The idea of Lakewood being second to Yerushalayim is nothing new.
Rabbeinu Tam records* that in his time they used to say ?? ????? ??? ???? ???? ?’ ????????.
All of you who have issues with Lakewood cannot deny the fact that at the end of the day there are thousands of people sitting and learning there (I learn in a Beis Medrash with over 1000 people in the room alone!), something that is not found anywhere in the world in those proportions.
*http://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=14542&st=&pgnum=109