I’m not sure if this topic should be here.
What city is the best sports city in the US? I think as far as qualifications, the city should have at least 3 of the 4 major sports, should have good fan support, good sports facilities, have a history of championships.
I have basically narrowed down my finalists to be New York, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Boston, and Chicago.
I would rank them as
[Moderator Hat ON]
I think it’s more of an opinion thing (no matter how rigorously factual people may think their decisions on this are), so I’m moving it to IMHO.
[Moderator Hat OFF]
sorry, I thought that the Great Debates were also for things like this. I saw that things like Kirk vs. Picard was a Great Debate and thought that this was similar to that.
IMHO it belongs here.
That is until someone from one of the cities you mentioned posts something, and then someone from another city and on and on and on…
Then it will go to the PIT.
Ain’t evolution great?
My top 3:
I personally think it’s a toss up between Chicago and New York for #1, and since I’m a born Chicagoan I would have to give an edge (albeit a slight one) to Chicago. Yes, I’ve been to both cities, and attended plenty of sporting events in both (actually probably more in NY than Chicago). Nothing in New York holds a candle to Wrigley. No, not “The House That Ruth Built,” since they renovated it, that takes away from some of the history. Shea is also an eye sore. The new Comiskey isn’t so great so it’s kind of a wash, but Wrigley blows all four out of the water. Let’s also not forget that the Jets and Giants are New York teams in name only. I think it could also be argued that Chicago has better/more loyal (stupid?) fans. Being a Yankee fan is easy, not so when you’re a Cub fan.
Boston, well, I don’t like Boston at all. No doubt they should be towards the top, but not ahead of Chicago, and not ahead of New York.
Los Angeles? They didn’t just lose one, they lost two football teams. It’s the second largest media market in the country and they couldn’t even support one football team? Wayne Gretzky saved hockey in LA. Have the Dodgers done anything since the 80’s? There’s a team that shouldn’t be where they are. The name doesn’t even fit in with LA. Lakers, there’s another easy-to-like team that has a name that doesn’t have anything to do with LA. No one has a problem liking the Lakers because it’s the cool thing to do. Movie stars like them, they’ve had Magic, Kareem, and now Shaq and Kobe (prima donna). Does anyone like the Clippers? Billy Crystal is the only person I can think of. I guess everyone is too busy swimming in all those world famous LA lakes to go to Clippers games.
Let’s get to your really stupid pick, Dallas. What are you thinking? The Mavericks, Stars, and Cowboys? Please. Once again being a Cowboys fan is easy, and it’s pathetic how they went and said they’re “America’s Team.” Maybe the cheerleaders are good, but that doesn’t matter, we’re talking about sports. Have the Mavericks ever won anything? They’re not as bad as the Clippers, but they’re bad, although. I must admit that I’ve hoped they’d be successful because I like Mark Cuban’s stick-it-to-the-man attitude. The Stars really shouldn’t even be there. Hockey in Texas is sacrilege, I was pretty pissed off when the Stanley Cup was stuck in Texas. Dallas doesn’t even have a baseball team. How could you make a case for a city being a good sports town when they don’t even have America’s Pastime? Chicago has two of them! Dallas doesn’t even have one, but that didn’t stop you. It’s pretty obvious that you’re from Texas to make a boneheaded pick like putting Dallas ahead of Chicago, you’re really reaching. I’m interested to see how you’re going to defend your pick of Dallas considering that it will be considered by most to be stupid. The heat (or lack of quality sports in the area) must be getting to you.
Dallas? Man that was a stupid pick.
Are you insane??? You are gonna be bumming when the Lakers roll over the Sixers/Bucks, restoring LA to it’s glory! And the Dodgers are going to bust out the whupping stick in the second half. And the Angels are still our team, too.
Football, who needs it?
But you put Boston up there? That cursed town? And Chicago? Just wait till the Cubbies play like themselves again and join the White Sox in the cellar. And the Bulls?, Fuhgeddaboutit.
What constitutes “good fan support”? If you mean they have a great turnout during the playoffs or championships. Then yeah LA is in there. But really, look at fan support when the team is not in the playoffs. Dodger fans are famous for come seldom, come late and leave early. Angel attendance is so low that a crazed bomber would not even consider bombing their field in fear that no one would be injured. The Kings and the Clippers? Oh come on.
New York – While yes their support for winners is avid, their ignoring of losers is sad. And really, you should take into consideration fan behavior. Besides, can you even consider a city where fans have to go out of state to watch most of their “home” games. Yes, they have winning teams, but basically, this comes down to the richness of certain owners. I don’t remember this being on your requirement list. Yes, sometimes they have good turnouts but look at the population base they have.
Chicago – Great fan support. How can teams that are traditionally so bad consistently do so well in filling their stands. Personally, I think that is the true test of a sports city - a town that will support a losing team. Of course Jordon’s Bulls turned the city totally upside down in that respect.
