Special Report

The Best Cities for Sports Fans

Paula Pasche

Published: September 19, 2017 4:47 pm

Last Updated: January 12, 2020 8:01 am

It is not always easy being a fan. As each season gets underway, every fan of every team has at least an iota of optimism. Maybe this year. If you’re a fan, you know your heart will almost certainly be broken along the way. Only one team in each league ends the season with a win.

In some cities, fandom is easier. The number of teams and athletes’ personalities make a difference. Don’t discount championships either. Win and they will come. Boston sports fans have been spoiled at this point after teams across the four major sports won 10 championships in the last two decades alone..

People in major metropolitan areas like New York and Los Angeles have the luxury of a large number of teams to choose from. Even if a few of those teams are abysmal, fans still stand a better chance of seeing at least one team each year go deep into the playoffs.

Other people have the benefit of living in a smaller city with a just few teams, all or most of which just happen to be highly successful lately. Pittsburgh just has three major sports teams across the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB compared to Los Angeles and New York’s seven and eight. But two of the three Pittsburgh teams, the Steelers and the Penguins, have been been among the top in their respective leagues for years now. Cities like Green Bay and San Antonio each hosts only one team. These teams, the NFL’s Packers and NBA’s Spurs, also happen to be among the elite teams in their respective cities.

In order to determine the 20 best cities for sports, 24/7 Wall St. created an index of all American and metropolitan areas with at least one professional team in the National Football League, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League and Major League Baseball. Cities were awarded additional points for the number of teams, the number of championships in the past decade, and the consistency of the teams’ winning records. We also considered team payrolls, the presence of major stars on teams, and other measures that are related to the overall experience of being a sports fan in a metro area.

Did your city make the grade? Read on.

Click here to see the best cities for sports fans.

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20. Washington, DC
> # of teams: 4
> Championships, last 20 yrs: 0
> Avg. win percentage: 48.4%
> Last championship: Redskins, 1991

In a city that’s divided politically, sports is not only a diversion but also a unifier. Each of the city’s four pro teams has had just enough success to keep hope alive for the next championship. The Redskins, three-time Super Bowl winners, provide the drama. Quarterback Kirk Cousins may be on his way out after this season due to contract issues. Off the field, the Redskins’ name stands thanks to a Supreme Court decision.

In hockey, despite being led by superstar Alexander Ovechkin, the Capitals’ last conference championship (1997-98) is a distant memory. Perhaps slightly better is the Wizards’ (formerly the Bullets) recent record. While Wes Unseld was MVP when the Wizards won their last championship in 1978, the Wizards finally won again their division title in the 2016-17 season, but lost to the Celtics in the second round. The Nationals are the new kids in town after moving from Montreal in 2008. They won division titles in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2017. No World Series yet, but there is always tomorrow.

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19. Oakland, CA
> # of teams: 3
> Championships, last 20 yrs: 3
> Avg. win percentage: 47.6%
> Last championship: Warriors, 2017

For decades, Oakland was defined by the silver-and-black Raiders along with their diehard fans, the Raider Nation. But that is yesterday’s news. The Raiders, who last won a Super Bowl in 1984, when the team was still in Los Angeles, didn’t have a winning season or a playoff appearance for 13 years. They’re on their way to Las Vegas before the 2020 season. It’ll be a sad day for longtime Raiders fans. Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors, who won NBA titles in 2015 and 2017, have taken the throne as the city’s storied team, and it looks like they are not done yet. Sports Illustrated named three Warriors to its top 10 NBA players for 2018 — No. 2 Kevin Durant, No. 3 Stephen Curry, and No. 10 Draymond Green. And in a what-have-you-done-for-me lately world, the Athletics struggle. The Athletics have nine World Series titles (four of them since the franchise has been in Oakland), the third most of all current MLB teams, but the last one was in 1989. Their last Western Division title was in 2013.

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18. San Francisco, CA
> # of teams: 2
> Championships, last 20 yrs: 3
> Avg. win percentage: 49.5%
> Last championship: Giants, 2014

In the City by the Bay, it’s all about tradition. Certainly it’s been quite grand for the 49ers and the Giants. Fourteen-time All-Star Barry Bonds was the face of the Giants from 1993-2007, and they have been the hotter team recently with three World Series titles in the past eight years (2010, 2012, and 2014). Still, the 49ers look to get back on the winning track under GM John Lynch.

