Sports in New York City 3880857 220759153 2008-06-21T12:56:36Z Maurice45 655173 [[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 219663499 by [[Special:Contributions/217.21.112.15|217.21.112.15]] ([[User talk:217.21.112.15|talk]]) because RUGBY IS MORE POPULAR THAN CRICKET [[Image:DSC03402.jpg|thumb|230px|View of a night game at [[Yankee Stadium]] between the [[New York Yankees]] and the [[Minnesota Twins]].]] [[Image:Belmont9 1999-05.jpg|thumb|250px||Horses march in the pre-race post parade at [[Belmont Park|Belmont Park Racetrack]].]] '''Sports in [[New York City]] ''' have a long and distinguished history. The city has a few historic sports venues: [[Ebbets Field]], home of the [[Brooklyn Dodgers]] from 1913 until 1957, was torn down in 1960, and the [[Polo Grounds]] in northern [[Harlem]] was the home of the [[San Francisco Giants|New York Giants]] of [[Major League Baseball]] from 1911 to 1957 (and the first home of the [[New York Mets]]) before being demolished in 1964. The Mets, who currently play at [[Shea Stadium]] will be moving into the newly constructed [[CitiField]] in 2009. Also the current [[Madison Square Garden]], atop [[Pennsylvania Station (New York City)|Pennsylvania Station]] in [[Midtown Manhattan]], is actually the ''fourth'' separate building to use that name; the first two were near [[Madison Square]], hence the name, and the third was at 50th Street and [[Eighth Avenue]]. Also, [[Yankee Stadium]], home of the [[New York Yankees]], is considered one of the most historic venues in North American sports. Immigrants have always influenced sports in New York. [[Stickball]], a street version of baseball, first became popular in the city's Italian and Irish neighborhoods. The popularity of cricket and soccer are growing with immigration from British Commonwealth countries. New York City was also the host of parts of the 1996 [[World Cup of Hockey]], and the 1998 [[Goodwill Games]]. In [[2005]], it bid to host the [[2012 Summer Olympics]], but lost to [[London]]. [[Image:Yankee stadium exterior.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Yankee Stadium]].]] New York City has teams in the four major North American professional sports leagues, each of which also has its headquarters in the city. [[Baseball]] is the city's most closely followed sport. There have been fourteen [[World Series]] championship series between New York City teams, in matchups called [[Subway Series]]. New York is one of only three cities (Chicago and Los Angeles being the others) to have two baseball teams. The city's two current [[Major League Baseball]] teams are the [[New York Yankees]] and the [[New York Mets]]. The city also was once home to the [[New York Baseball Giants|New York Giants]] (now the [[San Francisco Giants]]) and the [[Brooklyn Dodgers]] (now the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]]). Both teams moved to California in 1958. There are also two [[minor league baseball]] teams in the city, the [[Staten Island Yankees]] and [[Brooklyn Cyclones]]. The city is represented in the [[National Football League]] by the [[New York Jets]] and [[New York Giants]] (officially the New York Football Giants), although both teams play their home games in [[Giants Stadium]] in nearby [[New Jersey]]. The [[New York Rangers]] represent the city in the [[National Hockey League]], calling [[Madison Square Garden]] home. In [[Football (soccer)|soccer]], New York is represented by the [[Major League Soccer]] side, [[Red Bull New York]]. The "Red Bulls" also play their home games at the [[Giants Stadium]] in New Jersey. [[Image:2005 New York City Marathon.jpg|thumb|250px|The [[New York City Marathon]] is the largest marathon in the world.]] The city's [[National Basketball Association]] team is the [[New York Knicks]] and the city's [[Women's National Basketball Association]] team is the [[New York Liberty]]. The first national college-level basketball championship, the [[National Invitation Tournament]], was held in New York in 1938 and remains in the city.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nit.org/history/nit-postseason.html |title=Postseason Overview |publisher=National Invitation Tournament |accessdate=2007-06-06}}</ref> [[Rucker Park]] in [[Harlem]] is a celebrated court where many professional athletes play in the summer league. As a global city, New York supports many events outside these sports. Queens is host of the [[U.S. Open (tennis)|U.S. Tennis Open]], one of the four [[Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam]] tournaments. The [[New York City Marathon]] is the world's largest, and the 2004-2006 runnings hold the top three places in the marathons with the largest number of finishers, including 37,866 finishers in 2006.