Everywhere you look, there’s power rankings available for every in-season sport. However, it can be hard to find rankings on the top sports cities in the nation. That being said, it’s time to break out a new top ten ranking, and that ranking is the top ten sports cities in the nation.
How are these rankings done? Well, because this will be a monthly installment, the cities will change based on each of its teams’ performances. Take a look at this handy dandy list on what goes into rankings, from most important to least important. Some changes have been made from last month after listening to our valued readers’ opinions. Only the four major sports in the United States are accounted for in the rankings.
- In-season professional team performance, with the team with a higher percentage of its season played getting higher priority
- Out-of-season performance of a team
- Potential to be better or worse as season goes on
- Amount of teams a city or region owns
For a city to be considered, it must have two or more of the major professional sports in its area. Sorry San Jose and Portland, but you guys don’t count.
Teams that are technically located outside of their city name will be claimed by their closest city. Boston claims the Patriots, New York City claims the Jets and Giants, and so on.
Scores are an average of all totals from each sport. The scale is from one to five, with five being the best.
Now, let’s begin. Go ahead and light me up in the comments and on social media. As a writer, I’m always begging for the approval and validation of my readers.
- Boston- 3.75
After being ranked fifth last week, the city of Boston as rocketed to first place. With the Patriots in position to grab a first-round bye in the playoffs, its city is enjoying yet another fine football season. The Celtics currently sit at 10-7, and have won four of their last five. The Bruins are fighting for a playoff spot very early in the NHL season, and are 5-5 in their last ten. It’s safe to say the Bruins have a nice chance to work their way up in the Eastern Conference standing, which would keep Boston on top of the rankings for another month.
- Cleveland- 3.67
The Indians are now the punching bag of sports. After fans made fun of the Warriors blowing a 3-1 lead, the Indians promptly blew a 3-1 lead of their own. Regardless, the Indians made a Word Series, which is huge for the city. The Cavs just won the Finals, and they’re on pace to contend for a second-straight championship. Just like last month, the Browns are terrible. Actually, they might be even more terrible than last month. Again, they’re still in line for the number one pick in the draft, but we’ve all seen how well first-round picks work out for them, right, Johnny Manziel?
- Oakland- 3.67
The city of Oakland is enjoying some great sports right now. For those who are true Oakland fans and have not bandwagoned to the city in recent years, fans finally have encouraging teams to root for. The Raiders are currently on top of the AFC West, and are a prime contender to grab a first-round bye. Of course, the Warriors are the Warriors, but we won’t know exactly how great that team is for a while. The only thing weighing down the city is the A’s, but they’re not in season right now. All in all, the city of Oakland could be enjoying the makings of two future dynasties.
- Washington D.C. Thanks to a huge uptick in play from the Redskins and Capitals, the capital of the United States has surged D.C. into the number four spot. The Redskins are 6-4-1 and have just one team on their remaining schedule that are over .500. The Caps are yet to catch fire in the NHL, but they’ve got plenty of time to get hot. Washington D.C. is in prime position to enjoy sports for the next couple of months, with the Wizards being the only exception.
- Pittsburgh- 3.67
The Steel City is enjoying a good bit of success right now, but Pittsburgh falls a spot due to some inconsistent play from both the Steelers and Penguins. Currently tied for first place in the AFC North and sitting at 6-5, I expected the Steelers to be much better this season. Their schedule to end the season isn’t easy, as they still have to deal with the Giants, Bills, and a bad but always tough Bengals team. The Penguins look to be in better shape, and time will tell how good that team is. All in all, Pittsburgh is still enjoying two very good teams play.
- Chicago- 3.5
After winning the World Series in epic fashion, the city of Chicago is trying to experience a sports high. The only problem with that is the Bears. Awful as they are, they seem to have talent every year yet still unachieved. Like the city of Cleveland, Chicago has just one team holding them back. The Bulls are 10-7 and third in the Eastern Conference, and the Blackhawks are dominating the Western Conference, four points in front of the second-best team in the Blues. With a World Series, quality NBA team, and Stanley Cup contender, Chicago is enjoying lots of success right now.
- Dallas- 3.5
The Cowboys haven’t lost a game since Week 1, and rookie sensations Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott are not only in Rookie of the Year conversations, but also in MVP talks. Outside the Cowboys, Dallas doesn’t really have a contender in any other sports. The Stars are doing fine, but fine isn’t great. The Mavs are terrible, and with Dirk Nowitzki being hurt, the Mavs don’t even have their face of the franchise. The out of season Rangers give the city a boost as well, but the Cowboys are the only contenders for a championship it seems right now.
- Seattle- 3.5
The Seahawks have caught fire as of late. Prior to an ugly loss to the Bucs last week, the Seahawks had won (or tied) in seven of their last eight games. With just two professional teams in the city, Seattle only has one active team. With as hot as the Seahawks are, it’s hard to keep the city outside the top ten compared to others.
- Kansas City- 3.5
The Chiefs just picked up a huge overtime win over the Broncos this week, and they’re as hot as any NFL team right now. In their last 21 regular season games, they’re 18-3. Just like Seattle, Kansas City only has one active team right now. I like the Seahawks better than the Chiefs in the long run, so that’s why Seattle is a spot ahead.
- Baltimore- 3.5
With a surprise boost from last season’s performance, the Ravens are in contention to win the AFC North. They’ll have to get hot to end the season to grab a wild card spot, so the Ravens’ only real shot at the playoffs is through an AFC North title. It’s plausible, but I like the Steelers more. The Orioles just had a good season of baseball, and Baltimore has a good bit to look forward to down the stretch of the NFL season.