Basketball In Pennsylvania
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Sports in Pennsylvania includes numerous professional sporting teams, events, and venues located in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
.


Major league professional teams

Pennsylvania is home to eight teams from the five major American professional sports leagues.


Major league professional championships


Philadelphia Eagles (NFL)

3 NFL championships (pre–Super Bowl) *
1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...
*
1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2022. * January 2 – Luis ...
*
1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...
1 Super Bowl title *
2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
(
LII LII may refer to: * Year AD 52, in Roman numerals * 52 (number) in Roman numerals * Laser-induced incandescence, a method of measuring particle sizes in flames * Legal Information Institute, a non-profit public service of Cornell Law School * Log ...
)


Frankford Yellow Jackets (NFL)

1 NFL championship (pre–Super Bowl) *
1926 Events January * January 3 – Theodoros Pangalos declares himself dictator in Greece. * January 8 **Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud is crowned King of Hejaz. ** Crown Prince Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thuy ascends the throne, the last monarch of V ...


Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL)

6 Super Bowl titles *
1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...
( IX) *
1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
( X) *
1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...
(
XIII XIII may refer to: * 13 (number) or XIII in Roman numerals * 13th century in Roman numerals * ''XIII'' (comics), a Belgian comic book series by Jean Van Hamme and William Vance ** ''XIII'' (2003 video game), a 2003 video game based on the comic b ...
) *
1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
( XIV) *
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
( XL) *
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
( XLIII)


Philadelphia Flyers (NHL)

2 Stanley Cup titles *
1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...
*
1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...


Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)

5 Stanley Cup titles *
1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...
*
1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
*
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
*
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
*
2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...


Philadelphia Athletics (MLB)

5 World Series titles *
1910 Events January * January 13 – The first public radio broadcast takes place; live performances of the operas '' Cavalleria rusticana'' and ''Pagliacci'' are sent out over the airwaves, from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York C ...
*
1911 A notable ongoing event was the Comparison of the Amundsen and Scott Expeditions, race for the South Pole. Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory ...
*
1913 Events January * January 5 – First Balkan War: Battle of Lemnos (1913), Battle of Lemnos – Greek admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis forces the Turkish fleet to retreat to its base within the Dardanelles, from which it will not ven ...
*
1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...
*
1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...


Philadelphia Phillies (MLB)

2 World Series titles *
1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...
*
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...


Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB)

5 World Series titles *
1909 Events January–February * January 4 – Explorer Aeneas Mackintosh of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition escaped death by fleeing across ice floes. * January 7 – Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama. * Januar ...
*
1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Italia ...
*
1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...
*
1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Ja ...
*
1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...


Philadelphia Warriors (NBA)

2 NBA Finals titles *
1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country in ...
*
1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim ...


Pittsburgh Pipers (ABA)

1 ABA Finals title *
1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...


Philadelphia Atoms (NASL)