<ref>[http://www.aims-association.org/statistics/World's_Largest_Marathons.html World's Largest Marathons], [[Association of International Marathons and Distance Races]]. Accessed [[June 28]], [[2007]].</ref> The [[Millrose Games]] is an annual track and field meet whose featured event is the [[Wanamaker Mile]]. Boxing is also a very prominent part of the city's sporting scene, with events like the Amateur Boxing Golden Gloves being held at Madison Square Garden each year. Many sports are associated with New York's immigrant communities. [[Stickball]], a street version of baseball, was popularized by youths in working class Italian, German, and Irish neighborhoods in the 1930s. In recent years several amateur [[cricket]] leagues have emerged with the arrival of immigrants from South Asia and the Caribbean.<ref>{{cite video |people=Sas, Adrian (Producer) |year=2006 |url=http://nycgovparks.org/sub_newsroom/video/index.html?key=16&search=|title=It's my Park: Cricket |medium=TV-Series |location=New York City |publisher=[[Nystv]]}}</ref> ==Major sports== The [[New York metropolitan area]] is the only one in the United States with [[U.S. cities with teams from four major sports|more than one team]] in each of the four major sports, with nine such franchises. ===Baseball=== [[Baseball]] is generally considered to be the most popular sport in New York City. A "[[Subway Series]]" between city teams is a time of great excitement, and any [[World Series]] championship by either the [[New York Yankees]] or the [[New York Mets]] is considered to be worthy of the highest celebration, including a [[ticker-tape parade]] for the victorious team. For many baseball fans, the most intense rivalry is between the Yankees and the [[Boston Red Sox]], but in the city the rivalry between the Yankees and the Mets is almost as fierce. There have been 14 Subway Series World Series match-ups between the Yankees and their [[National League]] rivals; the Mets (once), and with the two teams that departed for California in the 1950s &mdash; the [[San Francisco Giants|New York Giants]] (7 times) and [[Los Angeles Dodgers|Brooklyn Dodgers]] (6 times). New York City is also home to two [[minor league baseball]] teams that play in the short-season Class A [[New York - Penn League]]. The [[Brooklyn Cyclones]] are a Mets affiliate, and the [[Staten Island Yankees]] are affiliated with the Yankees. Three early clubs, the [[New York Giants (baseball)|New York Giants]], [[Brooklyn Dodgers]] and [[New York Yankees]], were among the most storied clubs of professional baseball, and were home to such players as [[Willie Mays]], [[Jackie Robinson]] and [[Babe Ruth]]. The city currently has two [[Major League Baseball]] teams, the Mets, who were formed in 1962, and the Yankees. ===Basketball=== The first national college-level [[basketball]] championship, the [[National Invitation Tournament]], was held in New York in 1938 and remains in the city. The [[New York Knicks]] are the city's [[National Basketball Association]] team. The [[New Jersey Nets]] have announced plans to move to Brooklyn, but have not yet begun construction of their [[Brooklyn Nets Arena|new arena]], which is the subject of an acrimonious debate. At [[Madison Square Garden]], New Yorkers can watch the [[New York Knicks]] play [[NBA]] basketball, the [[New York Liberty]] play in the [[WNBA]]. At the[[ Izod Center]] in the Meadowlands, located across the Hudson River in New Jersey, is home to the [[New Jersey Nets]] NBA basketball team. The New Jersey Nets are set to become the Brooklyn Nets or the New York Nets in the near future, the first major professional sports team to play in the historic borough in half a century. [[Rucker Park]] in [[Harlem]] is a celebrated court where many NBA athletes play in the summer league. ===Football=== New York's [[NFL]] teams, the [[New York Giants]] and [[New York Jets]], play in [[Giants Stadium]], which is located in [[New Jersey]]. Before the opening of Giants Stadium, the Giants played in Yankee Stadium and the Jets in Shea Stadium. Neither team plays in the city itself presently, as both teams play at Giants Stadium, located in the [[Meadowlands