There are many great US cities for sports fans, but some are better than others. If you’re a sports fan, check out this list of the best US cities for professional sports.
In this article, we look at 5 of the best professional sports cities in the United States. One of these may surprise you!
1. Boston, Massachusetts
When you’re a professional athlete in Boston, you have to deal with the media in a professional way, as there are many reporters and publications that cover Boston sports.
The sports media are huge and very competitive.
Boston has a long history of success in all four major sports. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city’s teams added 17 NBA championships, including 11 won by the Celtics during a 13-year span.
In addition, there have been six Super Bowls from the New England Patriots and nine World Series championships from the Boston Red Sox in the Major League.
In terms of competition, the four major sports teams listed above have at least one rival with a team in New York. These include Red Sox-Yankees, Bruins-Rangers, Celtics-Knicks, and Patriots-Bills.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the Celtics-Lakers rivalry in the 1980s. Most people say that the rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson saved basketball.
Boston teams have been involved in many exciting moments over the years, including the largest Super Bowl comeback of all time, when they came back to win the Super Bowl against the Atlanta Falcons from 28-3 down, winning the game 34-28.
The Curse of the Bambino is a dark memory for many Red Sox fans, as it was a heartbreaking moment when Bill Buckner let a ball roll through his legs, costing them the World Series in 1986.
Until 2004, the Boston Red Sox had a long history of failure attributed to the “Curse of the Bambino.
The story goes that in 1918, the last time the Red Sox won the World Series, they sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees for $125,000—and they didn’t win a single World Series until 2004.
Besides Babe Ruth, many other famous athletes have passed through this city, including Bill Russell (basketball), David Ortiz (baseball), Bobby Orr (hockey) and Larry Bird (basketball).
2. New York
The New York sports media market is cutthroat, much like Boston’s. Both cities have many high-profile newspapers, websites, and talk radio shows- and are not for the faint of heart.
Boston and New York have a lot of sports rivalries in just about every major sports league. For example, the Red Sox and Yankees have arguably the largest rivalry in all of baseball.
Also, just like their New York counterparts, Bostonians are passionate about their sports teams and have experienced plenty of success.
New York City has been home to 27 World Series championships from the Yankees, two from the Mets, two NBA championships from the New York Knicks, eight Stanley Cups (four of which were won by the Rangers, and four by another team), five Super Bowls- four of them from the Giants, and one from the Jets.
However, some people argue that the Jets should not even be included in the tally of New York’s professional sports teams. Although they call themselves New York’s team, their stadium is actually located in New Jersey.
3. Detroit, Michigan
Despite the fact that the 2000s were a rough decade for the city of Detroit sports-wise, there are still plenty of historical moments from the last 60 years to talk about.
If you’re looking for great Detroit teams, the Lions, Pistons, Red Wings, and Tigers would be the first ones that come to mind.
Sports fans in Detroit, and throughout the US, often think of the Detroit Pistons team that was known as the “Bad Boys” during the 1980s and early 1990s.
This was a very physical team, known for its tough defense and physical play in the paint, especially between Bill Laimbeer and Dennis Rodman.
In terms of championships, the Detroit Pistons won three NBA titles in the 1900s and 2000s. Two of these came from the Bad Boys team in 1989 and 1990, who were known for their rough play. The Pistons also won another championship in 2004.
The Detroit Red Wings have won 11 Stanley Cups, the most recent in 2008. The team was founded in 1926 and has won four championships since then: 1936, 1937, 1943 and 1951.
The biggest rivalries for the city of Detroit are between the Pistons and Bulls, Red Wings and Predators, the Tigers and Cubs, and the Lions and Bears.
As you’ll notice, almost all of the teams mentioned are between Chicago and Detroit. These cities are known for their sports rivalry, similar to Boston and New York.
The most heated of these rivalries was between the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when Michael Jordan led his team against a talented squad.
4. Los Angeles, California
I don’t understand why Los Angeles is never mentioned in any best sports cities lists, despite its teams having some of the most loyal fans and biggest sports markets in the country.
Los Angeles has several major league teams, including the Lakers and Clippers of the NBA, the Raiders and Rams of the NFL, the Kings of the NHL, and- although they don’t technically play in Los Angeles- there is also the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Los Angeles is the only city in the US to have multiple professional sports teams in multiple leagues. The Los Angeles Lakers play basketball for the NBA, the LA Kings play hockey in the NHL and the LA Galaxy play soccer in Major League Soccer.
Rivalries in Los Angeles are some of the most notable in professional sports, including the Celtics-Lakers rivalry, Dodgers-Giants, Rams-49ers and Chargers Raiders.
Just as Boston and New York have a tough media landscape, Los Angeles is no exception. If you expect to compete in this city for a long period of time, there are some special considerations that need to be made when dealing with the media.
5. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Although Pittsburgh doesn’t have quite the glamour of Boston, New York, or LA, it certainly has seen its share of celebrities living there.
Some of the greatest players to come through Pittsburgh include Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby of the Penguins, Roberto Clemente of the Pirates, and Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers.
The most passionate fans of the city are clearly the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are famous for waving terrible towels at games. This is something you will often see at Steelers games.
Pittsburgh has several rivalries, the most significant being the Penguins-Flyers rivalry. This rivalry is significant because of its history and the number of fights that have resulted from it (230 in total). The Pirates-Reds and Steelers-Packers rivalries are also important, as two of the more historical teams in the NFL.
In fact, these two teams met in Super Bowl XLV and the Packers triumphed by the score of 31-25.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have won five World Series championships—the last time being in 1979. The Steelers have won six Super Bowls, the Penguins five Stanley Cups, and the Pirates one World Series championship.
