While the mere mention of its name is enough to evoke vivid images of sky-scrapers and world-famous mega-structures, the Big Apple is famous for something else: its New York sports teams.
The Empire State has an abundance of postcard-worthy landmarks that ensure its position on every traveller’s bucket-list of must-see places is secure. However, while millions head to the city to see the sights, many do so to witness some of the globally-renowned New York sports teams in action.
New York is home to some of the most famous sports teams on Earth, with some of the biggest stars of the NFL, NBA and MLS plying their respective trades in “the city that never sleeps”. With such a diverse abundance of sporting action to choose from, the city truly is a Disneyland for sports fans.
Here we take a look at the best sporting action New York has to offer, to ensure you don’t miss out on the hottest tickets in town.
American Football – New York Giants & New York Jets
Although technically, the city’s American Football teams play their home matches in New Jersey, the Metlife Stadium, shared by the Giants and the Jets, is situated just 8-miles outside of New York City.
Both of the New York-based teams compete in the National Football League (NFL) – the highest level of the sport – and throughout their respective histories, the Giants have won four Super Bowl championships, while the Jets have lifted the coveted trophy once.
While the format of the NFL means the two teams only tend to play each other once every four years, with the two sides sharing a stadium, as well as dividing the local fan-base, the rivalry is predictably fierce.
The short distance over the Hudson River to Rutherford, NJ makes the games easily accessible for visiting sports fans, with a train from Penn station getting you there in around half-an-hour. Check the schedule here.
With both sides competing at the very pinnacle of the sport, pick a team to show your support to and don’t miss the chance to catch some high-quality American football while you’re in town. Tickets can be purchased on the Giants’ and the Jets’ websites.
In addition to watching live football, there’s also NFL Experience, a one-of-a-kind exhibition in Times Square designed for fans looking for a more immersive experience. One thing’s for sure: American football fans won’t be disappointed in New York!
Football (Soccer) – New York City FC & New York Red Bulls
Over the last few decades football – or soccer as it’s referred to across the pond – has grown to become one of the most popular sports in the US, with the MLS now attracting some of the biggest names in the game.
Gone are the days when the US was viewed as merely a retirement home for ageing stars, with America’s premier division now housing some of the most exciting young talent around. True, teams in the MLS still tend to offer contracts to the odd megastar looking for one last lucrative deal as he approaches the tail-end of his career. However, these days, for every Ibrahimovich there’s now a Josef Martinez, and across the pond, there are now a number of teams thoroughly capable of giving Europe’s best a real run for their money.
New York City FC is one of those teams. Although it was only founded in 2015, despite the team’s recent inception NYCFC has quickly risen to become one of the leading teams in the MLS. As the team is part-owned by the New York Yankees – along with Manchester City – NYCFC currently play their home matches at the famous Yankee stadium and tickets, which can be purchased for as little as $15, can be found here.
Around 20-miles away are the city’s other football club, the New York City Red Bulls, who play their home games in Harrison, New Jersey. Along with their rivals across the river, the Red Bulls form one of the most accomplished teams in the MLS, having won the Eastern Conference on a number of occasions.
A trip to see them in action is just a short train ride away from the centre of New York and there are a number of public transport options which can get you to the 25,000-capacity Red Bull stadium in less than an hour.
Both clubs possess passionate fan-bases, with the partisan home crowds doing their best to create as much noise as possible on match days. So, with an excellent atmosphere guaranteed, why not head to one of the stadiums – or both if you fancy – to experience 90-minutes football, New York style?
Who knows, if you’re lucky you might even be there when the two sides face-off in the local grudge match, known as the Hudson River Derby.
Baseball – New York Yankees
No self-respecting sports fan could visit New York without stopping off at Yankee Stadium to see the city’s world-famous baseball team in action.
The Yankees have been one of the leading club’s in baseball since the team’s inception in 1901, and such is their global stardom that no matter where you are in the world you’re never far someone sporting a cap or t-shirt adorned with the team’s fabled logo.
Watching the team play on their home turf at Yankee stadium is something of a pilgrimage for many ardent sports fans, so grab yourself a ticket on Ticketmaster and don’t miss the chance to cross off a true bucket list experience.
Besides, have you even been to America if you haven’t eaten a hot-dog at a baseball match!? There are even options for vegans and vegetarians, too, with the Yankees amongst a number of customer-savvy baseball teams that have recently followed the international trend by offering meat-free and plant-based burgers and sausages. Get ya hot-dogs!
Basketball – New York nicks & Brooklyn Nets
Like practically everyone else travelling to New York, basketball fans will be spoiled for choice as the city has not one but two teams playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
According to data released by Facebook, the most popular of the two is the New York Knicks, who came in ahead of their fierce local rivals the Brooklyn Nets when analysts studied which of the teams was searched for and discussed on its platform the most.
Tickets to see both teams in action can be pretty expensive, although the entry to see the Knicks can cost a little more, perhaps due to the fact they play their home games at Madison Square Garden, the iconic arena widely regarded as the most famous on Earth.
The 19,000-capacity Barclays Centre, where the Nets play their home matches is no rubbish heap either, though. So if you’re over in Brooklyn you might prefer to check out one of their matches instead. You can get information on tickets for the Nets’ home games on their section of the NBA website.
The regular NBA season runs from mid-October to mid-April, with playoffs and the end of season matches taking place until May. Hopefully, this has given you an idea which of these New York sports teams you’d like to see
Hopefully this has given you a good idea of which of these New York sports teams you’d like to go and see.
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