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17. Green Bay, WI
> # of teams: 1
> Championships, last 20 yrs: 1
> Avg. win percentage: 63.7%
> Last championship: Packers, 2011

Fall and winter are the best times of year in this glorious one-team town where the Packers have made 32 playoff appearances since 1936. Not only do the fans love their Packers, many of them are part owners of the team. Want tickets? The season ticket waiting list is 30 years, per the team’s website. Guys like Reggie White, Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers brought out the best in the fans known for their cheesy headgear and ability to withstand bone-chilling temperatures. In the past 24 seasons, the Packers have made the playoffs 19 times and have an eight-year postseason stretch on the line. In Green Bay, they love their beer and their brats (don’t forget the cheese curds), but mostly they love their Packers.

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16. Philadelphia, PA
> # of teams: 4
> Championships, last 20 yrs: 1
> Avg. win percentage: 47.1%
> Last championship: Phillies, 2008

If there was a poll of toughest-to-please fans, the City of Brotherly Love might rank first. Fans will turn on any athlete who doesn’t live up to expectations. Proof? Frustrated Philadelphia fans threw snowballs and booed Santa Claus in 1968 when the Eagles were 2-11. Poor Carson Wentz, the second-year Eagles quarterback faces the pressure to deliver today, not tomorrow. The 76ers have a rich history, with three NBA championships. The Sixers haven’t been to the playoffs since 2012. The Flyers, who won Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975, haven’t been past the first round of the playoffs since 2012. They can match the 76ers for a host of elite players — Bobby Clarke and Eric Lindros, to name two. Fans haven’t had much to cheer about since the Phillies won the World Series in 2008. The Phillies haven’t made it to the postseason since 2011 and won’t be there this year either.

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15. St. Louis, MO
> # of teams: 2
> Championships, last 20 yrs: 2
> Avg. win percentage: 54.6%
> Last championship: Cardinals, 2011

While fans still may be wiping their tears over losing their NFL Rams, they are loyal to the Cardinals and the Blues. Both franchises have a rich history and are typically still in the conversation come playoff time. The Cardinals won their 11th World Series in 2011, which is the second most in MLB history and the most in the National League. A handful of Cardinals are household names and not just in the Gateway to the West. Stan Musial set 17 MLB and 29 NL records. Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, and Mark McGwire are still revered, along with manager Tony La Russa. When baseball season is over, it’s time to turn the attention to the Blues, a franchise that has had success with nine division championships but never a Stanley Cup. The roster was loaded in the late 1980s and early 1990s with players like Brett Hull, Adam Oates, Brendan Shanahan, Al MacInnis and Curtis Joseph. Still no Cup. The, city’s 15th ranking is a testament to devoted fans who now have to settle for having just two pro teams.

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14. Phoenix, AZ
> # of teams: 4
> Championships, last 20 yrs: 1
> Avg. win percentage: 47.8%
> Last championship: Diamondbacks, 2001

In the Valley of the Sun, fans have a pro team for every season, just not many championships to brag about. In fact, the grand total is one, and it belongs to the Diamondbacks, who were the fastest expansion team in the Major League Baseball to win a championship in 2001 after joining the National League in 1998. The Suns won conference titles in 1976 and 1993 but are still waiting for their first NBA title. They have an impressive array of stars — Kevin Johnson, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Charles Barkley and Alvan Adams — but not much hardware to show off. They haven’t made it to the playoffs in seven straight seasons, which is worse than the Coyotes, who have a five-year streak of no playoff appearances.

The Arizona Cardinals have not won a Super Bowl, but they were there in 2009 after winning the NFC. Since 1998, the Cardinals have only made five playoff appearances. That’s too bad for 10-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, one of the NFL’s most respected players, who has played with the Cardinals since 2004.

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13. Indianapolis, IN
> # of teams: 2
> Championships, last 20 yrs: 1
> Avg. win percentage: 59.8%
> Last championship: Colts, 2007

Don’t feel bad for fans in Indiana’s capital city. They have may have only two pro teams, but both have had success. And, there is plenty of college and high school basketball and football — remember the ‘Hoosiers” — to keep them occupied. Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy brought a Super Bowl victory to Indianapolis in 2007. Manning, the first overall draft pick in 1998, battled Tom Brady and the Patriots through the years, creating one of the NFL’s best rivalries in that span. The other team, the Pacers, joined the NBA when the ABA merged with the NBA in 1976. While they have not won an NBA championship, they have earned six division titles. Hall of Famer Reggie Miller played his entire 18-season career with the Pacers.