Sports Complex|Meadowlands]] complex in East Rutherford, NJ, and plan to share a new stadium to be constructed nearby. Due to their longer history and generally greater on-field success, the Giants are considered by many people to be the more popular team; they joined the National Football League (NFL) in 1925. The Jets, originally called the New York Titans, were founded in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL), changed their nickname to the Jets in 1963, and joined the NFL as part of the AFL/NFL merger in 1970. It is argued that the Jets may actually be more popular with New York's younger generations than the Giants. The Jets are also seen more as "Long Island's Team", which is supported by the fact that they make their home base {{Fact|date=October 2007}} <!--There should be an elaboration on this item. What is a home base? What happens in a home base?--> in [[Hempstead (village), New York|Hempstead]] at [[Hofstra University]], they used to play at [[Shea Stadium]] which is close to Nassau County, they get more coverage in Long Island-based [[Newsday]], and a larger percentage of their fans come from Long Island. On February 4, 2008, the Giants won [[Super Bowl XLII]], displacing the [[New York Yankees]] as the most recent sports team in the city to win a major league championship. ===Hockey=== The [[New York Rangers]] of the [[National Hockey League]] play in [[Madison Square Garden]]. The Rangers are one of the [[Original Six]] -- a term given to the six NHL teams in existence before the league [[1967 NHL Expansion|expanded]] in 1967. The NHL's [[New Jersey Devils]] played in the New Jersey Meadowlands at the [[Continental Airlines Arena]], now the Izod Center, before moving to the [[Prudential Center]], while the [[New York Islanders]], the third NHL team in the Metro area, play their home games in [[Nassau Coliseum]] on [[Long Island]]. All three teams play in the Atlantic Division, providing fans with intense rivalries. There is an intense rivalry between the Rangers and Devils who have met in the playoffs five times, including a dramatic 7 game series in the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals, ending in a double-overtime goal by the Rangers' [[Stephane Matteau]]. The Devils took a 3-2 series lead into Game 6 in New Jersey and jumped out to a 2-0 lead. However, [[Mark Messier]]'s famous guarantee and [[hat-trick]] led the Rangers to victory and a seventh game. As time wound down in Game 7, the Rangers were clinging to a 1-0 lead on a goal when New Jersey's [[Valeri Zelepukin]] tied the game with 7.7 seconds left in regulation to silence the Garden crowd and send the game into overtime, where Matteau won it for the Rangers. The two teams have met four other times in postseason play; the Devils' win in 2006 was their only playoff series victory over the Rangers. Though the rivalry has cooled recently, the Islanders and Rangers had a bitter rivalry in the 1970s and the 1980s, as the Islanders won four consecutive [[Stanley Cup]] titles. The two teams have met eight times in the playoffs, with the Islanders winning five of those matchups. The NHL's headquarters are also located in New York City. ===New York City Teams=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! scope="col" | Club ! scope="col" | League ! scope="col" | Venue ! scope="col" | Established ! scope="col" | Championships |- ! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[New York Yankees]] | [[Major League Baseball|MLB]] Baseball | [[Yankee Stadium]] | 1901 | 26 |- ! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[New York Mets]] | [[Major League Baseball|MLB]] Baseball | [[Shea Stadium]] | 1962 | 2 |- ! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[New York Rangers]] | [[National Hockey League|NHL]] Ice Hockey | [[Madison Square Garden]] | 1926 | 4 |- ! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[New York Islanders]] | [[National Hockey League|NHL]] Ice Hockey | [[Nassau Coliseum]] | 1972 | 4 |- ! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[New Jersey Devils]] | [[National Hockey League|NHL]] Ice Hockey | [[Prudential Center]] | 1982 | 3 |- ! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[New York Giants]] | [[National Football League|NFL]] Football | [[Giants Stadium]] | 1925 | 7 |- ! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[New York Jets]] | [[National Football League|NFL]] Football | [[Giants Stadium]] | 1960 | 1 |- ! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[New York Knicks]] | [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] Basketball | [[Madison Square Garden]] | 1946 | 2 |- ! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[New Jersey Nets]] | [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] Basketball | [[Continental Airlines Arena]] | 1967 | 2 |- ! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[New York Liberty]] | [[Women's National Basketball Association|WNBA]] Basketball | [[Madison Square Garden]] | 1997 | 0 |- ! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[Red Bull New York|Red Bull New York]] | [[Major League Soccer|MLS]] Soccer | [[Giants Stadium]] | 1995 | 0 |- ! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[New York Dragons]] | [[Arena Football League|AFL]] Arena Football | [[Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum]] | 1995 | 0 |- ! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[Long Island Lizards]] | [[Major League Lacrosse|MLL]] Lacrosse | [[Mitchel Field]] | 2001 | 2 |- ! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[New York Titans (NLL)|New York Titans]] | [[National Lacrosse League|NLL]] Lacrosse | [[Madison Square Garden]] | 2006 | 0 |- ! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[New York Athletic Club RFC|New York Athletic Club]] | [[Rugby Super League (US)|Rugby Super League]] Rugby Union | Travers Island | 1973 | 1 |- ! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[Old Blue]] | [[Rugby Super League (US)|Rugby Super League]] Rugby Union | Pier 40 | 1964 | 0 |- ! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[New York Knights (rugby league)|New York Knights]] | [[American National Rugby League|AMNRL]] Rugby League |Hudson River Park's Pier 40 | 1997 | 1 |- ! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[Northern Raiders]] | [[American National Rugby League|AMNRL]] Rugby League | Andrews Field | 2002 | 0 |- ! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[Brooklyn Comets]] | [[American Basketball Association (21st century)|ABA]] Basketball | [[Kingsborough Community College]] | 2006 | 0 |- ! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[Staten Island Yankees]] | [[Minor league baseball]] (A) | [[Richmond County Bank Ballpark]] | 1999 | 3 |- ! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[Brooklyn Cyclones]] | [[Minor league baseball]] (A) | [[KeySpan Park]] | 1999 | 1 |- ! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[Brooklyn Knights]] | [[USL Premier Development League|USL PDL]] (Minor league soccer) | [[Aviator Field]] | 1994 | 0 |} ==Current issues== All nine major sports franchises play in buildings that will either be replaced or refurbished in the next few years, but these plans are subject to change. [[New Jersey Nets]]: Potentially moving to the proposed [[Barclays Center]] in Brooklyn. [[New York Jets]] and [[New York Giants]]: After a proposal to build a stadium on the West Side of [[Manhattan]], as part of the City's bid to host the [[2012 Summer Olympics]] (which eventually went to [[London]]), and aborted attempts to find another suitable home in places such as [[Flushing Meadows]], the Jets and Giants have joined forces to build a new stadium to host both teams on the site of their current home, the [[Meadowlands Sports Complex|Meadowlands]]. That agreement, however, is in jeopardy, over whether or not to build a retractable roof on the new stadium. The state, which is providing funding for the project, favors a roof, citing it would help bring big events (e.g., the [[Super Bowl]], [[Final Four]], winter concerts, etc.) and additional financial windfall. The Giants and, to a lesser extent, the Jets do not want a roof, fearing that NFL rules regarding a stadium with a retractable roof will eliminate a significant home field advantage, eliminating late season weather conditions as an obstacle for the visitor. The Giants say they will walk away from the project rather than build the stadium with a roof. The new stadium is scheduled to be completed in 2010. [[New York Yankees]]: Replacing [[Yankee Stadium]] with a [[New Yankee Stadium]], scheduled to be completed in 2009. [[New York Mets]]: Replacing [[Shea Stadium]] with [[Citi Field]], also scheduled to open in 2009. [[New York Islanders]]: Rebuilding the [[Nassau Coliseum]], as well as developing much of the land around it. Planned for 2009, but delays in the bidding process makes that