Editing Rhode Island (section)

==Culture==

===Local accent===
{{main|Eastern New England English#Rhode Island English}}
Some Rhode Islanders speak with the distinctive, [[Rhotic and non-rhotic accents|non-rhotic]], traditional [[Eastern New England English#Rhode Island English|Rhode Island accent]] linguists describe as a cross between [[New York City English|New York City]] and [[Boston accent]]s (e.g., "water" sounds like "watuh" {{IPA|[ˈwɔəɾə]}}).<ref>"[http://www.ling.upenn.edu/phono_atlas/Atlas_chapters/Ch16_2nd.rev.pdf This phonemic and phonetic arrangement of the low back vowels makes Rhode Island more similar to New York City than to the rest of New England] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929050823/https://www.ling.upenn.edu/phono_atlas/Atlas_chapters/Ch16_2nd.rev.pdf |date=September 29, 2020 }}". Labov, William et al. (2006). ''The Atlas of North American English''. Berlin: Mouton-de Gruyter.</ref> Many Rhode Islanders distinguish a strong ''aw'' sound {{IPA|[ɔə]}} (i.e., resist the [[cot–caught merger]] of Boston) much like one might hear in New Jersey or New York City; for example, the word ''coffee'' is pronounced {{IPA|[ˈkʰɔəfi]}}.<ref name="rilang">{{cite web|url=http://www.quahog.org/factsfolklore/index.php?id=43|title=Guide to Rhode Island Language Stuff|access-date=May 30, 2007|publisher=Quahog.org|archive-date=July 14, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070714083823/http://www.quahog.org/factsfolklore/index.php?id=43|url-status=live}}</ref> Rhode Islanders sometimes refer to [[drinking fountain]]s as "bubblers", milkshakes as "cabinets", and overstuffed foot-long sandwiches (of whatever kind) as "grinders".<ref>Vaux, Bert; Jøhndal, Marius L. (2009). "[survey.johndal.com/results/ The Cambridge online survey of world Englishes]." University of Cambridge.</ref>

===Food and beverages===
{{more citations needed section|date=December 2013}}

Rhode Island, like the rest of New England, has a tradition of [[clam chowder]]. Both the white New England and the red Manhattan varieties are popular, but there is also a unique clear-broth chowder known as ''Rhode Island Clam Chowder'' available in many restaurants. A culinary tradition in Rhode Island is the ''[[clam cake]]'' (also known as a clam fritter outside of Rhode Island), a deep fried ball of buttery dough with chopped bits of clam inside. They are sold by the half-dozen or dozen in most seafood restaurants around the state, and the quintessential summer meal in Rhode Island is chowder and clam cakes.

The [[hard clam|quahog]] is a large local clam usually used in a chowder. It is also ground and mixed with stuffing or spicy minced sausage, and then baked in its shell to form a ''[[stuffie]]''. [[Calamari]] (squid) is sliced into rings and fried as an appetizer in most Italian restaurants, typically served Sicilian-style with sliced banana peppers and marinara sauce on the side. (In 2014, calamari became the official state appetizer.<ref>{{citation |title= Calamari is now Rhode Island's official appetizer |date= June 27, 2014 |work= abc6.com |agency= AP |url= https://www.abc6.com/calamari-is-now-rhode-islands-official-appetizer/ |access-date= 2020-07-16 |archive-date= July 16, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200716183351/https://www.abc6.com/calamari-is-now-rhode-islands-official-appetizer/ |url-status= live }}</ref>) [[Clams Casino]] originated in Rhode Island, invented by Julius Keller, the [[Maître d'hôtel|maître d']] in the original Casino next to the seaside Towers in Narragansett.<ref name="Gourmet">Ruth Reichl, John Willoughby, Zanne Early Stewart The Gourmet Cookbook: More Than 1000 Recipes Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2006 {{ISBN|0-618-80692-X}}, 9780618806928
1056 pages page 50 [https://books.google.com/books?id=PwJgZhXZVNkC&dq=clams+casino+rhode+island&pg=PA50 The Gourmet Cookbook] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101112942/https://books.google.com/books?id=PwJgZhXZVNkC&pg=PA50&dq=clams+casino+rhode+island |date=January 1, 2016 }}</ref> Clams Casino resemble the beloved stuffed quahog but are generally made with the smaller littleneck or cherrystone clam and are unique in their use of bacon as a topping.

