Cities and their Teams in 2016 Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Until 2016, this city was the largest North American city that had teams in only 3 of the 4 major US sports leagues - MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL. Note: large metro areas count as one city, so LA-Anaheim are counted as one city

Answer: Los Angeles

This was the biggest surprise in making this quiz - LA did not have a team in the NFL until 2016. They have two in the other other sports and even in MLS. But not in the NFL, until the Rams moved there from St. Louis; though they did have in the past: the Rams (until 1994) and the Raiders (1982-1994), were in LA in the past and even the San Diego Chargers started in LA, but left in 1963 until they returned in 2017.

2. This was the only city, in 2015, with at least 2 teams in each of the 4 major US sports leagues - MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL.

Answer: New York City

MLB - Mets/Yanks
NBA - Knicks/Nets
NFL - Jets/Giants
NHL - Islanders/Devils/Rangers.

They even have 2 MLS team - Red Bulls who play in Harrison NJ and NYCFC which started play in Yankee Stadium in 2015.

3. Which city was the only one of the four options listed to host 3 teams in any one of the 4 major US sports leagues - MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL? Note: large metro areas count as one city, so LA-Anaheim, SF-Oakland, NY-Newark are counted as one city.

Answer: New York

NY was best represented in the NHL - Devils, Islanders, Rangers.

LA has 2 each in the NBA, NHL, MLB
SF has 2 each in the NFL, MLB
Chicago has 2 in the MLB.

4. Dallas-Fort Worth had teams in each of the 4 major US sports leagues in 2015 - MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL. Note: some teams were called by their state name but actually played in this city.

Answer: true

MLB - Rangers
NFL - Cowboys
NBA - Mavericks
NHL - Stars

The Cowboys had won their pro-league championship a bunch of times and the Mavericks and the Stars had each won as well. The Rangers came over from Washington where they were known as the Senators. The Stars came down south from Minnesota where they were called the North Stars.
Dallas-Fort Worth also had a team in the MLS - FC Dallas.

5. This city had a team in each of the 4 major US sports leagues - MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL. Note: 1. Some teams were called by their state name but actually play in this city. Note 2. Large metro areas count as one city, so LA-Anaheim, are counted as one city.

Answer: Phoenix

MLB - Diamondbacks
NBA - Suns
NFL - Cardinals
NHL - Coyotes

The Diamondbacks were the only one of the group to have won the pro league championship. The Cardinals who started off in Chicago and then moved to St. Louis and, in 2016, were playing in Glendale a suburb of Phoenix.

6. Which of the these cities did NOT have a pro soccer team even though they all have teams in the 4 major US sports leagues - MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL?

Answer: Phoenix

Chicago had a MLS team called Fire.
Denver had a MLS team called Rapids.
Washington had a MLS team called United.

Phoenix didn't have a team in any of the major sports leagues until 1968 when the Suns started playing there.

7. Of the 4 major US sports leagues - MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, which did not have a representative team in Toronto?

Answer: NFL

However, the CFL did have a representative in Toronto - the Argonauts. The Maple Leafs in the NHL were the longest lasting team in Toronto and have been around since 1917.

8. Sacramento, capital city of California, had a team in how many of the 4 major US sports leagues in 2016 - MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL?

Answer: 1

Just the NBA had a representative team from Sacramento - the Kings. Though being the only team in Sacramento, it was one of 15 major league teams in the state of California - the largest number from any state.

9. Of the 4 major US sports leagues - MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, which one did not have a representative team in Tampa Bay in 2016?

Answer: NBA

The Buccaneers won the Super Bowl in 2002.
The Lightning won the Stanley Cup in 2004.
The Rays made their first World Series appearance in 2008 (which they lost to the Phillies).

10. Which pair of cities each had only 1 team from any of the 4 major US sports leagues - MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL?

Answer: Green Bay, Memphis

Green Bay - NFL, Packers
Memphis - NBA, Grizzlies

Of the other pairs, one had one team and the other had 2:
Montreal - NHL, Canadiens
Buffalo - NHL, Sabres; NFL, Bills

Sacramento - NBA, Kings
New Orleans - NFL, Saints; NBA, Pelicans

Portland - NBA, Trailblazers
Milwaukee - NBA Bucks; MLB, Brewers

11. Boston never had more than one team at a time in MLB.

Answer: False

For many years, the Boston Braves were crosstown rivals of the Red Sox until they moved to Milwaukee in 1953 and finally to Atlanta in 1966. They won a world championship at least once in each city.

12. Which two pro leagues each had 2 teams from the San Francisco Bay area at the same time?

Answer: MLB & NFL

MLB - SF Giants, Oak. Athletics
NFL - SF 49ers, Oak. Raiders
NHL - SJ Sharks
NBA - Golden State Warriors

The Giants and the Athletics both started off in different cities - the Giants in NYC and the A's in Philadelphia. The Raiders spent a short time in LA before returning 'home' to Oakland.

13. Which city had one team in each of the 4 major US sports leagues - MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL? Note: some teams carried state names but play in this city

Answer: Denver

MLB - Rockies
NFL - Broncos
NBA - Nuggets
NHL - Avalanche

Milwaukee was missing a team in the NHL and NBA

Cleveland was missing a team in the NHL, though it had a team, the Barons (a transplant from Oakland) for 2 years back in the 1970s until they merged with the North Stars who, themselves, moved down to Dallas to become the Dallas Stars.

Pittsburgh was missing a team in the NBA though the Pittsburgh Ironmen was a founding member of the NBA. They played only one season.

14. Which city was represented in only one of the 4 major US sports leagues - MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL? Note: some teams carried state names but played in this city

Answer: Salt Lake City

Just the Utah Jazz played in Salt Lake City but were originally from New Orleans (hence the nickname).

Tampa Bay had the Buccaneers, Devil Rays and Lightning.
Nashville had the Titans and the Predators.
Buffalo had the Sabres and the Bills.

15. St. Louis was represented in 2015 in how many of the 4 major US sports leagues - MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL?

Answer: 3

NHL - Blues
There was a team prior to the Blues called the Eagles who played from 1917-34.
MLB -Cardinals
The Baltimore Orioles also came from St. Louis where they were know as the Browns until their move to Baltimore in 1954. Interestingly, the team started off in Milwaukee as the Brewers until they moved to St. Louis in 1901
NFL - Rams
They came from LA. The previous St. Louis team, the Cardinals started off in Chicago and after its tenure in St.Louis moved to Arizona.

The Atlanta Hawks of the NBA actually got started in St. Louis.

Source: Author grisham

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor 1nn1 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Cities like their sports. Yet some cities were missing a team in at least one of these four North American pro leagues - MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL. Can you spot which were represented in all 4 leagues in 2016; and which were not?

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