If it’s one thing Americans love, that’s sports. From playing sports to watching sports, it is really one of our favorite past times. Well, for North Carolina that is no different. Adele Halsall with My Protein gave us a look into the most popular sports teams in every U.S. state. Using Google Trends from the past 12 months, they discovered the most popular sports teams in each state. This includes every team in the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, and MLS to help determine answers.
Football and baseball were the leading sports for each state. NFL teams topped the charts in 21 states, including North Carolina. Baseball came in second place with 12 states having an MLB team represent their most popular teams. Thirdly, at a tie were professional basketball and hockey teams. The NBA and NHL represented the top teams in 9 states.
North Carolina
Of course, when you take a look at North Carolina it’s only right that the Carolina Panthers are the state’s most popular sports team. I mean, is that even a surprise? It’s our hometown here. Football is big in North Carolina so although we have other professional teams for the state, the Carolina Panthers took the win.
South Carolina
Now, South Carolina is where things get a little surprising. The Toronto Raptors were voted the most popular sports team for South Carolinians. Crazy, right? Not only was that South Carolina’s No. 1, but 11 other states also had the raptors as their leading sports team. Talking about not always representing the home team? The Toronto Raptors are the most popular out-of-state team to be loved by many Americans.
If you thought you know what North and South Carolina sports lovers enjoyed, then maybe this list shocked you. Check out the full story of every state’s most popular sports team here.
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