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August 21, 2024
Introduction
In Part I of my Best and Worst Pro Sports Cities analysis, I focused only on championships since 1970. In this analysis, I limited my calculations to seasons since 2000 but evaluated all playoff appearances in each of the four major pro sports. I calculated a score for each city based on their advancement in the playoffs. My formula is pretty simple. These are the point totals depending on how far you go in the playoffs:
Some things to note:
Analysis (Teams with 60+ seasons played)
The first table below is limited to cities whose teams have played in at least 60 combined seasons since 2000. So these are essentially the cities with three or more teams.
It should come as no surprise that Boston is the clear-cut winner. The Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins have combined for 13 championships and 325 total points. They lead with an average of 3.4 points per season. All four teams won titles in a six year stretch between 2005 and 2011 (also between 2008 and 2014). The Boston teams reached the Finals of their sport an incredible 20 times in 24 years.
A couple of very different cities tied for second place at 2.1 points per season. Los Angeles, which now has eight pro teams including the Anaheim clubs, won 12 titles during the 2000-24 period. St. Louis won only three titles during this period but they make the cut because they played in only 64 seasons including a few from the St. Louis Rams before moving back to LA. Following closely are Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
The New York teams, which includes the Jets and Giants, finished tenth with 1.5 points per season. They won four titles, two by the Yankees and two by the New York Football Giants. I can't help but mention that New York's total is less than half of Boston's and they had less than a third of Boston's championships despite playing 61 more total seasons.
At the bottom is Minnesota (Minneapolis/St. Paul). That city played in 96 total seasons without a single championship. Not only that, but they failed to make the Finals in any sport. They last time a Minnesota team was in the finals of their sport was the Twins in 1991. It's been an amazing stretch of futility.
Atlanta, Seattle, Cleveland, Phoenix and Toronto have each won a single championship this century and rank among the bottom eight 3+ team cities.
Top Pro Sports Cities since 2000 (cities with 60+ total seasons played)
| Rank | City | Seasons | Titles | Points | Points/ Season |
| 1 | Boston | 97 | 13 | 325 | 3.4 |
| 2 | Los Angeles | 161 | 12 | 339 | 2.1 |
| 3 | St. Louis | 64 | 3 | 134 | 2.1 |
| 4 | Tampa Bay | 72 | 5 | 135 | 1.9 |
| 5 | Philadelphia | 97 | 2 | 180 | 1.9 |
| 6 | Pittsburgh | 72 | 5 | 133 | 1.8 |
| 7 | Oakland | 69 | 4 | 113 | 1.6 |
| 8 | Houston | 71 | 2 | 115 | 1.6 |
| 9 | Dallas | 97 | 2 | 157 | 1.6 |
| 10 | New York | 158 | 4 | 242 | 1.5 |
| 11 | Denver | 97 | 4 | 147 | 1.5 |
| 12 | Detroit | 97 | 3 | 136 | 1.4 |
| 13 | Miami | 97 | 5 | 135 | 1.4 |
| 14 | Atlanta | 84 | 1 | 115 | 1.4 |
| 15 | Chicago | 121 | 5 | 146 | 1.2 |
| 16 | Seattle | 60 | 1 | 72 | 1.2 |
| 17 | Cleveland | 73 | 1 | 86 | 1.2 |
| 18 | Phoenix | 97 | 1 | 97 | 1.0 |
| 19 | Toronto | 73 | 1 | 73 | 1.0 |
| 20 | Washington | 92 | 2 | 87 | 0.9 |
| 21 | Minneapolis | 96 | 0 | 90 | 0.9 |
The Other Cities (teams with less than 60 seasons played)
My primary objective was to look at cities with three or more teams so that is why I used the 60+ seasons criteria. However, every city that has had a pro team since 2000 is included in the table below. Some highlights and lowlights:
Without the minimum season requirement, San Antonio would have finished just ahead of Boston with 3.7 points per season. This is thanks to the city's only team, the San Antonio Spurs, who have won the NBA Finals four times this century and have been to the playoffs 20 times in 25 seasons.
