How would you rank the sports fandom in your city?

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damnim30now@reddit

Pittsburgh. 1 easily football, then I feel like baseball and hockey are pretty close. There's probably a higher number of people interested in baseball, but the enthusiasm for hockey is higher amongst those interested in it, so however you wanna measure that.

The vibe towards the pirates is kinda just quiet acceptance of fate.

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nate58dawg@reddit

I'd put the Pens above the Pirates usually, but the Pirates' season has started better than usual, getting people excited.

I'd round out 4 and 5 with Pitt football and Riverhounds soccer respectively. Will be interesting to see if the Hounds' expanded stadium will grow the fanbase.

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El_Polio_Loco@reddit

I'm sure if the baseball team weren't one of the most inept franchises for the last 30+ years the following would be significantly higher.

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WillLanigan@reddit

I’ve always said Houston is a baseball town in a football state. Fans across the board are on the fair-weather side, but the Astros have still drawn respectably even in down years.

Astros
Texans 3a. Rockets 3b. Cougars basketball

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RickLovin1@reddit

Definitely a baseball town. If I had to guess on popularity ranking: 1. Braves 2. Falcons 3. Atlanta United 4. Hawks 5. The potential hockey team that may or may not be coming just so they can leave us a decade later and move to Canada for the third time.

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Kotetsuya@reddit

This is correct.

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Crying_in_99Ranch@reddit (OP)

As a Saints fan, I want to correct you by stating it was actually a 25 point lead they blew

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Muted_Competition_35@reddit

I’m a saints fan too. And I’m grateful for the Falcons rivalry. It’s a great icebreaker to connect with strangers over. I love the Saints and thus have a pretty strong knowledge of the Falcons history and future. So I can meet somebody from Atlanta / Georgia / Birmingham and start chopping it up over Saints vs Falcons.

And what’s nice / refreshing about it, is it’s friendly or at least polite, especially compared to SEC rivalries. Where if ur talking SEC football, you gotta walk on eggshells, and tell urself “don’t crash out, stay calm, move the conversation somewhere else”. Cuz ppl say some absolutely CRAZY below the belt shit over SEC football. Like onetime I was at the airport reading a book and an old man wearing XXX teams gear gets in my space and goes “well LOOK A here… a LSU fan READING a BOOK! Okay COLLEGE boy!!!” By the time I had processed it, he was gone and I was just left seething for like 3 days.

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Kotetsuya@reddit

Thanks I hate it. I'm not a sports guy but even I was incredibly disappointed by that turn of events. It was the first time in my living memory that we were even remotely a contender in the NFL.

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Guernica616@reddit

Well Mercedes Benz and Truist Opened the same year.

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Kotetsuya@reddit

I am forever remind that I have very little knowledge in the sports ball scene.

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postmadrone27@reddit

Hawks are actually below the soccer team?? I guess I’m not shocked but I can’t imagine that’s actually the case.

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RickLovin1@reddit

I would've agreed with you there - until I went to an Atlanta United game. Big stadium and full of fans. Plus there's a sizable Hispanic population here so it makes sense.

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judgingA-holes@reddit

I would disagree and say that UGA would be # 1.

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Dorkinfo@reddit

In Atlanta? Really?

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judgingA-holes@reddit

Well, I was going state but now that you asked and I reread I see it says city lol

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thedisciple516@reddit

Georgia Bulldogs somewhere in there for sure maybe even #1

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g-burn@reddit

As someone who worked at a metro Atlanta sports memorabilia store in college, UGA football absolutely dominated our sales.

But other than that, I agree with your list order.

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theamazonswordsman@reddit

The further out from the city you get thats definitely true. But, the closer you get to the center the Braves and Falcons really dominate things.

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RickLovin1@reddit

UGA is definitely the most popular as far as college goes and may be more popular than the Braves. Left them off the list because there are a ridiculous amount of Bama/Auburn/Florida fans mixed in as well.

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theamazonswordsman@reddit

The thing about that is that UGA aren't really an "Atlanta" thing. They're far more culturally dominant in the rest of the state. There are tons of people who don't even watch or care about the Falcons but are die hard Bulldogs.

In the metro area the Braves are definitely #1, its not really close.

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SoggyCartographer639@reddit

Are Georgia Tech/ Georgia State represented at all in terms of people wearing football merch?

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ZachMatthews@reddit

By nerds, yes.

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Wonderful_Emotion319@reddit

Not really. GT is below even the Hawks on this list. Seems like only alumni give their support. I feel they used to be more popular as a sports team 15/20 years ago though. If i saw someone with Georgia State merch, I would assume they were repping the school rather than one of their sports programs.

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claudiatiedemann@reddit

I agree with you on your popularity choices, though for #5 we do have the Gladiators and they’ve got some hardcore fans. A few weeks ago it was Thrashers night where they wore the old Thrashers uniforms and were referred to as the Thrashers and it was pretty packed. Also, if we put UGA football in there I think they’d beat out the Falcons. The football fans I know love UGA more.

My personal favorite local team is the Georgia Swarm but lacrosse doesn’t have the following other sports do.

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Wonderful_Emotion319@reddit

If we're talking about the fandom for the whole state, I think UGA beats the Braves even. Just Atlanta though, the Braves take it.

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voltairesalias@reddit

Calgary and Winnipeg thank Atlanta.

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imatthewhitecastle@reddit

Sox, Patriots, Celtics, Bruins

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captain_ohagen@reddit

Padres

[insert Debbie Downer face]

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ghertigirl@reddit

In fairness, I would place the Aztecs at #2

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Seth_Littrells_alt@reddit

Howdy, also in DFW.

I feel like I see more Baylor bumper stickers/decals than LSU or Texas Tech, but agreed on all your other thoughts.

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777Void777@reddit

For American football my city is a mess.

Im near Erie, which is between Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and somewhat Philadelphia. All 4 of those cities have football teams and each one has diehard fans.

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sharpshooter999@reddit

1: Husker Football

2: Husker Volleyball

3: Husker Men's Basketball

4: Husker Women's Basketball

5: Lincoln Stars Hockey

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Revanchist_lopez@reddit

Hell yeah brother GBR!

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Happy-Sky3455@reddit

Places I've lived are DC, Seattle, and Cincinnati. Here it goes:

DC (let's make this the broader metro - Football first): Commanders -> Ravens -> Capitals -> Orioles -> Nationals -> Spirit -> Mystics -> UMD football -> UMD basketball -> Georgetown basketball -> GMU basketball -> GW basketball -> Howard basketball -> random basketball teams from nowhere nearby -> high school football teams in Texas -> Cowboys -> DC United -> Wizards.

Seattle (Football first, no NBA fandom locally until the Sonics return): Seahawks -> UW Football -> Mariners -> Kraken -> Sounders -> UW basketball

Cincinnati (baseball first, no NBA or NHL fandom locally) Reds -> Bengals -> U of Cincinnati basketball -> U of Cincinnati football -> Xavier basketball -> FC Cincinnati -> Catholic high school football teams

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TiEmEnTi@reddit

1 Leafs, 2 Jays, 3 Raptors, 4 Argos, 5 Toronto FC

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wise-economist33@reddit

Boston - It’s hard when your city is almost equally awesome in every sport historically with legendary status. Celtics, Red Sox, and Patriots have about as great a legacy as it gets with the largest fan bases and the Boston Bruins are no slouch as an original 6 hockey team in a very big hockey area.

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HorrorAlarming1163@reddit

Knoxville is anything Vols. Obviously cfb is on top but women’s basketball is up there too, as well as men’s basketball. I don’t know a whole lot of pro fans of anything except maybe the Braves

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Trick_Photograph9758@reddit

Boston: Red Sox, Patriots, Celts, Bruins. All 4 are very popular, including hockey, so even though the Bruins are last, they still have a large, loyal, and rabid fan base.

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Overall_Occasion_175@reddit

Bruins last feels incredibly wrong but we're just incredibly passionate about sports in general, so maybe these days you're right.

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tmclaughlin81@reddit

Bruins are last among the Big Four for now but so much of it is because the Pats were so good for so long, and now the Celtics have been great for a while. The Red Sox will never fall below 2 because Boston’s still really a baseball town first and foremost.

They’re the strongest #4 in any market I could think of though if that makes sense. Plenty of people still care about them and they’re light years ahead of the Revs at 5, anyway.

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postmadrone27@reddit

Agree the Bruins have the most devoted fans of any team that would be 4th on this list. LA Kings might be up there too

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Overall_Occasion_175@reddit

Yeah I've independently chatted with two different friends about this and we all kind of came to the same conclusion. But if you charted how much we cared about each we're just at nearly full bars on all 4 on a level that other cities can't fathom.

Red Sox are absolutely #1 and probably always will be. Something about the pain and the redemption arc will just never be matched. The other three kind of rotate based on how they're doing currently and at the moment, the Bruins are the furthest or from a championship for sure.

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Remarkable_Hat2310@reddit

Patriots trump the Red Sox now and it’s not even a close second for the Sox. It’s not even an argument.

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tmclaughlin81@reddit

Pats have a strong lead for now but Sox are 2. If they win another WS they’ll be a very close 2nd again. Two and they’d probably pull ahead.

Baseball is loved here. Just the Pats with 6 SBs and now 10 SB appearances since 2001. The Giants would pull ahead of the Yankees in NYC if they were that good. Hell, the Jets would, too.

Easy to get mad at Sox ownership these days but still, 4 WS titles since ‘04. Not even the Dodgers have been that successful since (yet).

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cdragon1983@reddit

Traditionally it was 1. Red Sox, 2a/2b. Celtics and Bruins, with the city being more of a "hockey town" but the basketball team having a greater history of sustained success, [giant gulf], 4. Pats.

But certainly a decade of domination and the general national trend of the NFL engulfing everything has changed this profile and you're probably right as to the current ordering.

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tmclaughlin81@reddit

That hasn’t been the case for about 25 years, though. I’d say now it’s the Pats at 1 with the Sox at a relatively close 2. Celtics are a bit ahead of the Bruins now with the recent success at 3. Despite that we still care about hockey a lot more than most any other American market out there, though.

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Maxpowr9@reddit

It's like people forgot the Patriots were almost relocated before Kraft bought the team, it was that bad for them.

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Brisby820@reddit

*2 decades

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Hour-Ad-9508@reddit

No way. The patriots are more popular than the Red Sox and have been for the past decade at least

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StinkyStangler@reddit

New York City has an interesting split between baseball and basketball where it sorta depends how you look at the question

I would say casually the Yankees are more culturally dominant because they're a brand more than anything (not to say there aren't Yankees diehards, I'm one of them) but as for people who actually care about sports I think the city is actually a basketball town with the Knicks having the most passionate fans of any team.

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postmadrone27@reddit

The answer right now is the Knicks. But in the 2000’s it was obviously the Yankees

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sithwonder@reddit

In simplest terms - baseball is the biggest sport, but the Knicks are the biggest team. The Yankees and Mets both have big, legit fanbases but most of the Nets fans are in Jersey.

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-Boston-Terrier-@reddit

New York is a baseball town but we’re also a very, very fair weather fan town and it’s a very dry spell for New York sports. Our most recent championship was the Giants in 2011.

The Knicks are the biggest draw today but we’re also going into the playoffs with them as an actual contender. For basically the entire 20 years I lived in NYC they were terrible and weren’t a popular team. At one point the Nets were the bigger draw but only because they were competitive.

It’s hard to even quantify how popular football is here with the Jets being the Jets and the Giants having little real sustained success, especially recently.

The Rangers have two championships since 1940 but the city definitely comes alive when they are competitive. I wouldn’t even count the Islanders as a NYC team as their stint in Brooklyn was so short and always treated as the temporary solution that it was.

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Meowmixalotlol@reddit

Islanders play on the border of Nassau and Queens. They’re certainly as much a NY team as the giants and jets who play much farther away.

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-Boston-Terrier-@reddit

In terms of proximity, sure, but almost no one in NYC actually follows the Islanders outside of Long Islanders (like me) who moved into the city.

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Meowmixalotlol@reddit

Doesn’t really change what I said

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-Boston-Terrier-@reddit

Nobody would actually consider them a NY team though.

I mean the Prudential Center is basically just as far into NJ as MetLife Stadium but nobody considers the Devils a NY team.

