't forget to add a bowl of clam chowdah. As far as Rocky Mountain Oystersgo, if you have to ask, then you don't want to know. Edge: Boston
NAMESAKE MUSICAL ACT
Boston vs. John Denver. Denver, he of "Rocky Mountain High" fame, was born John Deutschendorf Jr. in Roswell, N.M., and died in 1997. Denver sang about West Virginia - of all places - being "almost heaven." Boston, which had an image of a space ship on its debut album cover, was composed of MIT grad Tom Scholz and his buddies, including the late Brad Delp. Its hits included "More Than a Feeling" and "Don't Look Back." Denver appeared in the Oh, God! movies with George Burns. Edge: Denver & God
HALL OF FAME QUARTERBACK
Tom Brady vs. John Elway. Given Elway's mobility, two Super Bowl rings and his stellar career passing stats, he's considered by many to be the best quarterback of all time. Brady, referred to as "The QT/QB" in the city's tabloid, already has won three Super Bowls. The toothy-grinned Elway was unfavorably compared to Mr. Ed back in the day while Brady dates supermodels. Edge: Boston
STREET
Yawkey Way vs. Blake Street. Before Coors Field opened, Blake Streetwas in the heart of Denver's declining warehouse district. The Field has brought with it many upscale developments, bars and restaurants, including the Blake Street Deli and Blake Street Tavern. Yawkey Way (once known as Jersey Street and re-named for former Sox owner Tom Yawkey) becomes part of the ballpark on game day for all fans. Slight edge: Boston
STAR GIVEN TO OTHER CITY
Ray Bourque vs. Almost Todd Helton. The Rockies almost traded Helton to the Red Sox for a pile of cash and either Manny Delcarmen or Craig Hansen this past off-season. But Boston wouldn't give up either pitcher. The Bruins shipped Bourque to the Avs in 2000, where he won a Stanley Cup a year later after 20 seasons in Boston. Major edge: Denver
WEATHER
Varied vs. Miserable. Don't believe the myths - it will snow in Denver one day in October and be 60 degrees, sunny and dry the next. It will be cold and rainy in Boston until Christmas, when the snow begins to fall. Edge: Denver
IDENTIFIABLE FIGURE
Sam Adams vs. Molly Brown. The "unsinkable" Molly Brown survived theTitanic's lone voyage, which ended at the bottom of the Atlantic in 1912 on the same week Fenway Park opened. Adams single-handedly won the Revolutionary War and still makes beer at age 285. Edge: Boston
ENTERTAINMENT DUO
Matt Damon & Ben Affleck vs. Mork & Mindy. When he finally settled in on Earth after his life on Ork and a few trips to Milwaukee, Mork moved into Mindy's attic in Boulder, Colo. Damon and Affleck, high school pals who grew up in Cambridge, Mass., shared a writing Oscar for Good Will Hunting. Na-nou, na-nou. No contest. Edge: Boston
HIS NAME ENDS IN "Z"
Yaz vs. Kaz. Kaz Matsui anchors a solid infield. Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, who retired in 1983 and won a triple crown 40 years ago, was last seen puffing away on a cigarette in the Red Sox clubhouse. Edge: Boston
MAJOR LEAGUE SPOKESMAN
Dane Cook vs. no Dane Cook. Too bad there's only one October. Fortunately, there's only one Dane Cook. A lifelong Red Sox fan, Cook grew up in Arlington, Mass., about 10 miles from Fenway Park. Edge: Denver
Sports, Pages 24 on 10/27/2007