Boston – Like Chicago, very good fan support. Recently, teams are generally better than average, but seldom great. Historically a number of championships.
Denver – Per capita, probably the best sports town around, but you didn’t mention per capita. Teams from this relatively small city have won Super Bowls, and the Stanley Cup. They consistently sell out their home games even when the team is doing incredibly badly. All of this in what should be considered a “small market” town. Very impressive. Very nice venues, also.
Dallas – I couldn’t believe you included them in. Yes, they have the required number of sports teams, and yes, the Cowboys were good at one time, and I keep hearing, “next year” for the Mavericks and Stars. But really Dallas?
Cleveland – What can you say? It’s Cleveland. Nice teams, tolerable fan support. Good stadiums.
So my picks would be.
Oh, did I forget to mention Lincoln earlier? The fan base is incredible, the number of championships is incredible: Not only football, but volleyball, swimming, track and field, gymnastics, softball and baseball. Their facilities are amazing. “Wait a minute,” I hear you call. “They aren’t professionals.”
Have you seen the cars those athletes are driving? They’re getting money from somewhere.
I guess the Baltimore/DC teams have escaped everyone’s minds. (especially those who put LA on their list) And yes, I do put those cities together because or their proximity. No one can argue the about the Skin’s fans, the Ravens are coming into their own, The Terrapins just went to the final 4 and have sold out at least the last 7 seasons (when I satrted going). The womens lacrosse team just won their 7th straight national title. The O’s, although just barely playing .500 ball have the number 2 attendence in the AL. The Wizards, well, they’re a laughing stock…the Caps, another playoff disappointment.
I’m not saying we belong on top but atleast top 7.
My list…
I need to revamp my list…
As a non-sports fan, (except for some fondness for the Dodgers) my opinion won’t be worth much, but I have a few observations.
I am from L.A., and I never considered it a “Best” sports town. Sure, everyone’s geeking out over the Lakers, but that’s just one sport, and one team. And it’s true, no one cared when we lost two football teams. NO ONE CARED. And when there was talk about getting a football team back in to L.A. a couple of years ago, NO ONE CARED. It didn’t happen, because NO ONE CARED ENOUGH about it. That isn’t the sign of a “Best” sports town for me. It also seems to me that you can live in L.A. and live a relatively sports-free life. Not too inundated with sports sports sports wherever you go. (But I think the current Lakers craze is making that a little less so, but not enough to make L.A. a “Best” sports town.) I think a lot of the residents of L.A. don’t give a damn about sports, are completely apathetic about it.
Of course, I moved away from L.A. a few years ago, but I don’t think things have changed all that dramatically.
And another thing: Are you sure you WANT your town to be a “best” sports town? I mean, the midwestern town I live in now is obsessed with sports, mostly football. It’s because there’s nothing else going on. (Or so the natives tell me.) Now, granted, most of the towns listed here are towns that DO have a lot else going on. But a lot of so-called “sports towns” don’t, so I’ve come to associate a “best” sports town with (possibly) a town that has too much time on its hands. I know this is a gross generalization, but it’s just the conclusion I’ve been coming to.
The people in the town I currently live in think that “everyone things we’re cool because we’re such a great sports town”. But I tell them, “NO ONE knows who you are”. (Which isn’t exactly so - people know the town exists, but I doubt people think of it much, as a sports town or otherwise.) And I might add, this town is not on anyone’s list on this thread.
Sorry, a tangent there. Carry on with your lists!
Dallas is not a stupid pick at all.
Dallas Cowboys have been to more Super Bowls than any team. They are tied for the most Super Bowls won. They always sell out their games. They are always at or near the top in merchandising. They are routinely valued as the most valuable team in pro sports.
Dallas Stars have been a top team since they came to Dallas. They have already been to two Stanley Cup Finals winning one of them. They have sold out more consecutive games than almost every other hockey team. They are getting a new state of the art arena next year.
Dallas Mavericks are probably the most up and coming team in the NBA. They have always had good attendance even when their team was terrible. They are getting a new arena next year.
Texas Rangers are having a bad year this year, but they have been good in recent years. They have a great stadium and always have high attendance.
The Dallas area hosts two PGA tournament events in the Colonial and the Byron Nelson.
They have a great motorsports venue in the Texas Motor Speedway.
They host the New Years Day bowl game Cotton Bowl which has a storied tradition.
They are one of the finalist for hosting the 2012 Summer Olymipcs.
If you can ignore the fact that neither have a single pro team, I’ll have to say Norman, OK and I’ll second TV Time’s Lincoln, NE.
We’re talking about towns that literally shut down on Saturday, no matter how well or poorly the team is doing that year. On game day, more people are in the stands than the entire population of the city. Can New York make that claim?
