5) San Diego Chargers
Historically speaking the Chargers are rancid. However, recent memory depicts them as a talented team who’s always in the AFC mix. I hope they don’t go down as the Phoenix Suns of the NFL but it’s starting to seem that way after each season ends in heartbreak - or bone break.
It’s hard to dislike one of best running backs of all time in Ladainian Tomlinson and Southern Californians love them some Phillip Rivers & Shawne Merriman. The “Bolts” are very popular despite Qualcomm Stadium typically filling to 70% Chargers fans to 30% visiting team fans. Look out when the Packers come to town and you’ll see that number change to 50% Chargers and 50% Packers.
The Chargers-Raiders rivalry is a very big deal in San Diego. When push comes to shove, the Chargers fan will bring it pretty hard.
4) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
In Southern California, the Angels are kind of a big deal. During the playoffs Angels Stadium will fill to max capacity. Everyone has those wonderful boom sticks booming. The rally monkey is flipping and jumping around. Howie Kendrick’s entrance music is simply earth shaking bass. There is simply no way you can hear yourself think.
The 2002 World Series Champions hold major clout in Orange County and its immediate surroundings with very minor trickle beyond that. While people from Orange County do have a stigma attached to them (Dodgers fans have a few different words for it), they can certainly fire it up for the Angels. What’s not to like about Vlad golf-club-swinging balls over the fence?
3) Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers have the past, are the present and look good in the future. Sit in left field at any Dodgers game and you’ll witness about 18 Manny Ramirez look-a-likes. Sit in left field at any Dodgers game with a Manny Ramirez home run heading towards you and it’s the Los Angels riots all over again. The Dodgers are very popular and have an excellent chance to win the World Series this year.
I could spend the next 10 minutes crafting 2 more paragraphs on the Dodgers or you would watch Kirk Gibson’s famous home run to win game 1 of the 1988 World Series.
2) USC Trojans Football
Trojan football is off-the-map popular. I’m sure they are hated and despised outside of Southern California, but when you live here, you can’t help but get Trojan fever. The Trojans year in and year out recruit very talented and exciting players that are incredibly fun to watch. The Trojans also win Championships which also helps make them so popular.
For as long as college football has existed, it seems the best players in the country always go to USC. According to Wikipedia “The USC Football team has been voted National Champions 11 times. USC is also known for its Heisman Trophy winners. ” Two odd sentences to string together - “also known for it’s Heisman Trophy winners” - talk about understating the obvious.
People really enjoy Pete Carroll and his easy going coaching manner to keep his players loose and worry-free before big games. It’s hard to dislike a winner and USC Football does a lot of winning.
1) Los Angeles Lakers
As if there was any surprise that the Los Angeles Lakers are Southern California’s most popular sports team. When the NBA announced their list of the 50 Greatest NBA Players of All Time in 1997, 8 of those players were on the Lakers. If and when the list get’s revised, you can be sure to add Kobe to the list - no duh!
What do the years 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2009 have in common for The Lake Show? NBA Championships. I’ll bet my bottom dollar Jack Nicholson could name all those year too.
Similar to the aforementioned Trojan Empire, the Lakers will also tractor beam you in. In addition to being the most popular team in Southern California, the Lakers have a very strong national following due to the popularity of Kobe Bryant.
September 16th, 2009 at 8:25 am
Chargers should be 3 or even 2!
The majority of San Diego does not root for USC, unless they went there or know someone there.
Chargers are the only NFL team in Southern Cal (similar to how the Lakers are the only NBA team (not counting the clips)) and should be higher on this list.
September 16th, 2009 at 9:56 am
The fact of the matter is the Trojans sell out every game in there near-100,000 capacity stadium and I doubt all of those people know somebody who attended USC or went there themselves.
USC is in the heart of Los Angeles, the 2nd biggest city in the country. Trojans are epic.
The chargers almost never sell out their sub 70,000 capacity stadium…The Chargers also have 0 Championships.
September 16th, 2009 at 10:05 am
All from LA county and most likely students or alumni!
If it was just LA or LA county then yes. But San Diego is a large part of Southern California and so is Orange County, and there just isn’t enough support for USC in these large sections of Southern Cal. When looking at appeal across Souther Cal Chargers span all of Southern Cal as opposed to just one county.
September 16th, 2009 at 10:19 am
There are 5 million people living in LA county. How could 5 million people “most likely be students or alumni”?
That argument doesn’t make sense.
San Diego only has 1 million people. 5 million is 5x larger than 1 million thus creating a much stronger following.
Think about it, there is a reason LA does not have an NFL team. The reason is the Trojans. Your arguments are more opinionated than factual…You may personally not like the Trojans - that’s OK. But they are unquestionably more popular than the Chargers.