1 Soccer Bowl / NASL Final title *
1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...


Football

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
is the most popular sport in Pennsylvania, especially in the
Lehigh Valley The Lehigh Valley (), known colloquially as The Valley, is a geographic region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County and Northampton County in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a component valley of the Great Appalachian Valley bound to the no ...
,
Northeastern Pennsylvania Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA) is a geographic region of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania that includes the Pocono Mountains, the Endless Mountains, and the industrial cities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pittston, Hazleton, Nanticoke, and Carbon ...
, Central Pennsylvania, and
Western Pennsylvania Western Pennsylvania is a region in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, covering the western third of the state. Pittsburgh is the region's principal city, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic ...
. Western Pennsylvania in particular was home to some of the earliest moments in football history, and the earliest professional clubs played in the
Western Pennsylvania Professional Football Circuit The Western Pennsylvania Professional Football Circuit was a loose association of American football clubs that operated from 1890 to approximately 1940. Originally amateur, professionalism was introduced to the circuit in 1892; cost pressures pushed ...
.
Pudge Heffelfinger William Walter "Pudge" Heffelfinger (December 20, 1867 – April 2, 1954), also spelled Hafelfinger, was an American football player and coach. He is considered the first athlete to play American football professionally, having been paid to pl ...
was the first known professional football player, while
John Brallier John Kinport "Sal" Brallier (December 12, 1876 – September 17, 1960) was one of the first professional American football players. He was nationally acknowledged as the first openly paid professional football player when he was given $10 to play f ...
was the first openly professional player. The
Allegheny Athletic Association The Allegheny Athletic Association was an athletic club that fielded the first ever professional American football player and later the first fully professional football team. The organization was founded in 1890 as a regional athletic club in A ...
fielded the first entirely openly professional team in 1896. In 1902, three Pennsylvania teams founded the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(which has no ties to today's
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
), the first attempt at a national professional football league.
Jim Thorpe James Francis Thorpe ( Sac and Fox (Sauk): ''Wa-Tho-Huk'', translated as "Bright Path"; May 22 or 28, 1887March 28, 1953) was an American athlete and Olympic gold medalist. A member of the Sac and Fox Nation, Thorpe was the first Native ...
, a multi-sport athlete who played in the NFL and won Olympic gold medals in the
pentathlon A pentathlon is a contest featuring five events. The name is derived from Greek: combining the words ''pente'' (five) and -''athlon'' (competition) ( gr, πένταθλον). The first pentathlon was documented in Ancient Greece and was part of t ...
and
decathlon The decathlon is a combined event in Athletics (sport), athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word "decathlon" was formed, in analogy to the word "pentathlon", from Greek language, Greek δέκα (''déka'', meaning "ten") and ...
, attended
Carlisle Indian Industrial School The United States Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, generally known as Carlisle Indian Industrial School, was the flagship Indian boarding school in the United States from 1879 through 1918. It took over the historic Carlisle ...
in
Carlisle, Pennsylvania Carlisle is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2020 United States census, ...
.
Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania Jim Thorpe is a borough and the county seat of Carbon County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. It is historically known as the burial site of Native American sports legend Jim Thorpe. Jim Thorpe is loc ...
is named after him. Today, football is popular on all levels, from
high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
,
college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...
, and professionally. The high school games get regular attention in the local newspapers and games regularly draw over 10,000 fans. Pennsylvania produces several college and professional players every year, and Western Pennsylvania is noted for being the home of numerous quarterbacks, including
Dan Marino Daniel Constantine Marino Jr. (born September 15, 1961) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons with the Miami Dolphins. After a successful college career at Pittsburgh and be ...
,
Joe Montana Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "the Comeback Kid", ...
, and
Johnny Unitas John Constantine Unitas (; May 7, 1933 – September 11, 2002) was an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Baltimore Colts. Following a career that spanned from 1956 ...
. Professionally, the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
and
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
of the
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
are also hugely popular. Both franchises entered the NFL in
1933 Events January * January 11 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independence, against the wis ...
, and the two franchises briefly merged during World War II. Both teams have fan bases across the entire state, and in the case of the Steelers, are one of the most popular sports teams in the United States, if not the world. (This is likely due to that team's dominance in the NFL during the 1970s.) While the Eagles are not quite as popular as the Steelers outside Pennsylvania, they still maintain a passionate fan base in the
Philadelphia area The Delaware Valley is a metropolitan region on the East Coast of the United States that comprises and surrounds Philadelphia, the sixth most populous city in the nation and 68th largest city in the world as of 2020. The toponym Delaware Val ...
and across the United States as they are one of the more popular teams in the NFL. Often one of the most rowdy in the NFL, the Eagles fanbase is known for their passion and dedication. In fact, the Eagles' old home field,
Veterans Stadium Veterans Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. The seating capacities were 65,358 for footb ...
, was the first sports stadium in the United States to have a
