One of the most common affiliations people share with a city is through their sports teams.

Some teams embody the personality of the city, such as a hard working, blue-collar nature. Other teams and players support the glitz and glamour with which the city identifies. The most important feature which a team can affiliate themselves with is winning, and to make the Flyer News top five sports cities list, that city must have winning teams.

However, winning is not the only criterion which the best sports cities are identified. The number of different professional sports teams which are present in the city is an important aspect. The quality of facilities which exist in the metropolis as well as, team history and tradition are key factors in deciding which is America's top sports city.

All these factors lead me to believe Boston, Mass. is America's top sports city. Boston is called home by four franchises, the Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins and Celtics. The Patriots are a rarity in twentyfirst century sports, a dynasty. Though, lacking much history before this recent success, they have earned their place. For many years the Red Sox were the butt of jokes. But that all changed last year in that fateful comeback against the Yankees and the anti-climactic World Series victory over the Cardinals. There is no more a historic venue in baseball than Fenway Park. The Red Sox have called the edifice home for more than ninety years and it is characterized by the signature 'green monster.'

Boston is also home to another team of great history and lore. The Celtics have won 16 championships and a record eight in a row from 1959-1966. The tradition has stood the test of time as they won a title in every decade of their existence until the nineties. The Boston Bruins are a charter franchise of the NHL and one of the game's greats, Bobby Orr, re-wrote records for defenseman while wearing a Bruins sweater.

The nineties were characterized by the dominance of Michael Jordan and for that reason, as well as others, Chicago is America's second-best sports city.

Although the city's baseball teams are enamored with losing, the Cubs and White Sox are benchmarks to baseball history. Though only one city, it is a divided municipality as north siders generally stick by the Cubbies, while those on the south side stick with the men in black, the White Sox. The original Comiskey Park was replaced in 1990 by a generally loathed newer structure but Wrigley Field is a hallowed ground of baseball history. Thanks to Michael Jordan and the zen master, Phil Jackson, the Bulls have etched their name in Chicago sports history. Whether known for Saturday Night Live skits or football performance, 'Da Bears' are lakeside fixture for Chicagoans. The Bears are nine-time world champions whose all-time roster features 26 hall of fame players. The only downfall of Chicago sports is the Blackhawks. The current owner Bill Wirtz has used tactics that have driven the fan base down to a loyal few. But the Hawks history is their saving grace. Bobby Hull scored more than five hundred goals over his career in the legendary Chicago Stadium.

The world's most famous city is home to Flyer News' third best sports city in America.

Home to more than half a dozen professional franchises, New York City is a sports-mad city whose passion is strongest for baseball. The Mets and Yankees are the talk of the town now, but many years ago it was all about the Dodgers and Giants. Yankee Stadium is a history museum when considering all the greats who have stepped on to the turf. New York City is also home to the 'World's Most Famous Arena: Madison Square Garden.' It plays host to the New York Rangers as well as Knicks, and each team has won a championship in the building. Adding to New York sports history are the Giants and Jets football teams. One of the prouder teams in NFL history, the Giants boast two Super Bowl victories in the last twenty years. However, the Jets often struggle for identity playing in the stadium that is their rival's namesake and have a history of morally crushing defeats.

America's fourth-best sports city is one which has really emerged over the last fifteen years. Each major sport has a team in the Dallas, Texas, metropolitan area. The Cowboys rival any other franchise as they field an impressive roster of hall of fame players, not to mention their five Super Bowl victories. Ten years ago, Dallas would not have made this list, however, the move of the North Stars south to Big D as well as the resurgence of the Mavericks have them on the list. Playing in a state- of-the-art facility, the Stars are a regular to the Stanley Cup playoffs, suffering only two losing seasons since the move as well as a Cup victory. The Mavericks were the laughing stock of the NBA until Mark Cuban took the team in a new direction. Complete with a new logo the brash owner's attitude has been featured on the court in a team which has made the playoffs for the last five seasons.

The last city on the list is the gateway to the West: St. Louis. It lays claim to one of the sports top baseball teams, 'the greatest show on turf' and a hockey team with a playoff streak unlike any other. The Cardinals are a classic team with an enormous, loyal fan base which spans the country. The Cardinals will move in to a new stadium next year but they will close out the current stadium with many memories as they will enter the playoffs for the fourth time in the last five years. St. Louis was the new home to the Rams. The relocated team struggled for a few years before hitting their rhythm with a high powered exciting offense which took the title in Super Bowl XXXIV. The Blues have made the Stanley Cup playoffs for a professional record 25 straight years, dwarfing any other team's effort. Although they have never won a Stanley Cup, the Blues have challenged many times.

If you live in one of these cities, consider yourself lucky. But if not, maybe your hometown could enter the list next year, and hope for a few wins along the way.