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Most Guessed North American Teams by Sport

What are the five most well-known teams in each of the four major North American sports leagues?
Based on the stats from these quizzes: NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA
as of January 29th 2025
Quiz by Stewart
Rate:
Last updated: January 29, 2025
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First submittedOctober 16, 2019
Times taken57,177
Average score60.0%
Rating4.30
3:00
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Keep scrolling down for answers and more stats ...
Hockey (NHL)
88%
Toronto Maple Leafs
87%
Boston Bruins
87%
New York Rangers
86%
Edmonton Oilers
84%
Montreal Canadiens
 
 
Football (NFL)
91%
New England Patriots
89%
New York Giants
88%
Dallas Cowboys
87%
Miami Dolphins
87%
New York Jets
Baseball (MLB)
96%
New York Yankees
93%
Boston Red Sox
90%
Chicago White Sox
87%
Athletics
86%
Cincinnati Reds
 
 
Basketball (NBA)
96%
Los Angeles Lakers
90%
Boston Celtics
88%
Miami Heat
86%
Golden State Warriors
84%
Chicago Bulls
73 Comments
+16
Level 73
Oct 16, 2019
Interesting. As a Brit who, like most people over here, doesn't follow American sports, it is amazing the difference in the four. I know the names of most NFL sides and got 4 of the 5 answers. I got four of the MLB teams, but had never even heard of the fourth answer in the list. I got 2 of the NBA teams but recognised, and should probably have got, the other 3.

As for the NHL, I got one by mistake and have never heard of the other four teams.

Strange how some US sports have seeped into my subconscious and others are totally blank.

+3
Level 98
Oct 16, 2019
You may have heard of the fourth MLB team without realizing it. They're more well known by what their logo says (trying to follow your lead and keep from giving away the answer here); try googling their logo and see if maybe you really did know them. :)
+19
Level 87
Oct 16, 2019
Plus, you get the A's for free if you guess the Astros.
+20
Level 89
Oct 16, 2019
That's why I thought Reds would be there, because you get that free when you're guessing Red Sox.
+1
Level 94
Oct 12, 2021
@pants: Nope no idea who they are, but then I rarely do any sport quizzes. Maybe someday I'll catch up on that.
+2
Level 76
Oct 16, 2019
I thought some quizzes accepted either AT or AC for that MLB team, so was confused when it wasn't and then didn't guess them further. Also, in Finland, much more likely to know the NHL team names, just can't avoid hearing them on tv. MLB, NBA, NFL .. much easier to avoid.
+3
Level 75
Oct 18, 2019
On a multi-sports quiz I always guess the New York baseball, football, and basketball teams named the Mets, Jets, and Nets because they're easy to remember.
+2
Level 56
Jun 5, 2024
Was it the New York Rangers you got by accident?
+1
Level 73
Jan 30, 2025
As a Canadian, I got all the NHL teams. I got 3 basketball teams and 2 each of baseball and football.
+2
Level 93
Oct 16, 2019
If I were a statistics major in college and looking for a good term paper subject, the various reasoning for why the Penguins top the NHL list (as opposed to how the other 3 sports pan out), why Oakland has a spot on the MLB list, why the less-popular teams from multi-team cities make the list, and why Toronto is on the NHL list would make for a pretty wide-ranging discussion.
+2
Level 78
Oct 16, 2019
I'm from Pennsylvania and I would not have guessed the Penguins. As for Toronto Maple Leafs, my first guesses were the six original NHL teams which includes Toronto
+2
Level 67
Oct 18, 2019
Most people just don't know the NHL that well, and the Penguins have been consistently in and around the Stanley Cup Finals for the last decade, much more so than any other team. They won the Cup (pretty much the only time an NHL team gets national press) back-to-back in 2016 and 2017, and they have the league's biggest star in Sidney Crosby. The Leafs are one of the NHL's signature franchises, and are Canada's most famous team. A lot of people probably think of Canada when they think of hockey (I know I do). People probably think of the White Sox immediately after thinking of the much more famous Red Sox, although I'll admit I was amazed they topped the Cubs on this list. I'm pretty baffled by the A's, whom even most baseball fans forget about. The only reasonable guess is that lots of people get credit for them after typing just "As," so anyone typing the Astros (another perennial powerhouse and recent champ) automatically gets the A's.
+5
Level 84
Jun 1, 2021
for the A's, I was going for the Astros and got them by chance. For the Penguins, I would have to guess many people think that sounds like a hockey name since penguins live in icy environments.
+1
Level 66
Nov 10, 2021
This would be my guess why they are on, because they get twice the guesses as people put As in for both them and the astros, if that is how jetpunk registers guesses.
+8
Level 91
Oct 16, 2019
Major sports haven Boston is the only city to have all its teams guessed. New York City also has 4 on the list, out of 9 total.
+1
Level 65
Oct 18, 2019
5 NY teams
+3
Level 88
Oct 16, 2019
Man, I have been on Jetpunk too long. I was completely stumped as to how "Red Sox" could be so much higher than "Reds" because I didn't think it was possible to type "Red Sox" without typing "Reds" first.

