Men's Health magazine has a feature called MetroGrades, where the Top 100 cities are ranked in various categories: Noisiest, Best For Men 2009, etc. They use empirical data to draw their conclusions, although at best the science is inexact. Still, it makes for good discussion fodder.
The July/August issue's MetroGrade is "America's Top Sports Towns."
Results in a bit, but first the criteria:
How many people attend baseball, basketball and football games (college and pro) and those showing up at high school sporting events.
NASCAR attendance and who's catching their sports on TV and the radio (source: SimplyMap).
The number of people vying for tickets to any sport, who is buying the most team apparel, and how many people call themselves "foam-finger-waving fanatics" (source: Scarborough Sports Marketing).
Here are the Top 10: