Ranking the best sports cities in the United States
By Mike Dyce
4. New York City
New York City and their metropolitan area is host to more professional sports franchises in the four big major sports than any other city. Here is a brief summary by sports:
NFL: New York Giants and Jets
NBA: New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets
MLB: New York Yankees and Mets
NHL: New York Rangers and Islanders, New Jersey Devils
Soccer: New York Red Bulls and New York City FC
That’s a lot of professional sports franchises. The Giants have won two Super Bowls since the turn of the century, knocking off Tom Brady and the Patriots both times. The Yankees have won a World Series though their dominance doesn’t rival that of the 90s since the turn of the century, they were and are still regular contenders in the AL East. The Rangers won the Eastern Conference to reach the Stanley Cup Finals in recent years as well.
But New York City is a host to a plethora of other major sporting events. The U.S. Open in Tennis takes place in Queens every year. The U.S. Open in golf has played at plenty of courses nearby including Bethpage State Park and Winged Foot Golf Club. Not to mention the New York City Marathon, one of the biggest races of the year.
The NBA and NFL Draft are routinely and consistently held in New York City. The Belmont Stakes is nearby, home of the last of the Triple Crown races in a calendar year. The city also hosted a Super Bowl despite the cold weather, and WrestleMania 29. The Barclays Center in Brooklyn will host SummerSlam and hosted the NBA All-Star Game in 2015. The Big East hosts their basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden, home of the Knicks.
The United States men’s national team played routinely at the home of the Red Bulls, the city hosts big European clubs during their summer tours and the United States women’s national team held their 2015 World Cup championship parade in New York City.
For some reason they won’t legalize MMA so the UFC can come to Madison Square Garden.
Next: 3. Dallas