Sports in New Orleans

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New Orleans is home to a wide variety of sporting events. Most notable are the home games of the New Orleans Saints (NFL) and the New Orleans Pelicans (NBA), the annual Sugar Bowl, the annual Zurich Classic (PGA Tour) and horse racing at the Fair Grounds Race Course. New Orleans also regularly hosts the Super Bowl, College Football Playoff semifinal game and the NCAA college basketball Final Four.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Football

Professional

Former football teams in New Orleans include the New Orleans Breakers of the United States Football League (1984) (which became the Portland Breakers), the New Orleans Night of the Arena Football League (1991–1992), the New Orleans Thunder of the Regional Football League (1999), the New Orleans VooDoo of the Arena Football League (2004–2008 and 2010–2015), the Louisiana Jazz of the Women's Football Alliance (2002–2014) and the New Orleans Jazz football club of the Stars Football League (2011).

College

Special Football Games

  • Pelican Bowl -- The Pelican Bowl was a NCAA Division II bowl game played in New Orleans in 1974 and 1975 that pitted the conference champions from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) to determine the black college football national championship.[8]

Basketball

Professional

Former professional basketball teams in New Orleans include the New Orleans Jazz of the NBA (1974–1980) (which became the Utah Jazz) and the New Orleans Buccaneers of the American Basketball Association (c. 1967–1970) (which became the Memphis Pros). Other professional basketball teams include the New Orleans Hurricanes of the Professional Basketball League of America (1947), New Orleans Sports of the Southern Basketball League (1948–1949) and New Orleans Pride of the Women's Professional Basketball League (1979–1981).

College

Special Basketball Games

  • Women's Final Four -- The Women's Final Four has been held in New Orleans in 1991, 2004 and 2013. The New Orleans Arena hosted the Women's Final Four in 2004 and 2013. Lakefront Arena hosted the women's Final Four in 1991.

Baseball

Baseball was first played in New Orleans as early as 1859. In that year, amateur baseball leagues played games on the grounds of Delachaise Estates in Uptown New Orleans and the Lone Star Base Ball Club was organized.[10]

There were many innovations in baseball that originated in New Orleans. The first spring training was held in New Orleans in 1870 as the Chicago White Stockings (now Chicago Cubs) traveled to the city to play the Cincinnati Red Stockings, but stayed several weeks to train.[10] The practice of covering the infield with a modified canvas tarpaulin on rainy days was first used in New Orleans in 1887.[10] On April 29, 1887, a recurring Ladies' Day was established to create an environment in the stands free of unsavory characters and conduct, as well as to make baseball a family oriented event.[10] In 1889, issuing "rain checks" for rained out games using a perforated ticket stub was invented in New Orleans by Abner Powell.[11]

Professional

Former baseball teams with the longest tenure in New Orleans include:

Former baseball teams in New Orleans include:

College

Special Baseball Games

Bowling

Professional

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  • Professional Bowling tournaments -- New Orleans played host to PBA Tour events in 1963, 1964, 1966–1978 and 1988–1990. A PBA Tour sponsored exhibition tournament took place in 2009 and 2010.

College

Boxing

New Orleans has long been home to boxing events.

  • Leonard–Durán II, also known as the No Más Fight, is one of the most famous fights in boxing history. Taking place on November 25, 1980 at the Louisiana Superdome, it was the second of three bouts between Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Durán. In the match, Leonard defeated Duran to regain the WBC Welterweight Championship. The match gained its famous appellation in the end of the eighth round when Durán turned away from Leonard, towards the referee and quit by saying "No más" (Spanish for "No more").

Fishing tournaments

Golf

Professional

College

High school sports

New Orleans has produced many championship teams at the LHSAA and national levels. Schools have earned high national rankings in football, basketball, baseball and soccer.

Football

Horse racing

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New Orleans is home to the Fair Grounds Race Course, the nation's third-oldest thoroughbred track. The most prestigious race held at the track is the Louisiana Derby, a Grade II stakes prep for the Kentucky Derby. The race course opened in 1852 as the Union Racetrack and later became the Creole Racetrack.

Former horse racing tracks in the New Orleans area include Eclipse Track (opened 1837), Metairie Race Course (1838–1872), Bingaman Race Track, City Park Race Track (1905–1920), Jefferson Park Race Track (1918–1934) and Jefferson Downs (1950s–1990).[33]

Ice hockey

  • New Orleans Brass -- The New Orleans Brass was a former ice hockey team in New Orleans from 1997–2002.

Ironman 70.3

Mixed martial arts

  • UFC 16 -- UFC 16 took place on March 13, 1998 at the Pontchartrain Center in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner, Louisiana. It featured the first ever UFC Lightweight tournament (for fighters under 170 lb), as well as a Middleweight Championship bout, a Heavyweight and a Middleweight Superfight, and two alternate bouts in case of tournament injury.
  • UFC 18 -- UFC 18 took place on January 8, 1999 at the Pontchartrain Center in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner, Louisiana. The event featured a UFC Lightweight Championship (now known as the Welterweight Championship) bout and six other bouts. UFC 18 was technically part two of what the UFC called "The Road To The Heavyweight Title", a tournament, spanning four events, held to crown the new UFC Heavyweight Champion after the title was vacated by Randy Couture.

Motorsports

  • NOLA Motorsports Park -- NOLA Motorsports Park is a road race track in Avondale, Louisiana, approximately twenty minutes from downtown New Orleans. The north track circuit and kart circuit opened in 2011.