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12. Atlanta, Ga
> # of teams: 3
> Championships, last 20 yrs: 0
> Avg. win percentage: 53.1%
> Last championship: Braves, 1995

Remember Jane Fonda and Ted Turner in the Braves’ crowd doing the tomahawk chop? It’s been a while. That was back in the 1990s. The Braves won the World Series in 1995 and have won a total of 17 National League pennants, five of them in Atlanta since moving there from Milwaukee in 1966. Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz combined for six Cy Young Awards in the 1990s, but the Braves’ last playoff appearance was in 2013. Time marches on. This city wouldn’t be ranked 12th without the Falcons, the team that has found the most success in the past 20 years.

The Falcons couldn’t have come much closer to a Super Bowl championship — it would have been their first — than they did on Feb. 5 when they saw a 28-3 late third-quarter lead vanish thanks to the Patriots. Ah, but it’s a new year, and they’re playing in the state-of-the-art new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, giving devoted fans more to cheer about with quarterback Matt Ryan, who holds the franchise passing records. It’s been even longer for the Hawks, who won their last NBA championship in 1958, when the team was still located in St. Louis. They went 48 years without advancing past the second round of the playoffs until breaking through in 2015 with a division title.

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11. Pittsburgh, PA
> # of teams: 3
> Championships, last 20 yrs: 5
> Avg. win percentage: 54.1%
> Last championship: Penguins, 2017

This may be a football town with a rich tradition, including six Super Bowl titles, but lately it’s Sidney Crosby and the Penguins who own the city after winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. That makes three in the last eight years. Hockey Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux put his mark on Pittsburgh hockey, winning two Stanley Cups (1991, 1992). Now Crosby carries on the tradition. Speaking of history, the Steelers have won more Super Bowl titles (six) and hosted more conference championships (11) than any other NFL team.

Ben Roethlisberger was the youngest quarterback (age 23) to win a Super Bowl in 2005, his second season. The Steelers’ last Super Bowl win was in 2009. Among Steelers Pro Football Hall of Famers inductees are Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Jerome Bettis, and Hines Ward. Roethlisberger and the Steelers have been to the playoffs the last three seasons. And once the kings of the diamond, the Pirates are now they’re fighting for attention in the Steel City. Winners of five World Series, the Pirates have been to the playoffs the past three seasons after a 20-year drought.

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10. Dallas, TX
> # of teams: 4
> Championships, last 20 yrs: 2
> Avg. win percentage: 54.4%
> Last championship: Mavericks, 2011

Love him or hate him, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is the biggest name in town and the Cowboys are the main attraction. America’s team has won five Super Bowls, the latest in 1996. From 1966 to 1983, they missed the playoffs just once. Troy Aikman, Roger Staubach, and Emmitt Smith are among the Cowboys’ Pro Football Hall of Famers. The Cowboys have moved on from Tony Romo as quarterback to Dak Prescott, who led them to a division championship in 2016. The Mavericks have also made it to the postseason in four of the last six years, but haven’t made it past the first round since they won the NBA title in 2011.

By the way, what is it with pro owners in Dallas? Mavs owner Mark Cuban is no stranger to a TV camera either. Unlike the Cowboys, the Rangers have not had the same good fortune, never winning a World Series but winning division titles in 2015 and 2016. The Stars won the Stanley Cup in 1999 with Hockey Hall of Famers Brett Hull, Mike Modano, and Joe Nieuwendyk, plus Ed Belfour in goal. With all this success, Dallas just ranks 10th.

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9. Detroit, MI
> # of teams: 4
> Championships, last 20 yrs: 5
> Avg. win percentage: 46.3%
> Last championship: Red Wings, 2008

Fans in Motor City prefer teams and players with a lunch-bucket mentality — guys like Barry Sanders, Steve Yzerman, Isiah Thomas, and Al Kaline. It’s not exactly written on the Welcome to Detroit signs, but the two toughest jobs in that town are the Lions quarterback and Red Wings goaltender. In the past 34 years, the Red Wings, Pistons, and Tigers have all won championships. The Red Wings, who have won 11 Stanley Cups, snapped their string of 25 straight postseason appearances in 2016-17. The Pistons, once the toast of the town thanks to Bad Boys Dennis Rodman, Bill Laimbeer and Rick Mahorn, have advanced to the postseason just once (2016) in the past eight years.

It’s a city of winners except for the one team that draws the most passion — the Lions. The franchise is one of four NFL teams to never appear in a Super Bowl. Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson could do nothing to change that. The Lions haven’t won a playoff game since Jan. 5, 1992. Things are looking up with Matthew Stafford at quarterback. The Lions have made the playoffs in two of the past three years. And it’s going to be a tough few years for the Tigers who are in the early stages of rebuilding after dealing pitcher Justin Verlander. The fans will be there, they always are.

