Twenty-five years. The sports world has produced countless indelible memories during the 21st century's opening quarter, and it would be a gargantuan task to conjure it all in one place.

To help sift through all of the dizzying heights, jaw-dropping feats, unforgettable players and teams, the Bleacher Report staff got together to run back the best of the past two-and-a-half decades in sports—because, hey, reminiscing is part of why we're all fans.

Today we present the 25 winningest sports towns in North America since January 1, 2000, the fourth of our six-part Quarter Century series.

You can find other installments of the series linked below, and be sure to check back through New Year's Day as we reveal Parts 5 and 6, which cover the most incredible moments of the last 25 years and a look-ahead at the stars of the next 25.

Part 1: 25 Most Influential Sports Figures of the Last Quarter Century

Part 2: 25 Greatest Sports Franchises of the Last Quarter Century

Part 3: 25 Biggest Sports Trades of the Last Quarter Century

Ranking Methodology

The five professional sports leagues included in this exercise were MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL and WNBA. You could argue we should have included MLS, but the W's rising profile gave it the edge for inclusion as the fifth league.

From there, championships were of the utmost importance. Because, fair or not, an 84-win World Series champion is remembered more fondly than a 111-win team that gets bounced in the NLDS.

In fact, we only included sports towns that have won multiple championships in the past 25 years. (There were only 24, though, so we also included one city in Connecticut that has won a preposterous number of college basketball championships, but decided Storrs was ineligible to land in the top 10 because of the Huskies' amateur status.)

Regular-season success does matter, though. Quite a bit, in fact, as percentage of seasons resulting in a postseason berth as well as overall regular-season winning percentage were the other primary factors that went into the ranking process.

Where applicable, cities with a diversified portfolio were rewarded, while those with one great team carrying a bunch of dead weight were penalized.

Specifically speaking, St. Louis' four titles spread out among its three franchises look much more impressive than Minneapolis and St. Paul's four titles all won by the Minnesota Lynx while the other four teams in the Twin Cities were mostly mediocre. But that's where overall winning percentages really come into play.

In the cases of relocation, cities only get credit (or punishment) for the seasons played there. For instance, the Raiders are counted for Oakland until 2019 and for Las Vegas from 2020 onward.

Lastly, in some cases we grouped cities where it made regional sense.

For each sports town, we'll briefly discuss its best year and the player we're crowning as its torch bearer. Those factors play no part in the ranking process but help us succinctly sum up the brightest brights of each area's past 25 years.

25. Washington, D.C.

The Teams (5)

Washington Capitals (991-657-51-196, 18 postseasons, 1 title)

Washington Nationals (1,878-2,068, 5 postseasons, 1 title)

Washington Mystics (397-509, 15 postseasons, 1 title)

Washington Commanders (168-233, 6 postseasons)

Washington Wizards (834-1,180, 9 postseasons)

Total Championships: 3

Best Year: 2019

The football team was a 3-13 disaster, but 2019 was the year the Nationals made that improbable comeback from a 19-31 start to win the only World Series in franchise history. It was also the year the Mystics ran a freight train through the rest of the WNBA, going 26-8 en route to their only championship to date. It was almost a three-title year in D.C., too, as it was the final season of a half-decade stretch in which the Capitals consistently tallied at least 100 points, winning their Stanley Cup in 2018.

Torch Bearer: Alex Ovechkin

Between how well things have gone in Jayden Daniels' rookie season and the fact that the NFL's popularity dwarfs that of the NHL, it might not be long before the Commanders QB becomes the face of the city. It's definitely Ovi for now, though, as the 20-year veteran of the Caps inches his way toward Wayne Gretzky's all-time record for career goals scored.

24. Las Vegas

The Teams (3)

Vegas Golden Knights (since 2017) (312-176-0-49, 6 postseasons, 1 title)

Las Vegas Aces (since 2018) (164-74, 6 postseasons, 2 titles)

Las Vegas Raiders (since 2020) (32-35, 1 postseason)

Total Championships: 3

Best Year: 2023

Not many to choose from here, as there were no major professional teams in Las Vegas until 2017. It didn't take long to put together one heck of a year in Sin City, though, with the 2022-23 Golden Knights leading the Western Conference in points before cruising to a Stanley Cup. That was followed a few months later by the Aces finishing off one of the most dominant seasons in WNBA history, going 34-6 during the regular season and 8-1 in the playoffs.

