Using Math to Rank All US Cities by Sports (Part 4)
Enough has already been said. On to the 4th and final segment of the rankings.
9. Kansas City (56.15)
Chiefs, Royals
Record (6th): Chiefs (136-74), Royals (923-1081)
Championships (6th): Chiefs (2019, 2022), Royals (2015)
Great Seasons (15th): Chiefs (14-3, 1 seed, SB), Royals (2015: 95-67, WS)
Great Players (13th): Chiefs (Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, Jamaal Charles), Royals (Salvador Perez, Alex Gordon)
It’s hard to believe that a city with a baseball team that has reached the playoffs twice since 2010 with a winning percentage of 0.398 in the last five years is in the top quartile. But in the short time that the Royals were a competent baseball team, they were great and even reached the mountain top in 2015. But Kansas City’s success is centered around one team, and that’s the Chiefs. They’ve had the best record since 2010 aside from a team in Foxborough, and have made it to the divisional round eight times in the last nine years, to the conference championships each of the last five years, three Super Bowls, all translating to two Lombardi trophies. But the most important number is 15. That’s Patrick Mahomes’—the greatest quarterback ever (not by résumé but by talent). As long as Mahomes is playing, the Chiefs always have a chance, and Kansas City will always be a top sports city.
8. Pittsburgh (56.94)
Steelers, Penguins, Pirates
Record (3rd): Steelers (132-76-2), Penguins (565-294-95), Pirates (934-1068)
Championships (11th): Steelers (None), Penguins (2015, 2016), Pirates (None)
Great Seasons (14th): Steelers (2010: 12-4, SB), Penguins (2016: 50-21-11, Champions), Pirates (2015: 98-64, NLCS)
Great Players (3rd): Steelers (Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell, Antonio Brown, Cameron Heyward), Penguins (Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang), Pirates (Andrew McCutchen, Gerrit Cole)
Pittsburgh have the 3rd smallest market of any city on this list, but all credit to them; they have won a lot. The Steelers have dominated behind perhaps the best one-two-three NFL punch in the rankings with Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell, and Antonio Brown. The main source of success, however, has been the Penguins, who made the playoffs in every year from 2010-2022, have won more than any NHL team not named the Bruins, and won the Stanley Cup in 2015 and 2016. And as if it weren’t enough, they’ve had likely the best group of players of any NHL team, headlined by future first ballot hall-of-famer Sidney Crosby, who ESPN had ranked as the best NHL player of the entire decade. Credit must also be given to 2013 NL MVP winner Andrew McCutchen, as well as numerous 90 win seasons by the Pirates. Pittsburgh has been one of the most well-rounded cities since 2010, making this number eight ranking earned.
7. Chicago (57.00)
Bulls, Bears, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks
Record (28th): Bulls (507-479), Bears (93-117), Cubs (1007-1008), White Sox (952-1051), Blackhawks (483-363-109)
Championships (8th): Bulls (None), Bears (None), Cubs (2016), White Sox (None), Blackhawks (2012, 2014)
Great Seasons (2nd): Bulls (2010: 62-20, ECF), Bears (2017: 12-4, playoffs), Cubs (2016: 103-58, WS), White Sox (2021: 93-69, division), Blackhawks (2012: 36-7-5, SC)
Best Players (10th): Bulls (Derrick Rose, Zach Lavine), Bears (Matt Forte), Cubs (Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo), White Sox (Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson), Blackhawks (Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith)
The Windy City is the only city with five big 4 teams, and with their high quantity of opportunities, they have taken advantage. Once again, their hockey elevates them to their high rank, but Patrick Kane, the Blackhawks ridiculous record in 2012, and their two championships are just one piece of the puzzle. The other four teams’ combined 17 playoff appearances in 52 tries are very poor which is why Chicago is no higher than seven. But Derrick Rose, Kris Bryant, and Jose Abreu all won MVP awards, and Rose’s and Bryant’s teams each captured the 1-seed in their respective MVP years. On the topic, the Cubs 103-58 season coupled with their first World Series in 106 years lift Chicago a couple of spots because of how truly magical that campaign was.