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8. Minneapolis, MN
> # of teams: 5
> Championships, last 20 yrs: 0
> Avg. win percentage: 48.8%
> Last championship: Twins, 1991

While the Vikings have never won a Super Bowl, they’ve got to be the favorite in the Twin Cities to win the next championship. It just makes sense. Long gone are Fran Tarkenton and the defensive line known as the Purple People Eaters, who played in four Super Bowls but didn’t win. The Vikings won the NFL championship in 1969 before the NFL-AFL merger. They played in four Super Bowls (1970, 1974, 1975, 1977) but didn’t win. The Vikings have found success with 28 playoff appearances, and they certainly have a shot at winning the NFC North in 2017. The Vikings overshadow the Timberwolves and Wild, two teams that have never won a title. Minnesota may be the “State of Hockey,” but that is based on the popularity of the sport in college and high school, not just the Wild.

The Twins have not made the postseason in six years, but in 2017 they are vying for wild-card berth. The Vikings rule. Sports plays a huge role in this town — it’s something to think about during the brutally cold winters.

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7. Miami, FL
> # of teams: 4
> Championships, last 20 yrs: 5
> Avg. win percentage: 48.1%
> Last championship: Heat, 2013

While the Dolphins had their share of success in the 1970s, the Heat has been the winningest team recently, with NBA titles in 2006, 2012, and 2013. They won a division title in 2016, Dwyane Wade’s last season. They are probably most remembered for adding LeBron James and Chris Bosh prior to the 2010-11 season. After six straight trips to the postseason, the Heat qualified in just one (2015-16) of the last three seasons. The Dolphins are most remembered for their perfect season in 1972, when they went 14-0 in the regular season and wrapped it all up with a Super Bowl win under coach Don Shula. Key players included Bob Griese, Earl Morrall, and Larry Csonka.

The Miami Marlins, who have made it to the postseason in just two of the 25 years of their existence, won the World Series both times — in 1997 and 2003. The Panthers won a conference championship in 1995-96 but have never hoisted the Stanley Cup. They’re in major rebuilding mode and qualified for postseason action just twice (2012, 2016) in the last 16 years. In Miami, it’s not the humidity, it’s the Heat.

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6. Denver, CO
> # of teams: 4
> Championships, last 20 yrs: 4
> Avg. win percentage: 52.4%
> Last championship: Broncos, 2016

As the Broncos quarterback, John Elway lost three Super Bowls before winning the Lombardi Trophy twice. Since 2011, Elway has been trying to create another Super Bowl contender in Denver as the team’s general manager and executive vice president. He made a splash in 2012, signing Peyton Manning, who had missed the previous season after neck surgeries. It was a risk that paid off with a Super Bowl win following the 2015 season. With Manning retired, the Broncos missed the playoffs following the 2016 season. Fans are waiting for Elway to work more magic.

The Avalanche, once an NHL powerhouse, has not been as relevant, making the playoffs just once (2013-14) in the last seven years. The team has learned that Patrick Roy was a better goaltender (1984-2003) than head coach (2013-2016). Fans made the Pepsi Center, the Avs home, one of the loudest stadiums in the NHL during the era when the Avs won Stanley Cups in 1996 and in 2001. The Rockies have advanced to the playoffs just three times in 24 seasons (1993-2016). They were swept in the 2007 World Series by the Red Sox. The Nuggets, who have never won an NBA championship, have missed the playoffs the past four seasons (2014-2017). Prior to that, they lost in the first round of the playoffs nine of 10 years, advancing to the Western Conference finals in 2009. In the thin mountain air of Denver, the Broncos prevail.

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5. San Antonio, TX
> # of teams: 1
> Championships, last 20 yrs: 5
> Avg. win percentage: 71.4%
> Last championship: Spurs, 2014

Green Bay isn’t the only one-team town to make the top 20. In San Antonio, you’ll find the Alamo, the riverwalk and the Spurs — not necessarily in that order. The Spurs’ success makes up for having just one pro team in a town best known for the Alamo. The Spurs have won five NBA titles (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014) in franchise history, all under coach Gregg Popovich and with Tim Duncan on the floor. They have not missed the playoffs in the 20 seasons since Duncan was the first overall draft pick in 1997. Duncan retired in 2016 after a 19-year playing career, but the winning continued. David Robinson and George Gervin also played big roles in the Spurs’ success. No question though, the 68-year-old Popovich is king of the court.

