Maybe you finally want to know who Aaron Judge is before you sit in the nosebleeds at Yankee Stadium while eating a hot dog. Or maybe you saw an abundance of red, white, and blue hockey jerseys on the subway and asked yourself who the hell is Artemi Panarin and why do grown men love him so much? Don’t fear — your NYC native and self-proclaimed sports girl is here to give you an easy rundown of the sports to impress and intimidate your local alpha-male finance bros.
Baseball
The Mets and The Yankees. Every New Yorker is very opinionated on which team is better, and for the sake of this article, I’m putting my own very biased opinion to the side. But I will say that one is better than the other and it’s obvious to see. Anyway… let’s get to know a little more about the rival teams!
New York Mets
Located at Citi Field in Queens, the Mets have been managed by Carlos Mendoza since 2023. Their mascot is a man with a baseball head named Mr. Met. Some of their well-known players include Francisco Lindor, Pedro Martinez, Mike Piazza, David Wright, and Tom Seaver. The Mets have two World Series wins, the most recent in 1986.
New York Yankees
Home to the Yankees, Yankee Stadium is located in the Bronx right off of the B, D, and 4 trains. Aaron Boone has been the manager since 2017, and Aaron Judge has been the captain since 2022, taking over for legend Derek Jeter. Some well-known Yankees are Joe DiMaggio, Babe Ruth, Yogi Berra, A-Rod, and Mickey Mantle. With an outstanding current roster, including Anthony Volpe, Anthony Rizzo, and Juan Soto, the Yankees are bound to have a great and interesting 2024 season.
Basketball
This might be the most important category if you’re like me and only keep up with a basketball team to see what celebrities are sitting courtside. But besides the abundance of celebrities who are spotted repping Knicks and Nets gear, the sport has garnered a lot of love and attention within the boroughs and beyond. So, let’s get to know a little more about the two New York City teams and their super-tall men who rule the court.
New York Knicks
Formally known as the New York Knickerbockers, the Knicks are located at the most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. They have won two championships, four conference titles, and eight division titles. Their head coach has been Tom Thibodeau since 2020, and there is no captain, with Thibodeau claiming he wants a “team of leaders.” Some of the most legendary Knicks players are Bernard King, Carmelo Anthony, Patrick Ewing, and Walt Frazier.
Brooklyn Nets
Based at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the Nets are currently coached by Kevin Ollie. They have won two championships, two conference titles, and five division titles. Formerly known as the New Jersey Nets, the team moved to Brooklyn in 2011 and officially became the Brooklyn Nets on April 30, 2012. Famous Nets players include Jason Kidd, Julius Erving, Kevin Durant, Rick Barry, and Brook Lopez.
Football
How can I talk about NYC sports and not address the three, yes three, New York football teams — I will be including the Bills in this because it’s what Josh Allen deserves. Maybe you’re like me and spent most of your childhood listening to your dad claim that this was the New York Jets “year” and roll your eyes because it’s never gonna be their year.
Buffalo Bills
After hearing about wide receiver Stefon Diggs leaving the Bills, I find it hard to write without metaphorical tears coming to my eyes. Honestly, Diggs and Allen are my Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. The home of the Buffalo Bills is Highmark Stadium, located in Orchard Park, NY. The head coach has been Sean McDermott since 2017. The captains for the most recent season were quarterback Josh Allen, center Mitch Morse, and wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. The Bills have appeared in four consecutive Super Bowls from 1991-1994 but have never won. Some of the greatest Buffalo Bills players are Bruce Smith, Jim Kelly, Andre Reed, and… O.J. Simpson.
New York Giants
Giants Italian-American and New Jersey native quarterback Tommy Devito was a star throughout the season and quickly became a meme and fan favorite. He went viral on TikTok for his love of chicken cutlets, still living with his parents, walking into a game to the Sopranos theme song, and his agent dressing like he just got off the set of The Godfather. The Giants share Met Life Stadium with the Jets in East Rutherford, New Jersey. They have appeared in five Super Bowls and have four wins. Since 2022 the head coach has been Brian Daboll, with the 2023 season having 10 captains, including Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones. The most well-known former Giants players are Eli Manning and Michael Strahan.
New York Jets
Jets fans consist of my dad, fellow men in their 40s, and the sons of the men in their 40s. Does that make me a Jets fan by association? Probably. After rupturing his Achilles tendon in his first game of the 2023 season, quarterback Aaron Rodgers was replaced by 2021 Jets draftee Zach Wilson. As I said earlier, they share Met Life Stadium with the New York Giants. Robert Saleh has been the head coach and my father’s idol since 2021, with Aaron Rodgers, C.J. Mosley, and Justin Hardee serving as the captains. The Jets have only appeared and won in a singular Super Bowl back in 1969 at Super Bowl III. Joe Namath, Don Maynard, and Joe Klecko are some of the well-known former Jets players.
Hockey
For me, there is no better sport than hockey. What other sport condones its players fist fighting, the audience throwing hats onto the ice, and the players getting time-outs for being “too mean?” I become a different person when watching a hockey game, and you would, too, after experiencing the intense energy in either of these arenas.
New York Rangers
A part of the Original Six hockey teams, the New York Rangers have won four Stanley Cups. On March 26, 2024, the Rangers clinched a 2024 Stanley Cup Playoff spot. They share Madison Square Garden with the New York Knicks as a home arena. Recently, rookie Matt Rempe has been making waves for fighting every time he has been on the ice. He has quickly become a fan-favorite, always garnering chants at games. Former Rangers defenseman Peter Laviolette has served as head captain since 2023. Jacob Trouba became the captain in 2022, with Atermi Panarin, Barclay Goodrow, Chris Kreider, and Mika Zibanejad acting as the alternate captains. Some hockey and Rangers legends are Henrik Lundqvist, Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Jaromir Jágr.
New York Islanders
If you don’t know anything about the Islanders, you’ve definitely seen their forward, Mat Barzal, on your Pinterest feed. The Islanders call the brand new UBS Arena located in Elmont, NY, their home. Former Montréal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche goaltender Patrick Roy started serving as the head coach this year. The team captain is left-winger Anders Lee, with Cal Clutterbuck, Brock Nelson, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and Scott Mayfield as the alternate captains. Like the Rangers, the Islanders have also won four Stanley Cup titles. Some of the greatest Islanders players are Billy Smith, Clark Gillies, Denis Potvin, and Mike Bossy.
Hopefully, with this knowledge, you can scare everyone asking you to “name five players” whenever you say you like a specific NYC sports team.