The official state drink of Rhode Island is ''[[coffee milk]]'',<ref>{{cite web |author=RI.gov |url=http://www.ri.gov/facts |title=RI Government Facts and History |publisher=Ri.gov |date=July 20, 2000 |access-date=January 26, 2013 |archive-date=January 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117053431/http://www.ri.gov/facts/ |url-status=live }}</ref> a beverage created by mixing milk with coffee syrup. This unique syrup was invented in the state and is sold in almost all Rhode Island supermarkets, as well as its bordering states. [[Johnnycake]]s have been a Rhode Island staple since Colonial times, made with corn meal and water then pan-fried much like pancakes.

Submarine sandwiches are called ''grinders'' throughout Rhode Island, and the Italian grinder, made with cold cuts such as ham, [[prosciutto]], [[capicola]], [[salami]], and [[Provolone cheese]], is especially popular. [[Linguiça]] or [[chouriço]] is a spicy Portuguese sausage often served with peppers and eaten with hearty bread.

===Rhode Island state symbols===
{{Infobox region symbols|country=United States
|image_flag       = Flag of Rhode Island.svg
|image_seal       = Seal of Rhode Island.svg
|state       = Rhode Island
|amphibian  = 
|bird       = [[Rhode Island Red]] chicken<br />''Gallus gallus domesticus''
|butterfly  = 
|dog  = 
|crustacean = 
|fish       = [[Striped bass]]
|flower     = [[Viola sororia|Blue Violet]]<br />''Viola sororia''
|grass      = 
|insect     = [[American burying beetle]]<br />''Nicroforus americanus''
|mammal     = [[Morgan horse]]
<!--|Marine mammal= [[Harbor seal]]-->
|reptile    = [[Painted turtle]]
|tree       = [[Red Maple]]<br />''Acer rubrum''
|beverage   = [[Coffee milk]]
|colors     = 
|dance      = 
|dinosaur   = 
|fossil     = 
|food       = 
|gemstone   = 
|mineral    = [[Bowenite]]
|instrument = 
|poem       = 
|rock       = [[Cumberlandite]]
|shell      = 
|ship      = {{USS|Providence|1775|6}}
|soil       = 
|sport      = 
|tartan     = [[Rhode Island State Tartan]]
|toy        = 
|fruit      = [[Rhode Island Greening]]
|image_route = Rhode Island 5.svg
|image_quarter    = 2001 RI Proof.png
|quarter_release_date = 2001
}}

===In popular culture===
{{Main|Music of Rhode Island}}
The [[Farrelly brothers]] and [[Seth MacFarlane]] depict Rhode Island in popular culture, often making comedic [[parodies]] of the state. MacFarlane's television series ''[[Family Guy]]'' is based in a fictional Rhode Island city named Quahog, and notable local events and celebrities are regularly lampooned. [[Peter Griffin]] is seen working at the Pawtucket [[brewery]], and other state locations are mentioned.

The 1956 film ''[[High Society (1956 film)|High Society]]'' (starring [[Bing Crosby]], [[Grace Kelly]], and [[Frank Sinatra]]) was set in Newport, Rhode Island.

The [[The Great Gatsby (1974 film)|1974 film adaptation]] of ''[[The Great Gatsby]]'' was also filmed in Newport.

[[Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis|Jacqueline Bouvier]] and [[John F. Kennedy]] were married at St. Mary's church in Newport. Their reception took place at [[Hammersmith Farm]], the Bouvier summer home in Newport.

Cartoonist [[Don Bousquet]], a state icon, has made a career out of Rhode Island culture, drawing Rhode Island-themed gags in ''[[The Providence Journal]]'' and ''[[Yankee (magazine)|Yankee]]'' magazine. These cartoons have been reprinted in the ''Quahog'' series of paperbacks (''I Brake for Quahogs'', ''Beware of the Quahog'', and ''The Quahog Walks Among Us''.) Bousquet has also collaborated with humorist and ''Providence Journal'' columnist [[Mark Patinkin]] on two books: ''The Rhode Island Dictionary'' and ''The Rhode Island Handbook''.