jail cell A prison cell (also known as a jail cell) is a small room in a prison or police station where a prisoner is held. Cells greatly vary by their furnishings, hygienic services, and cleanliness, both across countries and based on the level of punishm ...
as a result of the rowdiness of the fans, but was removed only a couple years later after incidents settled down. Both fanbases though are considered to be among the best traveled fanbases in the NFL. During games in which the teams are on the road, Steelers fans and Eagles fans alike migrate to the opposing team's stadium and always have a strong presence, and in some cases, their numbers have made opposing teams feel as if they are not in their home stadium—a testament to the die-hard fanbases of professional football in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania has also been home to two defunct NFL franchises, both of which played in the 1920s. The
Pottsville Maroons The Pottsville Maroons were an American football team based in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, in the northeastern part of the state. Founded in 1920, they played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1925 to 1928. In 1929 they relocated to Boston ...
played in
Pottsville, Pennsylvania Pottsville is the county seat of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 13,346 at the 2020 census, and is the principal city of the Pottsville, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area. The city lies along the west bank of th ...
; the franchise is notable for its part in the
1925 NFL Championship controversy The 1925 National Football League (NFL) Championship, claimed by the Chicago Cardinals, has long been the subject of controversy, centering on the suspension of the Pottsville Maroons by NFL commissioner Joseph Carr, which prevented them from tak ...
. Frankford (a neighborhood in Philadelphia) also briefly had its own team in the 1920s, known as the
Frankford Yellow Jackets The Frankford Yellow Jackets were a professional American football team, part of the National Football League from 1924 to 1931, although its origin dates back to as early as 1899 with the Frankford Athletic Association. The Yellow Jackets won ...
. The team won the 1926 NFL Championship, but disbanded during the
Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
. A third NFL franchise, the
Dallas Texans Dallas Texans may refer to: American football *Dallas Texans (NFL), 1952 team in the National Football League *Dallas Texans (AFL), 1960–1962 team that is now the Kansas City Chiefs * Dallas Texans (arena), 1990–1993 Arena Football League team ...
, was briefly headquartered in
Hershey, Pennsylvania Hershey is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is home to The Hershey Company, which was founded by candy magnate Milton S. Hershey. The community is lo ...
during the 1952 season. Pennsylvania also had teams in four national leagues that competed with the
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
: the 1920s AFL, the 1930s AFL, the
World Football League The World Football League (WFL) was an American football league that played one full season in 1974 and most of its second in 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest t ...
, and the
USFL The United States Football League (USFL) was a professional American football league that played for three seasons, 1983 through 1985. The league played a spring/summer schedule in each of its active seasons. The 1986 season was scheduled to be ...
. Philadelphia was also home to an
Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...
team, the
Philadelphia Soul Philadelphia soul, sometimes called Philly soul, the Philadelphia sound, Phillysound, or The Sound of Philadelphia TSOP, is a genre of late 1960s–1970s soul music characterized by funk influences and lush instrumental arrangements, often feat ...
who played in the league from 2004 to 2019. Pittsburgh was also the home to one of the founding
Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...
franchises, the Pittsburgh Gladiators. After four seasons in Pittsburgh, the team moved to
Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...
, in 1991 and became the
Tampa Bay Storm The Tampa Bay Storm were a professional arena football team based in Tampa, Florida, US. It played in the Arena Football League (AFL). Originally the team was located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and operated as the Pittsburgh Gladiators. The f ...
. Pittsburgh got another AFL team in 2011, the
Pittsburgh Power The Pittsburgh Power were a professional arena football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The team belonged to the East Division of the American Conference (AC) in the Arena Football League (AFL). Founded in 2011, the Power ...
, which folded in 2014. The
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers were a minor league arena football team that played in the AF2. The team was part of the East Division in the American conference. The Pioneers were an expansion team for the league's 2002 season, and were the ...
played in the AFL's minor league
af2 The AF2 (often styled as af2, and short for arenafootball2) was the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like its parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football ru ...
until that league disbanded in 2009. In addition to NFL and arena football teams, Pennsylvania is also home to minor professional teams from numerous other leagues. Men's teams include the
Chambersburg Cardinals The Chambersburg Cardinals are an American football team based in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. The team plays in the Gridiron Developmental Football League (GDFL). Founding The team was founded in 1946 by local players returning from World War II. I ...
and the
Pittsburgh Colts The Pittsburgh Colts are the oldest minor-league professional football team, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that is still in existence. They are currently members of the Gridiron Developmental Football League (GDFL). The team was founded in ...
. There are also several women's football teams, including the
Keystone Assault The Keystone Assault is a member of the United States Women Football League. Previously have been a member of the Women's Football Alliance and a former charter member of the league. The team began play in the WFA for its inaugural 2009 season. ...
,
Pittsburgh Passion The Pittsburgh Passion is a women's American football team based in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The franchise was formed in March 2002 and is currently owned by Teresa Conn, Anthony Misitano, and the estate of Franco Harris. The team is a ...
, and
Philadelphia Firebirds The Philadelphia Firebirds were a minor league professional ice hockey team that played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from 1974 to 1979, and later the franchise moved to Syracuse, New York, and played one final season as the Syracuse Firebirds. ...
.