6. Oakland (57.18)
Warriors, Raiders, Athletics
Record (16th): Warriors (479-243), Raiders (63-97), Athletics (1021-984)
Championships (5th): Warriors (2014, 2016, 2017), Raiders (None), Athletics (None)
Great Seasons (5th): Warriors (2015: 73-9, Finals in 7), Raiders (2016: 12-4), Athletics (2018: 97-65)
Great Players (14th): Warriors (Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Kevin Durant), Raiders (Derek Carr, Khalil Mack), Athletics (Matt Chapman)
Remember in part 3 when I mentioned that there was a one-team-dominant city higher ranked than Miami? That may have seemed surprising because of the Heat’s achievements in the last 13 years, but the Warriors have them beat. Three rings, three of the greatest shooters ever, two top-15 players in NBA history, perhaps the best team ever, and non-stop winning. Not only were the Kevin Durant led Warriors one of the best teams ever by the numbers, they created a sense of invincibility that may not ever be matched by a team ever again. And we haven’t even talked about the time that without Kevin Durant, they went 73-9 (the best record of all time) on the back of Stephen Curry’s second straight MVP season. Not much can be said the Raiders and Athletics, who have both not been past the final 8 in their respective leagues, but their struggle only shines more light on how good the Warriors really were in Oakland. Appreciate the Warriors (although they are now in San Francisco) while they are on their last legs, because we may not see anything like them again.
5. Denver (57.28)
Nuggets, Broncos, Rockies, Avalanche
Record (21st): Nuggets (558-437), Broncos (106-104), Rockies (920-1084), Avalanche (482-382-94)
Championships (7th): Nuggets (2023), Broncos (2015), Rockies (None), Avalanche (2021)
Great Seasons (7th): Nuggets (2022: 53-29, 1 seed), Broncos (2013: 13-3, made SB), Rockies (2018: 91-72, NLDS), Avalanche (2021: 56-19, won SC)
Best Players (6th): Nuggets (Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray), Broncos (Peyton Manning, Von Miller), Rockies (Nolan Arenado), Avalanche (Nathan McKinnon, Cale Makar)
Outside of maybe Las Vegas, no city is riding higher more than Denver. Their Nuggets just captured the city’s third ring in nine seasons, and unlike Oakland, Denver has won three championships through three different teams. They’ve actually been subpar in the winning percentage column, but the Peyton Manning led Broncos and Nathan McKinnon led Avalanche have given the city some brilliant seasons to cheer about. And when it comes to players, Denver has been close to the upper echelon. Nikola Jokic’s legacy is fresh, but two MVP’s and a Finals MVP are more than most cities can say about their best NBA player. Peyton Manning also had an MVP season in Denver when he posted a record 55 passing touchdowns, and Nathan McKinnon has finished in the top 3 of Hart Memorial Trophy voting in five of past six seasons. The best cities are the most well-rounded ones—the cities with multiple franchises having success. When I look at these rankings, it is clear to me that the top 5 cities are easily the most well-rounded, and Denver absolutely belongs in the top 5.
4. Tampa Bay (58.15)
Buccaneers, Lightning, Rays
Record (12th): Buccaneers (91-109), Rays (1086-919), Lightning (571-314-82)
Championships (4th): Buccaneers (2020), Rays (2020), Lightning (2019, 2020)
Great Seasons (6th): Buccaneers (2021: 13-4, 2 seed), Rays (2020: 40-20, Made WS), Lightning (2018: 62-16-4, 1 seed)
Great Players (7th): Buccaneers (Mike Evans, Lavonte David, Tom Brady), Rays (Evan Longoria), Lightning (Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Nikita Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevskiy)
It’s rare that a city wins three championships in the same calendar year. Los Angeles won three in two seasons recently, and the Nationals and Capitals won for DC in 2017. Thus, what Tampa Bay achieved in 2020 is unprecedented, and their dominance in a year where no one could have predicted it earns them some bonus points. But what else has Tampa done? Well, although the Rays success is new and the Buccaneers’ was short-lived, the Lightning were dominant for years on hand, going through a four-year stretch when they were finalists, champions, champions, and finalists (much like the Miami Heat). Although they were first rounded in 2018, they won the third most games of all-time in that historic season. The Lightning have also led the charge for Tampa Bay in the players department. Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Nikita Kucherov, and Martin St. Louis ranked 8th, 12th, 14th, and 33rd on ESPN’s list of the top-100 NHL players of the 2010s. Oh, and by the way, Tampa Bay also had the G.O.A.T. in their city for three years. I am of course talking about Tom Brady, whose name is not being mentioned for the last time.