The 1998 film ''[[Meet Joe Black]]'' was filmed at [[Aldrich Mansion]] in the Warwick Neck area of [[Warwick, Rhode Island|Warwick]].

''[[Brotherhood (American TV series)|Brotherhood]]'' is set in Rhode Island.

''[[Body of Proof]]''{{'}}s first season was filmed entirely in Rhode Island.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.film.ri.gov/bodyofproof.html |title=Body of Proof |publisher=Film.ri.gov |access-date=January 26, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117053431/http://www.film.ri.gov/bodyofproof.html |archive-date=January 17, 2013}}</ref> The show premiered on March 29, 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://abc.go.com/shows/body-of-proof |title=Body of Proof |publisher=Abc.go.com |access-date=January 26, 2013 |archive-date=February 26, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110226135028/http://abc.go.com/shows/body-of-proof |url-status=live }}</ref>

The 2007 [[Steve Carell]] and [[Dane Cook]] film ''[[Dan in Real Life]]'' was filmed in various coastal towns in the state. The sunset scene with the entire family on the beach takes place at [[Napatree Point]].

''[[Jersey Shore (TV series)|Jersey Shore]]'' star Pauly D filmed part of his spin-off ''The Pauly D Project'' in his hometown of Johnston.

The [[Comedy Central]] cable television series ''[[Another Period]]'' is set in Newport during the [[Gilded Age]].

===Notable firsts in Rhode Island===
Rhode Island has been the first in a number of initiatives. The [[Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations]] enacted the first law prohibiting slavery in America on May 18, 1652.<ref name="history">{{cite web |url=http://www2.sec.state.ri.us/special_projects/0304_Owners_Manual/pdf/history.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041027005730/http://www2.sec.state.ri.us/special_projects/0304_Owners_Manual/pdf/history.pdf|archive-date=October 27, 2004|publisher=Rhode Island State Library|title=Rhode Island history and facts of interest|access-date=August 28, 2007}}</ref>

The first act of armed rebellion in America against the British Crown was the boarding and burning of the Revenue Schooner ''HMS Gaspée'' in Narragansett Bay on June 10, 1772. The idea of a [[Continental Congress]] was first proposed at a town meeting in Providence on May 17, 1774. Rhode Island elected the first delegates ([[Stephen Hopkins (politician)|Stephen Hopkins]] and [[Samuel Ward (Rhode Island politician)|Samuel Ward]]) to the Continental Congress on June 15, 1774. The Rhode Island General Assembly created the first standing army in the colonies (1,500 men) on April 22, 1775. On June 15, 1775, the first naval engagement took place in the American Revolution between an American sloop commanded by Capt. [[Abraham Whipple]] and an armed tender of the British Frigate ''Rose''. The tender was chased aground and captured. Later in June, the General Assembly created the American Navy when it commissioned the sloops ''[[USS ''Providence'' (1775)#Service as Katy|Katy]]'' and {{USS|Washington|1776 row galley|2}}, armed with 24 guns and commanded by Abraham Whipple who was promoted to Commodore. Rhode Island was the first Colony to declare independence from Britain on May 4, 1776.<ref name="history" />

Slater Mill in Pawtucket was the first commercially successful cotton-spinning mill with a fully mechanized power system in America and was the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution in the US.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slatermill.org/?pg=about|title=Slater Mill Today|publisher=Slater Mill Historic Site|access-date=August 28, 2007|archive-date=September 7, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070907232757/http://www.slatermill.org/?pg=about|url-status=live}}</ref> The oldest Fourth of July parade in the country is still held annually in [[Bristol, Rhode Island]]. The first Baptist church in America was founded in Providence in 1638.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fbcia.org/page110.html |title=The First Baptist Church |website=The First Baptist Church in America |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100113185728/http://www.fbcia.org/page110.html |archive-date=January 13, 2010 }}</ref> [[Ann Smith Franklin]] of the Newport ''Mercury'' was the first female newspaper editor in America (August 22, 1762).<ref name="history" /> [[Touro Synagogue]] is the oldest synagogue in America, founded in Newport in 1763.<ref name="history" />

