Best Sports Cities in the USA

What makes a city a good sports city? Is it winning teams? Is it having lots of professional teams? Is it having a fan base that comes out and fills up the stadium every year, even in down years? Is it having the nicest venues in the country? Is it just pro sports or do college sports count too? I think it's a little bit of everything, but to me the biggest thing is having a fan base that supports the team through the thick and thin.

Here are my top sports towns in the US:

1. Pittsburgh. With the Steelers in the NFL, Penguins in the NHL, Pirates in the MLB, and the Panthers in the NCAA, this city has the sports fever. The fans are more into their teams than just about anywhere I've been, especially for the Penguins and Steelers. Heinz Field is one of the best in the NFL, too, with the open end of the stadium toward the 3 rivers and downtown skyline. The Pirates have been struggling for a few years but they still have fans come out to the games and they do have one of the nicer stadiums in baseball.

2. Philadelphia. Philadelphia fans take their sports teams seriously, too. The Eagles have become fan favorites nation-wide, as have the Phillies, if for no other reason than "They aren't the Yankees of Red Sox." Philadelphia is a great city with great sports teams and facilities.

3. Dallas. The Cowboys have been America's team for decades, and even though it's been years since they've had a great season, they just built a state-of-the-art stadium and have the largest fan base in the NFL. In addition, Dallas has the Mavericks in the NBA and the Stars in the NHL, who have won the Stanley Cup 10 years ago.

4. Atlanta. In the heart of the SEC with tons of faithful UGA fans, Atlanta is home to only 1 team in major college sports, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the ACC. The Georgia Dome hosts a kickoff game and a New Year's Eve Bowl game each year between the ACC and SEC plus the SEC championship game so the town is filled with college football culture. Additionally, Atlanta is host to one of the nation's most liked baseball teams and has competitive teams in the NFL, NBA, and NHL.

5. Los Angeles. There are many other things going on in Los Angeles but sports are certainly still very big in the area - the Dodgers, Clippers, Lakers, Galaxy, and Kings, plus UCLA and USC in college sports. Like the Braves and Cowboys, the Lakers have a fan base that stretches across the country. USC is always a fan favorite in college football. UCLA is one of the traditional powerhouses of NCAA basketball. And LA, or rather, Pasadena, is host to one of college football's favorite bowl games, the Rose Bowl.