Seattle didn’t make list of ‘best cities for sports fans’

Seattle loves making it onto lists. So it was likely upsetting to any of the city’s sports fans who stumbled upon a top 20 list that left Seattle out completely.

24/7 Wall St. published an index of the country’s major cities with at least one professional team and ranked those cities based on the number of teams, championships in the past decade, and winning records. Seattle was not on it, despite the recent success of some of its teams.

Paula Pasche, the author of “The Best Cities for Sports Fans,” told KIRO Radio’s Ron and Don the argument could be made for Seattle. After all, San Antonio, Texas and Washington D.C. made the list.

So what makes a great sports town?

Pasche says tradition plays at least a small part of it. That includes a great winning tradition and die-hard fans.

Sure, Seattle’s teams have had their ups and downs — many downs — but perhaps 24/7 Wall St. forgot just how many teams and fans the city has. Putting aside the Seahawks and Mariners, let’s not forget the Sounders, Storm, and Reign; all of which have enjoyed success in the past several years.

If that doesn’t help, perhaps Gene Balk’s Sept. 21 column might change some people’s minds. A new survey, Balk points out, shows that while people new to the city have a different opinion about the area as opposed to longtime residents, nearly the same percentage of both see the Seahawks as their favorite local team.

Doesn’t the unification of Seattleites and transplants account for anything?

Listen to the entire conversation about Seattle’s teams here.