Special Auto Races

  • Grand Prix du Mardi Gras -- In 1991, 1992, and 1995, New Orleans was home to the Grand Prix du Mardi Gras. The IMSA sports car races took place on 2 different street circuits downtown. In 1991, streets near the riverfront were used for the race course. In 1992 and 1995, a course that ran around the Superdome was used.[36]

Offshore powerboat racing

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Offshore powerboat racing has had a long history in New Orleans, Louisiana. Races have been held in either Lake Pontchartrain or on the Mississippi River. The most commonly held race was the Popeye's Offshore Grand Prix held annually from 1983–1991. Other powerboat races took place in 1980, 1981, 1982, 2002, 2003 and 2008.

New Orleans was also the home port for the Popeyes Offshore race team from 1980–90. The race team was formed by Al Copeland Sr., the founder of Popeyes Famous Fried Chicken & Biscuits Restaurants and Copeland's Restaurants.[39] He was a six-time U.S. national champion and world champion in 1985 and 1986.

Professional bull riding

Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR), a professional bull riding organization held competitions in the New Orleans Arena in 2000–2003, 2007 and 2010.

Roller derby

  • Big Easy Rollergirls -- The Big Easy Rollergirls is the name of a female roller derby league in New Orleans. The league plays at the Human Performance Center.
  • New Orleans Brass Roller Derby -- New Orleans Brass Roller Derby is the name of a male roller derby team in New Orleans.

Rugby

  • New Orleans Halfmoons -- The New Orleans Halfmoons, is a women's rugby team and member of USA Rugby. It is one of the oldest women's teams in the United States, and has hosted the annual "Throw Me Something, Rugger!" Mardi Gras Rugby tournament the weekend before Fat Tuesday since 1980.

Former rugby football clubs in New Orleans include the Crescent City Rugby Football Club (1976–1979)

Running

Soccer

New Orleans was one of the first cities in the world where modern soccer was played. Beginning in 1858 as a community sport, the sport became popular among many athletic clubs in the late 19th century. A semi-professional league consisting of some of the best players in the world, several of whom later played for first division teams in England and Scotland, briefly used the old grounds on what would become Pelican Stadium.[40]

Professional

Former soccer teams in New Orleans include the New Orleans Storm of the USL A-League (1993–1999) and FC New Orleans of the National Premier Soccer League as a provisional member (2012).

Amateur

Special Soccer Games

Chicago Fire Soccer Club vs. Real C.D. España -- An international friendly match between Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire Soccer Club and Honduran soccer club Real C.D. España was played at Tad Gormley Stadium on February 4, 2012.[41]

Honduras national football team vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies -- On March 28, 1982, in a World Cup tune-up match, the Honduras national football team played the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the North American Soccer League to a 1–1 draw at Tad Gormley Stadium.[42]

Swimming and Diving

College

Tennis

Professional

College

Track and Field/Cross country

College Track and Field

  • Tulane Green Wave -- The Tulane Green Wave men's track and field team and Tulane Green Wave women's track and field team represents Tulane University in NCAA Division I college track and field.

College Cross Country

Special Track and Field Meets

1992 United States Olympic track and field trials -- The 1992 United States Olympic track and field trials were held at Tad Gormley Stadium from June 19 - June 28. It was organised by USA Track and Field and served as the national championships in track and field for the United States. The results of the event determined qualification for the United States at the 1992 Summer Olympics held in Barcelona, Spain.

Volleyball

College

Special Volleyball Matches

  • AVP New Orleans Open -- The AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour held the men's and women's New Orleans Open in 2015. The AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour held the men's New Orleans Open in 1989, 1990, 1992 and 1999.[43]
  • WPVA New Orleans -- The WPVA Pro Beach Volleyball Tour held women's tournaments in New Orleans in 1993, 1994 and 1995.[43]
  • Women's Volleyball Final Four -- The 2002 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball final four was held at the New Orleans Arena in December 2002.

Yachting

Clubs

New Orleans is home to the New Orleans Yacht Club and Southern Yacht Club, both of which are located at West End on the shore of Lake Pontchartrain. Southern Yacht Club was established in 1849 and is the second oldest yacht club in the United States.

Regattas

  • Sugar Bowl Regatta -- The Sugar Bowl Regatta has been held since 1934. The sailing competition is divided into two separate phases, over four two-day periods, beginning in late November and concluding on New Year's Eve.[44]

New Orleans Professional Sports Teams

Club Sport League Founded Venue
New Orleans Saints American Football National Football League 1967 Mercedes-Benz Superdome
New Orleans Zephyrs Baseball Pacific Coast League 1993 Zephyr Field
New Orleans Pelicans Basketball National Basketball Association 2002 Smoothie King Center
New Orleans Jesters Soccer Premier Development League 2003 Pan American Stadium
New Orleans Krewe Women's Football Independent Women's Football League 2015

See also

References

  1. http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ycn-7247486
  2. http://www.allstatesugarbowl.org/site33.php
  3. http://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/history/NO/new-orleans-hornets
  4. http://www.sabrneworleans.com/history.html
  5. http://zurichgolfclassic.com/our-history.php
  6. http://www.fairgroundsracecourse.com/about-track/history
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  8. At the time of the bowl's creation in 1972, the NCAA was divided into the "University Division" and "College Division". The current three-division setup was established in 1973. The conferences that participated in this game eventually became Division I conferences, and their members' football programs now compete in the Football Championship Subdivision.
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  30. Cyber Boxing Zone – Jem Mace. Retrieved on 8 November 2009.
  31. BoxRec Boxing Records. Boxrec.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-29.
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  36. http://www.na-motorsports.com/Tracks/LA/NewOrleans.html
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  39. http://www.copelandsphenomenon.com/about.htm
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