Pelham Street in Newport was the first in America to be illuminated by gaslight in 1806.<ref name="history" /> The first strike in the United States in which women participated occurred in Pawtucket in 1824.<ref name="history" /> [[Watch Hill, Rhode Island|Watch Hill]] has the nation's oldest flying horses [[carousel]] that has been in continuous operation since 1850.<ref name="history" /> The motion picture machine was patented in Providence on April 23, 1867.<ref name="history" /> The first lunch wagon in America was introduced in Providence in 1872.<ref name="history" /> The first nine-hole golf course in America was completed in Newport in 1890.<ref name="history" /> The first state health laboratory was established in Providence on September 1, 1894.<ref name="history" /> The [[Rhode Island State House]] was the first building with an all-marble dome to be built in the United States (1895–1901).<ref name="history" /> The first automobile race on a track was held in Cranston on September 7, 1896.<ref name="history" /> The first automobile parade was held in Newport on September 7, 1899, on the grounds of Belcourt Castle.<ref name="history" />

===Miscellaneous local culture===
Rhode Island is nicknamed "The Ocean State", and the nautical nature of Rhode Island's geography pervades its culture. Newport Harbor, in particular, holds many pleasure boats. In the lobby of [[T. F. Green Airport|T. F. Green]], the state's main airport, is a large life-sized sailboat,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pvdairport.com/main.aspx?guid=E41AC564-9E66-4D80-B6B6-B5037AD944EA |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070813150108/http://www.pvdairport.com/main.aspx?guid=E41AC564-9E66-4D80-B6B6-B5037AD944EA |archive-date=August 13, 2007 |title=Terminal Improvement Project |publisher=Rhode Island Airport Corporation |access-date=May 13, 2008 }}</ref> and the state's license plates depict an ocean wave or a sailboat.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldlicenceplates.com/usa/US_RIXX.html |publisher=PlatesUSA.com|access-date=April 13, 2008|title=United States:Rhode Island|author=Michael Kusterman|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080420134941/http://www.worldlicenceplates.com/usa/US_RIXX.html|archive-date=April 20, 2008}}</ref>

[[File:Waves at Narragansett - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Many Rhode Islanders visit [[Washington County, Rhode Island|Washington County]] for its beaches]]
The large number of beaches in [[Washington County, Rhode Island|Washington County]] lures many Rhode Islanders south for summer vacation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.quahog.org/factsfolklore/index.php?id=105|title=Quahog.org: Rhode Island Beaches|access-date=May 30, 2007|publisher=Quahog.org|archive-date=February 26, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070226163934/http://www.quahog.org/factsfolklore/index.php?id=105|url-status=live}}</ref>

The state constitution protects shore access, including swimming and gathering of seaweed.<ref>Constitution of the State of Rhode Island (1986), Article I, Section 17</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/08/12/metro/shore-subjects-ri-limited-beach-access-right-collect-seaweed/ |title=Shore subjects in R.I.: Limited beach access and the right to collect seaweed |website=[[The Boston Globe]] |access-date=January 5, 2022 |archive-date=January 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105190412/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/08/12/metro/shore-subjects-ri-limited-beach-access-right-collect-seaweed/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The 1982 Rhode Island Supreme Court decision in ''State v. Ibbison''<ref>{{cite web |title=State v. James Ibbison III et al. 448 A.2d 728 (1982) |author=[[Supreme Court of Rhode Island]] |date=July 20, 1982 |url=https://law.justia.com/cases/rhode-island/supreme-court/1982/448-a-2d-728.html |access-date=January 5, 2022 |archive-date=January 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105190412/https://law.justia.com/cases/rhode-island/supreme-court/1982/448-a-2d-728.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/11/18/metro/we-will-get-access-study-commission-hears-riers-shoreline-rights/ |title='We will get access': Study commission hears from R.I.'ers on shoreline rights |website=[[The Boston Globe]] |access-date=January 5, 2022 |archive-date=January 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105190044/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/11/18/metro/we-will-get-access-study-commission-hears-riers-shoreline-rights/ |url-status=live }}</ref> defines the end of private land as the mean high tide line, which is difficult to determine in day-to-day activities, and has resulted in beach access conflicts.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/10/14/metro/drawing-line-why-shore-access-ri-might-be-even-more-limited-than-it-appears/ |title=Drawing a line: Why shore access in R.I. might be even more limited than it appears |website=[[The Boston Globe]] |access-date=January 5, 2022 |archive-date=January 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105190042/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/10/14/metro/drawing-line-why-shore-access-ri-might-be-even-more-limited-than-it-appears/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Underfunding of the [[Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council]] has resulted in lax enforcement against encroachment on public access and building of illegal structures.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/12/08/metro/water-woes-wash-over-ocean-state/ |title=Water woes wash over the Ocean State |author=Brian Amaral |publisher=[[Boston Globe]] |date=December 8, 2021 |access-date=January 5, 2022 |archive-date=January 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105190042/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/12/08/metro/water-woes-wash-over-ocean-state/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The state was notorious for organized crime activity from the 1950s into the 1990s when the [[Patriarca crime family]] held sway over most of New England from its Providence headquarters.

