Best Sports to Watch at San Francisco Bars by Season

People come to San Francisco from all over the world for its well-known culinary scene and sightseeing opportunities. Fewer people are aware that San Francisco is also a hotbed of professional and college sports or that dozens of sports bars exist in the city. For the sports lover, there’s no shortage of opportunities to watch their favorite team with friends while also enjoying great food and drinks. Below are several teams from the San Francisco area that both locals and tourists can enjoy each season.

Winter

With high temperatures from December to March of approximately 60 degrees, it’s easy to go out on the town to enjoy watching sports rather than curl up at home. Here are some fun teams to watch:

• Golden State Warriors National Basketball Association (NBA) team. Since 2014, the Warriors have taken first or second place in the West division and posted winning percentages between .625 and .941. They are NBA champions for 2015, 2017, and 2018.
• San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Sharks have appeared in the playoffs 21 times since their inception in 1991 but have yet to win the Stanley Cup.
• The college basketball teams Stanford Cardinal and California Golden Bears each play their seasons during the winter.

Spring

The Golden State Warriors and San Francisco Sharks continue their seasons into the spring. New sports that start up in the spring include:

• San Francisco Giants Major League Baseball (MLB) team. The history of the Giants dates all the way to 1883 when they played as the New York Gothams before MLB even existed. The Giants won the World Series in 2010, 2012, and 2014.
• Oakland Athletics (A’s) MLB team. The A’s have played 51 seasons in Oakland and won the World Series in 1972, 1973, 1974, and 1989.
• San Jose Earthquakes Major League Soccer (MLS) team. The Quakes, as they’re known locally, have played in San Jose since 1994. They won the MLS Cup in 2001 and 2003.

Summer

The San Francisco Giants, Oakland A’s, and San Jose Earthquake all continue their regular seasons into the summer.

Fall

The National Football League (NFL) begins its regular season in the fall, and two teams represent the Bay Area. The San Francisco 49ers are the first sports team to play in San Francisco and on the West Coast. They dominated the 1980s and 1990s, winning Super Bowl trophies in all five appearances in 1982, 1985, 1989, 1990, and 1995. The Oakland Raiders have been in the NFL since 1960. They won the Super Bowl in 1977, 1981, and 1984.

The Stanford Cardinal college football team also starts its season in the fall. It has a rich history that dates to 1892. It has two national titles, 15 conference titles, and three division titles to its credit. The California Golden Bears college football team is 10 years older with an 1882 founding date. The team has claimed five national titles with the last in 1937. It also has 14 conference titles.

Following these teams and watching them on live TV at a sports bar is exciting. It’s even more so when they make the playoffs and extend their playing time into the next season on the calendar.