Three popular American sports were invented inNew England.Basketball was invented byJames Naismith, a Canadian, inSpringfield, Massachusetts, in 1891.[1]Volleyball was invented byWilliam G. Morgan inHolyoke, Massachusetts, in 1895.[2]Paintball was invented in 1981 inHenniker, New Hampshire.[3]
It is also widely believed the first organizedice hockey game in the United States was played inConcord, New Hampshire, in 1883.[4]
The region is famous for its passion for baseball and theBoston Red Sox, as well as for the intense rivalry between the Red Sox and theNew York Yankees. The Red Sox were founded in 1901, and won the first-everWorld Series in 1903. After five championships in the early 1900s, the team became infamous for theCurse of the Bambino, a period between 1918 and 2004 during which the Red Sox did not win any titles. After breaking the streak, the Red Sox won three more titles in the early 2000s, and currently have nine MLB titles.
On November 1, 1924, theBoston Bruins of theNational Hockey League became the first NHL franchise to be based in the United States. They are now the second-oldest surviving major professional sports team inBoston, after the Red Sox. The Bruins' historic rivalry with theMontreal Canadiens, a fellowOriginal Six team, has, at times, reached the level of intensity of theYankees – Red Sox rivalry in professional baseball in the region.[citation needed]
TheBoston Celtics were founded on June 6, 1946, as one of theNational Basketball Association's original teams, and are one of two to have remained in the city where they were founded. The team has won 18NBA Finals, more than any other team, and the team's eight consecutive titles between 1959 and 1966 stand as a record amongst all four major American sports leagues. The Celtics' rivalry with theLos Angeles Lakers is generally considered the greatest in professional basketball, and has, at times, reached the level of intensity of theYankees – Red Sox rivalry.
TheNew England Patriotsfootball team is based inFoxborough, Massachusetts, halfway between Boston andProvidence. In 1999, the Patriots flirted with the idea of moving toHartford, in what threeNational Football League (NFL) franchise owners called "the greatest financial deal any NFL owner has ever received".[citation needed] The deal, however, fell through, and the team remained in Foxborough. The team has won sixSuper Bowls, tied for the most among all NFL teams.
Both the oldestMajor League Baseball (MLB) professional baseball park still in use,Fenway Park, dating from April 1912, as well as the oldest indoor ice hockey rink still in use worldwide,Matthews Arena, which first opened in 1910 and currently stands on the property ofNortheastern University for their collegiate ice hockey teams, are within the Boston city limits.
Additionally, two colleges compete at the Division I level in ice hockey only:American International andBentley College compete in theAtlantic Hockey Association.
Until April 13, 1997, Hartford also had its own major hockey team, theHartford Whalers. Originally known as the New England Whalers, they changed their name in 1979 after leaving theWHA for theNHL, hoping to carve a niche market in Hartford.
In 1997, the Whalers left Hartford forRaleigh, North Carolina (amid much controversy), where they became theHurricanes.
In the parts of southwestern Connecticut that are close to New York City, most people tend to be fans of New York sports teams, and are often self-identified as suburban New Yorkers. Additionally, until the team relocated to Washington, D.C., for the start of the 2005 season, theMontreal Expos received some fan support in northern New England. TheMontreal Canadiens are the NHL's closest team to Northern New England.
For the Mets, when they were in the World Series in their championship season of1986, split allegiances among fans of both the Mets and opposingBoston Red Sox led to an article inThe Boston Globe to coin the phrase "Red Sox Nation".[5]
Since the mid-1990s, theUniversity of Connecticut men's and women's basketball programs (winning 5 men's and 11 women's NCAA national titles since 1995) has drawn a large regional following especially in their home state ofConnecticut.[6]
TheBoston College Eagles hockey team has also attracted a large following, winning four national championships in 2001, 2008, 2010, and 2012. Theirfootball team also garnered support while currentAtlanta Falcons quarterbackMatt Ryan played for the Eagles.TheBoston University Terriers hockey team has likewise received large support over the years, winning the national championship in 2009, and has been a staple of Boston collegiate hockey over the past century. TheGreen Line Rivalry between Boston University and Boston College has been said to be one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports; the two teams compete against each other as well as the hockey teams from fellow Boston universitiesHarvard UniversityCrimson andNortheastern UniversityHuskies.[7]
New England is home to an NFL Football team, theNew England Patriots. The Patriots, based inFoxborough, Massachusetts, are the most popular NFL team in Massachusetts.[8] However, other teams have small followings in the region, including thePittsburgh Steelers and theNew York Giants.[9]
New Hampshire Motor Speedway is an oval racetrack which has hosted severalNASCAR andAmerican Championship Car Racing races, whereasLime Rock Park is a traditionalroad racing venue home ofsports car races. Both NASCAR Cup races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway draw over 100,000 fans, thus making NHMS the largest capacity sports venue in New England.[10] New Hampshire also possesses theNew England Dragway facility inEpping, New Hampshire, as one of the very few remainingdragstrips in the New England region.
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