Rhode Islanders developed a unique style of architecture in the 17th century called the [[stone-ender]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.warwickri.gov/heritage/damatoshistory/conimicut3.htm|title=Warwick's Villages & Historic Places|first=Don |last=D'Amato|publisher=City of Warwick|access-date=April 13, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927205528/http://www.warwickri.gov/heritage/damatoshistory/conimicut3.htm |archive-date = September 27, 2007}}</ref>

Rhode Island is the only state to still celebrate [[Victory over Japan Day]], which is officially named "Victory Day" but is sometimes referred to as "VJ Day".<ref>{{cite news |last=Nesi |first=Ted |title=Here's why Rhode Island is the only state that celebrates Victory Day |url=https://www.wpri.com/politics/heres-why-rhode-island-is-the-only-state-that-celebrates-victory-day/1364108628 |work=WPRI |access-date=March 27, 2019 |archive-date=March 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327191300/https://www.wpri.com/politics/heres-why-rhode-island-is-the-only-state-that-celebrates-victory-day/1364108628 |url-status=live }}</ref> It is celebrated on the second Monday in August.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sos.ri.gov/library/history/facts |title=Home > State Library > History of Rhode Island > State Facts & Figures |publisher=Rhode Island Office of the Secretary of State |access-date=September 24, 2013 |archive-date=September 27, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927174444/http://sos.ri.gov/library/history/facts/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Nibbles Woodaway, more commonly referred to as "[[Big Blue Bug|the Big Blue Bug]]", is a 58-foot-long termite mascot for a Providence extermination business. Since its construction in 1980, it has been featured in several movies and television shows, and has come to be recognized as a cultural landmark by many locals.<ref>{{cite web |first=Amy |last=Forliti |agency=Associated Press |title=For 2-ton, blue termite, near-cult status in R.I.|url=https://www.southcoasttoday.com/article/20010527/News/305279984 |access-date=2019-07-18|website=southcoasttoday.com |archive-date=July 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190722192117/https://www.southcoasttoday.com/article/20010527/News/305279984|url-status=dead}}</ref> In more recent times, the Big Blue Bug has been given a mask to remind locals and visitors to mask-up during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Rhode Island|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Milkovits|first1=Amanda|last2=Fitzpatrick|first2=Edward|date=May 1, 2020|title=Rhode Islanders show we are all in this together — even the Big Blue Bug|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/05/01/metro/rhode-islanders-show-we-are-all-this-together-even-big-blue-bug/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200830184235/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/05/01/metro/rhode-islanders-show-we-are-all-this-together-even-big-blue-bug/|archive-date=August 30, 2020|access-date=2020-09-29|website=The Boston Globe|language=en-US}}</ref>

