A lot of arguments are had about the best and worst sports cities in America. But what about those unheralded sports cities, the ones who have passionate fans but not the recognition of the New Yorks or Bostons, or even the South Bends or Ann Arbors? Here’s our look at the ten most underrated sports cities in America.
1. Memphis
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Lost in the midst of SEC country, Memphis is more known for its barbecue and blues than its sports. This is dumb.
Memphis is a phenomenal sports town, both in its support of the University of Memphis and the Memphis Grizzlies, its lone pro sports team. The FedExForum (AKA The Grindhouse) is one of the few NBA arenas with a distinct personality, and this Grizzlies team has come to embody a philosophy of hard work and gritty toughness that Memphis prides itself on. Not to mention The Grindhouse is just an awesome, awesome name.
2. Baton Rouge
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The shrill cries of “TIGER BAIT” may be awful on the ears, but it shouldn’t count against Louisiana’s capital. Baton Rouge is one of the great sports cities there is, a town that every weekend is painted purple and gold.
Though Baton Rouge does have that awful I-10/I-12 traffic (it really is awful), and the nightlife may not be too great, there are few more fun and exciting places to be on a Saturday afternoon.
3. San Antonio
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Like Memphis, San Antonio has only one professional sports team. Like Memphis, that one pro team is an NBA team that competes in the Western Conference. Like Memphis, the city’s fans are some of the most supportive and wild in the entire league.
Try writing a bad word about San Antonio, or mentioning that maybe the Spurs’ playing style is boring. Watch your inbox fill up with crazed fans who are 100% convinced everyone in the media has it out for them. The Spurs fans are committed, they love their team, and they will support the team against all injustices, both real and imagined.
4. Minneapolis/St. Paul
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The Twin Cities are so perennially underrated as sports cities that they are in danger of becoming appropriately rated or…gah…overrated, but that hasn’t happened yet. When talking about the best sports cities in the country, Minneapolis and St. Paul still aren’t included in the conversation.
That should stop. These fans support college football and hockey. They support the Twins, the Wild, the Timberwolves and the Vikings. The Wild is the only team in that list that is half good, and the fans still show up and support all of them. Give them their due. Plus, this is unrelated, but the Twin Cities have a wildly underrated music scene. So they got that going for them.
5. Hartford
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To give you an idea of how committed Hartford sports fans are, know that the city still passionately supports and loves a professional hockey team that has not existed for 17 years. People still wear Whalers jerseys proudly (they sell Whalers gear in the Hartford airport to this day), and regularly campaign to get the team back.You should also know that the city gave the Whalers a parade in 1986 for losing in the second round of the playoffs. They made it that far, though, so they got a parade.
None of this mentions the city’s fervent support of UConn men and women’s basketball, who play in Storrs. Hartford doesn’t have much in their city limits by way of sports, but this is still a great sports city. Bring back the Whale!
6. Portland, Ore.
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Portland only has two professional sports franchises — NBA’s Trail Blazers and MLS’ Timbers — but Portland fans have shown a level of commitment to those two teams that cities with more pro teams could never match. The Rip City basketball fans are nuts about their basketball team, and the Timbers’ fans (not to mention their tifos and incredible chainsaw goal celebration) are some of the best in American soccer.
None of that is even counting the city’s love for Oregon football. It’s no mistake Adidas and Nike both call Portland home in the U.S. This is a great sports city.
7. Milwaukee
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Milwaukee fans are an understated bunch. They don’t have the self-importance of Chicago fans or the self-mythologizing of Green Bay fans.
They love beer, they love baseball and basketball, and they love Hank the Dog. It’s tough not to respect that.
8. Athens, Ga.
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Athens is another home of a team that plays SEC Football, but what separates it from other SEC towns (and makes it underrated) is that Athens has an identity outside of SEC football. The Bulldogs are the biggest sports show in town, but Athens is a funky college town that has great music and a cool scene. For some reason, people think this discredits it as a sports town, so it has somehow become underrated.
This is silly. Athens can be the home of R.E.M. and still be an awesome sports town.
9. Salt Lake City
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The Jazz haven’t been good for quite some time, but residents of Salt Lake City still turn up to support their home team. I mean, Gordon Hayward is the team’s best player, and the residents of Salt Lake City still turn up to support their home team. (And I’m saying this as someone who LIKES Gordon Hayward.) Real Salt Lake also has some of the best fans in MLS.
Combine all that with the city’s love of outdoor sports and you’ve got yourself a strong (and underrated) sports city.
10. Louisville, Ky.
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Even without Louisville’s fervent support of their college football and basketball teams, Churchill Downs would nearly be enough to get it on this list. This city has passionate fans who have a permanent chip on their shoulder due to the attention the University of Kentucky gets over in Lexington.
It’s an awesome rivalry, and one that pushes Louisville fans up a notch. An underrated sports town if there ever was one.
Honorable mention: Vancouver
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Vancouver isn’t in America, but not enough people talk about how awesome a sports town it is. Fix that!
