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Monday, 10 October 2011

Sports in Boston


Boston has teams in the four major North American professional sports leagues,
 and has won 33 championships in these leagues, as of 2011

The Boston Red Sox, a founding member of the American League of Major League Baseball in 1901, play their home games at Fenway Park, near Kenmore Square in the Fenway section of Boston. Built in 1912, it is the oldest sports arena or stadium in active use in the United States among the four major professional American sports leagues, encompassing Major League Baseball, the National Football League, National Basketball Association, and the National Hockey League. Boston was also the site of the first game of the first modern World Series, in 1903. The series was played between the AL Champion Boston Americans and the NL champion Pittsburgh Pirates. Persistent reports that the team was known in 1903 as the "Boston Pilgrims" appear to be unfounded. Boston's first professional baseball team was the Red Stockings, one of the charter members of the National Association in 1871, and of the National League in 1876. The team played under that name until 1883, under the name Beaneaters until 1911, and under the name Braves from 1912 until they moved to Milwaukee after the 1952 season. Since 1966 they have played in Atlanta as the Atlanta Braves.


Celtics in a game versus the Miami Heat at the TD Garden


The TD Garden (formerly called the FleetCenter) is adjoined to North Station and is the home of three major league teams: the Boston Blazers of the National Lacrosse League, the 2011 Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League; and the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association. The arena seats 18,624 for basketball games and 17,565 for ice hockey venues. The Bruins were the first American member of the National Hockey League and an Original Six franchise. The Boston Celtics were founding members of the Basketball Association of America, one of the two leagues that merged to form the NBA. The Celtics have the distinction of having won more championships than any other NBA team, with seventeen.

2010 NHL Winter Classic between the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers at
Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. The Bruins
 play their home games at TD Garden. 


While they have played in suburban Foxborough since 1971, the New England Patriots were founded in 1960 as the Boston Patriots, changing their name in 1971 to better reflect its status as New England's team. A charter member of the American Football League, the team joined the National Football League in 1970. The team has won the Super Bowl three times, in 2001, 2003, and 2004. They share Gillette Stadium with the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer. The Boston Breakers of Women's Professional Soccer, which formed in 2009, play their home games at Harvard Stadium in Allston.




Gillette Stadium


Boston's many colleges and universities are active in college athletics. Four NCAA Division I members play their games in the city—Boston College (Atlantic Coast Conference), Boston University (America East Conference), Harvard University (Ivy League), and Northeastern University (Colonial Athletic Association). Of the four, only Boston College participates in college football at the highest level, the Football Bowl Subdivision. Harvard participates in the second-highest level, the Football Championship Subdivision. Boston University and Northeastern University do not have football teams. All but Harvard belong to the Hockey East conference; Harvard belongs to the ECAC in hockey. The hockey teams of these four universities meet every year in a four-team tournament known as the "Beanpot Tournament", which is played at the TD Garden over two Monday nights in February.
One of the best known sporting events in the city is the Boston Marathon, the 42.195-kilometre (26.219 mi) run from Hopkinton to Copley Square in the Back Bay which is the world's oldest annual marathon run. It is run on Patriots' Day in April and always coincides with a Red Sox home baseball game that starts at 11:05 am, the only MLB game all year to start before noon local time. Another major event held annually in the city is the Head of the Charles Regatta rowing competition on the Charles River.




The Prudential Tower lit up for the 2007 World Series. The Red Sox won 4–0.
Club League Sport Venue Established Championships
Boston Bruins NHL Hockey TD Garden 1924 6 Stanley Cups
Boston Celtics NBA Basketball TD Garden 1946 17 NBA Titles
Boston Red Sox MLB Baseball Fenway Park 1901 7 World Series Titles
12 AL Pennants
New England Patriots NFL Football Gillette Stadium 1960 3 Super Bowl Titles
6 AFC Championships
New England Revolution MLS Soccer Gillette Stadium 1995 1 U.S. Open Cup
1 Superliga
Boston Blazers NLL Lacrosse (Indoor) TD Garden 2008 None
Boston Breakers WPS Soccer Harvard Stadium 2001 None
Boston Cannons MLL Lacrosse (Outdoor) Harvard Stadium 2001 1 Steinfeld Cup
Boston Aztec WPSL Soccer Amesbury Sports Park 2005 1 WPSL Title
Boston Demons USAFL Australian Rules Football Ipswich River Park 1997 2 National Championships
Boston Militia WFA Football Dilboy Stadium 2008 2 Championships
New England Riptide NPF Softball Martin Softball Field 2004 1 Cowles Cup
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