Sports in Newark, New Jersey explained

Sports in Newark, New Jersey, the second largest city in New York metropolitan area, are part of the regional professional sports and media markets. The city has hosted many teams and events, though much of its history is without an MLB, NBA, NHL, or NFL team in the city proper.[1] Two venues in the northeastern New Jersey metro region, Prudential Center and Riverfront Stadium (closed), are in Downtown Newark. Red Bull Arena is just across the Passaic River in Harrison. The Meadowlands Sports Complex is less than 10 miles away from Downtown and reached with the Meadowlands Rail Line via Newark Penn Station or Broad Street Station.[2]

Professional sports

Hockey

The New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League moved in 2007 from the Continental Airlines Arena in the Meadowlands to the Prudential Center, an arena jointly financed by the team and the city.[3] Part of the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals were played there.

The Metropolitan Riveters of the National Women's Hockey League played at the Devils' practice facility from 2017 to 2022.[4] [5]

The 2013 NHL Entry Draft (the 51st NHL Entry Draft) took place on June 30, 2013, at the Prudential Center[6] [7] [8] Historically, Newark was home to the minor professional Newark Bulldogs, a Canadian-American Hockey League franchise which played one season in 1928-29.[9]

Soccer

Newark is the transportation hub for the Red Bull Arena, home stadium of Major League Soccer's Red Bulls, across the Passaic River from Newark's Riverbank Park in Harrison, with shuttle bus service running from downtown train stations.[10] PATH trains from Newark Penn Station are one stop to nearby Harrison station.[11]

Newark, particularly the Ironbound, and the adjacent West Hudson towns on the Passaic, Harrison and Kearny, have a long tradition of soccer.[12] [13] Kearny's nickname, "Soccer Town USA" is inspired by the era that begin in the mid-1870s, when thousands of Scottish and Irish immigrants settled there after two Scottish companies, Clark Thread Company and Nairn Linoleum, opened.[14] [15] The Newark Portuguese was one of many teams.[13]

Jersey Express S.C. played at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. New Jersey Ironmen was an indoor soccer team of the Major Indoor Soccer League that played at Prudential Center from 2007 to 2009.

Baseball

See also: List of baseball parks in Newark, New Jersey. The Newark Bears were a minor-league professional baseball franchise that were part of the independent Atlantic League (which also includes the Somerset Patriots and the Camden Riversharks).[16] They played at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium, a 6,200-seat ballpark that is also home to local college baseball teams.[17] [18] Both the stadium and team have struggled financially.[19] In November 2013, the future of the team became uncertain as they were unable to commit to a 2014 season and folded shortly thereafter.[20] In 2019, the stadium was demolished to make way for a new development called Riverfront Square.[21] [22]

Baseball in Newark began in the 1850s. The Newark Peppers of the Federal League, played the 1915 season across the river at Harrison Park. The original Newark Bears, a farm team for the New York Yankees played in the International League until the 1949 season playing at Ruppert Stadium. They shared the stadium in the Ironbound with the Negro league's Newark Eagles, managed by Effa Manley. The Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium is named for the teams.[23] [24] Newark had eight teams in the National Association of Base Ball Players, including the Newark Eurekas and the Newark Adriatics.[25] Newark was then home to the Newark Indians of the International League.

Basketball

A team in the American Basketball Association, the Newark Express was introduced to the city in 2005. The team formerly played their home at Essex County College and Drew University in Madison and now plays at East Orange Campus High School.[26]

The New Jersey Nets played two seasons (2010–2012) at the Prudential Center until moving to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.[27] New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) also played there for three seasons (2011–2013) during renovations of Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, New York.[28]

Both the 2011 NBA draft[29] and 2012 NBA draft were held at the arena.

Football

The national headquarters of National Football League Alumni is located at One Washington Park in Downtown Newark.

Newark was a host city and its airport a gateway for Super Bowl XLVIII which was played on February 2, 2014.[30] [31] [32] The game took place at MetLife Stadium, home of the hosting teams New York Giants and New York Jets, at the nearby Meadowlands Sports Complex, accessible with the Meadowlands Rail Line via Newark Penn Station or Broad Street Station.[2] In anticipation of the convergence of thousands for the events, New Jersey Transit had created a weekly pass for travel throughout the region as well as game-day express bus from the airport.[33] Super Bowl Media Day, kicked off at the Prudential Center on January 28, 2014, with a series of events.[34] [35] The original Vince Lombardi Trophy produced by Tiffany & Co. in Newark in 1967 is displaced at the Newark Museum.[36]

Newark had a team which competed in the first American Football League in 1926, the Newark Bears.[37] The Tornadoes were a long-lived professional American football franchise that existed in some form from 1887 to 1971, having played in the National Football League from 1929 to 1930, the American Association from 1936 to 1941, the Atlantic Coast Football League from 1963 to 1964 and 1970 to 1971, and the Continental Football League from 1965 to 1969. Established in 1946, the Newark Bombers in 1947 moved to Bloomfield and became the Bloomfield Cardinals.

