Here's an SAT analogy for you: New York is to hip-hop as England is to soccer.
ANSWER KEY (3/12/10): Okay, since none of my vast readership took the bait, here's what I meant, which was probably obvious, which now that I think about it was probably why no one took the bait. The English invented soccer and New York was the birthplace of hip-hop. Both thereafter enjoyed many years as the industry standard in their respective fields. Rivals were afraid to challenge them, and they felt it beneath their dignity to compete, as if they were playing a different game than everyone else. Both started believing all they had to do to stay on top was continue to exist. As a result, both became insular and inbred and stopped evolving; by the time they woke up and tentatively engaged with the larger world many upstarts had borrowed their tools, built much faster vehicles, and raced past them. England was upended by Germany and then lapped by Brazil, Argentina, and even (horror of horrors) France; NY lost its primacy first to LA and then to Atlanta, New Orleans, and Houston. Yet English fans still irrationally insist their team ought to win the World Cup despite having demonstrably less talent than other teams, maybe because their top-flight league is the most well-capitalized and promoted in the world. Likewise, Zoo York partisans sneer down their noses, although less than they used to, at the dumb crackers who are artistically wheeling circles around their increasingly pedantic and crabby emcees. Possibly they feel entitled because their town is still the nation's media center.
These days, both the Three Lions and the Five Boroughs are most noted for spitting the bit in much-hyped showdowns. David Beckham boots his spot kick clear out of the Estadio da Luz; in the rematch, Wayne Rooney is sent off for cleating Cristiano Ronaldo in the nuts. Meanwhile, Curtis Jackson publicly challenges Kanye West to a Loser Must Retire cage match; when he loses decisively, he fails to retire but most of us wish he had. But hey! England could surprise this summer in South Africa if Rooney can only manage at least two goals every game and they can find a left back. And that Nas-Damian Marley record might be pretty good. You never know.