Sports
See also: Florida Sports Hall of Fame and List of sports teams in FloridaFlorida has three NFL teams, two MLB teams, two NBA teams, and two NHL teams. Florida gained its first permanent major-league professional sports team in 1966 when the American Football League added the Miami Dolphins. The state of Florida has given professional sports franchises some subsidies in the form of tax breaks since 1991.
About half of all Major League Baseball teams conduct spring training in the state, with teams informally organized into the "Grapefruit League". Throughout MLB history, other teams have held spring training in Florida.
Golf, tennis, and auto racing are popular. NASCAR (headquartered in Daytona Beach) begins all three of its major Series in Florida at Daytona International Speedway, and ends all three Series in November at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The PGA of America is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens while the LPGA is headquartered in Daytona Beach.
Minor league baseball, football, basketball, ice hockey, soccer and indoor football teams are based in Florida. Three of the Arena Football League's teams are in Florida.
Florida's universities have a number of collegiate sport teams.
| Club | League | Venue | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | National Football League | Sun Life Stadium (Miami Gardens) | 2 (1972, 1973) |
| Miami Heat | National Basketball Association | American Airlines Arena (Miami) | 2 (2006, 2012) |
| Miami Marlins | Major League Baseball | Marlins Park (Miami) | 2 (1997, 2003) |
| Florida Panthers | National Hockey League | BankAtlantic Center (Sunrise) | 0 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | National Football League | Raymond James Stadium (Tampa) | 1 (2003) |
| Tampa Bay Rays | Major League Baseball | Tropicana Field (St. Petersburg) | 0 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | National Hockey League | Tampa Bay Times Forum (Tampa) | 1 (2004) |
| Orlando Magic | National Basketball Association | Amway Center (Orlando) | 0 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | National Football League | EverBank Field (Jacksonville) | 0 |
Auto-racing tracks
- Daytona International Speedway
- Homestead-Miami Speedway
- Sebring International Raceway
- Streets of St. Petersburg
- Walt Disney World Speedway
- Palm Beach International Raceway
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American Airlines Arena
Miami
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Amway Center
Orlando
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EverBank Field
Jacksonville
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Sun Life Stadium
Miami Gardens
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Tampa Bay Times Forum
Tampa
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Tropicana Field
St. Petersburg
Read more about this topic: Tourism In Florida
Famous quotes containing the word sports:
“Even from their infancy we frame them to the sports of love: their instruction, behaviour, attire, grace, learning and all their words aimeth only at love, respects only affection. Their nurses and their keepers imprint no other thing in them.”
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592)
“It is usual for a Man who loves Country Sports to preserve the Game in his own Grounds, and divert himself upon those that belong to his Neighbour.”
—Joseph Addison (1672–1719)
“Guys do not have a genetic blueprint that allows them to understand or love sports.”
—Lesley Visser, U.S. sports reporter and announcer. As quoted in Sports Illustrated, p. 82 (June 17, 1991)