Name a Valid North American Sports Team

For each clue, guess any valid team in the MLB, NBA, NFL, or NHL to which it applies.
Type only the team name, not the name of the city
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Quizmaster
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Last updated: January 8, 2026
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First submittedSeptember 28, 2022
Times taken53,262
Average score70.0%
Rating4.63
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Hint
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Answer
Whose name is a bird
11
Blue Jays | Cardinals | Ducks | Eagles | Falcons | Hawks | Orioles | Pelicans | Penguins | Ravens | Seahawks
Whose name is something that lives underwater
5
Dolphins | Kraken | Marlins | Rays | Sharks
Whose name has a Z in it
4
Grizzlies | Jazz | Trail Blazers | Wizards
Whose name recently replaced a Native American name
2
Commanders | Guardians
That existed before 1900
8
Braves | Cardinals | Cubs | Dodgers | Giants | Phillies | Pirates | Reds
That has won at least 15 titles in its sport
4
Canadiens | Celtics | Lakers | Yankees
That represents the city of Detroit
4
Lions | Pistons | Red Wings | Tigers
With the same name as a team in another league
6
Cardinals | Giants | Jets | Kings | Panthers | Rangers
That failed to win a title for at least 85 years in a row
3
Cubs | Red Sox | White Sox
That moved from one metro area to another since 2000
8
Athletics | Chargers | Grizzlies | Jets | Nationals | Pelicans | Raiders | Rams | Thunder
From Canada, but not a hockey team
2
Blue Jays | Raptors
That Nolan Ryan played for
4
Angels | Astros | Mets | Rangers
That didn't exist in 2015
3
Golden Knights | Kraken | Mammoth
Whose name has a Christian religious connotation
5
Angels | Cardinals | Devils | Padres | Saints
That represents a city with a population < 200,000
1
Packers
That is more than 500 miles away from every other team in the same league
6
Avalanche | Broncos | Mariners | Rockies | Seahawks | Stars
That has defeated Tom Brady in the Super Bowl
2
Eagles | Giants
Whose stadium does not have a corporate naming right deal
12
Angels | Bears | Cubs | Dodgers | Knicks | Nationals | Orioles | Packers | Rangers | Red Sox | Royals | Yankees
Whose name is horse related
6
Broncos | Colts | Chargers | Mavericks | Pacers | Phillies
Whose name is related to people who pillage and plunder
4
Buccaneers | Pirates | Raiders | Vikings
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86 Comments
+5
Level 87
Sep 29, 2022
Fun quiz!
+4
Level 85
Sep 29, 2022
Nice! The Nationals (Nationals Park) and Orioles (Oriole Park at Camden Yards) also do not have corporate naming rights.

Edit: The Royals also qualify. The stadium was renamed Kauffman Stadium in 1993 after the team’s recently deceased founder and owner. There’s no corporate sponsorship behind it.

+1
Level ∞
Sep 30, 2022
Added those, thank you.
+3
Level 95
Oct 22, 2024
Is Arrowhead Stadium not included because the actual field is GEHA Field?

(Not quibbling, just asking for clarification.)

+4
Level 88
Sep 29, 2022
Add Pacers for horse-related? From Wikipedia: The team is named after the state of Indiana's history with the Indianapolis 500's pace cars and with the harness racing industry.
+1
Level ∞
Sep 30, 2022
Added Pacers.
+16
Level 21
Dec 15, 2022
same with san antonio spurs
+12
Level 76
Feb 28, 2023
and Dallas Mavericks
+7
Level 84
Aug 6, 2024
Cavaliers too?
+4
Level 61
Aug 6, 2024
Why not add Blackburn Rovers while you are at it? Their fans are renowned for being horse lovers.
+2
Level 66
Feb 4, 2025
Chargers as well
+6
Level 85
Sep 29, 2022
Phillies are named for the city of Philadelphia. Nothing to do with horses
+3
Level 74
Sep 29, 2022
If the question is meant as only the meaning behind the name, then agree, it doesn't fit.

But if it's a tongue in cheek play on how it *sounds* like "fillies", I can get behind that - though in that case I would argue that Cardinals and Mets (Metropolitans) should be accepted for the Christian connotations question.

+2
Level 88
Sep 29, 2022
Agreed. I've never heard of it as more than a take on the name of the city, and even the mascot is nothing horse like. There's no mention in their Brittanica article: "The Phillies were founded in 1883 and were informally known as both the Quakers and the Phillies (a shortened version of “Philadelphians”) until they officially adopted the Phillies name in 1890. "
+1
Level ∞
Sep 30, 2022
Removed Phillies.
+9
Level 88
Sep 29, 2022
A number of things:

The Devils are named after the mythological Jersey Devil, which does not have biblical connotations.

A charger is a war horse, and is what the LA team is named after, even though they rarely represent their team with a horse these days.

The Phillies are named after people from Philadelphia. A filly is a horse (spelled with an "F").

The Pistons could be an iffy answer, as the horse mascot represents horse power, the very thing that pistons produce.