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There are many great US cities for sports fans, but some are better than others. If you’re a sports fan, check out this list of the best US cities for professional sports.
In this article, we look at 5 of the best professional sports cities in the United States. One of these may surprise you!
1. Boston, Massachusetts
When you’re a professional athlete in Boston, you have to deal with the media in a professional way, as there are many reporters and publications that cover Boston sports.
The sports media are huge and very competitive.
Boston has a long history of success in all four major sports. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city’s teams added 17 NBA championships, including 11 won by the Celtics during a 13-year span.
In addition, there have been six Super Bowls from the New England Patriots and nine World Series championships from the Boston Red Sox in the Major League.
In terms of competition, the four major sports teams listed above have at least one rival with a team in New York. These include Red Sox-Yankees, Bruins-Rangers, Celtics-Knicks, and Patriots-Bills.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the Celtics-Lakers rivalry in the 1980s. Most people say that the rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson saved basketball.
Boston teams have been involved in many exciting moments over the years, including the largest Super Bowl comeback of all time, when they came back to win the Super Bowl against the Atlanta Falcons from 28-3 down, winning the game 34-28.
The Curse of the Bambino is a dark memory for many Red Sox fans, as it was a heartbreaking moment when Bill Buckner let a ball roll through his legs, costing them the World Series in 1986.
Until 2004, the Boston Red Sox had a long history of failure attributed to the “Curse of the Bambino.
The story goes that in 1918, the last time the Red Sox won the World Series, they sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees for $125,000—and they didn’t win a single World Series until 2004.
Besides Babe Ruth, many other famous athletes have passed through this city, including Bill Russell (basketball), David Ortiz (baseball), Bobby Orr (hockey) and Larry Bird (basketball).
2. New York
The New York sports media market is cutthroat, much like Boston’s. Both cities have many high profile newspapers, websites, and talk radio shows- and are not for the faint of heart.
Boston and New York have a lot of sports rivalries in just about every major sports league. For example, the Red Sox and Yankees have arguably the largest rivalry in all of baseball.
Also, just like their New York counterparts, Bostonians are passionate about their sports teams and have experienced plenty of success.
New York City has been home to 27 World Series championships from the Yankees, two from the Mets, two NBA championships from the New York Knicks, eight Stanley Cups (four of which were won by the Rangers, and four by another team), five Super Bowls- four of them from the Giants, and one from the Jets.
However, some people argue that the Jets should not even be included in the tally of New York’s professional sports teams. Although they call themselves New York’s team, their stadium is actually located in New Jersey.
3. Detroit, Michigan
Despite the fact that the 2000s were a rough decade for the city of Detroit sports-wise, there are still plenty of historical moments from the last 60 years to talk about.
If you’re looking for great Detroit teams, the Lions, Pistons, Red Wings and Tigers would be the first ones that come to mind.
Sports fans in Detroit, and throughout the US, often think of the Detroit Pistons team that was known as the “Bad Boys” during the 1980s and early 1990s.
This was a very physical team, known for its tough defense and physical play in the paint, especially between Bill Laimbeer and Dennis Rodman.
In terms of championships, the Detroit Pistons won three NBA titles in the 1900s and 2000s. Two of these came from the Bad Boys team in 1989 and 1990, who were known for their rough play. The Pistons also won another championship in 2004.
The Detroit Red Wings have won 11 Stanley Cups, the most recent in 2008. The team was founded in 1926 and has won four championships since then: 1936, 1937, 1943 and 1951.
The biggest rivalries for the city of Detroit are between the Pistons and Bulls, Red Wings and Predators, Tigers and Cubs, and the Lions and Bears.
As you’ll notice, almost all of the teams mentioned are between Chicago and Detroit. These cities are known for their sports rivalry, similar to Boston and New York.
The most heated of these rivalries was between the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when Michael Jordan led his team against a talented squad.
4. Los Angeles, California
I don’t understand why Los Angeles is never mentioned in any best sports cities lists, despite its teams having some of the most loyal fans and biggest sports markets in the country.
Los Angeles has several major league teams, including the Lakers and Clippers of the NBA, the Raiders and Rams of the NFL, the Kings of the NHL, and- although they don’t technically play in Los Angeles- there is also the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Los Angeles is the only city in the US to have multiple professional sports teams in multiple leagues. The Los Angeles Lakers play basketball for the NBA, the LA Kings play hockey in the NHL and the LA Galaxy play soccer in Major League Soccer.
Rivalries in Los Angeles are some of the most notable in professional sports, including the Celtics-Lakers rivalry, Dodgers-Giants, Rams-49ers and Chargers Raiders.
Just as Boston and New York have a tough media landscape, Los Angeles is no exception. If you expect to compete in this city for a long period of time, there are some special considerations that need to be made when dealing with the media.
5. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Although Pittsburgh doesn’t have quite the glamour of Boston, New York or LA, it certainly has seen its share of celebrities living there.
Some of the greatest players to come through Pittsburgh include Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby of the Penguins, Roberto Clemente of the Pirates, and Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers.
The most passionate fans of the city are clearly the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are famous for waving terrible towels at games. This is something you will often see at Steelers games.
Pittsburgh has several rivalries, the most significant being the Penguins-Flyers rivalry. This rivalry is significant because of its history and the number of fights that have resulted from it (230 in total). The Pirates-Reds and Steelers-Packers rivalries are also important, as two of the more historical teams in the NFL.
In fact, these two teams met in Super Bowl XLV and the Packers triumphed by the score of 31-25.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have won five World Series championships—the last time being in 1979. The Steelers have won six Super Bowls, the Penguins five Stanley Cups, and the Pirates one World Series championship.