Sports in New England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Two popular American sports were invented in New England. Basketball was invented by James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1891.[1] Volleyball was invented by William G. Morgan in Holyoke, Massachusetts, in 1895.[2] The earliest known written reference to the sport of baseball is a 1791 Pittsfield, Massachusetts by-law banning the playing of the game within 80 yards of the town's new meeting house.[3] Also, the first American hockey game was played in Connecticut.
Up until 13 April 1997, Hartford also had its own major hockey team, the Hartford Whalers. Originally known as the New England Whalers, they changed their name to the Hartford Whalers in 1979 after leaving the WHA for the NHL, hoping to carve a niche market in Hartford.
In 1997 the Whalers left Hartford for Raleigh, North Carolina (amid much controversy), where they became the Hurricanes.
In 1999, the New England Patriots also flirted with the idea of moving to Hartford, in exchange for what three NFL franchise owners called "the greatest financial deal any NFL owner has ever received." The deal, however, fell through, and the team remained in Foxboro.
The region is famous for its passion for baseball and the Boston Red Sox, as well as for the intense rivalry between the Red Sox and the New York Yankees.
It should be noted, however, that in the parts of southwestern Connecticut that are close to New York City, there are an abundance of New York Yankees and New York Mets fans, who are often self-identified as suburban New Yorkers. Prior to the establishment of the Patriots football team in 1960, the New York Giants received significant support from New England. Additionally, until the team relocated to Washington for the start of the 2005 season, the Montreal Expos received some fan support in northern New England.
[edit] List Of Professional and Semi-Professional Sports Teams in New England
- Baseball:
- Basketball:
- National Basketball Association
- Women's National Basketball Association
- American Basketball Association(Independent Minor League)
- Hockey:
- National Hockey League
- American Hockey League(AAA)
- Lowell Devils (Lowell, Massachusetts)
- Hartford Wolf Pack (Hartford, Connecticut)
- Manchester Monarchs (Manchester, New Hampshire)
- Portland Pirates (Portland, Maine)
- Springfield Falcons (Springfield, Massachusetts)
- Worcester Sharks (Worcester, Massachusetts)
- Providence Bruins (Providence, Rhode Island)