Strangely enough, when the Rays dropped the "Devil" part of their name, the ray actually represents the suns' rays. But they made this difficult by keeping the ray (fish) on their sleeves.

Other non-corporate teams: Rangers (NHL); Bears; Nationals; Orioles; Royals

+2
Level ∞
Sep 30, 2022
I looked into Chargers and the team of the name is not horse related.

Added the missing stadiums.

+5
Level 66
Aug 6, 2024
"Chargers" was originally horse related though. Their logo used to literally be a horse.
+1
Level 43
Jan 21, 2026
Chargers did use to use a horse in their logo but the team's name does not relate. They were named that because the first owner liked the "CHARGE!!!" chant that they did at the colosseum for USC games.
+6
Level 78
Dec 13, 2022
The more important question: how did the Devils never acquire Miroslav Satan?
+2
Level 92
Sep 29, 2022
Toronto Raptors for 1?
+1
Level 54
Sep 30, 2022
Toronto's Raptors are dinosaurs.
+4
Level 90
Oct 2, 2022
But birds evolved from dinosaurs.
+1
Level 87
Sep 30, 2022
I was naming the stadium instead of the team! Argh!
+5
Level 83
Sep 30, 2022
If the knicks stadium counts then surely the NY Rangers stadium also counts since they both play at MSG
+6
Level 87
Sep 30, 2022
Nice quiz! Might consider accepting "Habs" for Canadiens.
+1
Level 56
Aug 7, 2024
Same goes for "leafs"
+14
Level 66
Sep 30, 2022
Surely the Dallas Mavericks are horse related? Their logo is a horse...
+11
Level 87
Sep 30, 2022
It seems like I'm against the general feeling here, but I don't agree that Cardinals fits for the religious connotations question, since it's a level removed. They're named for birds which are in turn named for religious officials, but the team itself has bird connotations, not religious connotations.
+8
Level 71
Nov 3, 2022
Agreed. If Cardinals fit for Christian connotation, then Chargers should fit for horse connotation.
+11
Level 81
Sep 30, 2022
Isn't Cavaliers horse related, though? It does mean a mounted soldier/knight aka a horse riding tin can.
+1
Level 68
Dec 14, 2022
My first guess as well. Question should either be changed to "type of horse" or answers broadened.
+3
Level 83
Oct 1, 2022
would Rangers be horse related?
+16
Level 69
Oct 2, 2022
Surely spurs are horse related. nice test
+13
Level 80
Oct 5, 2022
Yeah, both cavaliers (literally horse riders) and spurs (a piece of equipment designed for riding horses) should qualify.
+3
Level 50
Oct 17, 2022
Warriors doesn't count for "people who pillage and plunder?" That seems perfect for this definition...
+2
Level 68
Aug 6, 2024
A warrior is just someone who fights in a war. That does not necessarily involve pillaging and plundering.
+1
Level 52
Jan 21, 2026
I was gonna say Ottawa Senators for this one! (kidding, I love our friends to the North and appreciate their Prime Minister who is a model of statesmanship).
+6
Level 52
Dec 7, 2022
The warriors moved from Oakland to San Francisco in 2019 so they should fit for a team that moved from one city to another since 2000.
+2
Level 28
Dec 13, 2022
are mavericks horse related?
+3
Level 94
Dec 13, 2022
I thought so too, but I looked it up and James Garner who portrayed "Maverick" on the TV western was part of the original ownership group. It was chosen from the top three vote getters in a name the team contest beating out Wranglers and Express in a nod to their famous owner. The term maverick was originally applied to an unbranded cow, so it's more bovine in nature anyway. It eventually evolved to include the lone cowboy who claimed these cattle and then superseded it's original usage. I see no reason for Spurs and Cavaliers not to be acceptable answers, though.
+1
Level 72
Dec 13, 2022
Loved it!
+3
Level 47
Dec 13, 2022
The Phillies did not win a title from 1883 to 1980, well over 85 years. With that said, I do understand that the world series did not begin until 1903, which would only be 77 years, but the phillies did not even finish first in the league without the world series in the years from 1883 to 1903.
+2
Level 66
Dec 13, 2022
The Miami Heat terminated their naming rights agreement with FTX
+1
Level 82
Dec 13, 2022
Great quiz, type of quiz I wish I came up with
+1
Level 45
Dec 13, 2022
This quiz needs more time!
+2
Level 71
Dec 15, 2022
What about the Spungos?
+2
Level 56
Dec 15, 2022
Explain to me how the Dallas Mavericks are not horse related?
+1
Level 41
Dec 16, 2022
Could be Chiefs for a non-corporate stadium? Technically GEHA field, Arrowhead stadium. Too technical maybe
+1
Level 79
Dec 17, 2022
Did uncharacteristically well on this (for me taking a sports quiz), but still missed 2. Ran out of time guessing.
+1
Level 52
Feb 20, 2023
Very hard to do this when not updated. The Heat's stadium does not have a corporate name at the moment, and the Cowboys have defeated Tom Brady in the superbowl.
+8
Level ∞
Mar 29, 2024
Was there a backup kicker named Tom Brady or something?
+1
Level 51
May 15, 2024
The rays are acutally a ray of sunlight not the animal
+1
Level 60
Jul 10, 2024
No Edmonton Elks replacing the Edmonton Eskimos?
+2
Level 93
Aug 6, 2024
It fits the clue, but not the caveats of the quiz. The quiz is only about NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL teams, not CFL.
+3
Level 60
Aug 6, 2024
The Cleveland Browns dropped First Energy as a sponsor and it has been Cleveland Browns Stadium (again) since 2023.
+2
Level 65
Aug 6, 2024
Commanders are currently in the same boat, as FedEx dropped out of their naming contract.
+2
Level 61
Aug 6, 2024
The Commanders didn't really replace a native american name. It replaced "Football Team", which in turn had replaced the native american one.

