Beginner guides
New to the NFL or NBA? Start here.
Short, plain-English guides for people who just started watching. Read one, then take a quiz to find your team.
- 01 How to Pick an NFL or NBA Team to Root For Seven simple ways to choose a team you'll actually love, from where you live to the colors you'd wear every week.
- 02 NFL Rules for Beginners: Understand Football in 5 Minutes Downs, touchdowns, field goals and the season, explained in plain English for first-time viewers.
- 03 The NBA Season Explained: From Opening Night to the Finals How the 82-game NBA season works: conferences, the play-in, the playoffs, the NBA Cup and the big dates to know.
- 04 How to Watch NFL and NBA Games (2026–27 Season) Where NFL and NBA games are shown in the U.S., which ones are free on regular TV, and tips for watching on a budget.
- 05 The Biggest Rivalries in the NFL and NBA Celtics vs. Lakers, Bears vs. Packers and more: the grudges every new fan should know about.
Team fan guides
Stadium, rivals, legends and how to start following each team. More teams are added regularly.
NFL
- Dallas Cowboys The most famous brand in American football, loved and hated in equal measure.
- Green Bay Packers Owned by its fans, played in the frozen tundra, with more league titles than anyone.
- Kansas City Chiefs Barbecue, a sea of red, and the defining dynasty of the 2020s.
- Philadelphia Eagles The most passionate, loudest and most demanding fans in football.
- Pittsburgh Steelers Terrible Towels, tough defense, and six Super Bowl trophies.
- San Francisco 49ers A dynasty past, a smart modern team, and fans who call themselves the Faithful.
NBA
- Boston Celtics Basketball royalty: 18 banners, the most in NBA history.
- Golden State Warriors The team that made the three-pointer king, with seven championships.
- Los Angeles Lakers Hollywood glamour, superstars and 17 championships.
- New York Knicks The Mecca of basketball, and the 2026 champions after a 53-year wait.
Looking for another team? Browse all 32 NFL teams or 30 NBA teams.