3. Milwaukee (58.26)
Bucks, Packers, Brewers
Record (5th): Bucks (521-474), Packers (136-72-2), Brewers (1034-971)
Championships (10th): Bucks (2021), Packers (2010), Brewers (None)
Best Season (4th): Bucks (2018: 60-22, 1 seed), Packers (2011: 15-1, 1 seed), Brewers (2018: 96-67, 1 seed)
Best Players (2nd): Bucks (Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton), Packers (Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams), Brewers (Ryan Braun, Christian Yelich)
With just three franchises in the Milwaukee, their tally of MVP ‘s is truly impressive. Aaron Rodgers has won the award four times, Giannis won it twice, and Ryan Braun and Christian Yelich won MVP’s seven years apart for the Brewers. All of these stars have translated into a lot of winning for Milwaukee, especially recently. The Bucks have had the best record in the NBA three times in the last five seasons with a record of 271-130 in that time span. The Brewers last six campaigns have been very solid; they’ve posted a winning record in five of them, including 95 and 96 win seasons. The Packers have consistently been a top team in the league as long as Aaron Rodgers was there which includes 2010-2022. All of this winning has generated some of sports’ greatest seasons including just the second 15-1 season since 2010. The only thing Milwaukee should be kicking themselves for is coming up short in the playoffs so many times. Since 2013, the three teams have reached the conference finals six times, and only Bucks in 2021 managed to prevail. A couple more victories, and they might be ranked second.
2. Los Angeles (59.73)
Lakers, Clippers, Rams, Chargers, Dodgers, Angels, Kings
Record (8th): Lakers (454-529), Clippers (597-399), Rams (64-50), Chargers (52-46), Dodgers (1179-825), Angels (482-550), Kings (481-369-111)
Championships (2nd): Lakers (2019), Clippers (None), Rams (2021), Chargers (None), Dodgers (2020), Angels (None), Kings (2011, 2013)
Great Seasons (3rd): Lakers (2019: 52-19, 1 seed, Champions), Clippers (2013: 57-25, CSF), Rams (2018: 13-3, SB), Chargers (2018: 12-4, DR), Dodgers (2022: 111-51, WS in 7), Angels (2018: 80-82), Kings (2013: 46-28, Champions)
Great Players (1st): Lakers (Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Anthony Davis), Clippers (Chris Paul, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George), Rams (Aaron Donald), Chargers (Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen), Dodgers (Clayton Kershaw, Kenley Jansen, Justin Turner, Cody Bellinger), Angels (Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani), Kings (Johnathan Quick, Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty)
Writing about every team, season, and player from Los Angeles would be a headache, because…well, just look at all of it. They’ve got seven teams, which is more than double most cities, and more than triple some. With their star-studded collection of players and being a top free agent destination, it makes sense that LA ranks first in the player category. Heck, they’ve had two of the greatest basketball players to ever live, and although Kobe was in the twilight of his career in the 2010s, his overall legacy and several All-NBA caliber seasons did their part. That’s what LA basketball is about—acquiring stars that won’t be remembered for their time in LA. Paul George will always be an Indiana guy. Same with Kawhi Leonard, but for San Antonio. Anthony Davis is still remembered by most as the Pelicans star. It hasn’t just been the players though. The Clippers have been fantastic since 2010, notching nearly 600 games in 996 tries, and the Lakers won a ring in the NBA bubble.
