USA Major Sport Franchises Quiz | USA

USA Major Sport Franchises Trivia Quiz

Here are 10 fun questions concerning franchises of the four major league sports in the US. NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB.

A multiple-choice quiz by jmoskow. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What was the first Major League Baseball team to be named after a state rather than a city (excluding New York)?

Answer: Minnesota Twins

The Washington (DC) Senators moved to Minnesota in 1961. The Los Angeles Angels were renamed the California Angles in 1965, then the Anaheim Angels in 1997, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2005 and then in 2016, back to Los Angeles Angels. The second Washington Senators franchise moved to Texas in 1972. The Florida Marlins franchise was formed in 1993.

2. Which one of the following cities did not have an NFL and MLB franchise of the same name at the same time?

Answer: Chicago

The New York Giants existed in both leagues from 1925 (origin of football Giants) until 1957 (baseball Giants moved to San Francisco). The St. Louis Cardinals existed together from 1961 (football team moved from Chicago to St. Louis) unitl 1987 (football Cardinals moved to Phoenix).

The Pittsburgh Pirates existed in the NFL from 1933-1940 along with the MLB Pirates. Other cities include the Boston Braves (1932) and the Cincinnati Reds (1933)

3. The Cleveland Browns were named after Paul Brown, their first coach.

Answer: True

The Cleveland Browns joined the AAFC in 1946. A contest was held to name the team. Browns was the most popular choice in honor of the coach and general manager, Paul Brown. He successfully coached the team from 1946-1962. The Browns joined the NFL in 1950.

4. Why was the Utah franchise in the NBA called the Jazz?

Answer: The franchise originated in another city known for jazz music

The Utah Jazz moved from New Orleans in 1979. The expansion franchise was formed in New Orleans in 1974, and named after the jazz music fame of New Orleans. The first player for the Jazz was the jazzy Pete Maravich.

5. Prior to the rapid expansion of all major sports in the 1960s, the NHL had the fewest franchises. How many teams comprised the NHL in 1960?

Answer: 6

In 1960, the NHL was comprised of franchises in Montreal, Toronto, Boston, New York, Chicago, and Detroit. By 2004, the NHL had expanded to 30 teams. The NFL grew from 13 teams in 1960 to 32 teams in 2004. The NBA grew from eight teams in 1960, to 30 teams in 2004. MLB grew from 16 teams in 1960 to 30 teams in 2004.

6. What U.S. state had the most total franchises in the four major league sports in 2004?

Answer: California

California had an amazing 15 franchises:

NHL(3) - Anaheim, San Jose, Los Angeles;
NFL(3) - San Diego, Oakland, San Francisco;
MLB(5) - San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Diego;
NBA(4) - Sacramento, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State.

New York and Florida had nine franchises, and Texas had eight.

7. During the four decades 1960, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s - what was the newest expansion team to win the quickest championship?

Answer: Milwaukee Bucks

The NBA Bucks won the 1970-71 NBA finals in their third year of existence behind the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Arizona Diamondbacks were founded in 1998 and won the World Series in 2001, their fourth season in existence. The Flyers won the NHL Stanley Cup in 1974, their seventh year in existence. The Baltimore Ravens were not an expansion franchise after 1960.

8. Name one of two major sports franchise at the end of the 1990s that did not have a state, part of a state, or city in its name?

Answer: Patriots

The New England Patriots were founded as the Boston Patriots. They played their home games in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The Golden State Warriors were the same franchise as the San Francisco Warriors in the NBA.

9. At the end of the 1990s, which one of the following teams did not play their home games within the city limits of their franchise city?

Answer: New York Jets

Many teams played in the suburbs of their "home" city. But the New York Jets and New York Giants did not even play in the state of New York. They played their home games in Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

10. What was the first professional baseball team based in a city west of the Mississippi River?

Answer: St. Louis Cardinals

St. Louis was located on the west bank of the Mississippi. The franchise joined the National League in 1892.

Source: Author jmoskow

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

USA Major Sport Franchises Trivia Quiz

Here are 10 fun questions concerning franchises of the four major league sports in the US. NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB.

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