Torch Bearer: A'ja Wilson

Just about the first thing the Aces did after relocating from San Antonio was take A'ja Wilson with the first overall pick in the 2018 WNBA draft. Quite the fantastic decision, as Wilson won Rookie of the Year in 2018, followed by MVPs in 2020, 2022 and 2024. In 2023, she had the most win shares in a single season by any player in WNBA history. In 2024, she topped her own mark. And she's still just getting warmed up.

23. Houston

The Teams (4)

Houston Astros (2,029-1,917, 12 postseasons, 2 titles)

Houston Rockets (1,072-942, 13 postseasons)

Houston Texans (152-202, 7 postseasons)

Houston Comets (until 2008) (170-130, 6 postseasons, 1 title)

Total Championships: 3

Best Year: 2018

None of Houston's championships were won in 2018, but it easily could have been a multi-title year for the city. The Astros won 103 games and cruised to an AL West title before running into a Red Sox juggernaut in the ALCS. The 2017-18 campaign was an all-timer for the Rockets, posting the best record in the NBA (65-17) by a six-game margin, before they, too, ran into a freight train, falling in seven games to the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. The Texans also had an uncommonly strong regular season, going 11-5 and winning the AFC South before an immediate loss to the Colts in the playoffs.

Torch Bearer: J.J. Watt

There's a strong case to be made for the Astros' 5'5" second baseman Jose Altuve. There's a way stronger case for 4'8" Simone Biles, if we're entertaining Olympic athletes as candidates here. But Watt was an absolute wrecking ball until his career was derailed by injuries, named the AP Defensive Player of the Year three times. Take quarterbacks out of the equation and he was one of the most nationally recognizable players in the NFL over the past quarter century.

22. Indianapolis

The Teams (3)

Indianapolis Colts (243-159, 16 postseasons, 1 title)

Indiana Pacers (1,063-951, 17 postseasons)

Indiana Fever (379-465, 14 postseasons, 1 title)

Total Championships: 2

Best Year: 2006

This was when the Colts finally made their first Indianapolis-based run to the Super Bowl, toppling the Bears in spite of Devin Hester taking the opening kickoff back for a Chicago TD. It wasn't a bad year on the hardwood, either, with both the Pacers and the Fever making the playoffs, albeit both getting immediately bounced in the first round.

Torch Bearer: Peyton Manning

If you want to plan on checking back here in five to 10 years to see if there's a case to be made for Caitlin Clark, by all means. But it's probably still going to be Manning, who remains one of the most ever-present figures in the NFL, even a decade after his retirement. He won four of his five MVPs and one of his two Super Bowls with Indianapolis, winning better than two out of every three games played and throwing for 399 touchdowns during his 13 years there.

21. Baltimore

The Teams (2)

Baltimore Ravens (240-163, 15 postseasons, 2 titles)

Baltimore Orioles (1,805-2,141, 5 postseasons)

Total Championships: 2

Best Year: 2012

One could make a strong argument for 2023 here, in which the Orioles posted the best record in the American League (101-61), while the Ravens had the best record in the NFL (13-4). But because those teams won a combined total of one postseason game, let's roll with 2012, when the 93-win Orioles at least did a little bit of damage in the playoffs before Joe Flacco led the 10-win Ravens to a Super Bowl title.

Torch Bearer: Ray Lewis

We might not be far away from Lamar Jackson taking over this spot in recent Baltimore lore, but let's wait until the two-time MVP quarterback wins a Super Bowl before we go placing him ahead of the two-time Defensive Player of the Year with two Super Bowl rings and the most tackles in NFL history. Lewis was one of the best linebackers to ever play the game, and we're still waiting on anyone to challenge him for the title of best pregame, tunnel-exiting routine.

