Sports
Main article: Sports in Tampa Bay See also: Baseball in Tampa Bay and List of sister cities in Florida| Club | Sport | League | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Rowdies | Soccer | North American Soccer League (NASL) | Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Football | National Football League (NFL) – NFC | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Ice hockey | National Hockey League (NHL) – Eastern Conference | Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa |
| Tampa Bay Rays | Baseball | Major League Baseball (MLB) – AL | Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg |
| Tampa Bay Storm | Arena football | Arena Football League (AFL) | Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa |
| Bay Area Pelicans | Rugby | USA Rugby Union | Sawgrass Park, St. Petersburg |
| Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg | Auto racing | IndyCar | Downtown Waterfront |
| Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg | Auto racing | American Le Mans Series (ALMS) | Downtown Waterfront |
The Tampa-St. Petersburg area is represented by teams in four major professional sports (soccer, football, baseball, and hockey). Two teams, the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball and Tampa Bay Rowdies of the North American Soccer League play in St. Petersburg proper, while the other two teams play across the bay in Tampa. All of the teams are considered to represent the entire Tampa Bay metropolitan area.
The Rays began play in 1998, finishing last in the American League's East Division in nine of the first ten seasons they played, including their last year known as the "Devil Rays": 2007. However, in 2008, their 11th season, they held off the Boston Red Sox and won the AL East Division Championship for the first time. In the playoffs, they again faced the Red Sox in the ALCS. They defeated Boston and won the American League Pennant. However, they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2008 World Series.
From their inception until 2008, the Rays played their regular season games at Tropicana Field and their spring training games at Progress Energy Park, giving them the unique distinction of being the only team in Major League Baseball that played its spring training games in their home city in more than 70 years. However, starting in 2009, the Rays have held spring training at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, ending a 94-year streak of springtime baseball in the city.
Tropicana Field, the home venue of the Rays, played host to the 1999 Final Four. St. Petersburg is also home to the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the inaugural race was held in April 2005. The circuit itself is made of downtown streets passing Progress Energy Park, the marina, and a runway in Albert Whitted Airport, and streets are temporarily blocked off for the annual Indy Racing League's IndyCar Series race. The race has been confirmed to return every year until at least 2017. In 2012, the road intersecting Turn 10 was renamed Dan Wheldon Way in memory of Dan Wheldon, who won the 2005 race thanks to a move made on that turn. Wheldon was killed in an accident at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the 2011 season finale.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies of the North American Soccer League began to play at Al Lang Stadium in April 2011, moving from George M. Steinbrenner Field after the 2010 season. They initially were going to play at Al Lang Stadium for 2 years however, on September 12, 2012, the Rowdies announced that they would be play at Al Lang stadium for a further 4 years.
Al Lang Stadium was named in honor of Al Lang, a former mayor of St. Petersburg who was responsible for bringing baseball spring training to the city in 1914.
See the Tampa Bay Area page for more details.
St. Petersburg is the home of many past and present sports icons. WBC and IBF Light Middleweight Champion Ronald "Winky" Wright and IBF, IBO, and WBO Champion Jeff Lacy hail from the area. Ernest Givins, Stacey Simmons, William Floyd, and Pat Terrell are some of the famous retired National Football League players from the city. Shaun King, Marquell Blackell, Aveion Cason, Darren Howard, Tim Carter, Kenny Heatly, and DeAndrew Rubin are some players currently in the NFL from the city. Major League Baseball pitcher Doug Waechter is also from St. Pete, as well as Minnesota Twins pitcher Boof Bonser. Indy Racing League driver and two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Dan Wheldon (2005 and 2011) resided in St. Pete prior to his death in October 2011.
The Bay Area Pelicans Rugby Football Club has made their home in St. Petersburg since 1977. The Pelicans play in USA Rugby's Division II competing against teams throughout Florida and the United States. Throughout its history, the teams have won honors as Florida Cup Champions as well as berths in National Championship Tournaments.
Despite not having a team in the city since 2000 (with the St. Petersburg Devil Rays), St. Petersburg is home to Minor League Baseball's main headquarters.
The International Shuffleboard Association was founded in St. Petersburg in 1979.
Former professional strongman Elliott Hulse also resides in St. Petersburg, he runs his own gym known as Strength camp which is renown for producing fine athletes and is a destination for all who wish to grow stronger.
Read more about this topic: St. Petersburg, Florida
Famous quotes containing the word sports:
“Reading about ethics is about as likely to improve one’s behavior as reading about sports is to make one into an athlete.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)
“The whole idea of image is so confused. On the one hand, Madison Avenue is worried about the image of the players in a tennis tour. On the other hand, sports events are often sponsored by the makers of junk food, beer, and cigarettes. What’s the message when an athlete who works at keeping her body fit is sponsored by a sugar-filled snack that does more harm than good?”
—Martina Navratilova (b. 1956)
“Come, my Celia, let us prove
While we may the sports of love;
Time will not be ours forever,
He at length our good will sever.”
—Ben Jonson (1572–1637)