For a small state sandwiched between two of America’s largest cities, Connecticut has enjoyed its fair share of exposure to professional sports. While Connecticut is best known for its association with professional hockey and baseball teams and for the many Olympic athletes who grew up in its suburbs, the state has also played host…
Tag: sports history
August 1: “Base Ball” in 19th Century Hartford
The Charter Oak Base Ball Club, founded in the summer of 1862, was the first baseball team to be formed in Hartford. Their stated mission was to “establish on a scientific basis the health-giving and scientific game of Base Ball, and to promote good fellowship among its players.” In the age of before national professional…
July 17: The First Annual Nutmeg Games
As the largest amateur multi-sport event in Connecticut, the Nutmeg State Games have promoted camaraderie, healthy competition, and the Olympic spirit among student athletes for over thirty years. On July 17, 1986, the first Nutmeg State Games took place as 300 amateur athletes gathered in Canton, Connecticut to compete against each other in a…
May 6: The Hartford Whalers Leave CT to become the Carolina Hurricanes
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…
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New England Patriots pro football team, was seeking a new home for his franchise, which had outgrown their small and outdated stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.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…