But no team in Hollywood has been better than Dodgers. They’ve been unreal, being above .500 all 13 years, including four 100+ win seasons in the last six tries (in 2020, they were also on pace for 100+ wins, but the season was only 60 games long), including an absurd 111-51 season. Clayton Kershaw finished top 5 in Cy Young voting seven years in a row, and winning the award three times. Kenley Jansen was a lockdown closer for a decade in LA. But the Dodgers haven’t even played host to the best pure baseball player in all of baseball history with the exception of the Great Bambino. That player would be two-way man Shohei Ohtani, who is on the way to his second MVP, alongside multi-time MVP Mike Trout. Though the Angels haven’t won much, again, they’ve been star-studded. I’m running out of space to write about LA, but I won’t forget about the Rams, Chargers, and Kings, who’ve also been successful, especially the Kings who won two rings at the start of the decade.
There is just so much representation from LA. Endless stars, championships here and there, dominant seasons, and everything else you can think of. But it’s quality over quantity for me, and there’s one city whose record and accomplishments are unmatched.
1. Boston (60.96)
Celtics, Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins
Record (1st): Celtics (576-418), Patriots (150-60), Red Sox (1035-968), Bruins (567-295-109)
Championships (1st): Celtics (None), Patriots (2015, 2017, 2018), Red Sox (2013, 2018), Bruins (2010)
Best seasons (1st): Celtics (2016: 59-23, 1 seed), Patriots (2010: 14-2, 1 seed), Red Sox (2018: 108-54, 1 seed), Bruins (2022: 36-5-4, 1 seed)
Best Players (4th): Celtics (Isaiah Thomas, Jayson Tatum), Patriots (Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Bill Belichick), Red Sox (David Ortiz, Mookie Betts), Bruins (Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, Brad Marchand)
Was this even a question? If you are one of the people that told me you would be very mad if Boston wasn’t number one in the rankings, it clearly was. For me, there was little doubt that Boston would be the best city, and they did so by a fairly large margin. The Patriots have the best win percentage of any team in any city since 2010 including an eight year stretch when they went an astounding 102-26. The Bruins have the most wins the NHL since then, and broke the all-time record for wins in a season with 65 this year. The Celtics have the 4th most wins of any NBA franchise since 2010 and have only missed the playoffs once in that span. And the Red Sox, who somehow have the worst record of any Boston team, put together one of the most complete seasons in MLB history when they went 108-54 and won the World Series in 2018. And even though every city would trade many accomplishments for the regular season record that Boston has, fans in Beantown only care about one thing. That’s championships, and would you look at that, Boston leads in that category too. The Pats got three, the Sox won two, and Bruins won in 2010. And although rings have eluded the Celtics, they have made the conference finals four of the last six seasons, so it’s only a matter of time.
The only category where Boston is not first place is players, but they are interchangeable with Pittsburgh and Milwaukee, and are only behind Los Angeles because of their seven teams. Brady is the G.O.A.T., Gronkowski is arguably the best tight end of all time, Belichick is the greatest coach ever, the Bruins have two future hall-of-fame players, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are young superstars, David Ortiz is an icon in his sport…I could go on and on. Powerhouse is the word that comes to mind when describing these invincible franchises.
Many Bostonians truly do not recognize have lucky they have been to support the Patriots, Celtics, Red Sox, and Bruins. Hopefully, one day, they will see that they live in far and away the greatest sports town to ever exist.
Lastly, here’s a chart of top 9 cities with category on the x-axis, and rank in each category on the y-axis. The lower the line, the better the sports in the city. It paints a clear picture that Boston has been the undisputed best city in terms of sports since 2010. Kudos to them.
I’m happy and relieved to see that Boston and Los Angeles are the top two teams. It means that the formulas, constants, proportions and all the math were good enough, which is all I could have asked for. Hopefully you enjoyed reading his series as much as I enjoyed making it. Until next time.
You forgot Stephen Gostowski for Patriots best players