In the modern football era, the Meadowlands was home to the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League from 1983-85. The USFL was a challenger to the NFL, and featured many of the top professional football players and several future Pro Football Hall of Famers. The Generals roster included Heisman Trophy winners Herschel Walker and Doug Flutie. Despite a disappointing 6-12 inaugural season in 1983, the Generals finished 11-7 and 14-4 the following two seasons, losing in the playoffs to the eventual champion Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars both years. Giants Stadium hosted the 1985 USFL Championship Game, which became the final USFL game ever when the league folded before the start of the 1986 season.

The New York/New Jersey Knights were the metro area's entry in the World League of American Football, a developmental league introduced by the NFL in 1991. The league featured ten teams in five countries, including three in Europe. The team drew respectable crowds in their two-year stay in New Jersey, including a Giants Stadium crowd of 41,219 against the London Monarchs in 1992. The league took a hiatus in 1993, and when it returned its six franchises were all located in Europe.

The Meadowlands also hosted a trio of short-lived teams in other nationwide professional leagues since, including the New York/New Jersey Hitmen of the original XFL (2001), the New York Sentinels of the United Football League (2009), and the New York Guardians of the second incarnation of the XFL (2020). The original XFL folded after one season, and its successor shut down due to COVID and has yet to return.

The New Jersey Titans of the Women's Spring Football League Women's Spring Football League#11-woman division play at Belleville Municipal Stadium in adjacent Belleville.[38]

Roller Derby

Garden State Roller Derby is a flat track roller derby league based in the city that was founded in 2006,[39] it has three home teams, and two travel teams which compete against teams from other leagues. Garden State Roller Derby is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).[40]

Mixed martial arts

was a mixed martial arts event promoted by Elite Xtreme Combat that took place on May 31, 2008, at the Prudential Center.[41] The main card aired live on CBS, marking the first time an MMA event aired in primetime on major American network television.[42]

The UFC held UFC 78 on November 17, 2007, one of the first events to take place at the new arena.[43] It also played host to UFC 111, which took place on March 27, 2010.[44] On March 19, 2011, it hosted UFC 128,[45] and hosted UFC 159 on April 27, 2013.

Ultimate Fighting Championship's UFC 169: Cruz vs. Barao, mixed martial arts event will also be in at the Prudential Center during Super Bowl week on February 1.[46] [47]

Boxing and wrestling

Until the 1920s the Newark Armory was a major venue for boxing.[48] [49] [50] The Laurel Garden, in the Central Ward, operated as a sports venue from the 1920s until its closing, hosted numerous boxing and wrestling matches,[51] and was also important music venue. Newark produced many fighters during The Golden Age of the American Jewish Boxer.[52] [53] In the 1930s many Jewish prizefighters once in the employ of crime boss Longie Zwillman became part of the Minuteman, a group dedicated to preventing Nazi activities in the city. Day of the Fight, the first picture directed by Stanley Kubrick, shows Irish-American middleweight Walter Cartier during the height of his career, on the day of a fight with Bobby James, which took place on April 17, 1950, at Laurel Garden. One of the last bouts in Laurel Garden-era was on May 30, 1953, in which Joey Giardello defeated middleweight Hurley Sandler in a nationally televised event.[54]

Gymnastics

The AT&T American Cup, an annual elite senior level international gymnastics competition, was held at Prudential Center in 2016 and 2017.[55]

College sports

The Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball program is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of Seton Hall University in South Orange. The team competes in the Big East Conference and plays their home games at the Prudential Center. In 2011, the GoNewarkHoopFest was hosted by Seton Hall University for the East Regional playoffs of the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.[56] [57] [58] [59]

The Rutgers–Newark Scarlet Raiders field teams for NCAA competition in 14 Division III sports (7 each for men and women): men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field, men's and women's volleyball, baseball (men) and softball (women). The Scarlet Raiders are members of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) and the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association. Built in 1977, the Golden Dome Athletic Center is the hub of Rutgers–Newark athletics, seating 2,000. Soccer and softball games are held on Alumni Field. Rutgers–Newark baseball team plays at Riverfront Stadium[60]

The New Jersey Institute of Technology's sports teams are called the NJIT Highlanders. NJIT's athletic teams compete in the NCAA Division I (full membership officially September 1, 2009[61]). They play in the ASUN Conference. The men's volleyball team plays in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) conference, the men's swimming team plays in the Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association. The club-level ice hockey team plays in the Great Northeast Collegiate Hockey Conference. The Fleisher Center was replaced by the Wellness and Events Center as the school's athletic center.