===Music===

On September 2, 1977, music icons [[the Beach Boys]] performed a concert at [[Narragansett Park]] in [[Pawtucket, Rhode Island]] attended by 40,000 people, the largest concert audience in Rhode Island history. In 2017, music historians [[Al Gomes]] and Connie Watrous of Big Noise were successful in getting the street where the concert stage stood (510 Narragansett Park Drive in Pawtucket, RI) officially renamed as "Beach Boys Way".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWiTYLXubaM| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/NmXws4O0mhE| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|title=The Beach Boys RI Concert Commemoration|via=YouTube |date=August 9, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Markgraf|first=Diandra|date=September 5, 2017|title=Pawtucket celebrates Beach Boys Way|newspaper=The Valley Breeze|url=http://www.valleybreeze.com/2017-09-05/pawtucket/pawtucket-celebrates-beach-boys-way}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20170808/in-77-beach-boys-headlined-ris-largest-concert|title=In '77 Beach Boys Headlined R.I.'s Largest Concert|last=Smith|first=Andy|date=August 8, 2017|newspaper=The Providence Journal}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The Beach Boys / "Beach Boys Way" Plaque|url=http://www.bignoisenow.com/images/artistphotos2018/BB_CommemorationPlaqueOL.pdf|date=September 2, 2017}}</ref>

In April of 1986, the music charity [[Al_Gomes#Bandwagon|Bandwagon]] was established in Rhode Island. On May 11, 1986, a 150-person celebrity chorus consisting of musicians, journalists (including MTV Networks executive producer Bill Flanagan), TV broadcasters, politicians (including members of the United States Congress), and the heads of human service agencies joined together at the recording studio Normandy Sound in Warren, RI to record the charity single “A Piece of Our Hearts.” Bandwagon's goal was to raise money for American agencies that aid the hungry and homeless and elevate awareness of the plight of the poor in America. Because of its efforts, the project received national recognition when Bandwagon went on to win the coveted Jefferson Award from the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Foundation for Outstanding Public Service, joining fellow recipients Oprah Winfrey, [[President Jimmy Carter]], Paul Newman, and [[Harry Belafonte]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlKWyb59mfM “PM Magazine: Bandwagon Chorus Recording Session”], ‘’[[Westinghouse Broadcasting|Westinghouse (Group W) Broadcasting]]’’, ‘’[[PM Magazine]]’’, 19 May 1986.</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgddTzJ7J-0 “NBC Affiliate: Bandwagon Jefferson Award Profile”], 18 March 1987.</ref><ref>[https://whatsupnewp.com/2020/12/whats-up-interview-al-gomes-a-look-back-at-bandwagon/ “What's Up Interview – A Look Back at Bandwagon”], retrieved 23 December 2020.</ref>

===Sports===

====Professional====
Rhode Island is currently home to two professional minor league teams both of whom are affiliated with major league sports teams in nearby [[Boston]]; the largest city in the [[New England|New England region]], one being the [[Providence Bruins]] [[ice hockey]] team of the [[American Hockey League]], who are a top-level minor league affiliate of the [[Boston Bruins]]. They play in the [[Amica Mutual Pavilion]] in Providence and won the AHL's [[Calder Cup]] during the [[1998–99 AHL season]]. The other is [[Rhode Island FC]], a [[Association football|soccer]] team that began competing in the second tier [[USL Championship]] in 2024 at [[Beirne Stadium]] located within [[Bryant University]], awaiting the completion of the [[Soccer-specific stadium|soccer-specific]] [[Tidewater Landing Stadium]] in Pawtucket in time for the 2025 season.

[[File:McCoy Stadium Pan.jpg|thumb|upright=2|The [[Pawtucket Red Sox]] played at [[McCoy Stadium]]]]
The [[Pawtucket Red Sox]] baseball team was a [[Triple-A (baseball)|Triple-A]] [[International League]] affiliate of the [[Boston Red Sox]] from 1973 to 2020. They played at [[McCoy Stadium]] in [[Pawtucket, Rhode Island|Pawtucket]] and had won four league titles, the [[Governors' Cup]], in 1973, 1984, 2012, and 2014. McCoy Stadium also has the distinction of being home to the [[longest professional baseball game]] ever played – 33 innings.

The [[Providence Reds]] were a hockey team that played in the [[Canadian–American Hockey League|Canadian-American Hockey League]] (CAHL) from 1926 to 1936, and the [[American Hockey League]] (AHL) from 1936 to 1977, the last season of which they played as the Rhode Island Reds. The team won the Calder Cup in 1938, 1940, 1949, and 1956. The Reds played at the Rhode Island Auditorium, on North Main Street in Providence, Rhode Island from 1926 through 1972, when the team affiliated with the New York Rangers and moved into the newly built Providence Civic Center. The team name came from the state bird, a rooster known as the Rhode Island Red. They moved to New York in 1977, then to [[Connecticut]] in 1997, and are now called the [[Hartford Wolf Pack]].