Baseball

Baseball is one of the more popular sports in Pennsylvania. The state has both major league and minor league baseball teams. The two major league baseball teams in Pennsylvania are the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
and the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
. The Phillies and the Pirates are two of the eight National League franchises that originated in the nineteenth century. As such, the Phillies and the Pirates have had a
rivalry A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...
for over one hundred years. The rivalry was particularly strong during the 1970s and 1980s, when the two teams frequently competed to win the
National League East The National League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. Along with the American League Central it is one of two divisions to have every member win at least one World Series title. The division was created when the National Leag ...
. The rivalry has cooled off since the Pirates moved to the
NL Central The National League Central is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was created in 1994, by moving two teams from the National League West (the Cincinnati Reds and the Houston Astros) and three teams from the National League ...
in
1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
, but the two teams continue to play each other every year. Although the Pirates have won more
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
(five in total), the Phillies won the World Series more recently (in
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
). Both teams have had stretches of success and futility. Pennsylvania is the only state with two teams that are in the same league (National League) but in separate divisions (Pittsburgh in the NL Central and Philadelphia in the NL East). Philadelphia and Pittsburgh were also the home of numerous defunct and relocated major league franchises, including the
American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
's
Philadelphia Athletics The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oaklan ...
, which moved to Kansas City, Missouri, in the 1950s. The franchise now plays in Oakland, California, as the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
. Pittsburgh briefly hosted a second major league team in the 20th century: the
Pittsburgh Rebels The Pittsburgh Rebels were a baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1913 to 1915. The team was a member of the short-lived Federal League. The team was originally called the Pittsburgh Stogies after an earlier Pittsburgh team that ...
played in the
Federal League The Federal League of Base Ball Clubs, known simply as the Federal League, was an American professional baseball league that played its first season as a minor league in 1913 and operated as a "third major league", in competition with the e ...
during the fledgling league's two seasons of existence. Altoona also had a short-lived
team A team is a group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal. As defined by Professor Leigh Thompson (academic), Leigh Thompson of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interde ...
in the 19th century
Union Association The Union Association was a league in Major League Baseball which lasted for just the 1884 season. St. Louis won the pennant and joined the National League the following season. Seven of the twelve teams who were in the Association at some poi ...
. Prior to the
integration Integration may refer to: Biology *Multisensory integration *Path integration * Pre-integration complex, viral genetic material used to insert a viral genome into a host genome *DNA integration, by means of site-specific recombinase technology, ...
of
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
that occurred after World War II, both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh had
negro league baseball The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans and, to a lesser extent, Latin Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be ...
teams. Pennsylvania is the original home of
Little League Baseball Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizationCarl Stotz Carl E. Stotz (February 20, 1910 – June 4, 1992) was the American founder of Little League Baseball. Stotz was born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. He was the fourth of five children of Lulu Fisk Stotz the third child of a German immigrant (18 ...
founded Little League Baseball in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The
Little League World Series The Little League World Series is an annual baseball tournament for children—typically boys—aged 10 to 12 years old, held in the Eastern United States. Originally called the National Little League Tournament, it was later renamed for the Wor ...
is held every year in South Williamsport.


Minor league baseball

As of 2021, Pennsylvania has nine minor league baseball teams. Six of these teams are
affiliates In the broadcasting industry (particularly in North America, and even more in the United States), a network affiliate or affiliated station is a local broadcaster, owned by a company other than the owner of the network, which carries some or al ...
of major league teams, while the remaining teams are
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
. Pennsylvania has also been home to minor leagues and minor league teams that are now defunct, such as the
Pennsylvania State Association The Pennsylvania State Association was a class D level league of minor league baseball that existed from 1934 until 1942. The league franchised were entirely based in Western Pennsylvania. History The Pennsylvania State Association was compose ...
and the
Allentown Peanuts Allentown Peanuts refers to two baseball teams: one that played in the Central League in 1888, and another that played in the Atlantic League from 1898 to 1900. They were based in Allentown, Pennsylvania Allentown (Pennsylvania Dutch language, ...
. Pennsylvania is also home to two teams in the new
MLB Draft League The MLB Draft League is a collegiate summer baseball league that began play in 2021. Created by Major League Baseball (MLB) and ''Prep Baseball Report'', the league serves as a showcase for top draft-eligible prospects leading up to each summer' ...
, the
State College Spikes The State College Spikes are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in State College, Pennsylvania, and play their home games at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park on the campus of Pennsylvania State University. The ...
and the
Williamsport Crosscutters The Williamsport Crosscutters are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and play their home games at Muncy Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field. From 1994 to 2020, they were a ...