Then I remembered that in the rest of the world, spaces are a thing . . .

+2
Level 88
Oct 17, 2019
But the data set comes from Jetpunk quizzes. So I'm still not sure how that's possible
+7
Level 70
Oct 18, 2019
Has to be because of the people that actually type in "Boston Red Sox" instead of just "Red Sox"
+1
Level 88
Oct 12, 2021
And now, taking the quiz again years later, I got "A(thletic)s" accidentally because I was trying to type "Astros" lol.
+4
Level 71
Oct 17, 2019
No dodgers, and cubs over white sox?..da Bears not makin it?
+14
Level 49
Oct 17, 2019
I'd guess White Sox make it because people think that right after they type Red Sox
+1
Level 59
Oct 21, 2021
I also thought white sox only b/c Red Sox were there. I'm shocked Dodgers aren't on the list. Also shocked that Penguins weren't on there. I would think Raiders or Steelers before Dolphins, too
+1
Level 81
Oct 17, 2019
Wow I got 5 points on a sports quiz.
+2
Level 57
Oct 18, 2019
At least Pittsburgh is here for something. (Not that I really care about sports, but it's always nice to see the Burgh represented.)
+1
Level 75
Oct 18, 2019
Since the answers did not include the St. Louis Blues or Cardinals I am adding them here even though the Cards just did miserably against the Nationals in the NLCS. But we still have the Stanley Cup. Go Blues!
+3
Level 28
Oct 18, 2019
As a german who isn't into any sports this was a bit funny. First I remembered Baseball-Caps with Yankees and Red Sox Logos, second somewhere in my mind a team named "Chicago Bulls" popped up. I didn't know fur sure, what sport those three could have been since baseball-caps arent exclusive to baseball. The fourth and last I got was "Oh ice hockey, maybe there is a team called 'Icebears'... no, well then maybe 'penguins'... Here we go!!!" ;)
+1
Level 81
Oct 18, 2019
probably would be called the Polar Bears if anything
+1
Level 85
Oct 22, 2019
The German just used literal translation
+1
Level 68
Oct 19, 2021
If Fairbanks ever gets a team...
+1
Level 81
Oct 18, 2019
and I'm kind of surprised the Chicago Bears (NFL) aren't here. They're from a big city and also have the 2nd-best all time record in the league after the Cowboys.
+2
Level 67
Oct 18, 2019
They must have just missed it. The Cowboys are, generally speaking, the league's most famous team. The Patriots are known everywhere for now because they are in the Super Bowl every freaking year. Then you've got the two New York teams, and the Packers are an iconic team that is always on national television and has had a superstar quarterback (which always translates to national press) leading them for twenty straight years. I'd imagine the Bears have to be next on the list. Maybe the Chiefs if the results skew toward recency. Also everyone knows the Browns, but for all the wrong reasons.
+1
Level 81
Oct 19, 2021
By all the wrong reasons I assume you mean when this song tore up the international pop charts.
+1
Level 81
Nov 5, 2023
I was sort of surprised too, but it makes sense. As of this comment, they're not even in the top ten on the NFL teams quiz. Neither the Bears nor the Cowboys have been relevant in the playoffs this century despite being famous teams. I don't know what the stats were in 2019, but the Bears are not second for all-time record.
+1
Level 90
Oct 18, 2019
I got 17/20 for 4 points. This has got to be one of my best ever scores on a sports quiz!
+1
Level 67
Oct 18, 2019
Nice job. I feel that way when I do well on a science quiz.
+1
Level 66
Oct 19, 2019
Don't buy for 1 second that the white sox were guessed more than the cubs...
+3
Level 61
Jul 24, 2020
Well when I think of baseball the Red Sox pop immediately into my mind after the Yankees, and then with sox in my head I think of the White Sox
+2
Level 91
Oct 12, 2021
Mungo Jerry, thanks for the great song from 1970.
+5
Level 70
Oct 19, 2019
It's an objective fact that if you're a Patriots fan, you're a bad person.
+1
Level 91
Oct 12, 2021
It's an objective fact that haters ignored all signs of reality during the Brady years.
+2
Level 48
Oct 25, 2019
Go A's!
+4
Level 28
Oct 27, 2019
I typed in Astros but the "as" counted as the Athletic's (A's)
+1
Level 78
Sep 4, 2020
Not gonna lie, as someone that lives in the US it did take me a minute to realise why the NY Jets and Giants are both on here and the Pittsburgh Steelers aren't
+1
Level 20
Dec 10, 2020
I get 100% but get 0 points?
+3
Level 68
Dec 10, 2020
Did you take it untimed by any chance? You don't get points for untimed
+4
Level 73
Dec 16, 2020
I still don't get how the A's are here because of the Astros but the Reds aren't here despite the Red Sox being here. Reds are currently 7th behind the Cubs. Apparently a significant portion of people really are typing out the city names.
+2
Level 20
Mar 1, 2021
Me when I see the Jets there: CONFUSION
+4
Level 86
Oct 11, 2021
"Guess what the majority is thinking" can be even more frustrating than "Guess what I'm thinking"!
+2
Level 87
Oct 12, 2021
It'll never be Royals.
+6
Level 91
Oct 12, 2021
Not enough Lorde fans taking the quiz.
+1
Level 92
Oct 13, 2021
only Boston..who is with me?
+1
Level 62
Oct 19, 2021
Oooooof, I guessed red socks and white socks. I never watch MLB, pain.
+1
Level 78
Dec 15, 2021
White Sox but not Cubs? I'm shocked. I wonder if some of those are people guessing "sox" for the Red Sox and getting both.
+4
Level 63
Jul 23, 2023
I don't think Sox works. I think it's just the train of thought.
+2
Level 83
Mar 7, 2022
Struggled with 3/4 leagues. My least-watched sport I went 5/5 on guesses (NBA). How did you avoid "Reds" as an answer for MLB? I can see that coming up every time a user wants to type "Red Sox."
+1
Level 27
Apr 11, 2024
great quiz!
+1
Level 53
Nov 18, 2024
Have a hard time believing the dodgers aren't in there or cubs
+1
Level 66
Dec 17, 2024
As a non-American who doesn't follow any American sports, I only managed to get 5 lol (Yankees, Lakers, Celtics, Dolphins & Canadiens). I should've gotten the Patriots and Chciago Bulls too probably. I have heard of Miami Heat and NY Jets but I've never heard of any of the others. Although I do know some other teams like the Warriors and Steelers that aren't on here.
+1
Level 37
Jan 29, 2025
Update please. I'm sure the Chiefs are on the NFL one now.
+1
Level 85
Jan 29, 2025
Nope. The Chiefs are actually close to the bottom, with a 77% guess rate. Check the sources in the description before you start claiming stuff you aren't sure about.
+1
Level 70
Jan 30, 2025
I still find amazing, almost incredible that the A's, the White sox and the Reds are most guessed than the Dodgers and the Cubs
+1
Level 85
Jan 31, 2025
"as" is a pretty quick type-in.

