Editing New Haven, Connecticut (section)

=== Sports and athletics ===
[[File:Yale-Harvard-Game.jpg|right|thumb|[[Yale Bowl]] during "The Game" in 2001]]
{{main|Sports in New Haven, Connecticut}}

New Haven has a history of professional sports franchises dating back to the 19th century<ref>[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1875/TNH101875.htm The 1875 New Haven Elm Citys] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140630075030/http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1875/TNH101875.htm |date=June 30, 2014 }}. Retrosheet.org. Retrieved on August 2, 2013.</ref> and has been the home to professional baseball, basketball, [[American football|football]], [[ice hockey|hockey]], and soccer teams—including the [[New York Giants]] of the [[National Football League]] from 1973 to 1974, who played at the [[Yale Bowl]]. Throughout the second half of the 20th century, New Haven consistently had minor league hockey and baseball teams, which played at the [[New Haven Arena]] (built in 1926, demolished in 1972), [[New Haven Coliseum]] (1972–2002), and [[Yale Field]] (1928–present).

When [[John DeStefano, Jr.]], became mayor of New Haven in 1995, he outlined a plan to transform the city into a major cultural and arts center in the [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]], which involved investments in programs and projects other than sports franchises. As nearby [[Bridgeport, Connecticut|Bridgeport]] built new sports facilities, the [[brutalist]] New Haven Coliseum rapidly deteriorated. Believing the upkeep on the venue to be a drain of tax dollars, the DeStefano administration closed the Coliseum in 2002; it was demolished in 2007. New Haven's last professional sports team, the [[New Haven County Cutters]], left in 2009. The DeStefano administration did, however, see the construction of the New Haven Athletic Center in 1998, a {{convert|94000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} indoor athletic facility with a [[seating capacity]] of over 3,000. The NHAC, built adjacent to [[Hillhouse High School]], is used for New Haven public schools athletics, as well as large-scale area and state sporting events; it is the largest high school indoor sports complex in the state.<ref>Orzechowski, Brett. (July 23, 2006) [http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2006/07/23/sports/16956394.txt Nightmare in the Elm City- The New Haven Register – Serving New Haven, Connecticut]. Nhregister.com. Retrieved on August 2, 2013. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312044748/http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2006/07/23/sports/16956394.txt |date=March 12, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2006/nov/10/twilight-for-new-haven-sports/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110606082904/http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2006/nov/10/twilight-for-new-haven-sports/ |url-status=dead |title=Twilight for New Haven Sports &#124; Yale Daily News |archive-date=June 6, 2011 |access-date=April 7, 2021 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.cga.ct.gov/2007/rpt/2007-R-0277.htm Hillhouse High School's Indoor Track Facility] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100531010741/http://www.cga.ct.gov/2007/rpt/2007-R-0277.htm |date=May 31, 2010 }}. Cga.ct.gov (March 28, 2007). Retrieved on August 2, 2013.</ref>

New Haven was the host of the [[1995 Special Olympics World Summer Games]]; then-President [[Bill Clinton]] spoke at the opening ceremonies.<ref>[http://www.eunicekennedyshriver.org/articles/article/71/page/1 Remarks: Opening Ceremonies of the Special Olympics World Games in New Haven, Connecticut] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130526143854/http://www.eunicekennedyshriver.org/articles/article/71/page/1 |date=May 26, 2013 }}. Eunice Kennedy Shriver (July 1, 1995). Retrieved on August 2, 2013.</ref> The city is home to the [[New Haven Open at Yale|Pilot Pen International]] tennis event, which takes place every August at the [[Connecticut Tennis Center]], one of the largest tennis venues in the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://yalebulldogs.cstv.com/facilities/faccullman.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090105030259/http://yalebulldogs.cstv.com/facilities/faccullman.html |url-status=dead |title=Yale University Bulldogs, Official Athletic Site |archive-date=January 5, 2009 }}</ref> New Haven biannually hosts "[[Harvard–Yale football rivalry|The Game]]" between Yale and [[Harvard University|Harvard]], the country's second-oldest college football rivalry. Numerous [[road running|road races]] take place in New Haven, including the [[USATF]] 20K Championship during the [[New Haven Road Race]].<ref>[http://www.newhavenroadrace.org/city-nh.htm Stratton Faxon] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091231053700/http://newhavenroadrace.org/city-nh.htm |date=December 31, 2009 }}. New Haven Roadrace. Retrieved on August 2, 2013.</ref>

[[Greater New Haven]] is home to a number of [[college sports]] teams. The [[Yale Bulldogs]] play Division I college sports, as do the [[Quinnipiac Bobcats]] in neighboring [[Hamden, Connecticut|Hamden]]. Division II athletics are played by [[Southern Connecticut State University]] and the [[University of New Haven]] (actually located in neighboring [[West Haven, Connecticut|West Haven]]), while [[Albertus Magnus College]] athletes perform at the Division III level.

New Haven is home to many [[New York Yankees]], [[New York Mets]], & [[Boston Red Sox]] fans due to the proximity of New York City & Boston.<ref>{{cite news |last=Branch |first=John |title=Where Do Rivals Draw the Line? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/18/sports/baseball/18fans.html?ei=5088&en=6f3f651e40bd2179&ex=1313553600&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&pagewanted=print&_r=0 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=August 18, 2006 |access-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-date=July 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701053456/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/18/sports/baseball/18fans.html?ei=5088&en=6f3f651e40bd2179&ex=1313553600&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&pagewanted=print&_r=0 |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Walter Camp]], deemed the "father of American football", was a New Havener.

The [[New Haven Warriors]] [[rugby league]] team play in the [[AMNRL]]. They have a large number of [[Pacific Islander]]s playing for them.<ref>[http://www.newhavenwarriors.net/roster/] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110404000915/http://www.newhavenwarriors.net/roster/|date=April 4, 2011 }}</ref> Their field is located at the [[West Haven High School]]'s [[Ken Strong Stadium]].<ref>[http://www.americanrugbynews.com/artman/publish/rugby_league/AMNRL_Season_Preview.shtml] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101206093556/http://www.americanrugbynews.com/artman/publish/rugby_league/AMNRL_Season_Preview.shtml|date=December 6, 2010 }}</ref> They won the 2008 AMNRL Grand Final.<ref>[http://www.fightrugby.com/n.php?n=158] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311170921/http://www.fightrugby.com/n.php?n=158|date=March 11, 2012 }}</ref>