Basketball

Unlike the other major professional sports leagues, the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
only has one team in
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
. The
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...
, which relocated from Syracuse, New York, in 1963, have won three NBA championships and, as of 2018, the franchise has won the fifth most championship games in NBA history (tied with the
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...
and
Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Southe ...
). Philadelphia also hosted another NBA team from 1946 to 1962, the
Philadelphia Warriors The history of the Golden State Warriors began in Philadelphia in 1946. In 1962, the franchise was relocated to San Francisco, California and became known as the San Francisco Warriors until 1971, when its name was changed to the current Golden St ...
, but the franchise moved to San Francisco and later became what is now known as the
Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...
. Pittsburgh briefly had a team in the
Basketball Association of America The Basketball Association of America (BAA) was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. Following its third season, 1948–49, the BAA absorbed most of National Basketball League (NBL) and rebranded as the National Ba ...
known as the
Pittsburgh Ironmen The Pittsburgh Ironmen were a charter member of the Basketball Association of America (a forerunner of the National Basketball Association). The team was based in Pittsburgh and played at Duquesne Gardens. They ended their only season in the BAA i ...
, and an
American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger, American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, ...
franchise called the
Pittsburgh Condors The Pittsburgh Condors were a professional basketball team in the original American Basketball Association (ABA). Originally called the Pittsburgh Pipers, they were a charter franchise of the ABA and captured the first league title. The team pla ...
, but no NBA franchise has ever called Pittsburgh home. In addition to the 76ers, Pennsylvania also has a few other professional basketball teams. The Erie BayHawks are an
NBA G League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...
team affiliated with the NBA's
New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...
. This team will play in Erie until moving to its intended permanent home of
Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...
, in 2022. The
Steel City Yellow Jackets The Steel City Yellow Jackets are a basketball team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team is a member of the American Basketball Association. They play their home games at the A Giving Heart Community Center. The Yellow Jackets began play o ...
play in the ABA. The
Harrisburg Horizon The Harrisburg Horizon were a professional basketball team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The Horizon were a member of the Eastern Basketball Alliance The Eastern Basketball Alliance was a semi-professional men's winte ...
are a member of the
Eastern Basketball Alliance The Eastern Basketball Alliance was a semi-professional men's winter basketball league. Games were played on the weekends and the season was approximately four months long (January through April). History The EBA was formed in 1996 from the fled ...
, while the Harrisburg Lady Horizon are a member of the Women's Eastern Basketball Alliance. Pennsylvania has never had a team in the
Women's National Basketball Association The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is an American professional basketball league. It is composed of twelve teams, all based in the United States. The league was founded on April 22, 1996, as the women's counterpart to the Natio ...
, the top women's basketball league in the United States. The
Philadelphia area The Delaware Valley is a metropolitan region on the East Coast of the United States that comprises and surrounds Philadelphia, the sixth most populous city in the nation and 68th largest city in the world as of 2020. The toponym Delaware Val ...
has produced NBA players such as
Wilt Chamberlain Wilton Norman Chamberlain (; August 21, 1936 – October 12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player who played as a Center (basketball), center. Standing at tall, he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 yea ...
,
Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely r ...
, and
Paul Arizin Paul Joseph Arizin (April 9, 1928 – December 12, 2006), nicknamed "Pitchin' Paul", was an American basketball player who spent his entire National Basketball Association (NBA) career with the Philadelphia Warriors from 1950 to 1962. He reti ...
, while
Pete Maravich Peter Press Maravich ( ; June 22, 1947 – January 5, 1988), known by his nickname Pistol Pete, was an American professional basketball player. Maravich was born in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, and raised in ...
was from
Aliquippa Aliquippa is the largest city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, located on the Ohio River about northwest of Pittsburgh. The population was 9,238 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Formerly the l ...
.