The Green Bay Packers grabbed 2.5 points per season despite only one Superbowl championship in the 2000-24 period. They have been to the playoffs in 17 of 24 seasons and have reached the Divisional Round (NFL quarterfinals) 13 times.
As for the bottom of the list ... Columbus (Blue Jackets) ranked dead last. They received just 0.3 points per season. The Blue Jackets have won just one playoff series in their 23 year history. Nashville, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Charlotte and San Diego have not won titles in the 21st century despite playing in 40+ seasons.
Top Pro Sports Cities since 2000 (all cities)
| Rank | City | Seasons | Titles | Points | Points/ Season |
| 1 | San Antonio | 25 | 4 | 92 | 3.7 |
| 2 | Boston | 97 | 13 | 325 | 3.4 |
| 3 | Las Vegas | 11 | 1 | 31 | 2.8 |
| 4 | Green Bay | 24 | 1 | 61 | 2.5 |
| 5 | San Jose | 24 | 0 | 53 | 2.2 |
| 6 | Los Angeles | 161 | 12 | 339 | 2.1 |
| 7 | St. Louis | 64 | 3 | 134 | 2.1 |
| 8 | New Jersey * | 36 | 2 | 75 | 2.1 |
| 9 | Oklahoma City | 16 | 0 | 33 | 2.1 |
| 10 | San Francisco | 48 | 3 | 97 | 2.0 |
| 11 | Indianapolis | 49 | 1 | 92 | 1.9 |
| 12 | Tampa Bay | 72 | 5 | 135 | 1.9 |
| 13 | Philadelphia | 97 | 2 | 180 | 1.9 |
| 14 | Pittsburgh | 72 | 5 | 133 | 1.8 |
| 15 | Raleigh | 24 | 1 | 44 | 1.8 |
| 16 | Kansas City | 48 | 4 | 81 | 1.7 |
| 17 | Oakland | 69 | 4 | 113 | 1.6 |
| 18 | Houston | 71 | 2 | 115 | 1.6 |
| 19 | Dallas | 97 | 2 | 157 | 1.6 |
| 20 | New York | 158 | 4 | 242 | 1.5 |
| 21 | Baltimore | 48 | 2 | 73 | 1.5 |
| 22 | Denver | 97 | 4 | 147 | 1.5 |
| 23 | Detroit | 97 | 3 | 136 | 1.4 |
| 24 | Miami | 97 | 5 | 135 | 1.4 |
| 25 | Ottawa | 24 | 0 | 33 | 1.4 |
| 26 | Atlanta | 84 | 1 | 115 | 1.4 |
| 27 | Salt Lake City | 25 | 0 | 31 | 1.2 |
| 28 | Edmonton | 24 | 0 | 29 | 1.2 |
| 29 | Montreal | 29 | 0 | 35 | 1.2 |
| 30 | Chicago | 121 | 5 | 146 | 1.2 |
| 31 | Seattle | 60 | 1 | 72 | 1.2 |
| 32 | Vancouver | 26 | 0 | 31 | 1.2 |
| 33 | Cleveland | 73 | 1 | 86 | 1.2 |
| 34 | Nashville | 48 | 0 | 56 | 1.2 |
| 35 | Milwaukee | 49 | 1 | 57 | 1.2 |
| 36 | New Orleans | 46 | 1 | 51 | 1.1 |
| 37 | Portland | 25 | 0 | 27 | 1.1 |
| 38 | Phoenix | 97 | 1 | 97 | 1.0 |
| 39 | Toronto | 73 | 1 | 73 | 1.0 |
| 40 | Long Island * | 24 | 0 | 24 | 1.0 |
| 41 | Memphis | 23 | 0 | 23 | 1.0 |
| 42 | Orlando | 25 | 0 | 24 | 1.0 |
| 43 | Washington | 92 | 2 | 87 | 0.9 |
| 44 | Minneapolis | 96 | 0 | 90 | 0.9 |
| 45 | Winnipeg | 13 | 0 | 12 | 0.9 |
| 46 | Calgary | 24 | 0 | 20 | 0.8 |
| 47 | Charlotte | 47 | 0 | 39 | 0.8 |
| 48 | San Diego | 41 | 0 | 32 | 0.8 |
| 49 | Sacramento | 25 | 0 | 18 | 0.7 |
| 50 | Buffalo | 48 | 0 | 32 | 0.7 |
| 51 | Cincinnati | 48 | 0 | 27 | 0.6 |
| 52 | Jacksonville | 24 | 0 | 12 | 0.5 |
| 53 | Columbus | 23 | 0 | 8 | 0.3 |
My Awards: The Winners and Losers
Note: these are my choices, not specifically ranked by the point totals
Major League Baseball
Best Team Since 2000: Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox are the only team with four World Series titles during the 21st century. The 2018 Red Sox are arguably the best individual team of the century. The Red Sox have missed the playoffs a lot and have fewer points (my point system) than the Yankees and the Cardinals but those teams have only won it all twice.
Worst Team Since 2000: Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh is one the top sports cities in America but it's no thanks to the Pirates. The Pirates have just three playoff appearances since 1992. The only playoff round they have won since 1979 is the 2013 NL Wild Card game. So the Pirates haven't won a playoff series (more than one game) since the Carter Administration.
NFL
Best Team Since 2000: New England Patriots
No drama here. The Patriots have six Superbowl titles, nine Superbowl appearances, thirteen AFC Championship Game appearances and an undefeated regular season since 2000. Tom Brady is without question the greatest NFL quarterback of all-time and Bill Belichick is arguably the greatest coach and greatest GM of all-time. As for #2: it's clearly the Kansas City Chiefs with three Superbowl victories. No one else has more than two since 2000.
Worst Team Since 2000: Cleveland Browns
The Browns have reached the playoffs three times since 2000 with just one playoff victory. The Browns were 1-31 during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. After 12 consecutive losing seasons, they have won 11 games twice in the last four years. Maybe things could change?
NBA
Best Team Since 2000: Los Angeles Lakers
There are good candidates in the Warriors (4 titles, 6 Finals trips), Spurs (4,5) and Heat (3,7). The Lakers, however, have six championships, eight trips to the Finals and 17 total playoff appearances this century. The Lakers were also the team of the 1980s so they have been pretty dominant since the 1979-80 season when Magic Johnson arrived.
Worst Team Since 2000: Charlotte Basketball
The original Charlotte Hornets, established in 1988, left for New Orleans in 2002 but qualified for the playoffs and won one playoff series in 2001 and in 2002. The Charlotte Bobcats were born in 2004 and they became the Hornets again to start the 2014-15 season. All told, Charlotte has made the playoffs only six times this century with just those two series wins in 2001 and 2002. They have missed the playoffs eight consecutive years.
NHL
Best Team Since 2000: Tampa Bay Lightning
Three NHL clubs, the Tampa Bay Lightning, Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins have each won three Stanley Cups in the 21st Century. Both the Lightning and Penguins make a good case for #1 (Chicago has had a lot of bad seasons). Pittsburgh has more playoff appearances (17 to 15) but Tampa Bay has gone deeper in the playoffs more often (8 to 6 advantage in reaching at least the conference finals).
Worst Team Since 2000: Columbus Blue Jackets
In the NHL it is very tough to go two-plus decades without at least one deep playoff run but Columbus has managed to do it. They have reached the playoffs just six times in their 23 year history and have won only one playoff series (2019). The Blue Jackets had a pretty good stretch in the regular season from 2016-17 to 2018-19 but it's been downhill since then. Phoenix is not much better. They have pretty much the same playoff resume but with one trip to the conference finals in 2012.
In Part I of my Best Pro Sports City analysis, I looked only at championships. Click HERE for Part I.