20. Dallas/Arlington

The Teams (5)

Dallas Mavericks (1,193-824, 19 postseason, 1 title)

Texas Rangers (Arlington, Texas; 1,937-2,012, 6 postseasons, 1 title)

Dallas Stars (996-649-59-191, 14 postseasons)

Dallas Cowboys (218-185, 11 postseasons)

Dallas Wings (since 2016) (123-183, 5 postseasons)

Total Championships: 2

Best Year: 2016

Though it wasn't one of their championship years, 2016 was a strong one for the greater Dallas area. Not only did it add its WNBA franchise to the mix, but the other four teams all made the postseason. Mostly in dominant fashion, too. The Mavericks didn't get in with much room to spare as the West's No. 6 seed, but the Cowboys, Rangers and Stars all earned the No. 1 seed in their respective leagues. Granted, they all got bounced before even reaching the conference finals, but it was a phenomenal regular season.

Torch Bearer: Dirk Nowitzki

Though the Cowboys are always and forever the hottest ticket in town, this 21-year star of the Mavericks is easily the first who springs to mind when thinking back on the past quarter century of Dallas sports. If the NBA didn't already have Jerry West's silhouette as the logo, the 7-foot German's patented one-legged fadeaway could take its place as the most iconic form in the sport. The fact that the 2007 MVP led the Mavs to the 2011 title at the expense of the superteam Miami Heat certainly doesn't hurt Nowitzki's legacy.

19. Philadelphia

The Teams (4)

Philadelphia Eagles (233-168, 16 postseasons, 1 title)

Philadelphia Flyers (920-696-61-218, 15 postseasons)

Philadelphia Phillies (2,019-1,928, 8 postseasons, 1 title)

Philadelphia 76ers (985-1,030, 16 postseasons)

Total Championships: 2

Best Year: 2008

A strong honorable mention for 2022, when the Eagles made the Super Bowl and the Phillies made the World Series. However, they both fell just short, and it was instead in '08 that the Phillies actually won it all while the Eagles and Flyers both made it to their conference finals. The 76ers also made the postseason that year, with 2008 and 2009 the only years since 1981 that Philadelphia pulled off that four-pronged feat.

Torch Bearer: Allen Iverson

Philadelphia probably loved Chase Utley more fiercely than it loved any other athlete in the past 25 years, but the correct answer here is, well, The Answer. A.I. was the NBA MVP in 2001 and was at least a fringe candidate for that award in just about each of his first 11 seasons with the 76ers. There shall be strictly no talking about practice, though. And while it makes sense that Iverson is doing a crossover dribble in his statue on Legends Walk, we all know it should have been the Tyronn Lue step over.

18. Green Bay/Milwaukee

The Teams (3)

Green Bay Packers (248-153, 17 postseasons, 1 title)

Milwaukee Bucks (1,021-994, 16 postseasons, 1 title)

Milwaukee Brewers (1,960-1,988, 8 postseasons)

Total Championships: 2

Best Year: 2021

Pro sports in Wisconsin had one heck of a run in the three-year stretch before, during and after the peak of the COVID pandemic, with all three franchises making the playoffs in each of 2019, 2020 and 2021. The Packers won at least 13 games in each of those years, but it was in '21 that the Brewers won 95 games and the NL Central after the Bucks won an NBA title.

Torch Bearer: Aaron Rodgers

We may be just one more darkness retreat or unhinged rant on the Pat McAfee Show away from fans in Wisconsin more fully embracing Giannis Antetokounmpo as their most beloved sports figure. But Rodgers won four MVPs and a Super Bowl during his 18 years with the Packers. It should have been decades before anyone threatened to supplant Brett Favre in Green Bay lore, but it was the very next QB who eventually broke Favre's franchise record for career passing touchdowns—with barely one-third as many interceptions, no less.