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Meowmixalotlol@reddit

Whatever helps you sleep at night 😂

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-Boston-Terrier-@reddit

You think I'm pretending that the Islanders and Devils aren't NYC teams to help me sleep?

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sithwonder@reddit

I'm from here. The Knicks have pretty much always been beloved and the games still attended (but much cheaper.) The Yankees and Mets are splitting with each other. Odds are a Yankees or Mets fan is also a Knicks fan.

That applies to people who aren't sports fans too. I have at least two friends who know who Ron Baker is but wouldn't be able to name a Yankee or a Met outside of maybe Aaron Judge.

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-Boston-Terrier-@reddit

I’m from here too.

The Knicks were definitely not “beloved” from roughly 2001 when the Ewing years were firmly done until 2021 when Thibodeau rebuilt the team to what it is now.

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GiantYankee@reddit

The Knicks have a packed house in game 78 on a Wednesday when they have 20 wins. The fans are passionate and the Knicks have always been beloved. Even in struggles. One of the most loyal fan bases in America.

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FreeHat1234@reddit

That’s exactly why the Knicks have been horrible for so long though. It’s a blessing & a curse. There is no incentive to make any NY team better because the owners know no matter what, the fans will show up.

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Istobri@reddit

Do the Rangers have two Cups since 1940? I thought they only had the one, in 1994.

They made the finals in 1972, 1979, and 2014 but lost to Boston, Montreal, and LA respectively.

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-Boston-Terrier-@reddit

The won in 1940.

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Istobri@reddit

Yup, I know that. But the post I responded to said they won two championships SINCE 1940.

As far as I know, the Rangers have only won one Cup after 1940 (in 1994), hence the confusion.

Unless there’s a phantom Cup I don’t know about somewhere…

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-Boston-Terrier-@reddit

You guys are all so weird.

I’d make a fortune if I was allowed to put you mutants in a zoo.

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Overall_Occasion_175@reddit

Naw, I'm sorry, the Sox are the heart and souls of the city whether you enjoy baseball or not.

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Ok_Preparation7237@reddit

When they are in the playoffs Knicks are number 1, (EVERYBODY hops on the bandwagon) if they are not, (in the playoffs) then Yankees are 1, Mets are 2, Knicks 3, Giants 4, Rangers 5, Islanders 6, Jets 7.

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JaunxPatrol@reddit

I've lived a lot of places in a handful of countries (though not European soccer country, notably) and there's nothing quite like New York when the Knicks are good. It's pandemonium

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Aidanator800@reddit

Which is funny, considering that the Yankees are one of the most winningest teams in baseball, whereas the Knicks haven't won a title in over 50 years lol

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StinkyStangler@reddit

I mean, the Yankees haven't won anything of note in over 15 years so it's not like they're big juggernauts anymore.

The Knicks have that thing where since they've been bad for so long their fans are going rabid every time they get close, it's making them even more fanatical

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ScratchyMarston18@reddit

I’m originally from dfw. The Cowboys maybe used to be number 1 but I think the Stars get a hell of a lot more love these days because they’re not an utter disappointment. The Cowboys still sell a lot of merch and have the brand recognition, but every time I’m back down in the area visiting I feel like I see a lot more support for the Stars.

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Sky-Trash@reddit

Boise is a football city that only occasionally remembers basketball exists

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TrapdoorSolution@reddit

Philly is a bit of a tricky one.

Team fandom? It’s Football all the way. The Eagles dominate. Phillies are probably next, then Flyers and Sixers vie every year for that third spot.

Sports fandom? It would actually be basketball. Philly produces a lot of basketball talent, and while most folks are massive Eagles fans, pretty much everyone either plays basketball, or is a fan of/went to one of the Big 5 (big 6).

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Sup6969@reddit

Astros
Texans
Cougars
Rockets
Dynamo
Space Cowboys
Dash
Owls
Gamblers

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gsxrus2014@reddit

Also high school football, my old high school has the most NFL players in the league right now.

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52CardPUA@reddit

Las Vegas:

Vegas Golden Knights Home grown and champions - we love them, even if they make bad choices
Raiders Just out of popularity alone, but definitely would be #3 or #4 if we're talking about local sentiment. They suck, but the stadium is great.
Aces A'ja wilson & crew are the most winningest team out here and regularly sell out games. They're spectacular.
Aviators Minor league baseball has a home here and we have one of the best minor league stadiums in the country
LV Lights F.C. Soccer just never gained widespread appeal or momentum outside niche groups.
Desert Dogs, Ignite, etc. Lacrosse, minor league basketball, and pro women's volleyball are fun games to go to, but not all that popular.

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Microwavemmnm@reddit

I’m thinking when we get a basketball team they get immediately catapulted to number 1.

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beyphy@reddit

In Los Angeles it typically flucates between Dodgers and Lakers. Right now Dodgers are better and look to be better for the forseeable future. So they're more popular right now. So I would say something like:

Dodgers
Lakers
Kings / Rams
Chargers / Galaxy / LAFC / Clippers

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kyrokip@reddit

Angels dont even make the list?

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IHaveBoxerDogs@reddit

They don't even play in L.A. County. I like it when they play at Dodger Stadium and the Dodgers put "Anaheim" on the scoreboard. Nobody in L.A. considers them an L.A. team. They could have easily called themselves the San Diego Angels and it would have made as much sense.

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hsj713@reddit

Nobody really hates the Angels in LA. They're viewed like the little brother team from OC. They aren't a real rival like San Diego or San Francisco. They only have a rivalry during the Freeway Series when both teams play against each other for bragging rights.

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IHaveBoxerDogs@reddit

I didn’t say we hated them.

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hsj713@reddit

My comment wasn't directed towards you or trying to imply anything regarding your comment. It was a remark that people in LA don't hate the Angels. Actually the Angels have roots in Los Angeles as they were founded in 1961 then moving to Anaheim in 1966 changing their name to the California Angels. So we still have a connection to the Angels.

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RioTheLeoo@reddit

From what I’ve heard, people in OC don’t much like them being called LA either. They don’t like associating with us lol

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beyphy@reddit

Not only are the Angels not in the city of LA, they're not even in LA county. If they must be added, I would add them as a tier 5.

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JudgeWhoOverrules@reddit

Add to that the Angel's owner has lived in the Phoenix area for a long while.

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hsj713@reddit

Then he rebranded the team as "The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim" as an attempt to get a fan base in LA. Didn't work, if anything it pissed off the fans in Anaheim and Orange County for trying to identify their team with LA.

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AstuteCouch87@reddit

I think rams is above kings by enough to warrant their own category. certainly below dodgers, lakers, and the colleges though

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maceilean@reddit

Put UCLA/USC between Dodgers/Lakers and Kings/Rams

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beyphy@reddit

Good idea. Done.

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HooptyDooDooMeister@reddit

From California. Can confirm.

Living in Alabama. It's all college football here. Lol. Birmingham is split on Auburn and University of AL.

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voltairesalias@reddit

God I hate the Dodgers for a number of reasons, but the heart break from November still stings.

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Sea-Astronomer-6600@reddit

Missouri- 1) the Chiefs obviously 2) STL Cardinals 3) Mizzou Football and 4) KC Royals

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Feisty-Blueberry5433@reddit

Thats tricky and probably change with everyone you ask. 1. Cardinals 2. Blues 3. City SC

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Crinja1@reddit

Battlehawks at 4 I guess?

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Feisty-Blueberry5433@reddit

Yea, we can put them there

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Silly-Resist8306@reddit

Cleveland Ohio is a huge sports town, primarily football. We have the worst team over the past 30 years, but some of the most loyal fans in the country.

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meateatingmama@reddit

CLE against the world!

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FlamingBagOfPoop@reddit

At least it’s not Detroit!

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FarMagician8042@reddit

It's truly inexplicable how the Browns dominate the conversation even in the off-season. Meanwhile, the Guardians and Cavs are just quietly successful in the background. And the Browns owners are absolute shit heels to boot!

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Affectionate_Buy_830@reddit

From Columbus, fuck the Haslam's!

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Ralph--Hinkley@reddit

Crom Cincy, Fuck the Haslams!

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chuckloscopy@reddit

Yeah I’ve moved away but still a big time Ccleveland fan. I would order it : 1. Browns 2. Hating the Browns front office 3. Buckeye football 4. Cavs 5. Guardians

I could be wrong about 4 & 5

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kyrokip@reddit

Lions fan here, we have climbed out of the basement dwelling of bad football teams. But Cleveland and Detroit have huge fan bases with hope every pre season.

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PhilRubdiez@reddit

The Lions are the Browns of the NFC. Dominant heydays in the past. Rust belt cities. Winless seasons. You guys got Dan Campbell to pull you out of the cellar and we are chained to the floor with Jimmy Haslam as owner.

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notataco007@reddit

I love sports and Cleveland being a sports town was a huge draw for me moving here. Man I hope Forest City gets their stadium in that planned spot. Them + the women's team + Guardians + Cavs + Monsters + WNBA + COSM all within 3000 feet of each other is going to be amazing. It's like a dedicated downtown sports district. Playhouse Square but for sports, basically.

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Crying_in_99Ranch@reddit (OP)

As someone that lived in Ohio, I can definitely vouch for that

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FloridaMan@reddit

Just moved to Austin area from Maimi area, so I'll do the latter.

Dolphins
Heat (gap is close, and I want to make Heat #1, but it's not true)
Inter Miami
Marlins, and it's super unfortunate because Miami could love a baseball team, just the Marlins don't do anything to attract love or even interest.
Panthers but I really think they only count for Broward I don't think many Miami people give a shit about Hockey

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unclesmokedog@reddit

Heat are #1, Hurricanes football are #3 and will bump up to #2 next season coming off the title game appearance and the fins tanking.

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WichitaTimelord@reddit

Wichita generally roots for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals. But in terms of specifically Wichita

Basketball Wichita State

Baseball AA local team & WSU

Ice hockey: Wichita Thunder

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wrodriguez89@reddit

I'm in Toledo, Ohio. The city is very heavily divided when it comes to sports. About half of the population seems to follow Michigan teams, and the other half follow Ohio teams. The biggest divide is between Michigan and Ohio State, and that's the biggest sports fandom here. Otherwise, for NFL, there seem to be more Browns fans here, though Lions fans are a very proud group (they tend to follow other Michigan teams). Baseball, however, tends to have many more Tigers fans than Guardians fans. If I had to rank it, I'd say:

Ohio State/Michigan
Browns/Lions
Tigers/Guardians
Red Wings

Shout out to our local teams, the Mud Hens and the Walleye- they have a dedicated fan base as well!

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Crying_in_99Ranch@reddit (OP)

I actually used to live in Toledo a while back and agree that the border dynamic is pretty unique. I think it was pretty split between the Pistons and Cavs too. I lived there in the mid 2000s when the Pistons won it all and the Cavs had LeBron while the Lions/Browns were awful so the NBA would've been #2 back then

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More-Sock-67@reddit

1a. Bills 1b. Sabres 2. Bandits 3. Bisons

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jokeefe72@reddit

Bills are always #1 except maybe for right now

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lylydazzle@reddit

I lived in Amherst from 2010-13.(military). Anyway, one thing I noticed is that the fans hated the Patriots and Bruins, but I saw lots of people with Red Sox hats. I always thought it was strange.

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jokeefe72@reddit

Haha, 100% accurate. Never really understood that either, but I’m not into baseball at all.

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More-Sock-67@reddit

I respectfully disagree. I think they’re both equal when they’re doing well. We’re as much of a hockey town as we are a football down. Bills just have the recency bias since they’ve been on a roll.

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jokeefe72@reddit

Sure, “doing well,” but breaking a 14 year playoff drought is pretty historic.

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DosZappos@reddit

Broncos

2a. Avs

2b. Nuggets

Rockies
Summit
Rapids

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cgomez117@reddit

Bro, what about the Mammoth?

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Foxy_locksy1704@reddit

Hello fellow Coloradan! I approve of this listing, I think most of us would rank the same way.

I always feel a little sad for the Rockies now that they are the only major franchise in the city that doesn’t have a championship.

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g-burn@reddit

Man I really hope the Penners can inject new life into the Rockies. Denver summers are just more fun when the Rox are at least above .500

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MollyWeasleyknits@reddit

I year for another Rocktober. I will settle for not actively sucking.