Essex County College teams are represented in the Garden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) and Region 19 of the National Junior College Athletic Association.

High-school basketball and soccer

Saint Benedict's Preparatory School basketball team, coach by Dan Hurley between 2001 and 2010, consistently ranks as one of the top high-school basketball teams in the United States among USA Today High School Boys Basketball Super 25.[62] [63] and is part of the "NBA Pipeline".[64]

St. Benedict's had the top-ranked high school soccer team in the nation by ESPN/Rise in 1990, 1997–98, 2001, 2005–06 and 2011.[65] [66] Numerous alumni of the soccer program at St. Benedict's have become world-renowned players.[67]

Statues

In 2009, a 22feet stainless steel sculpture of a hockey player was installed at Championship Plaza at Prudential Center.[68] [69] A bronze statue, created by sculptor Thomas Jay Warren,[70] was dedicated to the memory of Althea Gibson in Branch Brook Park in March 2012[71] [72] "I hope that I have accomplished just one thing," she once wrote, "that I have been a credit to tennis, and to my country." "By all measures," reads the inscription "Althea Gibson certainly attained that goal."[73] In June 2012, a life-size bronze statue of Roberto Clemente was also unveiled in the park. The Salute, created by Jon Krawczyk, is a statue of the longtime New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur was installed at Prudential Center in 2016.[74]

