Fansided

Ranking the 30 best sports cities in America for 2016

By Charles Rahrig V

Jun 22, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Fans walk on the Hope Memorial Bridge after the Cleveland Cavaliers NBA championship parade in downtown Cleveland. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 22, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Fans walk on the Hope Memorial Bridge after the Cleveland Cavaliers NBA championship parade in downtown Cleveland. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
10 of 31
Next
July 21, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; General view of the crowd in attendance for the annual Green Bay Packers shareholder meeting at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK
July 21, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; General view of the crowd in attendance for the annual Green Bay Packers shareholder meeting at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK /

22. Green Bay, Wisconsin

It would be impossible to have a list of the best sports cities in America without including Title Town USA, where fans obsess over one thing and one thing only: the four-time Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers.

As one of the model franchises in the NFL, the Packers have managed to do what virtually no American sports team ever has: survive, and thrive, despite a population of just over 100,000 people. And while their cheese heads might seem ridiculous to some, Packers fans are some of the most loyal you’ll find anywhere — a clique for whom “love” doesn’t even begin to describe how they feel about their flagship team.

When a player becomes a member of the Packers, they become a Packer for life. If they’re a longstanding player that tries to leave, things can sometimes get messy (see: Favre, Brett).

Green Bay had a historic strike of luck going from Favre to Aaron Rodgers, but at least they’ve capitalized, keeping the team in the playoffs and the fans as engaged as ever. In fact, to show just how great of a sports city Green Bay really is, the waiting list to get season tickets is roughly 100,000 names and 30 years long.

Thirty. Years.

Next: 21. Indianapolis