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4. Chicago, IL
> # of teams: 5
> Championships, last 20 yrs: 6
> Avg. win percentage: 52.2%
> Last championship: Cubs, 2016

OK, we’re down to the final four. It’s getting serious. The six pro teams in Chicago have all won championships — so no wonder it’s the fourth best city for sports. And, remarkably, most of the teams have sustained their winning records enough to at least be in the postseason discussion most years. The Cubs’ World Series win in 2016 was not just a Chicago story. The Cubs’ World Series win in 2016 — the first since 1908 — was not just a Chicago story.

Other than the Cubs, the Blackhawks have the most recent titles, winning three Stanley Cups since 2010 with Joel Quenneville behind the bench and Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane on the ice. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and the Bulls dominated in the 1990s, winning six NBA titles in eight years (1991-1998). Over at Comiskey, the White Sox last won a World Series in 2005 but have missed postseason play for nine years. Then there are the Bears, who won the Super Bowl in 1986 with Mike Ditka as coach and Mike McMahon and his goofy headbands as quarterback. It was all fun back then, but now the Bears have gone six seasons without making a postseason appearance. While NFL teams dominate in many top cities — and the Bears certainly still draw crowds — Chicago is more of a baseball and hockey town these days.

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3. New York City, NY
> # of teams: 8
> Championships, last 20 yrs: 6
> Avg. win percentage: 48.7%
> Last championship: Giants, 2011

New Yorkers aren’t born as Yankees or Mets fans, it just seems that way at times. When it comes to New York, all discussion starts with the Yankees, who have won 27 World Series — more titles than any other franchise in the four major North American sports leagues. Forty-four Yankees players are in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Where do you start? How about Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and Whitey Ford — the tip of the sports iceberg. The Mets won two World Series (1969 and 1986). They made the playoffs in 2015 for the first time in nine years and won their first NL pennant in 15 years. The Giants, who have won four Super Bowls, and the Jets, who have not won a Super Bowl over the last 20 years, both play in MetLife Stadium, but the Giants are the more competitive team these days. The Giants advanced to the postseason in 2016, snapping a four-year playoff drought.

In hockey, Rangers captain Mark Messier led them to their fourth Stanley Cup in 1994, their first one since 1940. They’ve appeared in the playoffs for seven straight seasons and 11 of the last 12. The Knicks, who won NBA titles in 1970 and 1973, earned their first division title in 19 years in 2012-13. The Brooklyn Nets have never had that kind of success. They’ve won two NBA conference titles, 2002 and 2003, when they were in New Jersey, and have advanced to the playoffs in three of the last five years. It’s an incredible history for a sports-driven town.

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2. Boston, MA
> # of teams: 4
> Championships, last 20 yrs: 10
> Avg. win percentage: 61.8%
> Last championship: Patriots, 2017

Not only do Beantowners enjoy cheering for Tom Brady and the Patriots, but they have the Bruins, Celtics, and Red Sox, too. The Patriots, coached by Bill Belichick, are huge since they’ve won five Super Bowls since 2002, including the comeback win over the Falcons in February. There’s a reason this is the No. 2 sports city and it’s not all the Patriots. The Red Sox won the World Series in 2004, 2007, and 2013. If you hate the Yankees, you cheer for the Red Sox — even if you’ve never stepped foot in Boston. The Bruins, winners of six Stanley Cups, won their last in 2011 with captain Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, and Mark Recchi. Really, the Celtics are the biggest winners with 17 NBA championships — the last one in 2008. They won a division title in 2017 so appear to be on the comeback trail. The city is chock full of sports icons, starting with Bobby Orr, Larry Bird, and Carl Yastrzemski and ending with Brady.

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1. Los Angeles, CA
> # of teams: 7
> Championships, last 20 yrs: 10
> Avg. win percentage: 49.9%
> Last championship: Kings, 2014

The sprawling metropolis doesn’t have the vibe of a big sports town. It seems more Hollywood. But make no mistake, the fans are there. The Lakers have won 11 of their 16 NBA championships in Los Angeles, the last one in 2010. Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O’Neal helped provide the Lakers’ success over the years. The Clippers have never won an NBA championship or a conference title.

For the Dodgers, seven-time All-Star pitcher Clayton Kershaw is the big draw these days. Kershaw has led them to four straight Western Division titles (2013-16). They’ve won six World Series titles but the last one was in 1988. The Angels won their only World Series in 2002 and last won a Western Division title in 2014. When the Kings traded for Wayne Gretzky in 1988, the popularity of hockey soared in La La Land.

After surviving from 1995 to 2015 without an NFL team, Los Angeles now has the Rams (who returned to Los Angeles from St. Louis in 2016) and the Chargers (who moved north from San Diego this year). If a Los Angeles fan can’t find at least one team to support, then he or she is just not trying. That’s why the City of Angels is ranked No. 1.