[legendsport]

OK, here's the updated plan. We'll have 24 teams, in two leagues of 12 each, with those split into two 6-team divisions.

To qualify for a team, a city needs to meet 2 criteria: it has to be no further west than Kansas City (rail travel being what it was in 1891) and has to be in the top 25 of U.S. population centers in the 1890 census. Also, any city with more than 1 million inhabitants can support two teams (going back on my earlier decision after looking at the list of cities).

Here's the list of cities. We'll go first-come, first-served. Market size doesn't matter, we'll keep a level playing field.

Cities which can support 2 teams
1 New York city, NY ................ 1,515,301
2 Chicago city, IL................... 1,099,850
3 Philadelphia city, PA.............. 1,046,964

Cities which can support 1 team
4 Brooklyn city, NY ................ 806,343
5 St. Louis city, MO................. 451,770
6 Boston city, MA.................... 448,477
7 Baltimore city, MD................. 434,439
9 Cincinnati city, OH................ 296,908
10 Cleveland city, OH................. 261,353

11 Buffalo city, NY................... 255,664
12 New Orleans city, LA............... 242,039
13 Pittsburgh city, PA *.............. 238,617
14 Washington city, DC .............. 230,392
15 Detroit city, MI................... 205,876
16 Milwaukee city, WI................. 204,468
17 Newark city, NJ*.................... 181,830
18 Minneapolis city, MN*............... 164,738
19 Jersey City city, NJ*............... 163,003
20 Louisville city, KY................ 161,129

22 Rochester city, NY................. 133,896
23 St. Paul city, MN*.................. 133,156
24 Kansas City city, MO............... 132,716
25 Providence city, RI................ 132,146
27 Indianapolis city, IN.............. 105,436
28 Allegheny city, PA *............... 105,287
29 Albany city, NY.................... 94,923
30 Columbus city, OH.................. 88,150
31 Syracuse city, NY.................. 88,143

Available Canadian cities:
Montreal............approx 200,000
Toronto.............approx. 180,000

Excluded on basis of geography
8 San Francisco city, CA............. 298,997
21 Omaha city, NE..................... 140,452
26 Denver city, CO.................... 106,713

* - Some cities, if chosen, will exclude others b/c of overlapping territories:
Newark and Jersey City, NJ
Pittsburgh and Allegheny, PA
Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN