NHL, NBA and NFL

NHL - Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens
NBA - Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics
NFL - Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburg Steelers

I only gave two examples for each because it isn't quite the same as with football, where the biggest teams are also the most dominant. Different teams often win the leagues from year to year.

For hockey, the Maple leafs make cake ($), lots of it...almost more than anyone else but their managment can't be arsed to win the championship (1967, I think is the last time they've won the Stanley Cup). Example, they sell out every game and there is a 10 year waiting list for season tickets. Montreal is wonderfully supported and consistently bring through French Canadian kids by the boat load. You could add the Edmonton Oilers (history..Gretzky) & New York Rangers (star studded squad). There is a group called the Original Six that includes Toronto, Montreal, NY Rangers, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks who were the first 6 teams in the NHL, they have the most history and probably largest fan bases. The biggest teams would probably include all of these.

NBA, well I went for the two teams with the most history but you could add the Chicago Bulls (who suck now) & Miami Heat (Shaq attack).

Same for the NFL, you can also consider the New York Jets, Green Bay Packers, Oakland (sometimes LA) Raiders, and San Francisco 49'ers.
 
Guvnorgaz said:
Where would the Nicks stand in NBA or the Redskins in NFL? I always thought the Redskins were the biggest NFL team
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The Dallas Cowboys were nicknamed (by themselves) "America's Team. They probably have the largest number of fans of any one team--mostly women and folks who know nothing about the game.

The "Skins are significant because they play in the nation's capital and get some attention from people in government. There used to be an NFL rule that allowed local television blackout if the gaem wasn't sold out (i.e. if there were empty seats left in DC, the local CBS affiliate would show a Philly or New York game instead. That pissed off football fans in Congress who had the NFL ditch the system.

The Knicks were big in the late 60's and early 70s, when they were winning the league. If they ever put together 4 good years with runs deep into the playoffs, their fan base will return--as basketball is viewed as a city game and New York has always been the hotbed of basketball talent. It is important to any professional league in the US to have a quality team in the New York metro area.

Speaking as a Knick fan, I realize that we will stink up the court as long as incompetent ownership has Isaiah Thomas, destroyer of basketball teams, running the show as manager and coach, drafting poorly, trading even more ineptly, and proving yet again that he can't coach. Dispose of Isaiah and watch the Knicks regain some form and fans.
 
Rooney1987 said:
What is the biggest sport in North America including baseball ?
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Gridiron (American) football. The NFL is the biggest league on the continent and football talk dominates the entire year, even during baseball and basketball season.

NASCAR is also big--although the fan numbers might be deceptive, since the same folks are travelling from venue to venue to watch the races.

At the college level, once again football is the primary sport in terms of crowds and media coverage, although men's basketball's "March Madness" is the biggest single (three week) television sports orgy, as 65 teams battle their way down to number 1.
 
The reason I ask about the Redskins is that a year or 2 ago they published a table of the richest sporting clubs and Utd were top and the Redskins were 2nd.Arent the 49ers the most successful?
 
Super Bowl winners are
5 times Dallas Cowboys
Pittsburgh Steelers
San Francisco 49ers

3 Green Bay Packers Oakland Raiders
New England Patriots Washington Redskins

2 Denver Broncos Miami Dolphins
New York Giants

1 Baltimore Ravens Chicago Bears
Baltimore Colts Kansas City Chiefs
New York Jets St. Louis Rams
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Prior to the Super bowl, NFL Championship Game appearances

Num Team W L PCT
14 New York Giants 3 11 .214
11 Cleveland Browns 4 7 .364
10 Green Bay Packers 8 2 .800
10 Chicago Bears 6 4 .600
6 Boston/Washington Redskins 2 4 .333
5 Detroit Lions 4 1 .800
5 Cleveland/L A Rams 2 3 .400
4 Baltimore Colts 3 1 .750
4 Philadelphia Eagles 3 1 .750
2 Chicago Cardinals 1 1 .500
2 Dallas Cowboys 0 2 .000
1 Minnesota Vikings 1 0 1.00

Over all, Green Bay is best with 11 Championships
 
Guvnorgaz said:
11 championships?
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I have been corrected:
Most Seasons League Champion
12 Green Bay, 1929-1931, 1936, 1939, 1944, 1961-62, 1965-67, 1996
9 Chi. Bears, 1921, 1932-33, 1940-41, 1943, 1946, 1963, 1985
6 N.Y. Giants, 1927, 1934, 1938, 1956, 1986, 1990

Winning the championship in the NFL has never been about having the best record over the season, but winning the final post-season game (the Giants won the regular season 21 times, but gagged in the game that mattered).


From 1967-1970, the NFL champ played against the American Football League champion in what became (around the third time played) the "Super Bowl." After that, the leagues merged into the modern NFL which, with expansion, has evolved into the current league which features 16 regular season games per team, then the playoffs leading up to the Super Bowl (with attached Roman numeral) between the NFC and AFC champions.
 
Guvnorgaz said:
Which teams in each of the three sports are considered the biggest clubs/franchise/team?
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NHL - Toronto, New York Rangers, Montreal
The Rangers might be worth more because they play in NY.

NBA - Lakers, Knicks, Boston

NFL - Redskins, Cowboys, NY Giants, NY Jets
Other teams are more successful but the size of the markets (ticket costs, boxes, etc etc) make those the biggest.
 
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