May 6, 1997 marks a day that will live in infamy in the eyes of Connecticut sports fans. On that day, Peter Karmanos, owner of the Hartford Whalers, announced that he was moving the NHL team to North Carolina and renaming them the Carolina Hurricanes. Connecticut has lacked a major professional sports franchise ever…
Tag: sports history
April 30: The New England Patriots Back Out of Hartford Stadium Deal
In 1998, Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots pro football team, was seeking a new home for his franchise, which had outgrown their small and outdated stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. After failing to secure stadium deals in South Boston and then Rhode Island, Kraft set his sights on Connecticut. His quest for…
April 18: A Deadly Boxing Match in Waterbury
Even though it had been a documented pastime for millennia, amateur (or “Olympic-style”) boxing experienced a popular renaissance in the United States during the turn of the twentieth century, thanks to celebrity heavyweights like John L. Sullivan and the inclusion of the sport in the 1904 Olympic games. During the early twentieth century, amateur…
April 6: UConn First School to win Dual NCAA Basketball Championships
On April 6, 2004, University of Connecticut fans across the state and across the country cheered as the UConn women’s basketball team, led by coach Geno Auriemma , won its 5th NCAA championship, which was the team’s third national championship in a row. The women beat their longstanding rival, Tennessee, 70 – 61 in…