Most popular Boston sports team

[Yakmanev]

I think nationwide/globally the Celtics are Boston's most popular team.

Baseball franchises, for the most part, have long histories in their respective cities which means people already had a team.

The NBA didn't start expanding till later on, there was still only a few teams in the 60's and 70's.

Also during the Celtics' title runs the networks, whoever had the rights at the time, showed the Celtics almost every week. This exposure compounded with winning attracted allot of people nationally to the team.

Hockey is more regional to the northern states and Canada but catching on in other areas.

Again, I'm only speaking from a national perspective as I've never been to Boston, yet.

[slamtheking]

1. Red Sox
2. Patriots
3. Celtics
4. Bruins

From my observations, casual fans only started talking (to me and others) about the Celtics a couple years ago when it was clear they were back. Even so, I doubt the C's are more popular than Pats/Sox. I wonder how many sub-0.500 Sox teams/consecutive-years in a row would it take for the Celtics to overcome the Red Sox in popularity, assuming Danny Ainge can work more magic to keep the Celtics in championship contention during the same time frame? Would it need to take that and another blue-collar "Larry Bird" type player whom fans can relate to?

I don't think it will ever happen. Boston is a baseball town.

It is now, but who knows, right?  Back in the 70s, from everything I've heard the Bruins were the most popular team in town by a fairly wide margin.

Bruins were hot back then but Sox have always been the top team since I can remember (which goes back to '69-'70.) 

Popularity in Boston (and New England in general) is Sox #1 by a large margin. 

Celtics/Pats/Bruins rotate through the 2-4 spots depending on team success.  70's saw the Bruins as the second most popular (thanks to Bobby Orr and team) with Celtics 3rd.

80's, C's were second thanks to Bird.  Pats/Bruins went 3/4 depending on who had the better year.  Bourque and Neely were the only reason the Bruins had a pulse in town

90's Pats surged to second, C's fell off as did the Bruins.  C's probably 3rd for early in the decade thanks to the residual Big 3-effect.

00's Pats were still second and C's/Bruins still way back in 3/4 position.  Bruins probably a little ahead thanks to the Thornton buzz.  C's came back to third thanks to the championship.

10's --> I'm optimistic C's remain a top team and win titles the next couple of years and surpass the Pats.  Pats will drop back as they fade to the middle of the NFL talent pack.  Bruins could surge to 3rd if this new kid they got in the draft is as good as advertised and they other players develop as hoped. 

A quick correction, from Booby Orr's rookie season until the 1975 World Series run of the Red Sox, the Bruins were easily the toast of the town and the most popular team in this city. They were big than rock stars and sports stars put together. They OWNED this city.

I'll go along with that Nick.  They had won 2 cups and still had Orr.  Sox surged to the forefront in 75 and haven't looked back

[PatsCelts]

I'm surprise with the votes the Celtics are getting. I know it's a Celtics forum but still.

[nickagneta]

I think nationwide/globally the Celtics are Boston's most popular team.

Baseball franchises, for the most part, have long histories in their respective cities which means people already had a team.

The NBA didn't start expanding till later on, there was still only a few teams in the 60's and 70's.

Also during the Celtics' title runs the networks, whoever had the rights at the time, showed the Celtics almost every week. This exposure compounded with winning attracted allot of people nationally to the team.

Hockey is more regional to the northern states and Canada but catching on in other areas.

Again, I'm only speaking from a national perspective as I've never been to Boston, yet.

Nationwide, the Red Sox are wildly more popular than the Celtics are. There are cities the Sox visit where the cheers for the Red Sox are almost as loud or louder than the home team.

Worldwide, I would not know but I would guess outside the US the Celtics have the larger fan base due to baseball and American football being primarily American sports that haven't caught on globally to the extent that basketball has.

Credit for that should also be given to Red Auerbach who was instrumental in the expansion of basketball popularity and the Boston Celtics popularity worldwide.

[Roy Hobbs]

I think nationwide/globally the Celtics are Boston's most popular team.

Baseball franchises, for the most part, have long histories in their respective cities which means people already had a team.

The NBA didn't start expanding till later on, there was still only a few teams in the 60's and 70's.

Also during the Celtics' title runs the networks, whoever had the rights at the time, showed the Celtics almost every week. This exposure compounded with winning attracted allot of people nationally to the team.

Hockey is more regional to the northern states and Canada but catching on in other areas.

Again, I'm only speaking from a national perspective as I've never been to Boston, yet.

Nationwide, the Red Sox are wildly more popular than the Celtics are. There are cities the Sox visit where the cheers for the Red Sox are almost as loud or louder than the home team.

Worldwide, I would not know but I would guess outside the US the Celtics have the larger fan base due to baseball and American football being primarily American sports that haven't caught on globally to the extent that basketball has.