See also

References

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Super Bowl 2014: New Jersey out in the cold?. USA Today. December 7, 2013. 2013-12-12.
  2. Web site: Meadowlands Sports Complex. New Jersey Transit. 2013-12-12.
  3. Web site: Newark, Devils in dispute over Prudential Center rent. McDermott, Maura P.. October 29, 2008. The Star-Ledger. July 3, 2012.
  4. Web site: New York Riveters Leave Brooklyn For Newark - Today's Slapshot . www.todaysslapshot.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160802203013/http://www.todaysslapshot.com/from-the-ice/new-york-riveters-leave-brooklyn-for-new-jersey/ . 2016-08-02.
  5. Web site: News: AMERICAN DREAM BECOMES THE NEW HOME ICE OF PHF'S METROPOLITAN RIVETERS - PREMIER HOCKEY FEDERATION . 2023-01-06 . www.premierhockeyfederation.com. 14 September 2022 .
  6. News: New Jersey, Philadelphia to host next two Drafts. June 22, 2012. nhl.com. June 22, 2012.
  7. News: 2013 NHL Draft Lottery and NHL Draft information. April 9, 2013. NHL.com. March 4, 2013.
  8. News: Brennan. John. NHL 'draftniks' descending on The Rock. North Jersey.com. June 28, 2013. December 12, 2013.
  9. Web site: Newark Bulldogs hockey team statistics and history at hockeydb.com. July 27, 2018.
  10. Web site: Red Bull Arena Transportation Hub. Red Bull. 2014-09-04.
  11. News: Red Bull Arena Travel Information. New Jersey Transit. 2014-08-09.
  12. News: Allaway. Roger. Rangers, Rovers, And Spindles: Soccer, Immigration, And Textiles in New England and New Jersey. St. Johann's Press. 2005.
  13. Web site: Turnball. John. Remembering New Jersey's immigrant soccer past. The Global Game. March 30, 2008. 2013-12-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20131219064803/http://www.theglobalgame.com/blog/2008/03/remembering-new-jerseys-immigrant-soccer-past/. 2013-12-19. dead.
  14. Hernandez, Raymond. "World Cup Hits Home In Soccer Town, U.S.A." The New York Times June 26, 1994. Accessed September 12, 2013. "In a nation that has not yet shared the world's enthusiasm for soccer, Kearny (pronounced CAR-nee) is certainly an anomaly. The town has two local soccer historians. On Kearny Avenue, the main strip, a sign proclaims: 'Welcome to Kearny. Soccer Town, U.S.A.'"
  15. News: Allaway. Roger. West Hudson: A Cradle of American Soccer. sover.net. March 6, 2001. 2013-12-18.
  16. http://www.atlanticleague.com/ Home page
  17. http://www.rutgersnewarkathletics.com/sports/2007/10/17/facilities.aspx? Rutgers–Newark Athletic Facilities
  18. Web site: Baseball. njithighlanders.cstv.com. NJIT. 2013-12-12.
  19. News: Araton. Harvey. Did Newark Bet on the Wrong Sport?. The New York Times. August 21, 2011. 2013-12-12.
  20. News: Giambusso. Elnardo. Newark Bears' future in question as they exit league. The Star-Ledger. November 29, 2013. 2013-12-12.
  21. News: In and around Newark's Ironbound projects proliferate and rents rise. Pofeldt. Elaine. November 20, 2019. The Real Deal. January 27, 2020.
  22. News: SCOREBOARD – The sad end to a beautiful ballpark. Hague. Jim. August 15, 2019. Hudson Reporter. January 27, 2020.
  23. News: Baseball in New Jersey. njsportsheroes.com. 2013-12-12.
  24. Crawford, Aimee. "The first lady of black baseball: Manley was an innovator in the Negro Leagues", Major League Baseball. Accessed June 28, 2012.
  25. http://riverbankpark.org/index.php/faq/39-history/93-history-eureka-baseball-club "History of the Eureka Base Ball Club of Newark"
  26. Kitchin, Mark. "Express take root at Drew", Daily Record (Morristown), July 12, 2007. Accessed June 26, 2012.
  27. Mazzeo, Mike. "Chris Christie: No love lost for Nets", ESPN New York, April 24, 2012. Accessed June 26, 2012. "The New Jersey Nets are playing their final game in New Jersey on Monday night and leaving for Brooklyn at the end of this season, but the governor of New Jersey isn't about to get all nostalgic over it."
  28. http://www.prucenter.com/default.asp?prucenter=107&objId=296 "New York Liberty Return to Madison Square Garden for 2012 Home Opener"
  29. Web site: Prudential Center to Host 2011 NBA Draft. Prudential Center. October 28, 2010. November 30, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20120313223547/http://www.prucenter.com/default.asp?prucenter=107&objId=145. 2012-03-13. dead.
  30. News: Strunsky. Steve. Newark airport gets upgrades for Super Bowl XLVIII. The Star-Ledger. October 11, 2013. 2013-12-12.
  31. News: Super Bowl XLVIII To Create Traffic Jam At Newark, Teterboro Airports Port Authority Is Consulting With Airports In Cities That Hosted Previous Super Bowls. CBS New York. August 24, 2013. 2013-12-12.
  32. News: Kell. John. Newark Airport Gets Ready for 2014 Super Bowl. The Wall Street Journal. March 29, 2011. 2013-12-12.
  33. News: Frassinelli. Mike. Super Bowl travel options include 'Fan Express' bus, New Jersey Transit 'Super Pass'. Frasinelli. December 9, 2013. 2013-12-12.
  34. Super Bowl XLVIII Media Day. Prudential Center. 2013-12-12. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131216015846/http://www.prucenter.com/default.asp?prucenter=87&objId=1318. 2013-12-16.
  35. News: Fensom. Michael J.. Gov. Christie, NFL announce Super Bowl events to be held in New Jersey. The Star-Ledger. January 24, 2013. 2013-12-12.
  36. News: Nix. Naomi. Original Vince Lombardi trophy comes home to Newark. The Star-Ledger. January 7, 2014. 2014-01-07.