17. Minneapolis/St. Paul

The Teams (5)

Minnesota Lynx (482-394, 15 postseasons, 4 titles)

Minnesota Wild (St. Paul, Minn.; 897-680-55-181, 13 postseasons)

Minnesota Vikings (210-191, 10 postseasons)

Minnesota Twins (1,984-1,965, 10 postseasons)

Minnesota Timberwolves (885-1,121, 9 postseasons)

Total Championships: 4

Best Year: 2017

There was no year in which all five Minnesota teams made the postseason, but they did at least have a good showing in all four sports in 2017. The Timberwolves went 31-51, but the Lynx made up for it with their best season to date and their fourth WNBA title in the span of seven years. Meanwhile, the Vikings tied for the best record in the NFL (13-3), the Twins ended a six-year playoff drought by sneaking into a wild-card game and the Wild set what was a franchise record (later topped in 2022) with 106 points.

Torch Bearer: Kevin Garnett

After 12 years of dominance in Minnesota—which included the 2003-04 MVP—KG was traded to Boston in a megadeal in the summer of 2007, finally getting his long-awaited ring the following year. He returned to the Timberwolves eight years later, and the fans never for a moment in between forgot what he meant to that franchise.

16. Phoenix

The Teams (5)

Phoenix Mercury (468-466, 16 postseasons, 3 titles)

Phoenix Suns (1,060-955, 12 postseasons)

Arizona Diamondbacks (1,922-2,026, 6 postseasons, 1 title)

Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes (806-836-63-191, 6 postseasons)

Arizona Cardinals (Glendale, Ariz.; 170-231, 5 postseasons)

Total Championships: 4

Best Year: 2007

1998 was the most recent year in which at least four of these franchises made the playoffs, but 2007 was a darn good three-team year. That's when Diana Taurasi led the Mercury to their first of three titles, when Brandon Webb paced the Diamondbacks to the best record in the National League and when the "seven seconds or less" Suns were at their peak, winning 61 regular-season games (before yet another playoff exit at the hands of the Spurs).

Torch Bearer: Steve Nash

There are cases to be made for 11-time Pro Bowler Larry Fitzgerald and 11-time WNBA All-Star and three-time champ Diana Taurasi. Could throw Randy Johnson and/or Paul Goldschmidt into the mix, too. But Nash's second run with the Suns was transcendent. Even if you're not an NBA fan, you probably remember the four-year stretch when Nash was running Mike D'Antoni's high-octane offense. He won back-to-back MVPs in 2005 and 2006, and almost won a third in 2007.

15. Detroit

The Teams (5)

Detroit Red Wings (982-653-50-212, 16 postseasons, 2 titles)

Detroit Shock (until 2009) (178-156, 7 postseasons, 3 titles)

Detroit Pistons (924-1,084, 11 postseasons, 1 title)

Detroit Lions (151-250, 5 postseasons)

Detroit Tigers (1,841-2,102, 6 postseasons)

Total Championships: 6

Best Year: 2006

Both the Shock and the Red Wings won titles in 2008, but that was also the year the Lions went 0-16. So let's go with two years prior, when the Lions went at least a not historically futile 3-13 while every other Detroit team made the playoffs. The Shock also won the WNBA title that year, the Tigers made it to the World Series, the Pistons set a franchise record with 64 wins and the Red Wings had by far the best record in the NHL with 124 points.

Torch Bearer: Miguel Cabrera

Barry Sanders will forever be the most revered athlete in Detroit history, but his abrupt retirement happened more than a quarter century ago. In his stead, let's finally get a baseball player on here, yeah? Cabrera's second megacontract with the Tigers ended up hurting the franchise for nearly a decade, but the two-time AL MVP became the only batter to hit for a Triple Crown since 1967. Fans continued to adore Miggy throughout his quest to 3,000 hits and 500 home runs.

14. Kansas City

The Teams (2)

Kansas City Chiefs (222-177, 13 postseasons, 3 titles)

Kansas City Royals (1,737-2,211, 3 postseasons, 1 title)

Total Championships: 4

Best Year: 2015

The correct answer here may well end up being 2024, as the Royals improved by 30 games in one season to make the playoffs for the first time in nine years while the Chiefs just keep eking out nail-biters in their quest for a third straight Super Bowl. We have completed data for 2015, though, when the Royals won a World Series and when Andy Reid and the Chiefs began what is now a 10-year streak of playoff appearances.