Credit for that should also be given to Red Auerbach who was instrumental in the expansion of basketball popularity and the Boston Celtics popularity worldwide.

You're definitely right on America, I think.  Baseball is still the second most popular sport in the U.S., and the Red Sox are the second most popular team.

Worldwide, basketball is probably more popular than baseball, but it probably varies wildly by the part of the world you're in.  In Japan, Korea, and Latin America, I've got to think that baseball is more popular, and that the Red Sox have more fans than the Celts.  In Europe, basketball would be more popular.

My guess -- and it's totally a guess -- is that if you looked at Non-U.S. merchandise sales, the Sox would do better, but who knows?

[PatsCelts]

I think the Celtics do better at selling since it's more popular than the others.

[pearljammer10]

Unfortunately is has to be the Red Sox hands down. Red Sox, Fenway, the Yanks/Sox rivalry, the fact that baseball is Americas sport and favorite pastime... Being a Mets fan I hate to say it but I think it the Sox over the Celts.

[GreenEnvy]

As an outsider from NYC, I always thought the Sox were the most popular. And they are, but I think it has to do with the season and success of the team.

In the summer, obviously the Sox are the most popular, unless a team is coming off a championship. If the Sox are out of it, like they most likely will be this year, the Pats will be come September.

All I know is, I went to Boston in the end of January, and EVERYTHING was about the Celtics and Bruins. Nobody talking about the Sox or the Pats (or Super Bowl for that matter).

To me, as far as overall popularity, I have the Sox at 1. Then I'd rank the Pats and Celtics in terms of success. Up until the mid '90's, the Celtics were more popular. From then on, up until 2007-08, the Celtics have been.

Put the Bruins in the Finals, and they could more up.

Every city, every a great sports-town like Boston, care more about the good teams then the bad ones. Several years ago, the Celtics fans were in the TD Garden chanting MVP for Kobe. Now, every game is sold out.

I remember going to whatever Yankee game I wanted to in the early '90's. Now, every seat is accounted for, except for a few outrageously overpriced ones.

The Yankees are probably the most popular American team in the world. 20 years ago they weren't nearly as popular.

[PatsCelts]

Unfortunately is has to be the Red Sox hands down. Red Sox, Fenway, the Yanks/Sox rivalry, the fact that baseball is Americas sport and favorite pastime... Being a Mets fan I hate to say it but I think it the Sox over the Celts.

I think football is Americas sport nowadays.

[44Thrilla]

The 8 people who voted for the Celtics couldn't possibly be more wrong. The Pats and Sox are pretty close at the top, but the Celtics and Bruins are both nowhere near them.

[Q_FBE]

For me it is the Boston Celtics. It always has been that way for me since listening to Johnny Most growing up. I suppose there is no wrong answer here. I am just a little surprised that the Celtics trail the Red Sox by so many votes. Must be the season.

[Yakmanev]

Since we've segued into national/global aspect I think allot of it has to do with perception.

I'm from outside of New England and devote most of my sports time to the Boston Celtics, so I have a hard time imagining how another team from that city could be more popular than the Celtics because I don't give much attention to the other teams in the Boston area.

My regional sports city is probably St. Louis. Undoubtedly, the Cardinals own that city.

Tennessee didn't have any professional sports teams until I was in my 20's so I was always around a diverse group of fans.

Cardinals, Braves, Cubs, Blues, Cowboys, Saints, Celtics, Bulls and Reds were mostly what people around here were fans of.

Since the emergence of Payton Manning and professional sports into the state, the Colts have moved into the list along with the Titans and Predators. I'm not sure the Grizzlies will ever catch on as most people go to see the other teams, it seems to me, anyway.

[tenn_smoothie]

it has always amazed me how the city of boston takes for granted a treasure that few cities ever enjoy - boston has the most successful all-time franchise of a major american sport.

the Boston celtics are one of the very few elite franchises/programs in the world of sports. they are the equivalent of the Canadiens, Packers, Yankees, Fighting Irish, UCLA Bruins, Tarheels/Wildcats, etc. and yet the Boston fans have viewed them as an undercard to the other teams in town.

i became a Celtics fan in the mid-60's, my love for the team became complete with the 1969 title run. for some strange reason (me growing up in the south) i also became a huge Bruins fan during the 70's - always remember laying in bed at nite in high school listening to the Celts and Bruins on WBZ radio because the AM stations came thru much better at nite after smaller stations had shut down their signal.

always liked the Sox and Pats also, but they were never like the Celtics for me.

why doesn't Boston appreciate its unique treasure of the Celtics more than they do ??

[PatsCelts]

I don't know why Celtics aren't as huge as the other teams with our history.

[44Thrilla]

well, there was that 15 year period where they were complete garbage. Most of us, the die-hards, followed them back then, but we were very lonely. Ask random people about Kedrick Brown, Tony Battie or Eric Montross and see if they know what you are talking about.