Ice hockey

Due in large part to Pennsylvania's cold winter climate and the state's geographic location in the
Northeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...
, hockey is fairly popular throughout Pennsylvania. In all, seven professional hockey teams call Pennsylvania home, including two NHL teams. Perhaps the strongest current in-state professional sports rivalry is between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins, both of which play in the
Metropolitan Division The National Hockey League's Metropolitan Division (often referred to simply as the "Metro Division") was formed in 2013 as one of the two divisions in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference as part of a league realignment. It is also a ...
of the NHL. With the exception of a seven-year period in the 1970s, the two teams have been divisional rivals since they joined the NHL in the 1967 expansion. The rivalry is generally considered to be one of the fiercest in the NHL. The two franchises have been among the most successful teams since they joined the league, as the Flyers have the most Stanley Cup Finals appearances among the non-
Original Six The Original Six () are the teams that comprised the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1942 and 1967. The six teams are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs ...
teams, while the Penguins are tied for the third most Stanley Cup wins among non-
Original Six The Original Six () are the teams that comprised the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1942 and 1967. The six teams are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs ...
teams. The
Hershey Bears The Hershey Bears are a professional ice hockey team based in Hershey, Pennsylvania, a town located 14 miles east of the state capital of Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the c ...
are renowned for being the oldest existing AHL franchise, and the oldest existing hockey franchise outside of the NHL's
Original Six The Original Six () are the teams that comprised the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1942 and 1967. The six teams are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs ...
. The
Lehigh Valley Phantoms The Lehigh Valley Phantoms are a professional ice hockey team based in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The team competes in the American Hockey League (AHL) and serves as the primary development team for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey Lea ...
, also of the AHL, are the primary development team of the
Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Wells ...
and play their home games at PPL Center in
Allentown Allentown may refer to several places in the United States and topics related to them: * Allentown, California, now called Toadtown, California * Allentown, Georgia, a town in Wilkinson County * Allentown, Illinois, an unincorporated community in T ...
. Pennsylvania is notable for being one of the few states with a team in the
Canadian Hockey League The Canadian Hockey League (CHL; french: Ligue canadienne de hockey ‒ LCH) is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canada-based major junior ice hockey leagues. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey L ...
, and the state was also home to the
Western Pennsylvania Hockey League The Western Pennsylvania Hockey League (WPHL) was an originally amateur and later professional ice hockey league founded in 1896 and existing through 1909. Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the league became the pre-eminent ice hockey league in ...
, one of the first professional hockey leagues. In addition to the two current NHL teams that joined the league in the 1960s, Pennsylvania also had an NHL franchise in the 1920s: a hockey team named the
Pirates Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
played in the NHL for five seasons before moving to Philadelphia and becoming the Philadelphia Quakers. The franchise disbanded after its only season in Philadelphia. Philadelphia also briefly had a WHA franchise. A number of notable current and former professional hockey players are Pennsylvania natives:
Mike Richter Michael Thomas Richter (born September 22, 1966) is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played his entire career with the New York Rangers organization, and led the team to the Stanley Cup in 1994. He also represented the Un ...
, one of the most successful American-born goaltenders in
NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
history;
Pete Babando Pete or Petes or ''variation'', may refer to: People * Pete (given name) * Pete (nickname) * Pete (surname) Fictional characters * Pete (Disney), a cartoon character in the ''Mickey Mouse'' universe * Pete the Pup (a.k.a. 'Petey'), a character ...
; Bob Beers;
Jay Caufield John Jay Caufield (born July 17, 1960) is an American former NHL right winger. Caufield was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was raised in the Towamencin Township, Pennsylvania, area about a mile outside Lansdale borough. He graduated fr ...
;
Ryan Malone Ryan Gregory Malone (born December 1, 1979) nicknamed "Bugsy", is an American former professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers. In 2003, ...
;
Gerry O'Flaherty Gerard Joseph O'Flaherty (born August 31, 1950) is a Canadian-American retired professional ice hockey player. During a playing career that lasted from 1971 to 1979 he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, and Atlanta Flames of t ...
;
George Parros George James Parros (born December 29, 1979) is an American former professional ice hockey player who played nine seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), who currently serves as the head of the NHL's Department of Player Safety, with the tit ...
; Jesse Spring; and R.J. Umberger. Legendary amateur hockey player
Hobey Baker Hobart Amory Hare "Hobey" Baker (January 15, 1892 – December 21, 1918) was an American amateur athlete of the early twentieth century. Considered the first American star in ice hockey by the Hockey Hall of Fame, he was also an accomplished Ame ...
, namesake of U.S. college hockey's
Hobey Baker Memorial Award The Hobey Baker Award is an annual award given to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men's ice hockey player. It has been awarded 41 times. It is named for Hall of Famer Hobey Baker, who played college hockey at Princeton University ...
, was also born in Pennsylvania.