Torch Bearer: Patrick Mahomes

A lot of these Torch Bearer picks are at least open to debate. Not this one, though. Mahomes isn't even 30 yet, but the two-time NFL MVP has arguably already surpassed the likes of George Brett, Tony Gonzalez and Derrick Thomas for top billing on KC's all-time Mount Rushmore of star athletes. His ability to extend a play with his legs before delivering some sort of outrageous sidearm or left-handed shotput pass is second to none.

13. Orlando/Tampa

The Teams (4)

Tampa Bay Lightning (951-723-50-172, 15 postseasons, 3 titles)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (190-213, 10 postseasons, 2 titles)

Tampa Bay Rays (1,959-1,987, 9 postseasons)

Orlando Magic (918-1,097, 12 postseasons)

Total Championships: 5

Best Year: 2020

It was a calendar year that most of the world would love to forget, but sports fans in the Tampa/Orlando area had one heck of a socially distanced run in 2020. The Lightning won their first of back-to-back Stanley Cups, Tom Brady led the Bucs to a Super Bowl title, the Rays made it to the World Series and even the Magic had a bit of a moment as the No. 8 seed pseudo-hosts of the NBA's postseason bubble.

Torch Bearer: Steven Stamkos

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NHL draft, Stamkos spent 16 highly productive years with the Lightning, racking up 555 goals and 582 assists. His mark of 1,137 points is nearly 200 better than the next-best player in Lightning lore, and good for top 75 in NHL history. He missed almost the entirety of their 2020 Stanley Cup run, but played a massive role in helping them successfully defend their title the following year.

12. San Antonio

The Teams (2)

San Antonio Spurs (1,278-735, 20 postseasons, 4 titles)

San Antonio Stars (from 2003-17) (204-306, 7 postseasons)

Total Championships: 4

Best Year: 2007

The Spurs won four titles and the Stars had four winning seasons in the 15 years after they were the Utah Starzz and before they became the Las Vegas Aces. The lone year of overlap between those data sets came in 2007, which was also the Spurs' most dominant postseason run, going 16-4 and sweeping the Cavaliers in LeBron James' first trip to the Finals.

Torch Bearer: Tim Duncan

The Big Three of Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili won four championships in their 14 seasons together, though there's really no question who was both literally and figuratively the biggest of the three. The Big Fundamental was the NBA MVP in each of 2002 and 2003, as well as the first runner-up for that crown in both 2001 and 2004. Just a double-double machine who lived the "speak softly and carry a big stick" mantra.

11. Storrs, Connecticut

The Teams (2)

Connecticut Huskies (women) (856-68, 24 postseasons, 10 titles)

Connecticut Huskies (men) (591-261, 16 postseasons, 5 titles)

Total Championships: 15

Best Year: 2014

Don't worry. This is the only college town on the list, and we're keeping it out of the top 10. No Tuscaloosa forthcoming or anything like that. But 15 national championships between these two Huskies basketball programs is just too many to overlook in an exercise such as this. And 2013-14 is when things got particularly ridiculous, with both teams winning the national championship—the women doing so with a perfect 40-0 record.

Torch Bearer: Breanna Stewart

Kemba Walker orchestrated the unbelievable run for the men's team in 2011, and perhaps women's head coach Geno Auriemma should actually be the pick as the ever-present figure in what has been more than three decades of dominance. But UConn went 151-5 and won four national championships in its four years with Stewie on the roster. She won the Naismith Award for National Player of the Year three times, joining Cheryl Miller, Bill Walton and Ralph Sampson as the only players to ever do so.

10. Chicago

The Teams (6)

Chicago Blackhawks (866-777-55-198, 11 postseasons, 3 titles)

Chicago Cubs (1,969-1,977, 8 postseasons, 1 title)

Chicago White Sox (1,911-2,037, 5 postseason, 1 title)

Chicago Sky (297-349, 9 postseasons, 1 title)

Chicago Bulls (923-1,084, 12 postseasons)

Chicago Bears (187-216, 6 postseasons)

Total Championships: 6

Best Year: 2016

There were no years in the past quarter century with multiple Chicago championships, and the lone year in which at least five of the six teams made the postseason was 2020, resulting in no titles. But 2016 was the big one in which the Cubs finally broke the curse of the billy goat after 108 years. (Well, it was big unless you're a White Sox fan, in which case it was a depressing October.)