date seem unlikely. [[New Jersey Devils]]: Moved to the [[Prudential Center]] in [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]]; opened in October 2007. [[New York Rangers]] and [[New York Knicks]]: Plans have been made to refurbish or rebuild [[Madison Square Garden]]. It would be the 5th edition of the arena. == Other Sports == A city as large and diverse as New York does not restrict itself to the four major sports, however. The [[New York metropolitan area]] is also home to professional soccer and lacrosse teams, such as [[Red Bull New York]] in [[Major League Soccer]] and both the [[Long Island Lizards]] and the [[New Jersey Pride]] in [[Major League Lacrosse]]. New York is also considered to be the "world capital" of [[American handball|one-wall handball]]. For a full listing of major sports franchises in and around New York City, see [[List of New York City sports teams]]. ===Gaelic games=== [[Gaelic games]] have been played in New York since the foundation of the [[Gaelic Athletic Association]]. New York is considered a [[GAA county]] and plays in the [[Connacht Senior Football Championship]]. ===Soccer=== Soccer's popularity in the city is such that jerseys from the English, Irish and Brazilian teams as well as the Liga Mexicana appear in Manhattan as frequently as those of the Mets or the Knicks. In addition to the current [[Major League Soccer]] team [[Red Bull New York]], the area was home to the [[New York Cosmos]], arguably the most popular American soccer team ever. Playing in the defunct [[North American Soccer League|NASL]], the Cosmos were known for fielding some of the world's greatest players including [[Pelé]] and [[Franz Beckenbauer]] albeit in the waning years of their professional careers. Red Bull {and the Cosmos before them}live in a paradox of being considered a minor, and largely ignored team by the citizens of the city it represents while at the same time, through the global popularity and media coverage of soccer, being arguably more world famous than many of the teams that represent the city in the big four leagues. ===Rugby=== Rugby is growing in popularity in New York. The city has two division one rugby union teams, the [[New York Athletic Club RFC]], which was established in 1973 and the [[Old Blue]], both who play in the [[Rugby Super League (US)|Rugby Super League]] ([[rugby union]]). The city has numerous other amateur rugby union clubs as well, paying in the New York Metropilitan Rugby Footbal Union. The clubs have contributed to the national team, the [[United States national rugby union team|Eagles]], who have participated at the [[Rugby World Cup]]. The City contributes actively with two amateur [[rugby league]] sides, [[Northern Raiders]], who play at Andrews Field, and the [[New York Knights (rugby league)|New York Knights]], who play at Hudson River Park's Pier 40 in Manhattan. The Raiders have yet to win a trophy but the Knights last won the Championship in 2002. New York City consistently produce players of international standard who play in the [[United States national rugby league team]] who will soon be competing in the [[2008 Rugby League World Cup qualifying]] semi-final in the UK. ===New York Cricket=== With around 20% of the New York City area's population originating from a cricket playing nation, it is not surprising that cricket's popularity is rising.<ref>{{cite video|people=Sas, Adrian (Producer)|year=2006|url=http://nycgovparks.org/sub_newsroom/video/index.html?key=16&search=|title=It's my Park: Cricket|medium=TV-Series|location=New York City|publisher=[[NYCTV]]}}</ref> The majority of players are expatriate and look to cricket to provide a link back to their homes: Often teams are composed of one ethnic or national background - and linked to local social clubs. Since the players are mostly politically weak and financially-strapped immigrants, the sport lacks consistent central funding. Combine these factors with the politics and mis-management of the USACA, and the result is that most facilities are poor; there are no turf wickets (most cricket is played on coconut matting), the outfields are often shared with active soccer games, and the facilities are rudimentary. Despite all the challenges, the standard of cricket can be very good with ex-test and regional representatives playing in some leagues (eg the Commonwealth League). Like any other weekend sport there are also places for the less-skilled enthusiast to play (eg. the