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DosZappos@reddit

I struggle to feel bad for the Rockies because they straight up don’t make any effort to be any good. Whether they win 95 or 55 games, they’ll be top 10 in attendance because the games and ballpark are so great

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Stroke_of@reddit

2a and b is a good way of putting it.

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kyrokip@reddit

As a wings fan, im jealous and hateful to see how good the Avs have been recently.

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Novel_Willingness721@reddit

At this moment, I’d say the Avs have jumped to #1 given they won the President’s Trophy

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DosZappos@reddit

I don’t think this post is about actual success. When the Broncos were in the playoffs, you couldn’t get a seat at any sports bar in town. I don’t have the feeling it’ll be like that this weekend for the Nugs or Avs

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pinniped90@reddit

What is the Summit? Pro lacrosse?

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Foxy_locksy1704@reddit

Women’s soccer, our lacrosse team is the Mammoth and their games are incredibly fun to attend!

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DosZappos@reddit

NWSL

Our pro lacrosse is the Mammoth. They actually get pretty decent attendance.

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g-burn@reddit

Ball Arena has been a factory of happiness in the 2020's

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GlutenFreeNarcotics_@reddit

Bears are easily number 1.

Cubs and Sox tie for 2 basically.

Hawks

Bulls

Big Ten/Notre Dame football

Big Ten hoops

Fire

Sky (no Angel Reese means bottom of the list)

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OfficialBenReilly@reddit

Eagles
Phillies
Sixers
Flyers How much people actually like the teams at the moment would probably have the Flyers and Phillies swap positions, but overall people care about the Phillies more than the Flyers. No matter what, people root for the Eagles the most (unfortunately. Fuck the Eagles)

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xSparkShark@reddit

It’s a good time to be a Phillies fan. Flyers and Sixers both in the playoffs. Phillies off to a rocky start, but a solid team. Eagles are a consistent Super Bowl threat. Or soccer team is also consistently solid.

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Puzzleheaded_Lie6786@reddit

Nothing to add here now except go birds.

Agreed on the flip to move Flyers to 3rd.

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cmarks8@reddit

Agreed on the go birds

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kirstynloftus@reddit

Definitely eagles first union last, I think the middle 3 move around depending on recent success.

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SirCharlito44@reddit

I’m with everyone else flip the 6ers and flyers and the list is correct.

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BatGlittering7781@reddit

I would flip the Sixers and the Flyers. I just see way more Flyers hats, shirts, and jerseys. But then again I do live in the suburbs.

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minnick27@reddit

Even though the Sixers are also in the playoffs, I've seen a lot more Flyers gear than Sixers gear.

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xSparkShark@reddit

Yeah they’re pretty close. I’d be curious to see viewership numbers. I think basketball just being an all around more popular sport does a lot of the heavy lifting. Also decent college basketball culture helps too.

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kmr1391@reddit

our soccer team was consistently solid until we fired Jim Curtin…

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CAGrilling@reddit

Tough for the SF Bay Area. There’s a lot of fair weather fans here, and the weather has been fair for our teams at different times lately.

Niners, Warriors, Giants (depending)
Sharks
Earthquakes

And everyone hates the A’s and Raiders now.

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PacSan300@reddit

Maybe it is just among people I know, but I feel the Warriors often have a slight edge over the others in popularity.

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happinessinmiles@reddit

Agreed. I think it's because Steph Curry is such a super star player.

I'd add in that the Valkyries making the playoffs last year and the violet gear I see around town means they're definitely in the first or second tier of popularity. Lots of buzz to see what they do with season two.

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Highway49@reddit

Nobody except basketball diehards cared about the Warriors until Curry. Growing up in San Jose in the 1990s and 2000s, I cannot stress this enough.

The Niners were so good for so long that they dominated the sports news in the Bay from 1981-2003. Having bad ownership and bad teams made many Niners fans lose interest for years. Things got better, but losing 3 Super Bowls has been tough for fans to deal with after going 5-0.

Baseball has a dedicated fan base, but I see way more kids in Warriors and Niners gear. My dad loves baseball and loves the Giants, but he’s 71. I don’t know if enough younger people are into baseball?

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CAGrilling@reddit

That’s probably correct. The giants haven’t really shone since the 2010-2014 stretch, as awesome as that was. The Niners have been great in spurts, but Steph has been a consistent league-elite presence that has made the warriors significant for quite a long time now.

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old_gold_mountain@reddit

It's whoever's been winning the most lately.

In 2010-2015 it was the Giants. 2015- 2021 it was the Warriors. Since then the 9ers have had the edge.

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johnsonjohnson83@reddit

I'm originally from Indianapolis, which was historically dominated by basically any level of basketball, from the Pacers down to the high school level. After experiencing Hoosier Hysteria, even James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, said that, "basketball really had its origin in Indiana, which remains the center of the sport". Peyton Manning's Colts kind of supplanted the Pacers for a while, but Reggie Miller is still the real Indianapolis sports hero.

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Istobri@reddit

How popular is auto racing (specifically IndyCar) in Indianapolis? Is it a big deal, or is it something that’s local but people don’t really pay attention to or care about?

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ConentCory@reddit

Yeah it’s Pacers Colts Indy 500 Then all other levels of bball

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DosZappos@reddit

The Pacers playoff run last year cemented that basketball is and always will be Indiana’s number one. In 49 states it’s just basketball

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GreedyComedian1377@reddit

North Texas native here. Cowboys fan, but the Cowboys do not deserve that top spot. I fully understand Jerry drives it with the no pub is bad pub approach. But every other team in the city has won a title since they've even PLAYED for a Conference Championship and its ludicrous. I concede they're #1, begrudgingly

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GreedyComedian1377@reddit

Personally Im a Mavs fan above the the others and even I recognize that the Stars should be it.

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Wink527@reddit

I’m in between DC and Baltimore. Commanders Nationals Capitals

Ravens Orioles Capitals

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No-Conversation1940@reddit

Bears are a clear #1, they are the only team with a broad following across all groups in Chicago.

Baseball is second, and the local fan base split between Cubs and White Sox is about even. Outsiders who follow baseball think it's a Cubs dominant city and that is not true. Bulls third, Blackhawks fourth, "Midwestern college football" makes the list if we are aggregating Notre Dame and the classic Big Ten teams.

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Ollly77@reddit

What do you mean cubs/white sox is an even split 😭…

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Ghost-of-Black-47@reddit

Agree with the top of this list. But I think the back half is more fluid.

Right now, Midwestern college football is more relevant than the Bulls or Blackhawks. That’s in big part because Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan and Indiana have been top tier national products in recent years while the Hawks and Bulls are mired in mediocrity.

Should the Bulls or Hawks get good again, I’d imagine they’ll quickly surpass CFB.

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ChimmyTheCham@reddit

Except none of those college teams are in chicago let alone Illinois

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Ghost-of-Black-47@reddit

Chicagoland is filled with alumni from non-IL schools

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ChimmyTheCham@reddit

I guess we're reading the question differently. I see where youre coming from but I took the question as having to have the sports teams from your city. Yes chicago has fans of every team

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Perplexio76@reddit

Media coverage, even locally does tend to have more of a Cubs bias than Sox bias though. I think that's what helps perpetuate the incorrect perception that the Cubs are the "bigger" team here. I'll concur the reality is much closer to a 50/50 split with the fan bases.

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royalhawk345@reddit

In the city it's a close split, but the cubs have much broader reach beyond Chicago. Cubs are more popular in the suburbs, and much more popular in rural places.

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IBelongHere@reddit

I’d put hawks a little over bulls lately, but it’s close enough I think it could go either way

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Perplexio76@reddit

I'd agree with that, but I think it's only because the Hawks 3 Stanley Cups in 5 years is a more recent memory than the Bulls dominance in the 90s.

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greenandredofmaigheo@reddit

I think this might be true right now but in the 90s it was bulls no1 by far, in the peak Kane/Toews years from 09-16 I'd argue Hockey was no2. And I'd also argue that Sox fans are much less likely to show up or rep their gear because wrigleys an experience in a down year, fake comiskey is a $500 shopping trip for a family.

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bulmier@reddit

Yeah but if your fans are only loyal when you’re good, how big is the fandom truly? The Cubs fans show up even when they’re shit, which is evidence of real commitment from the city.

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No-Conversation1940@reddit

The Cubs are an unusual case in American sports:

Big fan base outside the city/across the country due to being on a basic cable superstation for decades
Wrigley Field has a tourist attraction component because of its age
The population density in Lake View, the neighborhood where Wrigley Field is located, is uncommonly high for an area surrounding an American sports stadium

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greenandredofmaigheo@reddit

which is evidence of real commitment from the city.

Suburbs, the word is suburbs.

In all reality I'm just salty that we have like 3 or 4 bars and a pizza joint nearby and most the suburbs affiliated with the Sox are more the "I won't be caught dead in the city" types (Tinley, Orland, oak forest, Frankfurt, etc) than those affiliated with the Cubs.

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TrigDaLibs@reddit

Plenty of W flags hanging from homes on the Northside, homie.

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bulmier@reddit

Well yeah, those Suburb dwellers are able to make it to games and are considered an essential part of the fandom. The north shore is a part of the Chicago sports scene even if they don’t have the city in their address.

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Fly_Boy_1999@reddit

I don’t blame Sox fans for not showing up when the team is on pace to lose another 100 games this season.

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Jimbussss@reddit

Bears
Cubs T-3: Bulls, Blackhawks, White Sox in order of who’s better 6: Fire but might move up a tier after the new stadium + if the team is consistently good starting this season

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DoyersDoyers@reddit

Dodgers
Lakers
Rams
Kings
Clippers
Chargers
LAFC
Galaxy
Angel City FC
Sparks

I did leave out both the Angels and Ducks from this list because I'm not interested in arguing whether they belong on a list of LA sport teams. Also not included would be colleges (UCLA and USC) but I imagine they'd be close to top 5 if not in the top 5.

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gregorythegreyhound@reddit

Current as of the morning of 4/17/26

Vikings

2a. Wild

2b. Timberwolves

Twins
Gopher Football
MN United
Lynx
Frost

This is all playoff performance-dependent and baseball ownership status.

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LucaBrasiMN@reddit

It is crazy how much this state and especially minneapolis love the Wolves now that they are good again. The city comes alive during these playoff runs.

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velociraptorfarmer@reddit

Glad I'm not the only Minnesota native with this stance. It'd be crazy to have the Twins anywhere other than fighting with the Wild for the #2 slot a few years ago, but until the Pohlads are gone, the team is basically ignored.

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gregorythegreyhound@reddit

Gopher hockey fandom has gone near extinct now that the WCHA is a distant memory.

3 seasons ago when the Twins were winning a playoff series (gasp!) they were a clear #2.

Ownership utterly destroyed everything.

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velociraptorfarmer@reddit

Ah, yea I forgot that not having all the Minnesota D1 hockey schools in the same conference kinda killed the vibe.

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Nemoudeis@reddit

Hang on. If you are including the Frost (which I do like, by the way), then the Saints deserve to be thrown into the mix, as well. They averaged close to 6,000 fans per game (420,000 season total) last year, despite having one of the shittiest win/loss percentages in the International League.

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Coldfyre_Dusty@reddit

Give the Wild a season or two where they break out of the first round of the playoffs and they might challenge the Vikings for first spot. They're in a weird spot where they're consistently good and getting to the dance, but not good enough for the bandwagon to really get going in a cup run.

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yozaner1324@reddit

Sports are not particularly important here, but we're primarily a basketball town (Blazers) and secondarily a soccer town (Timbers/Thornes).

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lolwatokay@reddit

I also live in DFW, I personally wonder how much longer the Mavs can hold on. I think Mavericks fandom is going decline long-term. There’s early signs of the general decline of popularity of the NBA and then, of course, locally the Mavs ownership is doing everything it can to make everybody never want to watch the team again. Meanwhile, the Stars have been excellent for most of a decade.

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Crying_in_99Ranch@reddit (OP)

That is true. The Luka trade definitely tuned out a lot of fans. I would not be surprised to see the Mavs fall if they can't build around Cooper Flagg.

