West Allis Outmuscles Nation

In the not-too-distant past, if you found yourself in a bar staring at a TV as last call approached, you’d often see ESPN make the switch from live programming to reruns of The World’s Strongest Man. This competition pitted guys with necks the size of your torso against each other in a quest to lift the most obscenely heavy objects.

So when word reached the Drink Wisconsinbly Week in Review Newsroom that West Allis had won the Strongest Town Contest, it’s natural that we assumed that some of the boys in town got their hands on some, um, powerful supplements, and became serious about carrying Atlas Spheres, tossing tree trunks, and pulling heavy machinery around with a rope.

Well, as it turns out, this competition doesn’t measure the brawn of dudes in various municipalities in some sort of team powerlifting format; instead, it gauges the strength of the community itself.

Specifically, the town must show that it’s building vibrant neighborhoods, strengthening local economies, and has a plan for long-term success to be considered the mightiest of them all.

West Allis flexed its civic muscles in March, defeating 15 other cities across North America, including Sheboygan and Madison.

The bracket-style tournament saw the town top Spokane, Washington, and Chicago, Illinois, on its way to the finals against Wisconsin’s capital city. And the #6 seed pulled an upset over Madison in the finals, with voters showing out for the Milwaukee suburb.

Along with the title of Strongest Town, West Allis will receive a trophy, promotional items from the Strongest Town organization, and a visit from its founder, some guy who, notably, isn’t beloved Icelandic strongman Magnús Ver Magnússon. In addition, it will also be the subject of a mini-documentary after winning the competition. No word yet on whether it will be airing in the wee hours of the morning after the late SportsCenter.