In pro sports, Green Bay probably comes closest to that level of enthusiasm.
DMC-
But to have a really good sports town there has to be some variety. Not everyone likes college football. Plus, your Sooners’ biggest regular season game of the year is always played in Dallas vs. the Longhorns.
Uh, is this an admirable thing, or not? Would New York want to make that claim? I know it’s just my flea-bitten opinion as a non-sports fan, but if my whole town screeched to a halt for the game (and the town I currently live in almost does) then I’d be embarrassed. It makes it look as if there’s NOTHING else going on in that town.
Don’t forget St Louis.
Football, baseball, and hockey. Contenders in all three sports. All three teams made the playoffs last year.
The Cardinals.
Damn near a religion in St Louis. Second only to the NY Yankess for most World Series won. Home of Bob Gibson, Rogers Hornsby, Lou Brock, Stan Musial, Ozzie Smith, and Dizzy Dean.
McGwire played for half a season and loved the place and fans so much he signed a contract and stated more than once he wants to retire as a Cardianl. Jim Edmonds played here for about a month before deciding he liked it so much he signed a 7-year contract to stay a Cardinal. Fernando Vina was also here for only a matter of weeks before signing a contract. Andy Benes, due to a managerial screw up became a Diamondback for a couple years, but returned to St Louis ASAP. Will Clark retired last year after playing the second half of the season with us, saying that he wanted to retire on a good note and playing in St Louis was the most fun he’d had.
The Rams.
Since the team has been here, there has never been a Rams game that hasn’t sold out, even before Kurt Warner and the Superbowl win.
The Blues.
22 consecutive years making the playoffs. The fans here are so rabid they bleed blue. They think every year is the year the Blues will go all the way. It’s like rooting for the Cubs or the Red Sox. We’re disappointed every year, but every year we’re 100% behind them again.
Also The Sporting News named St Louis as the Best Sports City. They also explained how they came to that choice, refuting the idea that it was a hometown call. (The Sporting News is based out of St Louis.)
Wait a minute, that list has Dallas as 3 and Chicago as 21. That can’t be since Dallas is such a stupid pick and Chicago is the greatest sports town in the world by far. Well, by looking at the last three years this is what we have
Dallas 3rd 2nd 3rd
Chicago 4th 11th 21st
I’ll grant you that they’ve had quite a storied team over the years, but their merchandising is completely irrelevant. Also, they have perhaps the most fair-weather fans in all professional sports. When the team sucks, NO ONE goes to their games. They do not have an immensely loyal fan base, like some of the other cities mentioned.
Great, except they’re not a Dallas team, so I can’t see how they’d count.
Nearly every city in the US hosts some kind of pro golf tournament it seems. I’m not a golf fan, but I bet that hosting a golf tourney’s not all that rare…
Hell, even Hartford hosts a golf tournament (the GHO), and they’re the sorriest sports city there is. No pro teams, period. The closest they ever came was the Whalers, who some mistakenly believe played in the NHL.
Dantheman
Exactly why are the Texas Rangers not a Dallas team? Because it isn’t in their name? I mean Arlington is a suburb of Dallas. It’s entire fanbase is in Dallas. It is clearly a Dallas team. Also, the Arizona Cardinals count towards Phoenix in case you were wondering.
Also, saying that the Dallas Cowboys do not have a loyal fanbase is idiotic. They weren’t good the last three years so probably no one went to the games, wait, they sold out all of them. Well on the road no one went to see them, wait they have the highest road attendance of anyone in the league. I guess though, they are probably not a Dallas team either since they play in Irving and they practice in Valley Ranch, two Dallas suburbs just like Arlington.
There are probably about 48 official PGA events with about 10 of them outside the Continenntal United States. Of the 38 or so left a huge number is played in Florida, Nevada, and California. Having two in the Dallas area seems like a big deal to me.
I wasn’t wondering, actually. 
But I don’t see why it would be okay to count teams that don’t even play in that city. This is about what’s the best sports city, not what’s the city where the fans have to go to the suburbs to see something. In other words, I think the OP is referring to the cities with the teams, not teams that get some fan base from a city.
It’s not idiotic. Before their last very successful stint, when the team was absolutely horrible, no one even came to the games. And this is in a sport in which a sellout is commonplace, not something incredibly special. So in a sport in which a sellout is the norm, the team wasn’t drawing anyone. Why? Because the team sucked. “Ah,” you say. “But a team’s fans should support it when it sucks, too! Happens all the time; look at the Cubs or the Browns.” You’d be right, too. But IIRC, the Cowboys fans couldn’t be bothered to attend. This was shortly before J. Jones cleared house and made them champs again.
Well goody for you. 
I bet most cities wouldn’t claim they were a great sports town because they offered golf.