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Drew707@reddit

The Luka trade blew my fucking mind even as a GSW fan. Like, "should be investigated" levels of mind blowing.

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lolwatokay@reddit

Yeah I think they still hold it over the Stars due to the relative smaller NHL fandom but the ownership has really been playing with fire

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aurorasearching@reddit

I was definitely surprised seeing Mavs at 2. Cowboys are first, no doubt, but I’d have said Rangers, Mav’s Stars in that order. I do think there are a lot more casual Rangers fans, but I think there are more Rangers fans than Mavs and Stars. Stars have the smallest fan base, but also probably most dedicated (aside from the top 1% of Cowboys fans that make everything about their life tied to the Cowboys).

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lolwatokay@reddit

It’s true about the casuals, unlike other “not baseball towns” we do show up really well when the team is doing well/in the playoffs. Is that fair weather? Yeah. Does Tampa and Miami wish they had our level of casuals? Surely.

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DrSword@reddit

Mavs fandom is in a weird spot, I still run into Mavs fans every day. Almost like people wear the gear so we can recognize each other in public and trauma bond lol. It all depends on how the next few years go with the ownership and the arena, but I'm optimistic about the future. There are a lot of extremely passionate Mavs fans from every income bracket who are very motivated to see the owners out, and the owners are very aware of the public's perception of them.

I will say the Luka trade made me a much bigger Stars fan though...

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lolwatokay@reddit

Yeah I think that’s a valid take. The Mavs did a lot in the Dirk era to build a solid core of forever fans. The Luka trade wouldn’t have been as big as it was if there weren’t so many fans.

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RichVariation6490@reddit

Warriors

49ers

Giants

Sharks

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246lehat135@reddit

Phoenix is one of those transplant cities where you’ll find more than the average amount of people who bring their hometown fandoms with them, especially from the Midwest and California.

Suns (NBA) - they’ve been around the longest and have had big names and decent success throughout the years including a few finals appearances (though no NBA Championship). This year they’ve been pretty fun to watch.
Dbacks (MLB) - this is where you start to see the transplant influence. More people under 35 are Dbacks fans by way of having grown up with them most of their lives, and the 2001 World Series win against the Yankees only helped build the fan base. That said, if you go to a game against the Dodgers, Cubs or even Brewers you’ll see half the stadium cheering for the away team.
Cardinals (NFL) - again, lots of fans here root for other teams, especially the Cowboys, 49ers and Raiders. But their fanbase is pretty strong with younger fans because they went to a Super Bowl in 2009 and everybody loves Larry Fitzgerald.
ASU and U of A (NCAA) - college sports are popular here, though not a religion like some SEC or B1G towns. The annual football game between Arizona and ASU is one of the oldest rivalries in college sports. It can get pretty chippy between players and fans between these teams. The game is called the territorial cup because it’s been played since before Arizona was a state (and instead was a territory). Bear Down!
Phoenix Rising - local USL soccer team that had a small but passionate fanbase here, and the team has had pretty decent success throughout their young existence, including a championship in 2023. The fun thing about young soccer clubs like this is because there’s really no established fanbase here, everybody can embrace them. I used to live in Atlanta when Atlanta United began to play, and it was the same thing there where regardless of where you were from (Atlanta also has a lot of transplants), everybody supported Atlanta United.

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No_Blueberry1122@reddit

No Mercury love in PHX?

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Jbash_31@reddit

Very accurate imo

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Comfortable-Grand166@reddit

1.Yankees 2.Knicks 3.Giants 4.Mets 5.Rangers 6.Jets 7.Nets 8.Islanders

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NoMonk8635@reddit

Live in Green Bay... all you need to know

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all_teh_sandwiches@reddit

Seattle: 1. Seahawks 2. Mariners 3. Sounders (M’s and Sounders switch based on season) 4. UW football 5. Kraken (my most controversial take I think- the kraken are beloved, but still super young) 6. Storm 7. Reign 8. UW M/W basketball, and others

Hypothetical NBA team probably jumps to #2 immediately; Seattle’s such a passionate sports town that all these teams get some love, but the Seahawks are absolutely king and it’s not close. WSU is definitely part of Washington sports fandom, but left them off here because I don’t consider them part of the Seattle sports fabric.

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golfandhistory1@reddit

One thing I’d add is that the Mariners oscillate to #1 when they’re hot. Last year the energy around mariners was greater than for the Seahawks and the hawks won the Super Bowl. But hawks consistently at #1.

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all_teh_sandwiches@reddit

Nah, the mariners aren’t to the Seahawks in terms of universal cultural love from the city- I love them too, but they were never that same tier even when they were getting hot,

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golfandhistory1@reddit

Maybe depends how old you are. Mariners love runs way deeper in my experience. Hawks really had their moment starting 20 years ago. In four super bowls and two wins I’ve never seen the city rally like they did for the Ms in 2001 or 2025.

Hawks… a little more consistent though

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TEG24601@reddit

I might go so far as to put the Thunderbirds up there with the Kraken and Storm. There are a lot of people in the city who still enjoy the Thunderbird/Silvertips/Winterhawks and even Giants rivalries.

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boner4crosstabs@reddit

I agree with this! But also feel like as soon as the Sonics are back they immediately jump everyone except for the Hawks and possibly Mariners (depending on how well the Ms are doing in a given season). Also I may put Kraken above Husky football, but I also live in Lower Queen Anne, so I probably get more exposure to Kraken fandom than any other part of the city.

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dwarfpike@reddit

I’d argue the Sonics are number 2 even with not being back.

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boner4crosstabs@reddit

Fair enough. They moved a couple of years before I moved here so I was never part of the fandom (however I do buy most of my pot from Shawn Kemp 🙃) but the sourness among the population here was palpable!

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Shrimmmmmpuh@reddit

I think I mostly agree with this. I'd probably put the Kraken on the same level as UW Football, but unless they can find a way to give the team a direction, then they'll play 2nd fiddle to the Sonics in their own barn in a few years.

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Stuie299@reddit

The Triangle (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill)

UNC Basketball
NC State Basketball
Hurricanes (NHL)
NC State Football
Duke Basketball
Durham Bulls (Minor League Baseball)
UNC Football
Panthers (NFL)
Courage (Womens Soccer)
UNC Women's Soccer
Hornets (NBA)

The Easiest way to tell if someone didn't grow up in the area is if they root for Duke over UNC and NC State.

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Low-Guard-1820@reddit

I agree that in the DC area it’s Commanders, Caps, Nats, Wizards in that order. However college basketball gets a lot of attention here because we have a lot of Georgetown, UMD, and UVA alumni and they always tend to play well.

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Weird_Squirrel_8382@reddit

I feel like we love our baseball team, but football makes people more passionate. Like a Bengals game can affect the mood in public when it's over, or the next day. Not as many people follow soccer but those that do are very proud of the club. College basketball loyalties are split, and lots of us still care how our high school teams are doing.

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wooq@reddit

#1. Iowa Hawkeyes football
#2. Favorite imported pro sports team, since we have none here
#3a, b, c. Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball, women's basketball, wrestling in some order
#4. Local HS football team

Also quite a few Indiana Fever (WNBA) fans around here recently for some reason, can't imagine why.

Imported sports teams most often include:

NFL: Mostly Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, and more than a few 49ers fans (due to history of certain stars of theirs being from Iowa teams), and some Vikings and Colts fans. Have a friend who is a Detroit Lions fan

MLB: Cubs or Cardinals, with a handful of Twins, Brewers, White Sox fans and occasional, like, Yankees or Red Sox fans. Never met a KC Royals fan.

NBA: Maybe more Bulls fans than others, but NBA fandom around here tends to be completely regardless of proximity

Further west you sub out "Iowa Hawkeyes" for "Nebraska Cornhuskers" or sometimes "Iowa State Cyclones".

But yeah, my city, and others around here, all college football towns.

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pittpanthers95@reddit

Pittsburgh is: 1 Steelers (by far imo), 2 Penguins, (somewhat distant) 3 Pirates

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Praise_The_Axolotl@reddit

New Orleans has a lot of love for the Saints, but I think Louisiana overall prefers college football, specifically LSU.

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pinniped90@reddit

This is going to sound strange but Kansas City is at its heart a baseball town.

Globally, people see the Chiefs dynasty and probably think we're 100% football. Nationally, people have seen a lot of dogshittery from the Royals side of the parking lot in the past 30 years. There's no question that right now, you see a lot more Chiefs stuff around town - everybody has Super Bowl merch and the like.

But when the Royals catch lightning in a bottle and are actually good for 15 minutes, this town goes completely mental.

In October of '14 and '15, we were either at the stadium or at house parties pretty much every night there was a game. You could feel the energy around town in a way you don't really feel it for NFL playoffs. The daily nature of baseball just hits different.

After the Royals and Chiefs it's definitely Jayhawk hoop in third and then behind that is Wildcat football. Our two pro soccer teams have dedicated fanbases, and each of Mizzou, Iowa State, and Nebraska have big local alumni bases that turn out when their team plays at Arrowhead or TMobile center.

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Trick_Photograph9758@reddit

I'd say that's similar to Boston, where even though the Pats have tons of fans and have had crazy success, the Red Sox are really the heart and soul of the city.

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Remarkable_Hat2310@reddit

In the year 2026 it’s the Patriots who are the heart and soul of Boston. Been that way for a while now.

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New_Distribution_263@reddit

Yes! I’ve been to 1 World Series game, and one other playoff game for the Royals. I’ve been to two AFC Championship games at Arrowhead. The roar of the crowd during the baseball games was twice as intense as during the football games. Maybe it’s a baseball thing, maybe it’s a KC thing, but it’s definitely real.

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pinniped90@reddit

Part of it is that the Chiefs have gotten so corporate. Regular tickets are so expensive that the only time I go is when taking clients or a vendor is taking me. Either, I'm not getting hammered and getting seriously loud.

1990s Chiefs games were absolutely mental compared to this era. It was intense because the stadium held 4-5k more fans and it was loads of $30 tickets and dudes who'd been eating beers all day long.

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Hell_of_a_Caucasian@reddit

I think Mizzou football > Wildcat football, especially in KC, MO and that side of the metro.

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boner4crosstabs@reddit

💯. My fam lives there and anytime I got there a pretty even split between MU and kU stuff, but they live on the MO side. I see wayyyyy less KSU stuff.

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Ranger_Prick@reddit

People love the Royals, but it's hard to compete with the Chiefs. Arrowhead is a legendary place. I'd rank them above the Royals, even though what you say is definitely true about the Royals' support.

I'd go:

Chiefs
Royals
KU (basketball in particular)
Mizzou
K-State
KC Current (we actually do a pretty good job of supporting women's sports in KC)

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No-Conversation1940@reddit

I grew up in rural Missouri when the Royals were at their absolute worst. KC loves the Royals, but that franchise killed off any chance of winning anyone from my generation away from the Cardinals in the rural areas and mid-sized towns of Missouri.

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cyber_hooligan@reddit

Cincinnati is a baseball town… 1. Reds 2. Bengals 3. FC Cincinnati 4. UC Basketball 5. Xavier U Basketball 6. UC Football 7. Cincinnati Cyclones (Minor League Hockey)

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rb928@reddit

Reds. Bengals. FC Cincinnati. University of Cincinnati. Xavier. I came here to post this exact same list.

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buckeyenative01@reddit

High school football belongs somewhere on that list, but im not entirely sure where? Fourth or third?

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L-L_Jimi@reddit

I honestly can’t even say for St. Louis

Our baseball team is historic, and has the most widespread and deep rooted fanbase. Although, I feel our hockey team has kind of become the favorite due to recent success, but our soccer team’s fans are the most passionate even if I don’t know many people who care at all

All I know is Kroenke sucks, the city will party as hard as we do for any championship in any sport when he passes away

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OhWhyNotMarie@reddit

Believe it or not hockey in the desert. The golden knights are the only team that originated in Vegas and wasn’t outcast from Oakland.

Also the aces ladies basketball do a lot of charity work around town, so people are aware of them and they have a positive reputation even if the viewership isn’t the same. Both championship teams.

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Ralph--Hinkley@reddit

We've always been a baseball town. Love our Redsw, and we always will, but the recent Bengals Superbowl appearance, along with Joe, Ja'Maar, and Tee has the city slowly moving to football. FCC and Cyclones are still beloved, though.