Minor league & major junior hockey


Soccer

Pennsylvania has three active professional outdoor soccer teams. Since 2010,
Chester, Pennsylvania Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located within the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, it is the only city in Delaware County and had a population of 32,605 as of the 2020 census. Incorporated in 1682, Chester is ...
has been home to the
Philadelphia Union The Philadelphia Union are an American professional soccer club based in Chester, Pennsylvania. The Union compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Founded on February 28, 2008, the club began playing in 201 ...
of
Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
, the top league in the US Soccer Pyramid. Additionally, Pennsylvania has two teams in the second-tier
USL Championship The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, pl ...
(previously the United Soccer League),
Philadelphia Union II Philadelphia Union II is an American professional soccer team based in Chester, Pennsylvania competing in MLS Next Pro. Founded in 2015 as Bethlehem Steel FC, the team is the official affiliate of the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer. T ...
and
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC is an American professional soccer team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1999 and beginning play in 1999, the club plays in the Eastern Conference of the USL Championship, the second tier of the American so ...
. Both are the official reserve sides for MLS teams, respectively the Union and
Columbus Crew SC The Columbus Crew, formerly known as Columbus Crew SC, is an Soccer in the United States, American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio. The Crew competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference ( ...
. The state had a third team in the USL Championship, the Harrisburg-based
Penn FC Penn FC (formerly the Harrisburg City Islanders) was an American professional soccer team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 2003, the team most recently played in the USL Pro, the second tier of the United States socc ...
, but that team suspended professional operations for the 2019 season and ultimately folded. Pennsylvania also has several indoor soccer and amateur teams, including the Harrisburgh Heat of the
Major Arena Soccer League The Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) is a North American professional indoor soccer league. The MASL features teams playing coast-to-coast in the United States and Mexico. MASL is the highest level of arena soccer in North America. MASL players ...
,
Reading United A.C. Reading United AC is an American soccer team based in Reading, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1995, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The club plays its home games at Don Thomas Stadium on the campus ...
and the
Pittsburgh Riverhounds U23 Pittsburgh Riverhounds U-23 was an American soccer team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania which began play with the 2014 PDL season. The team was affiliated with and served as a feeder team for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of the USL. The team play ...
of
USL League Two USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional developmental soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United States soccer league syste ...
(formerly the Premier Development League), and numerous teams in the
National Premier Soccer League The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is an American men's association football, soccer league. The NPSL is a semi-professional league, comprising some teams that have paid players and some that are entirely amateur. The league is officially ...
. Pennsylvania also women's teams, including the Lancaster Inferno of the
Women's Premier Soccer League The Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) is an amateur women's soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is the top amateur league for women's soccer in the United States soccer pyramid, below only National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). T ...
. As of 2020, Pennsylvania does not have a team in the top-level women's league, the
National Women's Soccer League The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is a professional women's soccer league at the top of the United States league system. It is owned by the teams and, until 2020, was under a management contract with the United States Soccer Federatio ...
. Pennsylvania has a long history with soccer. The first professional American soccer league, the
American League of Professional Football American League of Professional Football was the first professional soccer league in the United States, existing for one season in 1894. It was also one of the earliest professional leagues in the world. It was created by the owners of the Natio ...
, included a team named the "Philadelphia Phillies" (all of the teams were affiliated with
National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
baseball teams). The original
Bethlehem Steel The Bethlehem Steel Corporation was an American steelmaking company headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. For most of the 20th century, it was one of the world's largest steel producing and shipbuilding companies. At the height of its succe ...
won championships in the
National Association Football League The National Association Football League (also spelled ''National Association Foot Ball League'') (NAFBL) was a semi-professional U.S. soccer league which operated between 1895 and 1898. The league was reconstituted in 1906 and continued to oper ...
and the American Soccer League. Despite disbanding in the 1930s, the club still shares the record (with
Maccabi Los Angeles Maccabee Athletic Club ( he, מכבי לוס אנג'לס, MAH-KAH-Bee) was an American athletic club based in Los Angeles, California. The primary activity of the club was Maccabee Los Angeles Soccer Club, a team which competed professionally in t ...
) for most
U.S. Open Cup The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, commonly known as the U.S. Open Cup (USOC), is a Single-elimination tournament, knockout cup competition in men's Soccer in the United States, soccer in the United States of America. It is the oldest ongoing nati ...
wins, with
five 5 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 5, five or number 5 may also refer to: * AD 5, the fifth year of the AD era * 5 BC, the fifth year before the AD era Literature * ''5'' (visual novel), a 2008 visual novel by Ram * ''5'' (comics), an awa ...
. The
North American Soccer League The North American Soccer League may refer to: *North American Soccer League (1968–1984), a former Division I league *North American Soccer League (2011–2017) The North American Soccer League (NASL) was a professional men's soccer league b ...
, which was perhaps the most prominent American soccer league until the formation of
Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
, had two teams in Pennsylvania: the
Philadelphia Atoms The Philadelphia Atoms were an American soccer team based out of Philadelphia that played in the North American Soccer League (NASL). They played from 1973 to 1976, at Veterans Stadium (1973–75) and Franklin Field (1976). The club's colors wer ...
and the
Philadelphia Fury The Philadelphia Fury was an American soccer team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that last competed in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA). The club formerly competed in the American Soccer League and is currently owned by ...
. Pennsylvania-based clubs have captured the
U.S. Open Cup The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, commonly known as the U.S. Open Cup (USOC), is a Single-elimination tournament, knockout cup competition in men's Soccer in the United States, soccer in the United States of America. It is the oldest ongoing nati ...
a total of 14 times, the third-most among states, and Pennsylvania teams have won the
National Amateur Cup The National Amateur Cup, also known as the USASA Amateur Cup, is an American soccer competition open to all amateur teams affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation through United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA). In 1923, U.S ...
several times. Pennsylvania has also been home to numerous soccer players, including
Walter Bahr Walter may refer to: People * Walter (name), both a surname and a given name * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) * Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...
, the captain of the U.S. national team at the
1950 FIFA World Cup The 1950 FIFA World Cup was the fourth edition of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football championship for senior men's national teams and held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July 1950. The planned 1942 and 1946 World Cups were ...
.