Torch Bearer: Jonathan Toews

Taken third overall in the 2006 draft, Toews was "Captain Serious" for the Blackhawks by 2008, holding that title for the duration (and then some) of what was a dominant nine-year run with three Stanley Cups. If you combine his regular-season and postseason stats (all with Chicago) he ended up with 1,002 points. Patrick Kane was taken first overall in 2007 and ended up scoring considerably more in his career, but Toews was always the leader of the team.

9. Seattle

The Teams (4)

Seattle Storm (444-400, 19 postseasons, 4 titles)

Seattle Seahawks (228-174, 16 postseasons, 1 title)

Seattle Mariners (1,975-1,973, 3 postseasons)

Seattle SuperSonics (until 2008) (349-389, 3 postseasons)

Total Championships: 5

Best Year: 2013

The Mariners finished 20 games below .500 and the artists formerly known as the SuperSonics won 60 games in Oklahoma City, but 2013 was a good year in Seattle with the Seahawks winning their lone Super Bowl to date. It was one of the most lopsided Super Bowls of all time, too, as the Legion of Boom decimated Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in a 43-8 rout.

Torch Bearer: Ichiro Suzuki

In his first year after coming over from Japan, Ichiro won both the American League Rookie of the Year and American League MVP awards, instantly becoming a slap-hitting sensation as the Mariners tied an MLB record with 116 wins in 2001. More than 20 years would pass before the M's found their way back to the postseason, but Ichiro at least made the first decade of that drought entertaining en route to becoming one of just seven players in MLB history with at least 3,000 hits and 500 stolen bases.

8. Denver

The Teams (4)

Colorado Avalanche (985-693-55-163, 16 postseasons, 2 titles)

Denver Nuggets (1,092-923, 16 postseasons, 1 title)

Denver Broncos (213-190, 9 postseasons, 1 title)

Colorado Rockies (1,809-2,140, 4 postseasons)

Total Championships: 4

Best Year: 2023

In 20 of the 25 years in question, Denver produced at least two playoff teams. Only once, however, did three of them make the postseason, happening in 2004 when both the Broncos and Nuggets were immediately eliminated while the Avalanche were bounced in the second round. And when the Broncos won their Super Bowl in 2015, the other three teams finished a combined 40 games below .500. Thus, let's go with 2023, when the Nuggets finally won it all in their 38th trip to the postseason.

Torch Bearer: Nikola Jokić

The Joker has already won three MVPs in the past four years, and he is well on his way to a fourth this season. In the seven seasons prior to the current one, Jokić averaged 23.2 points, 11.4 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game, doing more than a little of everything that one can do on a basketball court.

7. Miami

The Teams (5)

Miami Heat (1,125-890, 19 postseasons, 3 titles)

Miami Marlins (1,831-2,113, 3 postseasons, 1 title)

Florida Panthers (Sunrise, Fla.; 858-752-57-228, 8 postseasons, 1 title)

Miami Dolphins (197-206, 7 postseasons)

Miami Sol (until 2002) (48-48, 1 postseason)

Total Championships: 5

Best Year: 2023

It wasn't one of Miami's championship years, but one heck of a year all the same. The Heat made it to the NBA Finals before falling in five games to the Nuggets. Same goes for the Panthers on the ice, losing the Stanley Cup Final to the Golden Knights. The Dolphins won 11 games before running into Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs. Even the Marlins messed around and made a rare postseason appearance as the entire Miami metro area harnessed a little magic in 2023.

Torch Bearer: Dwyane Wade

One of the easiest choices of them all, Wade meant everything to Miami for his 15 seasons there. Sure, it was after adding LeBron James and Chris Bosh that they became a juggernaut for four years. But Wade also led them to a title in 2006, averaging 34.7 points in those six Finals games against the Mavericks. The 13-time All-Star is already in the Hall of Fame.