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CasualVox@reddit

City? I'd be happy if my state had at least 1 pro team in any damn sport, but that's never happening

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_davebythebell@reddit

You do have a women’s and a men’s soccer team in Louisville, no idea how popular they are but when I used to keep up with USL soccer Louisville was always pretty damn good

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boner4crosstabs@reddit

Not pro, but you’ve got UK basketball! (Well, not quite as much right now but still)

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FreeStateOfPortland@reddit

But you have a life sized Noah’s Ark. That’s gotta count for something.

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_davebythebell@reddit

Chiefs
KC Current
Royals
KU
Sporting KC

KC Current’s stadium only seats like 11,000 but every game is sold out and I see more merch around town for them than any other team besides the Chiefs. It’s amazing how much we’ve embraced women’s sports lately

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KFCNyanCat@reddit

Eagles
Phillies
Sixers
Flyers

(huge gap)

College Football
Union

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Brunson4Mayor11@reddit

For me: Yanks, Knicks, Giants, Rangers, NYCFC in that order. We have a lot of teams though and not everyone is a fan of every team.

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CheesE4Every1@reddit

My town is definitely a college football town. I hate it here.

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GarlicBright552@reddit

Osu football (NE Ohio and central Ohio unifier) . . .
Columbus Crew
CBJ
OSU other sports
Columbus Clippers (triple A for Cleveland and I’d say Columbus market is split 55/45 b/n Gyards and reds.) 6.

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Elmodipus@reddit

1.VA Tech

2.UNC

3.Duke

4.UVA

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Positive-Avocado-881@reddit

football

(Huge gap)

Baseball
Hockey
Basketball

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WhatABeautifulMess@reddit

I live between Baltimore and DC and that's reflected in the fandoms. Some Commanders fans dislike Ravens fans and call them traitors. Meanwhile most Ravens fans are kind Don Draper "I don't think about you at all". Both cities have Caps fans and you'll hear both "O" and "Red" screamed during the anthem. I feel like Baltimore/O's have more casual fans than the Nats just based on how many people will casually catch a game or wear gear around town. I don't follow basketball so I can't speak to Wizards or Mystics. I hear/see about equally about DC United and Spirit but that's probably skewed since I follow women's sports more than most.

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absolut696@reddit

Hilarious calling Ravens fans traitors when Baltimore has a rich football history prior to the colts skipping town.

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WhatABeautifulMess@reddit

Yeah Baltimore has so much football beef. Having grown up in Jersey it was interesting to live in the Baltimore burbs when they one and see an area/city rally for a team. It's a different vibe than when there's split fan bases.

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TheNerdofLife@reddit

Not strong, but it does get attention for being where the Mets do their spring training

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Still_a_skeptic@reddit

1: Sooners

2: Thunder

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Emotional-Loss-9852@reddit

It’s 1:46 PM Texas time and OU still sucks

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thetrain23@reddit

I'd actually put Thunder above Sooners, since it's a statewide fandom covering both big schools

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ID_Poobaru@reddit

2007 Fiesta Bowl haunts Oklahoma

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SoonerSmokeScreen@reddit

My current city is a college football town all the way, cuz that's all we have.

My hometown is 1. Cowboys by a mile 2. Rangers 3. Stars 4.Mavs. before the new ownership and Luka trade, Mavs would have been 2

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idontknowsothis@reddit

columbia md is a soccer city

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Jas62021@reddit

Boston.

Nothing else needs to be said

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wino12312@reddit

Suckers. They got millions and millions from the county & state to build their stadiums. And they teams never win!

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shibby3388@reddit

Commanders
Nats/Caps depending on who is winning
Wizards
Spirit (because they’re winning)
D.C. United
Mystics

[-]

blipsman@reddit

Football first, for sure (Chicago bears).

Second, probably Cubs?

Bulls, White Sox, and Blackhawks have been depressing the past few years...

[-]

Benchod12077@reddit

LA is a basketball and baseball town so Lakers and Dodgers since they consistently win championships

[-]

buckeyenative01@reddit

Phoenix:

Suns
Cardinals
Diamondbacks
ASU football and basketball
UofA basketball
High school football?

[-]

Dyl6886@reddit

St Louis is honestly a tough one once you get past Baseball. It’s absolutely primarily a baseball town but I have heard it referred to as a big soccer city leading up to us finally getting our MLS team a few years ago, primarily because of its popularity in youth in the area.

Baseball (Cardinals) - Nothing beats the cards in STL. They’ve been massively underperforming recently but even still it took some very stupid comments from the GM before attendance started to finally decline.
Hockey - There’s lots of support for the Blues especially after the Rams left. Getting our first Stanley Cup 3 years later was another huge boost that seems to have stuck around.
Soccer (City SC) - Apparently we’ve sold out consistently since the team started in 2023. They started out crazy good first season but have unfortunately declined ever since. Even still they receive a lot of support consistently from what I hear.
College sports (SLU, Mizzou, Illinois) - Since we have other professional option and the big schools (MU and IL) are not very close to STL college sports aren’t crazy huge but you’ll definitely see flags, alum fans, and people talking about or watching college sports here. …
Football… this is tough because the Rams & NFL are absolutely hated here now but they were huge when they were here (before they decided to tank for years leading up to their move) and we pretty much single-handedly carry the UFL with the battlehawks making up over to 30% of the league’s total attendance consistently. Football was an easy #2 to baseball before, now it’s complicated.

[-]

Duke_Maniac@reddit

I honestly see way more KU stuff than IU stuff.

[-]

FlyByPC@reddit

Philly is definitely a multi-sports town. I think the Eagles are a little more equal than the others, but maybe that's just me. Gotta say, the Phanatic and now Gritty are pretty cool, even as a transplant to the city. Both of them are absolutely on-brand for Philly.

[-]

shammy_dammy@reddit

The last US city I lived in was Madison Wi. Jump Around.

[-]

NotUntilTheFishJumps@reddit

We live in the countryside, but are fifteen minutes away from a Big 10 college lol.

[-]

dgmilo8085@reddit

Southern CA is a crapshoot due to so many transplants, but I would say our hierarchy is as follows:

Dodgers
Lakers
Rams
Angels
Kings
Clippers
Galaxy
LAFC
Chargers
Ducks

Personally: Rams, Angels, Lakers

[-]

Return-of-Trademark@reddit

You’re accurate about DFW but swap stars and Mavs. City still appears to be reeling and the stars have gained HUGE momentum.

[-]

Careless_Bus5463@reddit

Charlotte:

Buffalo Bills/Pittsburgh Steelers/Any other Rust Belt Transplant's Home Team Was
UNC Basketball
Carolina Panthers
Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte FC

[-]

Jamdizzle77@reddit

I live a short drive from Green Bay, WI. next question lol

[-]

Embarrassed-Most-582@reddit

Pats, Sox, Bruins, Celtics
Revs

[-]

Kaurifish@reddit

Much improved since the Raiders left.

[-]

AuburnFaninGa@reddit

West Central GA (not Atlanta)

College Football- split between Auburn, UGA, Bama

Atlanta Braves

Atlanta United

Falcons

[-]

jrc_80@reddit

Phillies - 1 Iggles - 1 Sixers - 1 Flyers - 1

[-]

Dapper-Presence4975@reddit

I live in Massachusetts. I think we are on another level compared to the rest of the country.

[-]

Responsible_Side8131@reddit

I live in CT. Everyone LOVES UConn basketball, both the men’s and the women’s teams.
But beyond that, our state is split! There’s a definite line of professional sports fandoms, with the western/southern parts of the state leaning more toward The NY Yankees and the Giants (and to a lesser extent, the Mets and Jets). The northern/eastern parts of the state absolutely lean more Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots.
I live kind of near the middle of the state, and people here are divided between the two sides.

[-]

NM36@reddit

1.) New Jersey Devils

thats it. thats the list

[-]

Ignorred@reddit

Despite Seattle having like 8 different professional sports teams (if you include women's sports), AND winning the Super Bowl this year, it still seems like the UW Huskies are the biggest show in town

[-]

boner4crosstabs@reddit

lol do you leave the U-Dist? Hawks are BY far the biggest. Then Mariners and Sonics (it’s complicated). I even see more Kraken stuff than Husky gear. Husky football is probably 4th at highest.

[-]

goPACK17@reddit

Dodgers
Lakers

That's it. No other sport has a noticeable following

[-]

vanillablue_@reddit

TESSIEEEEEE NUFF SAID MCGREEVEY SHOUTED

[-]

velociraptorfarmer@reddit

For my hometown at the moment:

Vikings
Wild
Wolves
Twins

FUCK THE POHLADS

[-]

SabresBills69@reddit

with many cities it shifts based on who is good/ winning a championship.

[-]

Express_Leading_4840@reddit

We have rodeo and high school football

[-]

SnapHackelPop@reddit

Packers are far and away #1.

Next it’s probably Brewers, appeals more to the average Wisconsin resident.

Badger football is a total crapshoot. Being a Madison grad and still living in the area, obviously big fandom. Anywhere else in the state, who knows. Basketball and hockey are even more niche

Bucks, no clue. Definitely more the younger generation.

Packers
Brewers
Badger football
Other Badger sports
Bucks

[-]

kyrokip@reddit

The Packers even draw from the another state. They pull alot of Yoopers in Michigan.

[-]

ChimmyTheCham@reddit

Thats because its basically wisconsin lol

[-]

gman2093@reddit

When the bucks were in the finals, I still had to ask bartenders to put the game on. On the hype level of Packers preseason games in Madison.

[-]

ChimmyTheCham@reddit

Weird wasnt like that in the rest of the state lol

[-]

02K30C1@reddit

Brewers are a beloved baseball team, but Packers are the state religion

[-]

SnapHackelPop@reddit

In Saint Lombardi’s name, amen

[-]

SurroundingAMeadow@reddit

We joke about it, but he actually was a devout Catholic. But there's no way we'll get the canonization process started with a Chicagoan Pope...

[-]

worrymon@reddit

The fans of the ones named "-ets" are more vocal about it. But their teams don't seem to be as good as the other teams.

I don't know, sports fans are part of the reason I don't like sports.

[-]

getwitchy@reddit

Football is definitely the most popular here. Bears are #1. But I live close to the IL / WI border so the Packers are almost just as popular (booooo!)

Baseball is also popular here. 50/50 split for Sox and Cubs.

We have an AHL team but despite that hockey isn’t wildly popular. I don’t really hear much about basketball either, although we had a big parade years ago after someone from our hometown won the NBA championship.

[-]

Traditional_Ideal_84@reddit

They don’t call Detroit hockey town for no Reason. Even tho the wings have been shit since our playoff run ended.

[-]

kyrokip@reddit

Fellow Detroit fan. "Hockeytown" needs to stay on the back burner until the Wings get their shit together

[-]

Traditional_Ideal_84@reddit

Yea it’s fucking ridiculous, last three or four marches have been complete shit shows. But just because there trash doesn’t mean this isn’t hockey town. Part of the reason why they are is the fans.

[-]

Mister-ellaneous@reddit

I grew up in Detroit during Steve Yzerman, Sergei, the bruise brothers, lidstrom, when Paul Coffey joined, osgood and Vernon, etc. hockeytown was legit but we also had the bad boys, Barry, and the tigers had a great run in the 80s. Those days were a lot of fun.

[-]

BroughtBagLunchSmart@reddit

APRIL IN THE D

[-]

DosZappos@reddit

Sounds like they do call it that for no reason. Go Avs!

[-]

bunrakoo@reddit

GO BIRDS!

[-]

HarlequinKOTF@reddit

Football
...
...
Baseball
Basketball

[-]

ID_Poobaru@reddit

I don’t know if Wisconsin Football deserves a spot on this list

[-]

WarrenMulaney@reddit

FTP

[-]

HarlequinKOTF@reddit

I think you might have misspelled, go pack go.

[-]

WarrenMulaney@reddit

It's like 11AM in Wisconsin. I'll just assume you're about 5 beers in already and leave you alone.

[-]

HarlequinKOTF@reddit

I'm actually rocking a hangover from thirsty Thursday thank you very much lol

[-]

WarrenMulaney@reddit

Nice!

