Ranking the best sports cities in the United States
By Mike Dyce
6. Los Angeles
The only thing Los Angeles is missing is professional football. They have two NBA franchises, the Lakers and the Clippers, the Dodgers and the Kings.
The Lakers have a history of winning, getting two NBA championships in recent years. The Clippers have become a contender and had a solid playoff run that laid the foundation for next season. The Dodgers are perennial contenders in the National League led by the arm of Clayton Kershaw, arguably the best pitcher in baseball.
The Los Angeles Kings have brought two Stanley Cups to Southern California in the past four seasons. The Los Angeles Galaxy have been dominant in Major League Soccer, winning five league titles since the turn of the millennium behind superstars like David Beckham and Landon Donovan, and now Steven Gerrard is looking to build on their foundation.
The city is also home to two of the biggest colleges in the Pac-12 with USC and UCLA. USC had a great run of success under Pete Carroll in the early part of the century. Not to mention the Rose Bowl, home to the prestigious bowl game and national championship games, major soccer games including the upcoming Confederation Cup playoff between the USMNT and Mexico.
The ESPYs are hosted at the Staples Center, and the city always welcomes big sporting events. The Summer X-Games were hosted in Los Angeles for 10 years, from 2003 to 2013. The NFL hasn’t played a Super Bowl in LA since 1993, the famous Michael Jackson half-time show game, but the city has hosted seven Super Bowls. The Olympics have also come to Los Angeles, albeit decades ago.
Next: 5. San Francisco/Bay Area