New England

:This article is about the region in the United States of America. For other uses, see New England (disambiguation).

Major Professional Sports Teams

Informal polling, along with a general consensus among the sports media, indicates that baseball is the most-watched sport in New England, with the Boston Red Sox being the region's most popular sports franchise and the region's focal point of conversation throughout the summer. Even Red Sox players have noted the feeling of affection and ownership the entire New England region has towards the team. Nearly every major town in the region carries the Red Sox through the town radio station. The 2004 World Series victory by the Red Sox, the first since 1918, inspired widespread euphoria throughout the region, and three million people attended the team's victory parade in Boston. The recent success of the New England Patriots, a team that has won three of the past four Super Bowls, has sparked a renewed interest in football. The Boston Celtics are also a very popular franchise.

Related Topics:
Baseball - Boston Red Sox - New England Patriots - Super Bowl - Football - Boston Celtics

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It should be noted 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-identify as suburban New Yorkers. 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.

Related Topics:
New York City - New York Yankees - New York Mets - Montreal Expos

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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.

Related Topics:
13 April - 1997 - Hartford Whalers - WHA - NHL

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In 1997 the Whalers left Hartford for Raleigh, North Carolina (amid much controversy), where they became the Hurricanes.

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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 package, announced by then Connecticut Governer John Rowland, included, according to the Boston Globe: total costs of building a new stadium, training facility and highways; $175 million dollars to owner Robert Kraft if he failed to sell out premium seats as well as $200 million or more over 30 years for stadium improvements and renovations. The state further offered to waive property taxes on the stadium and adjacent hotel and entertainment pavilion, which Kraft would have built.

Related Topics:
1999 - New England Patriots - NFL - John Rowland

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The deal fell through after Massachusetts offered a far less generous offer of $70 Million dollars for infrastructure work. Many in Connecticut felt this was a deliberate ploy on the part of Mr. Kraft, a ruse to find public funds in Massachusetts, enabling the Patriots to remain in Foxboro. Fallout from Kraft's backpeddling on the deal resulted in a few Hartford area media outlets dropping coverage of Patriots football for several years and many lost fans from Connecticut.

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Below is a list of the major professional sports teams in New England:

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• Baseball: Boston Red Sox
• Football: New England Patriots
• Basketball: Boston Celtics
• Hockey: Boston Bruins
• Soccer: New England Revolution