6. St. Louis

The Teams (3)

St. Louis Cardinals (2,179-1,766, 16 postseasons, 2 titles)

St. Louis Blues (987-666-53-191, 16 postseasons, 1 title)

St. Louis Rams (until 2015) (120-151, 5 postseasons, 1 title)

Total Championships: 4

Best Year: 2019

In both years that the Cardinals won the World Series, the Blues missed the playoffs. But when the long-awaited Stanley Cup finally came in the Blues' 42nd trip to the postseason, the Cardinals also had a 91-win campaign before getting swept out of the NLCS. As an added bonus, the NFL franchise that was stolen away from St. Louis and relocated back to Los Angeles missed the postseason in 2019, one year after making it to the Super Bowl

Torch Bearer: Albert Pujols

The Machine won NL Rookie of the Year in 2001, as well as NL MVP trophies in each of 2005, 2008 and 2009. His mammoth home run off Brad Lidge in the 2005 NLCS remains one of the most unforgettable moments of the past quarter century of baseball history. While the Cardinals didn't win it all that year, Pujols played a gigantic role in them doing so in each of 2006 and 2011, including a three-home run special in Game 3 of the 2011 World Series. And after a decade in Los Angeles, Pujols returned to St. Louis to complete his incredible journey to 700 career home runs.

5. Pittsburgh

The Teams (3)

Pittsburgh Penguins (985-686-39-185, 18 postseasons, 3 titles)

Pittsburgh Steelers (251-149, 15 postseasons, 2 titles)

Pittsburgh Pirates (1,767-2,176, 3 postseasons)

Total Championships: 5

Best Year: 2008

There's a decent case to be made for 2014 or 2015, when all three Pittsburgh teams made the postseason. None of them actually did any damage in either of those years, though, which is why 2008 is the clear choice. That's when the Steelers got their sixth Super Bowl ring while the Penguins made it to the Stanley Cup Final before falling to the Red Wings. Sure, the Pirates flirted with 100 losses, but that's just business as usual.

Torch Bearer: Sidney Crosby

Troy Polamalu, Ben Roethlisberger and Hines Ward all could be the pick if you want to go the pigskin route, but Sid the Kid gave hockey a pulse again in the Iron City. Crosby is already top-10 in career points in NHL history, and he's likely a little over one season away from catching Mario Lemieux for most points in Penguins lore—though, Super Mario's ratio of points per game (1.88) is about 50 percent better than Crosby's. Sid led the flightless birds to Stanley Cups in each of 2009, 2016 and 2017.

4. New York City/New Jersey

The Teams (10)

New York Yankees (2,286-1,658, 20 postseasons, 2 titles)

New Jersey Devils (Newark, NJ; 940-713-51-191, 13 postseasons, 2 titles)

New York Liberty (482-452, 17 postseasons, 1 title)

New York Giants (East Rutherford, NJ; 190-212, 9 postseasons, 2 titles)

New York Rangers (963-719-38-176, 15 postseasons)

New York Islanders (854-793-46-201, 12 postseasons)

New York Mets (1,976-1,970, 6 postseasons)

Brooklyn Nets (909-1,105, 14 postseasons)

New York Knicks (868-1,140, 9 postseasons)

New York Jets (East Rutherford, NJ; 176-227, 6 postseasons)

Total Championships: 7

Best Year: 2000

Probably the best year that any city had in the past quarter century, 2000 featured the famous Subway (World) Series in which the Yankees defeated the Mets, the Devils winning the Stanley Cup, the Giants reaching the Super Bowl before losing to the Ravens and the Liberty reaching the WNBA Finals before losing to the Comets. The Knicks also won 50 games and made the playoffs, and the Jets even had a winning season, though they missed the postseason thanks to a December collapse.

Torch Bearer: Derek Jeter

Honorable mention to Eli Manning for the two miraculous Super Bowl victories over the Patriots, but the pick here can't possibly be anyone other than Jeter. The Captain ascended to the throne of New York from 1996-99, winning AL Rookie of the Year and batting .326 in his first 45 postseason games. But he was still a near-annual All-Star and MVP vote recipient for more than a decade into the new millennium.

