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Sports Maps That Will Make You See the World in a New Way

You might be able to name all the state capitols, but do you know the capitol of Raiders' country? The following sports maps are not the most conventional way to learn the lay of the land, but that doesn't mean you can't learn a thing or two from them! From baseball to football to everything in between, they ditch traditional state and country lines for those influenced by the love of the game.  

These were definitely not maps we studied in geography, but they shed some pretty interesting light on how the world is divided up. Here's a look at the world according to sports maps. 

Sport Popularity by Region

Sport Popularity by Region

This map shows the popularity of each sport by region—took a while to find who was watching archery, but they're on there! Football (soccer) is the most popular sport worldwide...no surprise there.

(Image via Reddit)

Most Hated Out-of-State Team

Most Hated Out-of-State Team

It's dangerous to be a Packers fan in Minnesota, apparently. But it's even scarier to be a Louisiana fan of any kind in the South! 

(Image via Reddit)

Men's World Cup Highest Placement by Country

Men's World Cup Highest Placement by Country

Europe and South America clearly dominate in the men's World Cup--what a surprise. The United States isn't the best, but we did okay considering that soccer is not our most popular sport. 

(Image via Reddit)

The United States Divided Up by NFL Fans

The United States Divided Up by NFL Fans

Most of the teams on this map completely obliterate normal state lines, except for one. There's hardly anyone outside the state of Georgia that would call themselves a Falcons fan! 

(Image via Reddit)

Most Popular Sport Team by State

Most Popular Sport Team by State

There's nothing particularly shocking about this map, but it is interesting to see how the popularity of a team tends to seep out into the states surrounding it. 

(Image via Reddit)

Sport of Each Country's Highest Paid Athlete

Sport of Each Country's Highest Paid Athlete

If you wanna get rich with sports in the United States, you better start practicing your uppercuts. For those in Asia--get to work on those serves! 

(Image via Reddit)

States by Professional Championship Wins

States by Professional Championship Wins

This map makes it very clear which states have professional sports teams and which ones don't. Or maybe the Midwest just sucks at every sport invented. 

(Image via Reddit)

Most Hated College Football Teams by State

Most Hated College Football Teams by State

Leave it to Texas to hate the Longhorns just as much as the rest of the country does. And we're not sure what Ohio State ever did to Maine, but there's apparently some bad blood between the two. 

(Image via Reddit)

Football vs. Soccer

Football vs. Soccer

Should we call it soccer or football? That depends on where you're asking the question. We sure didn't expect Australia to be team soccer, though! 

(Image via Reddit)

Most Googled Athlete by State

Most Googled Athlete by State

Tom Brady might be the king of New England, but it's very clear who rules the rest of the country. 

(Image via Reddit)

Largest High School Basketball Gyms in the Country

Largest High School Basketball Gyms in the Country

This is not the most useful map, but if you're looking for one of the biggest high school gyms in the country, you better start heading for Indiana! 

(Image via Reddit)

NCAA Men's Basketball Players by Birthplace

NCAA Men's Basketball Players by Birthplace

Obviously the United States is going to dominate when it comes to athletes at American colleges, but NCAA men's basketball players have come from far and wide, apparently! 

(Image via Reddit)

Best Selling Jersey by State

Best Selling Jersey by State

It doesn't matter where it is--if you manage to have the best-selling jersey in any state, you've officially arrived as a famous athlete. 

(Image via Twitter)

Professional Sports Teams by State

Professional Sports Teams by State

The professional sports teams in the United States are definitely not distributed evenly. Thankfully, there are more than enough college teams for fans to lose their minds over. 

(Image via Reddit)

United States Baseball Fan Map

United States Baseball Fan Map

State lines apparently don't mean a thing when it comes to dividing the country up by its favorite professional baseball teams. 

(Image via Reddit)

Baseball Fields on the Border

Baseball Fields on the Border

We're not sure why anyone would come up with this map, but we're glad they did. Here are the few baseball fields in the United States where knocking a ball out of the park could potentially land it in another country. 

(Image via Reddit)

Countries with Professional Baseball Leagues

Countries with Professional Baseball Leagues

Baseball might be America's past time, but most places on earth don't seem to have too much love for it. 

(Image via Reddit)

Professional Baseball Teams That Have Relocated

Professional Baseball Teams That Have Relocated

Baseball teams don't always stay put, but some have traveled many more miles than others. Just ask the Athletics. 

(Image via Reddit)

The United States Divided by College Football Wins

The United States Divided by College Football Wins

If land was allocated by college football wins, a map of the United States would look mighty different than it does right now. 

(Image via Reddit)

Soccer Fields in Europe

Soccer Fields in Europe

It's no secret that Europe loves soccer, but we had no idea they loved it this much. It would almost be easier to point out where soccer fields aren't. 

(Image via Reddit)

Most Famous Athlete from Each State

Most Famous Athlete from Each State

This is an interesting map and all, but shouldn't Lance Armstrong go on the one for the most infamous athlete from each state? 

(Image via Pinterest)

Iconic Sports by State

Iconic Sports by State

Every state seems to love something different, and some of these sports are a bit sportier than others. We're looking at you, New Mexico. 

(Image via Pinterest)

Soccer Attendance in the United States

Soccer Attendance in the United States

Soccer might not be the most popular sport in the US, but, according to this map, soccer teams still manage to bring in large crowds to the stadium. 

(Image via Reddit)

Countries with the Most Boxing World Champions

Countries with the Most Boxing World Champions

All of the countries on this map should be proud of the accomplishments of their professional boxers, but there's no denying that the United States blows everyone else out of the water when it comes to championship wins. 

(Image via Reddit)

Classic Wrestling Territories in the United States

Classic Wrestling Territories in the United States

Professional wrestling is still going strong, but it's not the sport it used to be. This map imagines the United States based on the classic territories of days gone by. 

(Image via Reddit)

Olympic Medal Wins by Country

Olympic Medal Wins by Country

Most of the countries in the world have at least placed bronze once at the Olympics, but there are still a few stragglers who haven't placed at all. 

(Image via Reddit)

Birthplace of All Men's Water Polo Gold Medalists Since 2000

Birthplace of All Men's Water Polo Gold Medalists Since 2000

We're gonna go out on a limb and say that water polo must be insanely popular in eastern Europe. It's either that, or no one in the rest of the world cares about it. 

(Image via Reddit)

US Cities Considered for the 2024 or 2028 Olympics

US Cities Considered for the 2024 or 2028 Olympics

Everyone talks about what a hassle hosting the Olympics is, but that didn't stop a lot of cities from throwing their hat in the ring. Hope you're ready, Los Angeles! 

(Image via Reddit)

Countries That Have Hosted the Olympics

Countries That Have Hosted the Olympics

It seems like the Olympics are held all over the place, but according to this map, there are tons of countries where the Olympics have never set foot. 

(Image via Reddit)