If sports were the number one priority in your life, which city would you want to be living in?
A handful of cities in North America are fortunate enough to feature four or more major professional sports franchises. ‘Major’ sports leagues would include the MLB, NBA, NHL, NFL and to a lesser extent the MLS. Simply being home to a major sports league isn’t enough, however, as the success of each franchise also plays a role in determining the ultimate North American sports city.
With that in mind, join us as we take a look at the top 5 best places to live for a sports fan.
5. Chicago – Illinois
Most notable athlete: Derrick Rose, Jonathan Toews
Chicago sports fans can really pick and choose with their sports. The Windy City features the Chicago White Sox and Cubs, the Chicago Bulls, the Chicago Blackhawks, the Chicago Bears and the Chicago Fire. Sure, the Cubs are really bad and the Bears aren’t the greatest either but the Bulls, Blackhawks and the surprising White Sox are holding it down for Chi-Town. Chicago has all the necessary pieces to be a major sports city and with figureheads like Derrick Rose of the Bulls and Jonathan Toews of the Blackhawks, they will be relevant for a long time.
4. Dallas – Texas
Most notable athletes: Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Hamilton, Tony Romo
The Dallas-Fort Worth area is home to all five major North American sports. The Texas Rangers, the Dallas Mavericks, the Dallas Stars, the Dallas Cowboys and FC Dallas are all teams that are proud to call the lone star state their home. Of these franchises, the Texas Rangers have been utterly dominant over the past few years.
The Dallas Mavericks of the NBA were the best in the world just two seasons ago and these two franchises are the main reasons why Dallas is considered one of the best sport cities in North America.
The Cowboys, Stars and FC Dallas have clamoured to mediocrity for the past few seasons, but none can be considered terrible. Overall, if you’re a sports fan living in Dallas, you’ve got a pretty great life.
3. Los Angeles – California
Most notable athletes: Kobe Bryant, Jonathan Quick, Albert Pujols
This one really is a no brainer. L.A. is home to the Los Angeles Angels and Dodgers, the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers, the Los Angeles Kings and the L.A. Galaxy. The only blip in this city’s sports prowess is its lack of an NFL franchise, but that can be forgiven considering the level of success its franchises have recently experienced.
The Kings are the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Galaxy are perennial contenders, the Lakers and Clippers are both among the upper echelon of the NBA and the Angels are currently holding down a Wild Card playoff spot in the MLB while the Dodgers are holding a spot of their own in the National League. This city would easily be number one if they had an NFL franchise but as it stands, it’s still a pretty great North American sports city.
2. Boston – Massachusetts
Most notable athletes: David Ortiz, Tim Thomas, Paul Pierce, Tom Brady
Love them or hate them, the guys from Bean Town have been one of the better sports cities for a while. With the Boston Bruins, the Boston Red Sox, the New England Patriots, the New England Revolution and the Boston Celtics, the B’s have something to cheer for across the board.
There has really never been time where there isn’t a successful Boston franchise as the Patriots, Red Sox and Celtics have been dominant constants in their leagues for a long time. It is difficult to even determine which franchise out of the Red Sox and Celtics is more famed in their respective leagues, and both have deep and rich histories.
The recent success of the Boston Bruins is what truly propels the city of Boston to number two though, as Tim Thomas and co. give Boston four dominant franchises along with an MLS team.
1. New York City – New York
Most notable athletes: Eli Manning, Derek Jeter, Henrik Lundqvist, Thierry Henry
I hate to say it, but this really was no surprise. New York City is home to multiple sports franchises, even within the same league, as the Rangers and Islanders, as well as the Yankees and Mets, compete against each other within the NHL and MLB, respectively.
Additionally, the concrete jungle is home to the defending Super Bowl champions the New York Giants, the New York Red Bulls, the New York Knicks as well as the recently relocated Brooklyn Nets. No other city in the world has this many pro sports franchises.
The success of these franchises is ultimately what placed New York at number one. The Rangers, the Yankees, the Giants and the Red Bulls are all among the upper echelons of their leagues. The sheer quantity but also quality of New York’s sports franchises is staggering and as a sports fan, the Big Apple would be my number one city to live in.
So there you have it! The top five sports cities in North America. Where would you rank your city within this list? Let us know in the comments below.