3. 'The Bay Area' (San Francisco/San Jose/Oakland)

The Teams (6)

Golden State Warriors (Oakland 2000-'19, SF 2019-present; 1,021-986, 10 postseasons, 4 titles)

San Francisco Giants (2,052-1,893, 8 postseasons, 3 titles)

San Jose Sharks (951-693-51-201, 17 postseasons)

San Francisco 49ers (193-209, 9 postseasons)

Oakland Athletics (2,030-1,916, 11 postseasons)

Oakland Raiders (until 2019) (133-203, 4 postseasons)

Total Championships: 7

Best Year: 2002

The Even-Year Giants and the Splash Bros. Warriors didn't have any championship season overlap, so how about 2002 when both MLB teams, both NFL teams and the NHL team were all pretty good? The Warriors were just plain awful back then, but the Raiders, 49ers, A's, Giants and Sharks all won their division, the Raiders advancing to the Super Bowl and the Giants to the World Series, albeit both losing.

Torch Bearer: Stephen Curry

The NBA was already becoming more perimeter oriented before Curry's arrival, but the Baby-Faced Assassin becoming a star for the Warriors was like a bucket of gasoline on that percolating flame. Not only did Curry change the game as we know it, but he also put the Warriors back on the map for the first time in 40 years, leading them to four titles and two other Finals appearances.

2. Los Angeles/Anaheim

The Teams (9)

Los Angeles Lakers (1,110-903, 17 postseasons, 6 titles)

Los Angeles Sparks (530-404, 19 postseasons, 3 titles)

Los Angeles Dodgers (2,239-1,709, 16 postseasons, 2 titles)

Los Angeles Kings (906-734-58-198, 13 postseasons, 2 titles)

Anaheim Ducks (890-746-50-211, 12 postseasons, 1 title)

Los Angeles Angels (2,034-1,914, 7 postseasons, 1 title)

Los Angeles Clippers (1,003-1,011, 12 postseasons)

Los Angeles Rams (since 2016) (74-57, 5 postseasons, 1 title)

Los Angeles Chargers (since 2017) (57-58, 2 postseasons)

Total Championships: 16

Best Year: 2002

Three titles in a single year? At a time when Los Angeles wasn't even represented in the NFL? Yeah, that'll do. For the Lakers, 2002 was the final year of the Shaq and Kobe three-peat, sweeping the Nets in the NBA Finals. For the Sparks, it was the second year of back-to-back titles anchored by Lisa Leslie. And for the Angels, it was the only World Series appearance in franchise history, with Troy Glaus, K-Rod and a rally monkey carrying them to victory over the Giants.

Torch Bearer: Kobe Bryant

When Shaquille O'Neal left the Lakers in 2004, it was a tough call as to whether he or Bryant was the bigger star of their dynastic run. But by the time the Black Mamba retired as a five-time champion, an MVP and the Lakers' all-time leading scorer by a margin of more than 8,000 points, it was no longer a tough call. Bryant was the king of L.A., and it's hard to believe he has already been gone almost five years.

1. Boston

The Teams (4)

New England Patriots (Foxborough, Mass.; 274-129, 18 postseasons, 6 titles)

Boston Red Sox (2,145-1,802, 11 postseasons, 4 titles)

Boston Celtics (1,142-871, 20 postseasons, 2 titles)

Boston Bruins (1,020-601-59-216, 18 postseasons, 1 title)

Total Championships: 13

Best Year: 2004

Preposterously, there have been seven years in which all four of these teams made the postseason, as well as five years in which at least two Boston teams made it to the championship round. The pick is indisputably 2004, though, when the Patriots won their third Super Bowl in four years and when the Red Sox finally broke the Curse of the Bambino after 86 years. (The Celtics and Bruins also made the postseason.)

Torch Bearer: Tom Brady

David "Big Papi" Ortiz and Paul "The Truth" Pierce would have been incredibly strong candidates in any other city. But in Boston, it's the G.O.A.T. by a landslide. Brady won three MVPs and six of his seven Super Bowls as the quarterback of the Patriots, eventually becoming the NFL's all-time leader in both passing yards and passing touchdowns.