Sports

Seattle Sports Teams

Seattle’s professional sports history began at the start of the 20th century with the PCHA’s Seattle Metropolitans, which in 1917 became the first American hockey team to win the Stanley Cup. Today Seattle has four major professional sports teams: The National Football League’s Seattle Seahawks, Major League Baseball’s Seattle Mariners, Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders FC, and the 2004 Women’s National Basketball Association champions, Seattle Storm.[165] From 1967 to 2008 Seattle was also home to an NBA franchise, the Seattle SuperSonics, who were the 1978–79 NBA champions. The team relocated to Oklahoma City after the 2007–08 season.The Seattle Thunderbirds are a major-junior hockey team that plays in one of the Canadian major-junior hockey leagues, the WHL (Western Hockey League). The Thunderbirds moved to nearby Kent, Washington during the 2008–2009 season. The Seattle Sounders FC began play in Major League Soccer in 2009.

Seattle also boasts a strong history in collegiate sports, the University of Washington and Seattle University are NCAA Division I schools. The Major League Baseball All-Star game was held in Seattle twice, first at the Kingdome in 1979 and again at Safeco Field in 2001. That same year, the Seattle Mariners tied the all-time single regular season wins record with 116 wins. The NBA All-Star game was also held in Seattle twice, the first in 1974 at the Seattle Center Coliseum and the second in 1987 at the Kingdome.

In 2006, Qwest Field hosted the 2005–06 NFL playoffs. In 2008, Qwest Field hosted the first game of the 2007–08 NFL playoffs, in which the Seahawks defeated the Washington Redskins, 35–14. Qwest also serves as the home field for the Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer. Forbes magazine rated Seattle as the “Most Miserable Sports City” in 2010.