The Reds are the oldest continuously operating minor-league hockey franchise in North America, having fielded a team in one form or another since 1926 in the CAHL. It is also the only AHL franchise to have never missed a season. The AHL returned to Providence in 1992 in the form of the Providence Bruins.

[[File:1884grays.jpg|thumb|1884 Baseball Champion Providence Grays]]
Before the great expansion of athletic teams all over the country, Providence and Rhode Island in general played a great role in supporting teams. The [[Providence Grays]] won the first World Championship in baseball history in 1884. The team played their home games at the old Messer Street Field in Providence. The Grays played in the National League from 1878 to 1885. They defeated the New York Metropolitans of the American Association in a best of five-game series at the Polo Grounds in New York. Providence won three straight games to become the first champions in major league baseball history. [[Babe Ruth]] played for the minor league Providence Grays of 1914 and hit his only official minor league home run for them before the Grays' parent club, the [[Boston Red Sox|Boston Red Stockings]], recalled him.

Rhode Island has deep history with the sport of soccer where the sport was played as early as 1886 when the state's first organized league would be founded, known as the Rhode Island Football Association (RIFA). One of their teams, the Pawtucket Free Wanderers, would establish themselves as a regional power and win the [[American Cup]] in 1893. The first championship game of the [[U.S. Open Cup]] was also held in 1914 in Pawtucket's Coates Field to a crowd of 10,000. Later, a team known as Pawtucket Rangers F.C. would win the [[1941 National Challenge Cup|1941 edition]] of the U.S. Open Cup (then National Challenge Cup). The [[Rhode Island Oceaneers]] would later be founded, and went on to win the [[1974 American Soccer League]] championship. Other former semiprofessional soccer teams of the modern era include the [[Rhode Island Stingrays]] of the [[USL Premier Development League]], and the [[RI Reds|Rhode Island Reds]] of the [[National Premier Soccer League]], with both leagues regarded as the fourth tier of American soccer.

The now-defunct professional football team known as the [[Providence Steamrollers (NFL)|Providence Steamrollers]] won the 1928 NFL title. They played in a 10,000 person stadium called the Cycledrome.<ref>{{cite web |title=NFL History by Decade |work=Nfl.com |url=http://www.nfl.com/history/chronology/1921-1930#1928 |access-date=January 26, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410134638/http://www.nfl.com/history/chronology/1921-1930 |archive-date=April 10, 2016}}</ref> An unrelated basketball team also known as the [[Providence Steamrollers]] played in the [[Basketball Association of America]], which would become the [[National Basketball Association]].

Rhode Island's only [[rugby league]] team was the [[Rhode Island Rebellion]], a semi-professional team that was a founding member of the [[USA Rugby League]], which was at the time the top competition in the United States for the sport of rugby league.<ref name="Bridge">{{cite web|url= http://league13.info/2011/02/18/inaugural-usarl-line-up-announced/|title= Inaugural USARL Line-up Announced|author= Ian Bridge|date= February 18, 2011|website= league13.info|access-date= March 24, 2011|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110809225237/http://league13.info/2011/02/18/inaugural-usarl-line-up-announced/|archive-date= August 9, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usarugbyleague.com/2011/02/usarl-constitution-teams-entry-qualifications-announced/ |title=USARL Constitution & Teams announced |date=February 18, 2011 |website=usarl.com |publisher=USA Rugby League |access-date=March 24, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513210426/https://www.usarugbyleague.com/2011/02/usarl-constitution-teams-entry-qualifications-announced/ |archive-date=May 13, 2011}}</ref> The Rebellion played their home games at [[Classical High School]] in Providence.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rebellion-rugby.com |title=MAIN |publisher=Rebellion-rugby.com |date=June 6, 2012 |access-date=January 26, 2013 |archive-date=June 14, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614031629/http://rebellion-rugby.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=====Current professional teams=====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|+<!-- sort by establishment -->
|-
! scope="col" |Professional Team
! scope="col" |League
! scope="col" |Sport
! scope="col" |Venue
! scope="col" |City
! scope="col" |Established
! scope="col" |Championships
|-
| [[Providence Bruins]]
| [[American Hockey League]] (AHL)
| [[Ice hockey]]
| [[Amica Mutual Pavilion]]
| [[Providence, Rhode Island]]
| 1987
| 1
|-
| [[Rhode Island FC]]
| [[USL Championship]] (USLC)
| [[Association football|Soccer]]
| [[Beirne Stadium]]
| [[Pawtucket, Rhode Island]]
| 2024
| 0
|}

=====Current semi-professional teams=====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|+<!-- sort by establishment -->
|-
! scope="col" |Semi-Professional Team
! scope="col" |League
! scope="col" |Sport
! scope="col" |Venue
! scope="col" |City
! scope="col" |Established
! scope="col" |Championships
|-
| Rhode Island Rogues
| [[Women's Premier Soccer League]] (WPSL)
| [[Association football|Soccer]]
| [[Roger Williams University]]
| [[Bristol, Rhode Island]]
| 2018
| 0
|}

====Collegiate and amateur sports====
[[File:Meade_Stadium.jpg|thumb|University of Rhode Island's [[Meade Stadium]] in [[Kingston, Rhode Island|Kingston]]]]
There are four [[NCAA]] Division I schools in Rhode Island. All four schools compete in different conferences. The [[Brown University|Brown University Bears]] compete in the [[Ivy League]], the [[Bryant Bulldogs|Bryant University Bulldogs]] compete in the [[America East Conference]], the [[Providence Friars|Providence College Friars]] compete in the [[Big East Conference]], and the [[Rhode Island Rams|University of Rhode Island Rams]] compete in the [[Atlantic 10 Conference]]. Three of the schools' football teams compete in the [[NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision|Football Championship Subdivision]], the second-highest level of [[college football]] in the United States. Brown plays FCS football in the [[Ivy League]], Bryant plays FCS football in the [[Big South Conference]] before that league merges its football operations with those of the [[Ohio Valley Conference]] in 2023, and Rhode Island plays FCS football in CAA Football, the technically separate football league of the [[Colonial Athletic Association]]. All four Division I schools in the state compete in an intrastate all-sports competition known as the [[Ocean State Cup]], with Bryant winning the most recent cup in 2011–12 academic year.

From 1930 to 1983, [[America's Cup]] races were sailed off Newport, and the extreme-sport [[X Games]] and [[Gravity Games]] were founded and hosted in the state's capital city.
[[File:ITHF_Grounds_and_Newport_Casino_building.jpg|thumb|The [[International Tennis Hall of Fame]] in Newport]]
The [[International Tennis Hall of Fame]] is in Newport at the Newport Casino, site of the first U.S. National Championships in 1881. The Hall of Fame and Museum were established in 1954 by [[Jimmy Van Alen]] as "a shrine to the ideals of the game".<ref>{{Cite web |title=James Henry Van Alen II – Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame |url=http://riheritagehalloffame.com/james-van-alen/ |access-date=2023-02-15 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bala |first=Gary |date=2010-02-16 |title=A Brief History of Tennis* - |url=https://www.essentialtennis.com/a-brief-history-of-tennis/ |access-date=2023-02-15 |website=Essential Tennis |language=en-US}}</ref>

Rhode Island is also home to the headquarters of the governing body for youth rugby league in the United States, the American Youth Rugby League Association or AYRLA. The AYRLA has started the first-ever rugby league youth competition in Providence Middle Schools, a program at the RI Training School, in addition to starting the first high school competition in the US in Providence Public High School.<ref name="USARL.com">{{cite web |url= http://www.usarl.com/2013/11/high-school-rugby-league-kicksoff-in-the-usa/ |title= High School Rugby League Kicks Off in USA |date= November 14, 2013 |website= USARL.com |access-date= November 14, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131118073219/http://www.usarl.com/2013/11/high-school-rugby-league-kicksoff-in-the-usa/ |archive-date= November 18, 2013}}</ref>