The Town's Favorite Team

During the World Series pregame show the other day, they had Magic Johnson on the set and the FOX crew asked him whether LA was a "Dodgers Town" or a "Lakers Town."  Magic conceded that while the Dodgers are incredibly popular, especially with their recent run of success, LA is still primarily a "Lakers Town."  Which is probably true.  As much as Angelinos love the Dodgers, they LOVE the Lakers.

Which, of course, got me thinking about other cities and which of their teams they love the most.  For the Dodgers' World Series opponent, it's easy.  I was at a Blue Jays game in July one time and the guys sitting behind me flat out said that they were "just killing time until Leafs season."  So, in Toronto, it's very much Go Leafs Go.  But what about the other multi-team cities?  For some, it's obvious.  For others, not so much.  Let's give it a shot anyway, though.

New York: Yankees-Yes, there are plenty of Mets fans, but even they'll admit that New York is a "Yankees Town" and has been for a while.  The Giants are probably second, but it isn't even really a close second.  Sure, the Knicks get their due when they're good and people occasionally remember that New York has hockey teams.  None of that compares to New York's affection for the Yankees.

Boston: Red Sox-Ditto about the Yankees' biggest rivals.  The Celtics, Patriots and Bruins have all had their runs of success and hold a special place in the hearts of people in New England.  But, even while it's not the blowout it is in New York, that place in the heart is nothing compared to what New England feels for the Red Sox.  I think Fenway's charm has a lot to do with that.

Chicago: Cubs-Just as Fenway's charm gives the edge in Boston to the Red Sox, Wrigley's charm gives the Chicago edge to the Cubs.  Those two teams have similar histories, and a similar significance to fans in their home city.  Even though they're most known for losing, there's something about the Cubs that Chicago's other teams don't have.  Jordan's Bulls probably came the closest, but even then, Chicago was a "Cubs Town."

Philadelphia: Eagles-Even if the Eagles hadn't just won the Super Bowl, they still would've been the choice for Philadelphia.  There's just something different about the Eagles that the Phillies, Flyers and 76ers don't have.  Maybe it's the history.  Maybe it's the rivalries with the three NFC East opponents.  Whatever the reason, Philadelphia loves its football team at a slightly different level.

Detroit: Red Wings-Detroit fancies itself as "Hockey Town."  And they prove it by being the only American city with franchises in each of the Big Four where the hockey team can lay claim as the city's favorite.  They love their Lions, but that seems to be a fairly recent development with the team getting good.  The Red Wings don't need to be good for the fans to show up in droves.

Miami: Heat-The Dolphins have been there the longest and the Panthers have won consecutive Stanley Cups, but neither one has the same hold over South Beach as the Heat.  The Heat are the newest franchise to hold the title in their city, having only been founded in 1989.  They've had a hold over Miami ever since.  Consistently boasting superstars like LeBron, Shaq, Dwyane Wade and Alonzo Mourning has certainly helped them gain and maintain that attention.  Miami's soccer team took a page out of that book and signed Messi, which has led to a massive surge in their popularity.

Washington: Commanders-"Hail to the Commanders" doesn't quite have the same ring to it, but there's no question which team is the favorite in the nation's capital.  Remember the uproar about the name, then the name change?  For the longest time, it was just the Redskins and Senators in DC.  Then the Senators left.  Sure, the Capitals and Wizards are there now, and they eventually got the Nationals, but the Redskins/Football Team/Commanders are still the favorite son.

Dallas: Cowboys-Is there any more obvious choice than this one?  The Cowboys and their iconic silver helmet with the blue star are right up there with the Yankees and Lakers among the most recognizable and popular sports teams globally.  So, of course, they're THE team in Dallas.  And most of Texas.  And a good portion of the surrounding states.

San Francisco: 49ers-Steph Curry and the Warriors have made their case over the last decade and a half.  And the Giants have boasted beloved players like Willie Mays and Barry Bonds throughout their history.  Oakland's seen its two remaining teams.  The one constant in the Bay Area has always been the 49ers.  Even when they're bad.

Minneapolis: Vikings-Baseball and football both came to the Twin Cities in 1961, so this is really a two-horse race between the Twins and Vikings.  It's a close one, too.  It might be the closest of any four-sport cities.  I'll give the slight edge to the Vikings, though.  Mainly because they were founded in Minnesota and the Twins relocated there, so the Vikings' history is entirely in the Twin Cities.

Denver: Broncos-You could make a case that the Avalanche are Denver's favorite team.  They only arrived in 1996, though.  The Broncos have been there since 1960 and were Denver's only major league pro team for a while.  Their long history of extended success certainly helps, too.  So does the fact that they're the only football team in the entire Mountain Time Zone, which means their fan base reaches far beyond Colorado.

That's all of the four-team cities.  But the multi-team cities that don't have all four obviously have their favorites, too.  In Cleveland, it's the Browns.  Pittsburgh has the Steelers.  Atlanta, the Braves.  Houston, probably the Astros.  And Phoenix is no longer a four-city team now that the Coyotes are gone, but the Suns get the nod there.  In Milwaukee, it's no contest.  Packers by a mile. 

Las Vegas is new to the game, but only one of their teams didn't relocate from Oakland.  The Golden Knights are THEIRS.  Seattle's choice would be the Sonics (and will be again when/if they return).  For now, though, I guess it's the Seahawks.  And that covers are two most recent additions to the three-team city club.

Among the two-team cities, it's a little harder since there's definitely enough room for both.  But, I'd say it's the Bills in Buffalo, the Orioles in Baltimore, the Chiefs in Kansas City, the Cardinals in St. Louis, the Bucs in Tampa, the Saints in New Orleans, the Predators in Nashville, the Panthers in Charlotte, the Reds in Cincinnati and the Pacers in Indianapolis.  Finally, we have Salt Lake City, the only two-team major league city that doesn't have a team in either MLB or the NFL.  It's just the Jazz and the Mammoth.  And the Jazz have been there significantly longer, so that's an easy call.