  37. The Staten Island Stapletons. Coffin Corner. Professional Football Researchers Association. 7. 6. 1985. 1 - 9. Hogrogian, John. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20101127043212/http://profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/07-06-241.pdf. 2010-11-27.
  38. Web site: New Jersey Titans home filed. New Jersey Titans. 2013-12-15.
  39. News: Gorce. Tammy La. With Names That Could Kill, Women Rev Up Roller Derby. The New York Times. 24 August 2017. 7 November 2008.
  40. Web site: Garden State Roller Derby – WFTDA. wftda.com. WFTDA. 24 August 2017.
  41. News: EliteXC Mixed Martial Arts Schedules Stop At Prudential Center. Prudential Center. May 25, 2008. 2013-12-12.
  42. Web site: UFC Not the First on Network TV, but Can It Learn From Others' Mistakes?. 9 November 2011. mmafighting.com. 2013-10-10.
  43. Web site: Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Organization Returns to New Jersey. Prudential Center. October 7, 2007. October 7, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20071031205717/http://www.prucenter.com/default.asp?prucenter=107&objId=24. October 31, 2007. dead.
  44. Web site: Dana White Calls UFC 111 Co-Main Events "Can't Miss Fights". Raj. Giri. Fight Line. January 12, 2010. February 5, 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20111005210803/http://www.fightline.com/news/fl/2010/0112/476170/dana-white/index.shtml. October 5, 2011.
  45. Web site: UFC Returns to NJ on March 19 for UFC 128. Prudential Center. January 5, 2011. February 5, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130317122108/http://www.prucenter.com/default.asp?prucenter=107&objId=160. 2013-03-17. dead.
  46. News: Lee. Eunice. UFC's Super Bowl weekend event moving to New Jersey in 2014. The Star-Ledger. July 6, 2013. 2013-12-12.
  47. Web site: UFC's annual Super Bowl weekend card shifts from Las Vegas to Newark in 2014. mmajunkie.com. 2013-05-13. 2013-05-13.
  48. News: Thirteen Thousand Boxing Followers Jam Newark Armory and See Lightweight Champion Score on Points. PDF. 13. The Sun. January 21, 1919.
  49. News: Act in Newark Boxing Forbid Bouts in Armory Until Fire Protection is Adequate. The New York Times. August 1, 1920. 2013-12-15.
  50. News: No More Boxing Bouts in Newark Armory. Milwaukee Journal. August 8, 1920. 2013-12-15.
  51. Web site: Bodian. Nat. Laurel Garden. Old Newark. 2013-12-12.
  52. News: Bodian. Nat. Remembering Newarkers from Golden Age of the American-Jewish Boxer. Old Newark. 2013-12-16.
  53. News: Boxing in New Jersey. New Jersey Sports Heroes. 2013-12-16.
  54. Web site: Bodian. Nat. Eyewitness Description of an 1880s Boxing Match in Newark. www.oldnewark.com. 2013-12-15.
  55. Web site: 'Preview of Rio' gymnastics cup in N.J. For 1st time. 4 March 2016.
  56. Web site: Prudential Center Chosen To Host The 2011 Division 1 NCAA Men's Basketball East Regional. Prudential Center. September 21, 2009. 2013-12-12.
  57. News: Complete guide to Newark dining for the NCAA East Regional. The Star-Ledger. March 24, 2011. 2013-12-12.
  58. Web site: Go Newark Hoop Fest Fact Sheet. Prudential Center. 2011. 2013-12-12.
  59. News: Giambusso. David. Eyes are on Newark, as city hosts March Madness NCAA tournament. The Star-Ledger. March 14, 2011. 2013-12-12.
  60. http://www.rutgersnewarkathletics.com/sports/2007/10/17/facilities.aspx? Rutgers–Newark Athletic Facilities
  61. http://www.njithighlanders.com/news/2009/7/22/GEN_0722095715.aspx 'NJIT : NJIT Officially Gains Active NCAA Division I Membership'
  62. News: Cohen. Micah. St. Benedict's Basketball Plays Two. The New York Times. January 19, 2007. 2013-12-12.
  63. New Jersey Powers St. Benedict's (Newark), St. Anthony (Jersey City) Move into Top 5 of USA Today High School Sports Super 25 Boys Basketball Rankings. USA Today. February 19, 2013. 2013-12-12.
  64. News: Araton. Harvey. N.B.A. Pipeline Bypassing New York for New Jersey. The New York Times. December 18, 2012. 2013-12-12.
  65. http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-1803713057412334754/pennington-1-at-st-benedicts-4-prep-a-tournament-final-round-boys-soccer/ "Pennington (1) at St. Benedict's (4), Prep A Tournament, Final Round – Boys Soccer"
  66. http://sbpsoccer.com/prep_news/prep_news_item.php?n_id=82 "Seventh Heaven! Gray Bees Pick up Their 7Th National Championship; Beat Pennington to cap perfection & earn 23rd straight state title"
  67. Web site: Parchman. Will. St. Benedict's is a N.J. beacon for soccer. Top Drawer Soccer. September 23, 2013. 2013-12-15.
  68. News: Santiago. Katherine. 22-foot-tall hockey player sculpture installed outside Prudential Center. The Star-Ledger. August 17, 2009. 2013-12-19.
  69. News: Giant Steel Hockey Player. Roadside America. 2013-12-19.
  70. Althea Gibson Statue, Newark, N.J. warrensculpture.com Retrieved May 7, 2013.
  71. http://www.branchbrookpark.org/Park-Information/Athletics.aspx Branch Brook Park Alliance
  72. http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/03/statue_of_first_black_woman_to.html Eunice Lee, "Statue of first black woman to win Wimbledon unveiled in Newark park"
  73. Bronze statue of civil rights pioneer Althea Gibson dedicated in Essex County (March 28, 2012). Independent Press archive. Retrieved May 7, 2013.
  74. News: Dave Caldwell. Dave Caldwell . Fan's Statue Will Honor Martin Brodeur, Foundation of Devils' Glory Years . The New York Times . January 6, 2016 .