Of the three, "Football Team" was probably the classiest.

+1
Level 60
Aug 6, 2024
I figured it was an answer but I also agree that it's technically wrong.
+3
Level 65
Aug 6, 2024
The Phillies went from 1883 to 1980 without winning a title...why exclude them?
+1
Level 69
Aug 6, 2024
Utah Hockey Club needs added to "That didn't exist in 2015".
+1
Level ∞
Aug 6, 2024
Added
+1
Level 67
Aug 7, 2024
Is it considered cheating or frowned upon to use the list of possible answers (which populates upon a correct answer) as a cheat sheet to guess the ones you don't know? Or just using available information fairly? Doesn't seem much different than narrowing scope of answers based upon alphabetical range, etc.
+1
Level 65
Aug 7, 2024
It could actually be argued that the Cardinals fit for non-corporate stadium name, as the original stadium pre-dates the beer of the same name. Busch Stadium is named after former Cardinals owner August Busch Jr., who wanted to name it Budweiser Stadium, but corporate stadium names were actually against the rules at the time. Instead he named the stadium after himself and introduced Busch beer afterwards. So I could see it counting or not counting.
+1
Level 93
Aug 7, 2024
Horse "related" has got to include the San Antonio Spurs! Spurs are equipment used for riding horses

Great quiz!!!

+1
Level 65
Aug 8, 2024
How are you measuring the distance between teams? The Utah Hockey Club is well within 500 miles of the Denver Avalanche (as the crow flies, at least).
+1
Level 87
Aug 9, 2024
Utah Hockey Club moved from one city to another since 2000. Since 2024, in fact.
+1
Level 48
Oct 30, 2024
How do you format the multiple answers like this?
+1
Level ∞
May 7, 2025
Just separate them with a / or |.
+1
Level 64
Nov 13, 2024
17/20 and I haven't watched any sports at all since around 1998 (e.g. I missed the one on Nolan Ryan because I don't know who he is). Good thing my brother in Seattle keeps talking to me about the Krakens, though!
+1
Level 79
May 14, 2025
19/20, don't watch much sports but know lots of teams, just missed 500 miles
+1
Level 59
Jun 23, 2025
washington commanders didnt exist in 2015
+2
Level 70
Jul 29, 2025
Utah Mammoth moved from Arizona in 2025! Need to add this update.
+2
Level ∞
Jan 8, 2026
Officially, the Arizona Coyotes ceased to exist and the Mammoth are a new franchise.
+2
Level 47
Jan 21, 2026
What about Spurs and Cowboys for horse related??
+1
Level 37
Jan 21, 2026
Why doesn't Cavaliers count as Christian related?
+1
Level 82
Jan 21, 2026
Because a cavalier is a mounted soldier. It would be better in the horse section than the Christian namesake section.
+1
Level 93
Jan 21, 2026
Why not the Nuggets for >500 miles? I show Denver is 524 miles from Salt Lake City (Jazz) and over 600 miles from OKC (Thunder). And if you're saying Denver is closer than 500 miles from SLC, the Avalanche need to be removed...
+2
Level 70
Jan 21, 2026
What about Spurs for horse-related?
+2
Level 82
Jan 21, 2026
Adding my vote for the Spurs for horse-related (there's nothing else you use spurs for), and possibly also the Cavaliers since it literally means mounted soldier. The Blackhawks are named for a bird, even if the name stops along the way with the Indigenous nation also named after the bird. Also, the Orioles, White Sox, and Guardians were founded in 1894, the Arizona Cardinals in 1898.
+1
Level 82
Jan 22, 2026
The cardinals are named after the shade of red not after Catholic cardinals (who wear scarlet red).
+1
Level 61
Jan 22, 2026
and the name of the color comes from the color of the cossacks.
+1
Level 61
Jan 22, 2026
Neat.
+1
Level 56
Jan 22, 2026
Nice quiz, but wouldn’t Portland (Trail Blazers) also count for a city that is over 500 miles from any other city in it’s league?
+1
Level 54
Jan 24, 2026
The Mammoth recently moved from Phoenix to Salt Lake City
+1
Level 57
Mar 9, 2026
I came here for that exact reason.