[-]

ID_Poobaru@reddit

Boise State football (best G5 team all time)
Idaho Steelheads (ECHL)
Boise Hawks (Pioneer League)
Boise Athletic Club (low level pro soccer)
Boise State men’s basketball

[-]

SteadfastEnd@reddit

Cowboys, Mavs, Rangers, Stars

[-]

Substantial_Meal_530@reddit

Philadelphia. The fans threw batteries at Santa. For some reason that wasn't the first battery throwing incident. The city had to grease the light poles, so people didn't climb them.

[-]

mercerclone@reddit

in Baltimore the Ravens and Orioles are far above everything else. i'd say the Ravens are more popular due to experiencing more recent success and more recent iconic players, but the second spring rolls around the whole city gets on board the O's

there's some fans of the wizards, capitals, or various college sports teams, but none come close to the popularity of ravens/o's in the city

[-]

Icy_Consideration409@reddit

Denver:

Broncos.

2 = Nuggets, Avs, Rockies.

Rapids
Lacrosse

[-]

CH11DW@reddit

From DFW as well I agree with your ranking. There are times rangers are bigger than stars. But the stars have been so good the last four years it’s def them in the three spot.

[-]

MysteriousSector3004@reddit

I've lived in New Orleans for 12 years, here's my take: 1. Saints 2. LSU/SEC Football 3. Pelicans 4. LSU Baseball 5. Tulane Football

[-]

Smorgas-board@reddit

NYC:

1) Knicks. The People’s Team. They own like 85-90% of the fanbase in basketball terms

2) Rangers. Not as large as others but rabid and cult like. I’ve also referred to them as the “first responders” team because whenever I’ve gone into a precinct, EMS station, or firehouse the Rangers are on(I’m a medic for the FDNY)

From there on out the baseball and football teams can be placed in just about any order but I’d go with:

3) Mets. I’m a Yankee fan but Met fans have stuck around through really bad times and living in the shadow of the empire. With their new owner being supermegarich they’re not going to be living off some good times like 2024 for a decade and have expectations now, they’ll start acting like Yankees fans soon

4) Yankees. It’s the heritage team in NYC. Outside of the Knicks, they probably have the biggest split in terms of the two teams. Lot of arrogance for being the most successful team in MLB history

5) Giants. Basically buoyed by those two superbowls within our lifetime. Has not been great since.

6) Jets. They show up but they’re dead inside. They now have the longest playoff drought in North America iirc now that the Sabres broke theirs

7) Nets. Small enclave of fans in the southern part of Brooklyn. Never going to be the big brother unless they pull of a dynasty

8) NYRB. The original “I like soccer” crowd. Probably about to be less numerous than their crosstown rivals soon if not already

9) NYCFC. Barely over a decade old, already has a title. Will hold it over their rivals. Stuck in Yankee Stadium. They may jump up when the new stadium opens in a few years

[-]

DustyComstock@reddit

Buccaneers, Lightning, USF, Rays

[-]

1952Rustbelt@reddit

Philadelphia depends on a number of variables but overall it's probably the Eagles in a photo finish over the Phillies. The Flyers are third but the fan base is very passionate and vocal. While the Inquirer tries to force them down everyone's throats, the Sixers are decidedly fourth by a good margin.

[-]

BatGlittering7781@reddit

There have been years where you could say the Phillies were bigger, like in 2008 and 2009. But so long as the Eagles are doing well, they are #1

[-]

KongUnleashed@reddit

My city, like most cities in Alabama, is absolutely saturated with college football fans, mostly Alabama and Auburn with a smattering of others. Pro football and other sports are very hit or miss. There are certainly fans of the Titans and the Falcons and the Saints, with a handful of others, but you don’t see anywhere near the level of support for pro teams as you do Alabama or Auburn.

[-]

domestic_omnom@reddit

I live in Tulsa and we only have minor leagues here. Ive gone to several games and the order of crowd size i see are...

Oilers - hockey echl Oilers - football ifl Drillers- baseball milb

[-]

chrisv267@reddit

Depends on the time of year. Boston’s teams are all dominant in the market. Boston is an original 6 hockey town with a historic baseball team, the cream of the crop in the NBA and the most dominant NFL dynasty in the history of the league

[-]

SeaLeopard5555@reddit

... and a new PWHL team that has made playoffs in 2 of 3 seasons.

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chrisv267@reddit

Right forgot about the fleet. Megan Keller was the one who scored the golden goal for the USA women’s hockey gold medal at the Olympics. We are so spoiled with our sports teams, no other city can even come close to

[-]

SeaLeopard5555@reddit

No worries, just a Fleet season ticket holder since the earliest days and my gosh has this year been FUN and we expected them to be ... not good at all.

[-]

No_Cardiologist7468@reddit

Here in Michigan it changes with the season. All sports are fairly well followed and represented

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tarheel_204@reddit

NC (including both Charlotte and Raleigh)

Panthers- clear #1 on popularity and mass appeal alone
Hurricanes- a ton of growth and recent success have surged their popularity
Hornets- legacy of failure but still a decently strong fanbase (especially if we keep it going tonight)
Charlotte FC- good fans but soccer just isn’t as popular here

[-]

Crowiswatching@reddit

GSG! San Antonio.

[-]

smiledumb@reddit

DC

Commanders
Caps
Nats
Wizards

Traditionally, the Redskins dominated the region. Even with 2 decades of Snyder’s horrific ownership, football and the now Commanders reign supreme.

Hockey is my favorite sport. I grew up bemoaning the fact that we couldn’t even sell out some playoff games. Then Ovechkin came and the rest is history.

The Nats have devoted fans, but cheap ownership has led to dwindling crowds since our 2019 title.

The Wizards might be the most forgettable franchise in the 4 major sports. Which is a shame, because the DMV area produces some of the best basketball talent. But if they get lucky with this draft, and guys like Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, and Tre Johnson develop, they might finally become something

[-]

big_sugi@reddit

I’d put the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys ahead of the Wizards. The Wizards are bad, have been bad, and history says they’ll continue to be bad.

[-]

EC_dwtn@reddit

Obviously football is the most popular sport but I've got a hard time putting the Commanders at #1 when there's barely a 50% chance any bar in the city is going to have the game on on Sundays, and the Cowboys have such a strong fan base.

If we're talking the entire region I'd say this is true, but the Caps might be able to make a case for #1 in the city.

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bulmier@reddit

What about the Freedom?! Five, right?!?!?!

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hawken54321@reddit

I noticed long ago my life didn't change when the local team won or lost.

[-]

jginvest71@reddit

OKC:

Sooners

Thunder

Dallas Cowboys

OSU Cowboys?

Chiefs?

[-]

SeaLeopard5555@reddit

In the Boston vortex.

Yes. to all the sports.

[-]

Jorost@reddit

Patriots

Red Sox

Celtics

Bruins

This is the pantheon of the City of Champions. And no Bostonian will EVER let you forget it.

[-]

thecat627@reddit

Battlehawks.
Everything else…

Fu¢k St. Louis… except the BattleHawks.

[-]

CorrugationDirection@reddit

Cleveland: Browns ... Guardians Cavs

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Sorry-Government920@reddit

Madison is a college town so a lot of love for the Badgers. Packers are adored Brewers would be next followed by the Bucks

[-]

musing_codger@reddit

Fans here are so supportive that when it came out that the Astros had blatantly cheated, people supported them anyway. In fact they got upset when you called them cheaters, which they obviously were.

[-]

JohnnyBrillcream@reddit

So was the rest of the league.

Midway through the 2017 season teams started to switch up signs between catchers and pitchers. They did this because they knew signs were being stolen electronically. They did it with every team, knowing every team in some way was doing it.

After the 2017 series they were interviewing Brian McCann. They asked him why he kept going to the mound the last inning. He laughed, pointed to center field and said “come on, you guys know”. He shook his head and moved on.

A former Yankees manager was on a MLB Network show and they got into sign stealing. He slipped up and said the signs were relayed from the dugout to the first base coach or runner on second, they were using a phone. He realized he let on too much and moved on.

The former GM from the Rays in an interview on Youtube was very vocal and adamant that everyone was doing, he literally said the Rays were. He laughed at the interviewer in a "call out" way, knowing the guy knew exactly what was going on but still toed the MLB line.

The video was removed from YouTube.......

The “ring leader” of the scheme came from the Yankees and it was said that he told the Astros “they were way behind in sign stealing”

Both the Yankees and Red Sox were also pinched but MLB swept that under the rug. Red Sox suspended the replay guy and the Yankees got a strongly worded sealed letter. Very little coverage of that. And the only reason MLB got involved is because the two teams ratted on each other.

Many other players have come out and stated others were doing it.

Astros weren’t the only ones cheating, they were the only ones investigated and publicly implicated. The only reason they had to was because a pedophile who acted like a baby when he was pulled brought it to the media’s attention. The Sox and Yankees prove that. MLB did not want this “scandal” exposed. That’s why no players were suspended. No way would a player stand for that when they knew everyone else was doing it. If they had to do suspend players it would have prompted a full investigation and there would be no MLB because every player was complicit.

I’ve done more research into this than any “journalist”. And I didn’t even do research, just complied information from articles and interviews over the years.

MLB won’t allow it, again the Yankees, Sox situations proves it.

[-]

ezzy93@reddit

Texas longhorns
Austin fc

[-]

K_N0RRIS@reddit

Baltimore

Orioles (baseball) and Ravens (football) are next door neighbors, but during Football season, the Ravens take precedence

[-]

Eudaimonics@reddit

Buffalo

Sabres (NHL)
Bills (NFL)
Bandits (NLL) …
Bisons (AAA) … …
Xtreme (ABA)
FC Buffalo … … …
UB Bulls

[-]

CommercialExotic2038@reddit

Insane. The whole region has Seahawks mania. People paint their houses variations of Navy blue and lime green.

[-]

arkazail@reddit

I'm in Buffalo,NY and though im not a sports fan personally our sports teams have absolutely rabid fan bases. Obviously football is #1 and the Bills are the dominant team by an enormous magnitude, and hockey is easily the #2 sport and the Sabres have a huge following (especially now that they seem to be doing really good). A lot of people follow both.

[-]

Eudaimonics@reddit

Bills who? It’s all about the Sabres right now.

City is hosting its first playoff game in 14 years on Saturday.

[-]

El_Polio_Loco@reddit

Third is probably either the UB Bulls or the Buffalo Bandits.

[-]

imthe5thking@reddit

Well, we have no local teams where I live. In Montana, it’s all about Montana State and U of Montana football. Some people care about the other sports at the universities, but football is the dominant sport here.

[-]

WantedMan61@reddit

Eagles
Phillies
76ers
Flyers

Could be just me but I doubt it

[-]

Ok_Sentence_5767@reddit

NYC is a baseball town, Mets and Yankees are the kings of ny

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Perplexio76@reddit

It certainly doesn't hurt the Mets and Yankees that the Jets haven't had a team worth talking about since Broadway Joe Namath's Super Bowl win back in the 70s and the Giants haven't had much to talk about since Eli Manning's retirement. When the local pro football teams are mired in mediocrity the focus shifts to baseball no matter how bad or good a year the Yankees and Mets are having.

I grew up in NY state, I jumped on the Mets bandwagon in 1986, and I've never jumped off of it, even after over 20 years in Chicago, I'm still a Mets fan.

[-]

Ok_Sentence_5767@reddit

We have a very deep baseball tradition spanning well over a century. Plus many winters can be a bit much and going to games in the summer speaks well to a lot of us

Is also argue that every team has really passionate fans, we live our sports

[-]

Perplexio76@reddit

Yeah, my son is a Cubs fan, but what can you do? He was born and raised our here.

I never had the pleasure of seeing a Mets home game as I grew up about 6-7 hours north of NYC. I DID catch a Mets/Expos game in Montreal once though as I was only about an hour and a half from there. I also caught a Rangers/Canadiens game up there.

[-]

GateDeep3282@reddit

Small town in Eastern Tennessee here. It's all college sports here, so

Vols all the way.

No one here cares about the predators or titans.

[-]

HoodedNegro@reddit

For my town it’s 1. Football

Baseball
Idk since we don’t have a local basketball or hockey team(no I’m not rooting for DC teams, give me back my Baltimore Bullets)

[-]

peabody_soul109@reddit

Nashville- low. Memphis- medium. Cleveland - insane.

