Counting Down The Top 10 Sports Cities In America
The singing of “Sweet Caroline” at Red Sox games, the “Roll Call” at Yankee Stadium, throwing batteries at Santa Claus in Philadelphia… they’re all traditions sports fans hold close to their hearts.
Every sports city in America has their traditions and every fan thinks their city should lay claim to the title of “Best Sports City in America.”
The Daily Wire took a deep dive, talking with sports writers around the country, hearing each case for why their city should be number one.
For the sake of continuity, only cities that have at least three professional sports teams were considered.
Let the arguments ensue.
10) Denver
Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images
Teams: Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Rockies, Colorado Avalanche
Total Championships: 5
Local media take: “Denver has everything a sports fan desires. Every sport, every level, every flavor. And the city is a great mix of longtime, passionate natives and wide-eyed, hungry transplants. Sports is their confluence.”
-Vic Lombardi- AltitudeTV host Denver native
9. Los Angeles
Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
Teams: Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks
Total Championships: 32
Local media take:
“Los Angeles is a great sports town because of its diversity. Across the many cultures that make up the city, there’s a near universal thread in support and love for the Dodgers or Lakers (Clippers fans are primarily transplants or a dedicated section of the counter-culture diehards who deserve respect as well). LA is a great place to be a fan.”
-Eric Pincus, Bleacher Report
8) Cleveland
Rick Stewart/Allsport
Teams: Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Indians
Total Championships: 8
Local media take: “To me Cleveland is the most underrated sports city in America. Three major league teams, and a rabid football fanbase like no other. An electric downtown core with bars, world class restaurants, and other hot spots with the sports stadiums within walking distance to it all.”
-Andy McNamara- Sportsnet broadcaster and Cleveland native
7) Detroit
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Teams: Detroit Lions, Detroit Pistons, Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers
Total Championships: 18
My take: The “Motor City” doesn’t get the credit it deserves. The city has gone through a lot over the years, but the sports fans have remained as loyal as ever. The Red Wings are an historic NHL franchise and the Pistons have their own storied history. What else is there to do in Detroit except catch a Lions game on a freezing Sunday afternoon in December?
6) Pittsburgh
Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images
Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Penguins
Total Championships: 16
Local media take: “When do you become a Pittsburgh sports fan? The moment you are born there. It’s not uncommon to see babies at Pittsburgh-area hospitals wrapped in Terrible Towels. (They wail and wail at the thought of the Ravens winning the AFC North crown, of course.) As a Pittsburgh native, I know firsthand what it’s like to be part of the full “yinzer” experience at a Penguins, Pirates or Steelers game. I have seen many Pittsburghers build their schedules — really, their lives — around sporting events and turn the city into a sea of black and gold. I have witnessed the rage in an aggressive use of the J-word (“jagoff” for the uninitiated) after a bad call and the joy in a spilled Iron City beer after a successful zone blitz. Does all of that sound crazy? Sure, but that’s just what makes Pittsburgh a special sports town.”
Jordan Greer-Sports Writer, Sporting News
5) Philadelphia
Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images)
Teams: Philadelphia 76ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Flyers, Philadelphia Phillies
Total Championships: 8
Local media take: “You can say a lot of things about Philadelphia sports fans, but one thing is for sure: We are engaged in every aspect of our teams. We don’t watch because it’s fun. We obsess about our athletes when the games aren’t being played. We’re listening to every word the coach says in his press conference and every free agent signing a general manager makes. Being a Philadelphia sports fan is a way of life.”
-Jon Marks-Philadelphia sports radio host
4. Chicago
VINCENT LAFORET/AFP via Getty Images
Teams: Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks
Total Championships: 19
My take: Michael Jordan, Sammy Sosa, and Walter Payton are just a few of the great sports figures who can call Chicago home. The Cubs went 108 years without winning a World Series and the Bears haven’t had a decent quarterback since Jim McMahon, but the fans never stop believing. Take a summer trip to Wrigley Field and you’ll understand the beauty that is Chicago sports.
3) San Francisco Bay Area
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Teams: San Francisco Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Golden State Warriors, Oakland Athletics, San Jose Sharks, Oakland Raiders*
*The Oakland Raiders moved to Las Vegas, NV in 2020*
Total Championships: 26
Local media take: “Baseball is the great example of the fans of the Bay Area. We had two teams that went through hard times, but the fans kept coming. Ever since they’ve built the new ballpark, they’ve been selling that place out. There is an East Coast sportsman vibe to San Fransisco. It’s a smaller New York.”
-Joe Fonzi, long time Bay Area sports broadcaster and KTVU sports anchor
“The Warriors audience cuts through two lenses. One set are the loyal and devoted fans who follow all the Bay Area teams. Many of them are from Oakland. The other set are the newcomers to The Bay. People who live in the city, work in tech etc. They hopped on when the Warriors dynasty really caught on. It’s an interesting dichotomy. On one side, you have some of the most knowledgeable fans you’ll ever find. On the other, you have a set of fans that got used to the ‘spoils.’”
-Mark Medina, LA Times (formerly of The Mercury News)
2) New York City/ Brooklyn
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images
Teams: New York Yankees, New York Mets, New York Giants, New York Jets, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils
Total Championships: 52
Local media take: “The passion New York has for its team is unparalleled. We live and breathe our sports teams. We are a gritty, hard-nosed, fast-paced city that has come back from so much and we feed off that with our teams. There’s no arena that rocks like MSG late in a close game. Each stadium has its own magic to it and each team has its own story, whether a champion or an underdog.”
-Jake Brown, Executive Producer, The NY Post
1) Boston
GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images
Teams: Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics, Boston Bruins, New England Patriots
Total Championships: 38
My take: Take a trip to Boston and you’ll understand why they land at number one on the list. Bruins jerseys are considered fashionable for men in their thirties and the entire city revolves around their sports teams. The four World Series victories by the Red Sox in the 21st century and the New England Patriots dynasty makes Boston the best sports city in America.
There’s a reason Boston has come to be known in the sports world as “Title Town.”
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers and the NBA for Sporting News.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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