Tri State World Series League). New York is the center of the region's cricket, the nexus between all the activity in New York, Connecticut and New Jersey. Most clubs play in the major parks in the outer boroughs, for example: Bronx - Van Courtlandt Park Brooklyn - Prospect Park/Breezy Point Queens - Flushing Meadow/Randall's Island Note - there are no cricket grounds on Manhattan. Most teams also play further afield. The oldest cricket team in America is based in Staten Island, and there are other active teams from [[Hoboken, New Jersey]] to [[Greenwich, Connecticut]]. ===Running=== The [[New York City Marathon]] is an annual marathon foot-race run over a 26.2 mile course through the five boroughs of New York City. Next to the [[Boston Marathon]], it is considered the pre-eminent long-distance annual running event in the United States. The race is produced by the [[New York Road Runners]] and has been run every year since 1970. In recent years, it has also been sponsored by financial giant ING. It is held on the first Sunday of November and attracts professional competitors and amateurs from all over the world. Because of the popularity of the race, participation is limited to 35,000 entrants chosen by a lottery system, with preference given to previous participants. The [[Millrose Games]] is an annual indoor track and field meet held on the first Friday in February in [[Madison Square Garden]] since 1914. The games were started when employees of the [[Wanamaker's|Wanamaker's department store]] formed the Millrose Track Club to hold a meet. The featured event is the [[Wanamaker Mile]]. ===Tennis=== The [[U.S. Open (tennis)|U.S. Tennis Open]] is the fourth and final event of the ''[[Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam]]'' tennis tournaments and is held annually in late summer at the [[USTA National Tennis Center]] in [[Flushing Meadows Park]] in Queens. The main tournament consists of five championships: men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles and mixed doubles, with additional tournaments for junior and wheelchair players. ===Horse racing=== [[Aqueduct Racetrack]] (the Big A) and [[Belmont Park]] feature horse racing all months of the year except August. Aqueduct is located within the city limits in [[Ozone Park]], while Belmont is situated just outside the city, in [[Elmont, New York]]. Harness racing is offered at [[Yonkers Raceway]] north of the city and [[Meadowlands Racetrack]] in [[East Rutherford, New Jersey]]. ===Arena Football=== The [[New York Dragons]] are the current AFL team for NY. ===Auto Racing=== The [[Champ Car|CART]] series held a race at the [[Meadowlands Sports Complex#Auto racing|Meadowlands]] from 1984-1991. [[International Speedway Corporation|ISC]] and [[NASCAR]] unsuccessfully attempted to [[International Speedway Corporation#New York City|build a speedway]] in [[Staten Island]]. Another possible Meadowlands speedway project (Liberty Speedway) was discussed but abandoned in the early 2000s. ==Sports culture== Although in much of the rest of the country [[American football]] has surpassed [[baseball]] as the most popular professional sport, in New York baseball arguably still stirs the most passion and interest. A championship win by any major sports team is considered to be worthy of the highest celebration, including a [[ticker-tape parade]] for the victorious team. In the past, ticker-tape parades have been held for the Yankees, Mets, Giants and Rangers. New Yorkers, however, tend to rally around any of the local teams who win (such as the 1994 [[Stanley Cup]] champions [[New York Rangers]], or the 2007 [[New York Giants]]). Due to their geographic locations, New York has an intense sports rivalry with the cities of [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] and [[Philadelphia]]. Aside from the Yankees-[[Boston Red Sox|Red Sox]] rivalry, the intra-division competition between teams like the Giants and the [[Philadelphia Eagles]], the Jets and the [[New England Patriots]], the Mets and the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] and the Rangers and the [[Philadelphia Flyers]]. ==See also== * [[Sports in Brooklyn]] == References == {{reflist}} ==External links== * [http://www.armchairgm.com/index.php?title=New_York_City_Sports_Travel_Guide New York City Sports Travel Guide] {{New York City}} {{NewYorksports}} {{Sports in North America}} [[Category:Sports in New York City| ]] [[fr:Sport à New York]]