[-]

-something-clever-@reddit

Detroit is definitely a football town. The Lions have historically sucked, but the fandom is strong, and Michigan and Michigan State are nearby. The Tigers come in #2, but three and four are where it gets messy. In the city itself, the Pistons are #3, but in the burbs its the Red Wings, especially with the older crowd. Despite Michigan's basketball national championship, college basketball gets the least attention of the major sports here.

[-]

suydam@reddit

I'd wager

Michigan Football
Detroit Lions
Detroit Tigers
MSU Spartans
Pistons
Red Wings

but honestly, Detroit loves its teams. if the Red Wings went on a heater the city would come out huge for them.

[-]

No_Gold3131@reddit

I'd stick the Lions above the Wolverines but otherwise, yes.

[-]

WokeJawa@reddit

Yeah, lions have to be above Michigan due to the state being pretty split between UofM and MSU

[-]

No_Gold3131@reddit

Yeah, the two Big Ten schools have a pretty even split; however even as a Spartan I have to give the Woverines the edge in fandom.

When the Tigers are good, they leapfrog to the top. But the first commenter basically said that - we support all our teams and the team that is winning becomes the number one.

[-]

martlet1@reddit

cardinals. 2. BLues. 3 Battlehawks. And i think we have a soccer team.

[-]

Hell_of_a_Caucasian@reddit

I think Mizzou elbows its way in the ranking after the Blues.

[-]

martlet1@reddit

Maybe in the STL area but south and southeast Mizzou isn’t as big a deal.

[-]

Hell_of_a_Caucasian@reddit

The question was about the city. I was specifically talking about metro St. Louis, not SE MO.

[-]

YogolotSatono@reddit

Do people still pull for the Rams, or are they hated now that they left?

[-]

Hell_of_a_Caucasian@reddit

Despise them and their owner.

[-]

martlet1@reddit

No one follows the rams. They all converted to chiefs fans even though the chiefs owner voted to move the rams out.

I’m closer to Nashville than Kansas City and I’m still in Missouri. Which makes me a Miami dolphins fan. lol

[-]

t-poke@reddit

3 and 4 are pretty interchangeable IMO, I always forget about both of them.

No matter how you rank the Battlehawks and City SC, there's miles between two and three. Cardinals and Blues will always be close

[-]

martlet1@reddit

Oh for sure. 👍 blues went on a good run to end the year. I’m ready for October.

[-]

thats-gold-jerry@reddit

Yankees, Knicks, Giants, Mets, Rangers, Jets, Liberty, Islanders. Knicks are up because they’re good lately.

[-]

CarDwellinCollin@reddit

In New England

Patriots
Red Sox
Bruins
Celtics
Revolution

[-]

thelordstrum@reddit

I would say New York City is definitely a baseball town. I don't hear people chanting "Let's Go" Knicks/Nets or Giants/Jets or Rangers/Islanders at unrelated events. But I sat at MSG during the main event of Raw and we were chanting that like nobody's business.

I also just feel like more people have opinions on Yankees or Mets over the basketball teams (seems like most people lean Knicks, I'm a Nets fan).

[-]

BankManager69420@reddit

Blazers (Basketball) number one, Timbers (Soccer) number two, Ducks/Beavers (Football) number three. After that would be Seahawks (football) and Mariners (baseball).

We’re definitely a basketball city first. Soccer is probably the next most popular. I remember being surprised when hearing people in other parts of the country consider NHL one of the big four instead of MLS.

[-]

PresentationFluffy24@reddit

DC

Commanders
Caps
Nats

[-]

Danktizzle@reddit

Since the pro leagues are monopolies it’s impossible for us to ever get a team. So most people are rabid college fans. Which I despise because the NCAA makes boat loads of money and they don’t have to share it (well sponsorships that a former player sued for). Also, the employees can only work for a maximum of five years (for free) before retiring at 22 and getting a job at the post office.

[-]

seifd@reddit

Are we talking local teams? If so it's:

Griffins (Hockey)
Whitecaps (Baseball)
Gold (Basketball)
Rise (Volleyball)

[-]

Mister-ellaneous@reddit

We’re in Alabama. It’s roll tide, war eagle, go dawgs, then maybe Titan up. The local minor league baseball team, trash pandas, is fun and has a following, same with the havoc (hockey). But football is 1,2,3, and 4.

[-]

AffectionateWay5783@reddit

I’m in Boston sooo…

[-]

maxman1313@reddit

The Triangle (Raleigh-Durham) is a college basketball town first and foremost, followed by a close second the Carolina Hurricanes NHL team.

[-]

ArcticBeavers@reddit

NYC is really a pick'em. Any team, from the Mets, Knicks, or even Red Bulls have their strong dedicated base.

If I was forced to pick the #1 fandom, it would be the Knicks. You see a lot of gear and Jerseys around town. Its hard to say its the Yankees since many (most) people wear it as a fashion statement. I don't think they are actually keeping up with the team on a weekly basis.

[-]

Crying_in_99Ranch@reddit (OP)

I was actually curious to see what people in NYC would pick with so many options and storied franchises

[-]

Trick_Photograph9758@reddit

I'd rank NYC this way:

Yankees, Knicks, Giants, Mets, Rangers, Islanders, Nets.

The Yankees are an iconic sports franchise. You see Yankee hats everywhere in the city, country, and all over the world.

Knicks have huge loyal fans even though they've stunk forever. The energy at Knick games is huge.

Giants have a typical large NFL following.

Mets are second fiddle to the Yankees, even when they are good.

Rangers have a loyal following.

Islanders and Nets, no one cares about them.

[-]

Crying_in_99Ranch@reddit (OP)

Where would you say the Jets fit in all that?

[-]

Trick_Photograph9758@reddit

lol, oh shit, I totally forgot about the Jets! Jets would be probably after the Mets and before the Rangers. The Jets have been a laughingstock for decades, so it's hard to gauge.

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mmbg78@reddit

The Eagles are the biggest draw. We love the Phillies but it's a football town imho

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Traditional_Entry183@reddit

Where I grew up, its Steelers, then WVU football, then Penguins, then other WVU sports.

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Appalachian_Aioli@reddit

Huntington WV (hometown)

Marshall Thundering Herd
WVU
Cincinnati Reds
Tie between Ohio State and Kentucky
Bengals/Browns/Steelers - whoever is doing well

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UnbiasedSportsExpert@reddit

Browns Cavs or tribe depending on who's winning Ohio state

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kyrokip@reddit

Detroit.

All four major sports and two college relevant teams.

The city will gravitate and show up for all teams. But I think the correct order is:

Lions.
Tigers.
Michigan.
Pistons.
Red wings.
Michigan state.

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79215185-1feb-44c6@reddit

The irony is that I think the worst sports experience is going to Fenway.

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Vandal_A@reddit

Why's that? I'm a Yanks fan who's never been there but wants to go btw (for any rand game, not inherently for a rivalry thing)

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79215185-1feb-44c6@reddit

/j $40 Lobster Poutine

But seriously, unlike other sports you get a better watching experience on TV and you have to pay like $130 for a decent seat.

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AtWorkCurrently@reddit

Have you tried to go to any Red Sox game for the last six years? You can consistently get lower level seats for around $60 to most weeknight games. Get in price for early season midweek games is around $20. For all its faults, Fenway is way more affordable than a Bruins or Celtics game.

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79215185-1feb-44c6@reddit

Last game I went to was on Easter.

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witchy12@reddit

idk when the last time you went to a Pats or Celtics game is, but you're spending a lot more than $130 for decent seats.

I'd say Red Sox game are surprisingly affordable most of the time. The grandstands may not be the best seats, but getting in for \~$20 per person is so much better than spending $150+ to sit in the nosebleeds in TD.

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Vandal_A@reddit

Fair

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meowmix778@reddit

That's funny, I love going to Fenway. I'm a Cubs fan but I'd happily go to Fenway any day. I love all the festivities up and down the streets.

What I hate is Gillette. The traffic alone will make your eyes bleed.

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79215185-1feb-44c6@reddit

Yea that is part of why I don't like Fenway. You pay more for the "Fenway Experience". I'm there to watch Baseball and not loitering on Jersey Street.

This doesn't mean I don't go to games.

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meowmix778@reddit

To be fair, when I lived down in Stoughton I didn't love the "experience" as much. I wanted to get to the game and get back.

Now I'll drive down to Lowell, take the T into north station and either grab the green line or an uber over to the area and boom I'm there for the day.

The only gripe I have is like 70% of the time I forget all the food near Fenway is really shitty and either end up buckling on overpriced food at the game or just suffer with that gross ass McDonald's at North Station.

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Vandal_A@reddit

Can't do parking lot stadiums. It's gotta be pedestrian friendly or train adjacent or else I'm not interested

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Phillyfan10@reddit

1) Eagles

Wide Margin

2) Phillies

3) Sixers

4) Flyers

5) Union

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Xcalat3@reddit

Yankees
Knicks
Mets.
Giants
Jets
Rangers
Nets
Islanders

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Financial_Island2353@reddit

Ole Miss/Mississippi State
Saints
Braves
Other surrounding colleges like LSU, Alabama, etc.
everything else

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mr_lockwork@reddit

Evansville indiana:

1: Aces (basketball, division 1)

2: Thunderbolts(hockey, SPHL)/otters (baseball, frontier leauge)

3: Screaming Eagles( basketball, just became division 1)

4: Midwest Hooligans(soccer, UPSL)

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DarthMutter8@reddit

Eagles and Phillies are the easy 1 and 2. Phillies Fandom is huge, close to the Eagles, but the Eagles Fandom has an ubiquitous energy to it that is hard to match.

The Sixers and Flyers are 3rd and 4th, but idk in what position. It kind of changes, but they also seem about the same. I ancedotely know way more Flyers fans, but I also don't watch basketball.

5th is the Union. They are lucky to get a mention on the local news half the time. They are absolute ass this season even though they juat got their first win last weekend.

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RhinoGuy13@reddit

I live in a college town, so everyone is into college football. NFL is not as big in my area because we dont have a team close by. A lot of people kinda follow NFL, but you wont see a lot of people wearing jerseys on Sunday.

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Loud_Inspector_9782@reddit

No major schools? TCU says hi.

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Crying_in_99Ranch@reddit (OP)

It's a pretty small, private school with much fewer alumni compared to other major schools

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itmightbehere@reddit

Kansas City is football (Chiefs) first, but baseball (Royals) is not far behind. Soccer (KC Current and Sporting KC) are also pretty popular. Anything else, idk.

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FreeStateOfPortland@reddit

Portland Oregon is a weird one. The only “big three” sports team is The Trailblazers but we have The Timbers and Portland is nicknamed “Soccer City USA”.

That said, I’d say it’s football with all the U of O and OSU fans in Portland.

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StevInPitt@reddit

I live in Pittsburgh.
We likely break the scale.
We support local colleges (even in other states like WVU at the level most cities aspire to for the pro teams.
Our Pro teams are heavily supported.
That the Pirates even still have a fanbase underscores that.

And yet I'm only marginally aware of any 'farm teams" leagues around here, mostly hockey in Wheeling and baseball in washington PA.

And then our local sports leagues (like city-wide) is vibrant teams for neighborhoods, or LGBTQIA+ or just singles groups to meet and mingle.

TThe old joke is:
We're a drinking town with a sports problem.
And it's kinda true.

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El_Polio_Loco@reddit

We support local colleges (even in other states like WVU at the level most cities aspire to for the pro teams.

This is very much not true.

Pitt, CMU, the Dukes, and also WVU all experience mediocre fandom in comparison to major D1 programs around the country. Pitt rarely sells out football games, and WVU fans are much more heavily WV than they are Pittsburgh.

The buccos have abysmal following (mostly because they've been terrible for longer than most Yinzers have been alive)

The Pens have been popular as long as they're good, but I remember a time when there was a very real chance they were going to leave pittsburgh and college students were getting into games for a song.

The Steelers are different, that's as strong of a fanbase as exists in sports.

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Neb-Nose@reddit

I’m in Pittsburgh, too. It’s just a very sports passionate place and it always has been. It’s just woven into the culture.

I think most people already know that, and if they don’t, just watch the upcoming NFL draft. It will definitely be completely bananas.

