At the first game following the Boston Marathon bombings, Red Sox star David Ortiz famously and emotionally told fans, “This is our f—ing city and nobody is going to dictate our freedom!”
In, Boston where being a die-hard sports fan is in the genes, “Big Papi’s” statement was met with a warm embrace.
That kind of camaraderie has earned Boston the distinction of being the No. 2 sports city in the nation, according to a recent study by WalletHub, a personal finance website. Just don’t tell Boston fans — they’re sure they’re No. 1.
What city actually took the crown?
Archrival New York City, surely a dagger to any Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, Bruins and Revolution fans’ hearts.
The report ranked 423 cities based on more than 18 metrics including team performance, stadium accessibility, ticket prices, fan friendliness and fan engagement.It looked at the data for the sports of baseball, football, basketball, hockey and soccer. Boston was ranked No. 2 for both basketball and hockey, No. 5 for baseball, No. 8 for football and No. 11 for soccer.
Seven other Massachusetts cities made the list: Cambridge, Amherst, Waltham, North Andover, Springfield, Lowell and Worcester.
The top 10 ranked sports cities are as follows:
1. New York
2. Boston
3. Pittsburgh
4. Los Angeles
5. Chicago
6. Philadelphia
7. Washington
8. Detroit
9. St. Louis
10. Denver
Source: WalletHub