Reds and White Sox have some association with the Red Sox. You will get Reds before Red Sox by just trying to type "redsox", and then you kinda remember that the White Sox also exist.

+1
Level 53
Jan 30, 2025
I knew all the basketball teams, three baseball (I had all five but 2 of them were type-ins) and football and not a single ice hockey team
+1
Level 78
Jan 30, 2025
You get the Athletics by typing As so good for them boosting their popularity
+1
Level 71
Jan 30, 2025
The Athletics no longer play in Oakland.
+2
Level 86
Jan 30, 2025
The Dolphins? Not the Packers, Chiefs, or Broncos?

Also, how are the Reds at 86% and the Red Sox at 93%? You can't spell Red Sox without Reds.

The Reds and the A's are accidental, otherwise I'm surprised not to see the Dodgers. Still kind of surprised they don't beat the White Sox.

+1
Level 85
Jan 31, 2025
Mere "socky" association.

Once you get the Red Sox (and the Reds, by the way), many people remember that the White Sox also exist.

+1
Level 70
Jan 30, 2025
There is no chance in bald hell that the Athletics are more well known than 90% of MLB teams. Same goes for the White Sox.
+1
Level 86
Jan 31, 2025
You can get the Athletics while typing "As" intending to type "Astros". People get the A's by accident.
+1
Level 85
Jan 31, 2025
Both the Reds and the White Sox got high guesses thanks to the Red Sox.

Try to put "redsox", and you get "reds" before, and by mere "sox" association people remember that there's also a "whitesox" answer.

+2
Level 74
Jan 31, 2025
Interesting how Red Sox is higher than Reds because only way you can't get the latter by default is if you type Boston in front
+1
Level 57
Feb 10, 2025
White Sox? There must be a lot of "Worst MLB Team" quizzes.