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 /
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Jul 18, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Overall view of Safeco Field during the seventh inning of a game between the Chicago White Sox and Seattle Mariners. Seattle defeated Chicago, 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 18, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Overall view of Safeco Field during the seventh inning of a game between the Chicago White Sox and Seattle Mariners. Seattle defeated Chicago, 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /

13. Seattle, Washington

With the recent success of the Seattle Seahawks, punctuated by the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl win, the Emerald City — still reeling after the jarring departure of the Seattle Supersonics — finally reemerged as a bona fide sports mecca. Should the city land another NBA team, you can bet your bottom dollar the fanfare will be immediate, ceaseless, and intense.

Indeed, while the Seahawks have had a passionate following since their 1974 inception, it’s nothing like it is today. The Chief might hold the record for loudest fans, but Seattle’s 12th Man is right up there, with CenturyLink field proving one of the bar-none meanest environments for opposing teams in all of sports.

The Mariners haven’t enjoyed much baseball success over the past decade-plus, but they have a beautiful stadium and have a fantastic lineage of great players that have made countless memories donning the “M” on the cap.

And then there are the Sonics, who up until 2014 had authored the city’s lone championship, way back in 1979. Ever since Clay Bennett moved the team to Oklahoma City ahead of the 2008-09 season, Seattle has been clammoring for another NBA franchise to call its own. And rightly so: the Sonics endeared themselves to the city like few things ever have.

Seattle might be known for its coffee, seafood, and stormy weather, but its sports culture continues to rise, with no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Next: 12. San Antonio