The Steelers are No. 1 here by a country mile. Nobody who lives here would ever dispute that. I think the Penguins are No. 2, followed by the Pirates at a barely deserved No. 3.

College sports are a mixed bag, but Pitt is understandably the most popular college team here, followed by Penn State and the. A pretty big drop off to West Virginia. Notre Dame also has lots of fans here.

What I love most about it is how universal it is. It’s not just the males, it’s everyone. I think that’s pretty unique based on living elsewhere.

I met a buddy for a beer the other night, and as I was waiting for him, the two women bartenders started chatting me up about the upcoming draft and who the Steelers should take. One of them said something along the lines of, “We have like three or four third round picks. I think we should trade a few of them for that McCarthy kid in Minnesota. They’re obviously done with him and we could probably get him cheap.”

The other one said, “No thanks. I think he’s worse than Pickett. There’s reason why Minnesota gave up on him so quickly.”

Now, whatever you think of those opinions, to me, it is unbelievable that two random female bartenders had relatively sophisticated views about the league and the draft. I didn’t necessarily agree with what they were suggesting, but I did think to myself, “Only in Pittsburgh.”

Maybe that makes me sexist? I don’t mean that to sound condescending, but I’ve lived all over the place and I have never experienced anything quite like that before, but it is fairly routine here.

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vabeachkevin@reddit

Eagles
Phillies
Flyers

GO BIRDS!

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ParadoxicalFrog@reddit

My city loves college basketball (VCU Rams among others) and minor league baseball (Richmond Flying Squirrels). We're not big enough to host a major league team for anything, but we have our own basketball arena, and the Squirrels just got a new ballpark.

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holymacaroley@reddit

Maybe football, we have the Carolina Panthers right here. I'm not a sports person, though, and neither are most of my friends, so I only see it from afar.

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Sarcastic_Rocket@reddit

Whoever is most likely to win a championship, in Boston that does bounce around pretty often and we don't have to worry about not having a team in contention.

Less people cared about the patriots when they were bad, then more people started talking about the patriots again when they went to the Superbowl.

So right now Celtics (NBA), Patriots (NFL), Bruins (NHL), Red Sox (MLB)

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AtWorkCurrently@reddit

Even in the down years, I still would put the Patriots first. The Mac Jones Patriots still got way better TV ratings than the Celtics or Bruins.

Personally, for me it is definitely whoever is closest to winning a championship. Not in a bandwagon way but in a "why am I going to watch an April Red Sox game over a playoff Bruins or Celtics game" way.

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DadPuncher69@reddit

Bears, Cubs, White Sox, but beyond that I'm not really sure. I don't care about the Bulls, Sky, or Blackhawks, so I don't pay any attention to them. We also have professional soccer and college sports that are popular with some people.

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FREE-ROSCOE-FILBURN@reddit

Chiefs
Cardinals
(Black hole)

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PM_Me_UrRightNipple@reddit

In Philly it’s the Eagles - doesn’t matter if they are good or bad they will always be the franchise

The other 3 rotate based on their chances of winning a championship but it has been Phillies, Sixers, then Flyers in recent history

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fromcjoe123@reddit

From LA, which I’ve always said is the Dodgers town but for peak Showtime and Shaq & Kobe Lakers. The McCourt era was basically the only time we didn’t pack Doyerland on a nightly basis regardless of record.

Lived almost a decade in DC, where if you were from there, the Skins / Commanders were the most important thing to you. For the transplants, and that felt like almost all of us in our 20s and 30s, I’d say it was a hockey town - the Caps were big.

Now in NYC, which I’ve always assumed is the Yankees town, and I’d still say it is. If you’re younger or black, the Knicks are the thing you care about, but I’d say the town is still net Baseball and net Yankees. The massive transplant community seems to either keep their teams or, especially in Brooklyn where my sister has been for a decade, just not watch sports.

Almost all towns with a football team are football towns, with the exception of LA, NYC, Atlanta, and Chicago which I’d consider to be baseball towns, although have gone through periods where basketball is bigger (Knicks could be bigger than the Yankees depending on who you ask). St. Louis is even when they had the Rams I’d say was and is a baseball town.

Boston can be very dependent on who is good and probably has the most uniformed level of importance culturally from what I’ve seen across their sports.

SF is tough because there are so many transplants. Has gone through periods where the Niners, Giants, and now Warriors are the biggest game in town. The younger your town, the more you skew basketball.

Detroit even though the Wings aren’t what they were I’d still say is a Hockey town, although second place between the Pistons and Tigers, and now Lions now that they’re finally good I’d say moves around.

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JustAnotherDay1977@reddit

In my hometown of Milwaukee:

Packers Brewers Bucks

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Amazing_Divide1214@reddit

Like #247

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Tommy_Wisseau_burner@reddit

Bucs

Lightning

Marlins

UF/FSU

USF

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Sir_Chester_Of_Pants@reddit

Eagles (Big gap) Phillies (Decent gap) Whoever is better between the Flyers and Sixers at the given moment

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SensibleBrownPants@reddit

Chicago -

1. Bears
1. Cubs
Still exists: Bulls
Still exists: Blackhawks
I doubt they still exist: White Sox

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venturashe@reddit

All over, but with few remaining teams of our own. Football, I’m looking at you. 👀 LA of course.

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manicpixidreamgirl04@reddit

Baseball and basketball are probably equal.

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CountChoculasGhost@reddit

May be skewed thanks to the specific area I live in but:

Cubs
White Sox
Bears
Bulls
Blackhawks
Fire

I’m not a big sports guy, so could be way off base, but I feel like the Bulls, still retain some of their 1990s/Michael Jordan mystique. The Blackhawks just don’t have the same pull. Also not positive on the White Sox/Bears.

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RagingRR@reddit

I’m not originally from Chicago, but my spouse is, and we’ve lived here for 30 years. I guess you’re closer to the South side, but I still don’t see the Sox being a bigger thing than the Bears, in fact I’m not sure the Cubs are bigger, as baseball fans are split between Cubs and Sox, and it’s mandatory to hate the other if your a fan of one. So here’s my list:

1a. Bears 1b. Cubs 3. Bulls 4. Sox 5. Blackhawks 6. Fire

About the only thing they all can agree on is that the Packers suck.

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CountChoculasGhost@reddit

I’m from the north side, which is probably why I assumed the Cubs are at #1 since I am surrounded by it.

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Perplexio76@reddit

Also from Chicago metro, and I think it looks a bit more like this:

Bears
Cubs
White Sox
Blackhawks
5 Bulls
FIre

The Blackhawks won 3 Stanley Cups within 5 years between 2010 and 2015, while not as impressive as the Bulls 90s run, it's more recent and thus a little more fresh in people's memories. While the Cubs are/were the last Chicago team to win a Championship in their sport (2016), there is definitely a certain excitement level with the Bears since the hiring of Coach Ben Johnson. While drafting Caleb Williams did create some excitement, I think most Bears fans were a bit more reserved in their enthusiasm at first because they didn't feel that Matt Eberflus was the right coach to help Caleb Williams elevate his game and the team to be a playoff contender. They went from worst in their division in Eberflus's last year as Bears coach (which was Caleb WIlliams rookie year) to first the following year, Johnson's first year as head coach. I think it's the most excited I've seen Bears fans since they went to the Super Bowl back in 2007.

Also-- South siders are going to flip 2 and 3. Because well that's Chicago for you.

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amazingtaters@reddit

I'd move the Bears up to 1 but otherwise the list feels pretty accurate. Maybe throw the Sky in as tied with the Fire.

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astralTacenda@reddit

I live in a small town. Soccer and baseball are our most popular sports. every school has a baseball diamond and a soccer pitch. And lots of student scholarships at the little community college for sure for soccer and probably for baseball too, though I cannot speak from experience on that one.

Can you tell we have a large Hispanic population here? 😂

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borisdidnothingwrong@reddit

Salt Lake City has traditionally been a mix of basketball with the Jazz and college football with the Holy War rivalry between the University of Utah and BYU.

In the last decade, soccer has also become very popular with Real Salt Lake, and we have had a small but passionate hockey fan base going back decades with minor league hockey teams (the Golden Eagles back in the day, and the Grizzlies which will relocate next year), and the new Utah Mammoth NHL team.

Of course, the big sport here has been skiing for a long, long time, but that's niche for pro sports, and spendey for amateurs. I personally know half a dozen people who came for a week to ski and just never left.

There's a push for a MLB team, but I'm happy with our minor league team, the Bees, even if their new stadium is too out of the way to attend a game. We need better public transportation out in the rapidly developing south end of the valley.

There are smaller sports teams as well, like the Warriors rugby team, a strong high school intramural scene, and multiple universities in the state for college sports.

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baddspellar@reddit

Boston loves its sports teams. We have one team in every major sport. Teams that are doing well get more attention. Boston always appears at or near the top of "best US sports cities for good reason"

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IcyBus1422@reddit

North Carolina is huge into college sports. UNC and Duke are the big ones

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Upstairs-Storm1006@reddit

I'm in Detroit, like most cities or is NFL football by a mile (Lions), then probably college football then baseball (Tigers)

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Butitsadryheat2@reddit

💙🩶

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manicpixidreamgirl04@reddit

It feels split between baseball and basketball

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winteriscoming9099@reddit

I’m not super far outside of NYC. For them you could argue basketball or baseball. The Yankees are iconic but i think the city thrives on basketball, the Knicks specifically. So Knicks, Yankees, the Mets have fans as well, people want to be into the Giants and Jets but they’re miserable teams, and the hockey teams are up there too.

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rojoshow13@reddit

Almost everyone in northern WI is either a Packers or Vikings fan, and the 2 groups are constantly at odds. A few other teams get fans here and there. I myself am a Dolphins fan. As for baseball it's mostly Brewers fans with occasional Twins and Cubs fans ...I'm a Cubs fan. I don't know many people who care about hockey which is weird since we're surrounded by ice half the year. And the only basketball people care about around here is the Badgers.

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Shop-lift@reddit

We love the Sox B’s C’s and Pats equally. There’s more of a disparity with college sports. Overall hockey is probably the biggest college sport in the Boston area, then basketball and football equally, then baseball and so on. But overall it’s pro sports, huge gap, college sports.

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Emotional-Loss-9852@reddit

I think DFW is pretty dependent on who is good or not. But at the moment the Mavs are 4

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_gooder@reddit

🥱 high school and college 🏈

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pmorter3@reddit

Chicago feels like a baseball town bc we have 2 teams, but if the bears are good, they’re probably #1. Bulls have the history and will always have fans and blackhawks fans aren’t numerous, but they are passionate (feels like that’s a hockey thing in general)

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tacobellgittcard@reddit

NFL is first of course, id like to say hockey is next but it’s probably basketball. I pretend that fourth weird sport doesn’t exist

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Frankjc3rd@reddit

I'm in Philadelphia and right now three of our major sports franchises are going all at the same time. The Phillies just started their season, while the Sixers and Flyers just started their postseason.

Of course those are just to keep us busy while the Eagles aren't playing! ⚾🏀🏒🏈⚽

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Eastern_Table9151@reddit

NYC. Knicks. Diehard ride or die fans. Followed by the Yankees.

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PineapplePikza@reddit

NYC is at heart a basketball town. Everyone rallies behind the Knicks. The Nets have a couple dozen fans in BK and NJ but are mostly an afterthought. After bball it’s a baseball town. Yankees get all the national attention but if you ignore the tryhard midwestern yuppy transplants and the people rocking the hat as a regional fashion symbol the split between the Yanks and the Mets is a lot closer than you’d think. Football and hockey are both more of a suburbs thing.

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Crying_in_99Ranch@reddit (OP)

The Nets have a couple dozen fans

Lmao

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PineapplePikza@reddit

Lol. Truth hurts sometimes!

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StallOneHammer@reddit

From Denver: Broncos are number 1 rain or shine Avalanche and Nuggets flip flop between 2 and 3. Right now I’d say the Avs are ahead. The Rockies are a distant 4 but could be a 2 if they ever got their shit together The Rapids have a very small but dedicated fan base Tbd on whether or not the Summit can maintain a sustainable fan base If Denver ever got a WNBA or PWHL team I think they could compete for a top 4 spot in the city

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