A Theory About Springfield

Thought I'd try something a little different and a little lighthearted instead of the old gloom and doom ranting I've been doing of late.

It's something I talked about on another board, and thought I'd share this theory with you.

Everybody knows about The Simpsons' hometown of Springfield, a massive city that's pretty much small town USA. Everybody has their opinions on where Springfield is. Some feel it's in the West. Some feel it's in the middle of the contry. I think that Springfield is in southeastern Virginia collectively called Hampton Roads in the real world. Yes, this is also my homebase at the moment.

Why do I believe The Simpsons take place in my part of the world? Let me explain.

Springfield is a strong miltary town.

There's a shipyard, naval port, and military bases all within the city. In southeastern VA, we have the Norfolk Naval Shipyard (the oldest naval shipyard in the US), the Norfolk Naval Base (the largest naval facility in the world), and a couple of bases of all military branches, from Oceana to Ft. Eustis. There's even a NASA facility in Hampton called NASA Langley.

Springfield has strong colonial roots.

Jebediah Springfield founded the city and cleared the city of snakes. While Col. William Crawford didn't pull a St. Patrick-like feat, he did found the city of Portsmouth during the colonial era. Before that, the first English settlers came here in 1607, more than 400 years ago.

Springfield is in close proximity of various East Coast cities.

It can be certain that Springfield isn't in a West Coast state. Sure, you could throw the K-decaled station names often signifying they're in the west, but that's a ruse. If it was in a West Coast state, the cast couldn't get to Tennessee, New York, North Carolina, Washington, D.C., or Delaware within hours, like you can from Hampton Roads. The old Simpson farm Homer grew up in is in North Carolina and just minutes away from Springfield, not unlike it is here.

Springfield is a minor-league town with access to a northern major-league town called Capital City by the interstate.

Hampton Roads is as minor league as you can get with the Norfolk Admirals AHL hockey team and the Norfolk Tides AAA baseball club. Here's where the tie between Hampton Roads and Springfield really come together. The episode Dancin' Homer had many elements from the area, including crosstown rivals the Pilots, a few character names similar to former Tides players, and the name of the Capital City team owner is the same as the Tide's owner, Dave Rosenfield. Ironically, the owner of the Tides recently created a minor league team out west called, and I couldn't make this up if I tried, the Alberquerque Isotopes! The most northern major league area from here is Washington, D.C. THE Capital City, which is also a frequent stop for fliers every morning from Norfolk International Airport.

Springfield is surrounded by oceans and bays in the east and mountains and forests in the west.

The Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay are in the east around Hampton Roads and the Appalacians and a whole lot of rolling hills are in the west.

A huge nuclear plant provides power to Springfield.

Although it's not the only source of power here, Virginia Power's Surry County nuclear plant provides a lot of energy to most of the area.

Springfield has several television studios.

So does Hampton Roads. One produces The New Detectives for Discovery. Other studios produces films. This week marked the premiere of John Adams, which was produced right in Hampton Roads.

Springfield has a beloved television icon character known throughout the area in the form of Krusty the Clown.

Hampton Roads has a television icon as well in Dr. Madblood, a popular horror/schlock movie host for as long as I can remember.

Springfield has both a Duff Brewery and a Duff Gardens theme park within city limits.Hampton Roads has an Anheiser-Busch brewery and a Busch Gardens theme park both in Williamsburg. One of the most beautiful theme parks on the planet, mind you.

Okay, maybe there's no case supporting it, but it'd be funny to consider the seven cities and many counties of Hampton Roads, Virginia the closest thing to a real world Springfield equivalent.