Plenty of athletes and coaches, current and former, have done that in New York. Some, like Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio — and going way back, Babe Ruth — are long gone. Of those still alive?

“Derek Jeter’s first,” said Sid Rosenberg, who hosts a show on WQAM-560 in Miami, but also has a long history working on New York’s WFAN-660. “After that, that’s where it gets difficult now, because baseball is so big up there. “I’ve got L.T., I’ve got (Mark) Messier still huge, I’ve got (Joe) Namath, still big up there. I’ve got (Patrick) Ewing, still huge up there. Mets, (Dwight) Gooden, (Darryl) Strawberry, (Tom) Seaver.”

What amuses Rosenberg with his own selections is that, in his view, Jeter “should be the last guy to represent New York, because the rest of the country views New York as kind of wild. And he has maintained this elegance, this class, while being a great player.”

And, often, a strong or unique personality is something that appeals to a city most, especially if a city views itself with something of the same. Take Houston.

Marc Vandermeer, who hosts a show on KILT-610 Sports Radio, calls former Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon the “all-time greatest Houston athlete” while former Oilers running back Earl Campbell is a widely-revered figure. Of active athletes, according to Vandermeer current Rockets center Yao Ming and current Texans receiver Andre Johnson get the most attention. Plus, there’s an awkward connection between the fans and former Astros pitcher Roger Clemens, since his career has been clouded with steroid accusations.

“But what is really amazing in Houston is the impact that a Bum Phillips still has,” Vandermeer said of the former Oilers coach who spoke with a Texas twang and wore a cowboy hat. “If Bum Phillips walks into a room with the hat, there is something about his charisma, his presence, that draws people to him. And the biggest professional football accomplishments in Houston were losses in back-to-back AFC Championship games in the late 1970s.”

Philadelphia is notoriously tough on its most talented athletes – everyone from Mike Schmidt to Donovan McNabb. And its greatest sports stars have had a wide array of personalities. Bobby Clarke’s grit. Allen Iverson’s defiance. Julius Erving’s elegance.

“Dr. J is 1A,” said Howard Eskin, a host on Philadelphia’s WIP-610.

But who would attract the most attention in a bar? For Eskin, no contest.

“Charles Barkley would get the most attention,” Eskin said. “Easy.”

As much for how he acts, as what he did while with the 76ers. Barkley, unlike Clarke or Erving or even Chase Utley or Jimmy Rollins, never won a championship for the city. And he didn’t even leave the franchise on great terms.

“But if you want to have a conversation with Charles, don’t walk into a public place, because it’s over, everybody climbs on him,” Eskin said. “What’s amazing about Charles in a bar, he might walk in with two, three people. At the end of the night, there’s sometimes as many as 20 people there who are now all around Charles and he is picking up the tab for everything.”

Short of winning a title, that’s the surest way to win any popularity contest.