Minor league soccer


College teams

There are fourteen
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
Division I schools spread across Pennsylvania. In addition to the Division I schools listed below, there are also several other college athletic programs in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is home to several prominent collegiate rivalries. The
Penn State–Pittsburgh football rivalry The Penn State–Pittsburgh football rivalry is a long-standing American college football rivalry between the Penn State Nittany Lions and Pittsburgh Panthers. The game played in 2019 was the 100th edition of the rivalry game. Penn State has not ...
began in the 19th century, and was once considered one of the most important rivalries north of the
Mason–Dixon line The Mason–Dixon line, also called the Mason and Dixon line or Mason's and Dixon's line, is a demarcation line separating four U.S. states, forming part of the borders of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and West Virginia (part of Virginia ...
. Although the two schools have not played as frequently since Penn State and Pittsburgh joined football conferences in the 1990s, the rivalry between the two schools continues to divide the state. The
Philadelphia Big 5 The Big 5 is an informal association of college athletic programs in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is not a conference, but rather a group of NCAA Division I basketball schools who compete for the city’s collegiate championship. The Big 5 c ...
play a basketball round robin every year to determine the top basketball school in the
Philadelphia area The Delaware Valley is a metropolitan region on the East Coast of the United States that comprises and surrounds Philadelphia, the sixth most populous city in the nation and 68th largest city in the world as of 2020. The toponym Delaware Val ...
. Pittsburgh is also home to a heated basketball rivalry, as Duquesne and Pittsburgh play each other every year in the
City Game The City Game is an annual college basketball game between the University of Pittsburgh Panthers and the Duquesne University Dukes. The term "City Game" is also used refer to women's basketball games played annually between the two universities ...
. The
Lehigh Valley The Lehigh Valley (), known colloquially as The Valley, is a geographic region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County and Northampton County in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a component valley of the Great Appalachian Valley bound to the no ...
is home to a heated college football rivalry so deeply ingrained into both schools' traditions that the annual game is simply known as " The Rivalry." Since the NCAA tournament began in 1939, Pennsylvania has produced four Division I basketball champions: La Salle won the championship in
1954 Events January * January 1 – The Soviet Union ceases to demand war reparations from West Germany. * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown-IBM experiment: The fir ...
, while Villanova won the championship in
1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
,
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
, and
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
. In football, four different Pennsylvania schools claim Division I FBS championships.
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
claims nine national titles, Penn claims seven titles,
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...
claims two titles, and
Lafayette Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to: People * Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette * House of La Fayette, a French noble family ** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757 ...
claims one title. Since the division's formation in 1978, Villanova's
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
championship is the lone
FCS championship The NCAA Division I Football Championship is an annual post-season college football game, played since 2006, used to determine a national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). From 1978 to 2005, the game was kn ...
won by a Pennsylvania school. Lehigh also has one appearance in the championship game.


List of championships

Championships won by Pennsylvania teams in
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
Division I FBS The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). A ...
football,
NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of College athletics, intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major ...
Men's Basketball, and the five major leagues (MLB, NHL, NFL, NBA, NASL/MLS): * 1895 Penn Quakers * 1896 Lafayette Leopards * 1897 Penn Quakers * 1904 Penn Quakers * 1908 Penn Quakers * 1918 Pittsburgh Panthers * 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates * 1910 Philadelphia Athletics * 1910 Pittsburgh Panthers * 1911 Philadelphia Athletics * 1911 Penn State Nittany Lions * 1912 Penn State Nittany Lions * 1913 Philadelphia Athletics * 1916 Pittsburgh Panthers *
1925 Pittsburgh Pirates The 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates finished first in the National League with a record of 95–58. They defeated the Washington Senators four games to three to win their second World Series championship. The Pirates had three future Hall of Famers in ...
* 1926 Frankford Yellow Jackets * 1929 Philadelphia Athletics * 1930 Philadelphia Athletics * 1937 Pittsburgh Panthers * 1946-47 Philadelphia Warriors * 1948 Philadelphia Eagles * 1949 Philadelphia Eagles * 1953–54 La Salle Explorers * 1955-56 Philadelphia Warriors * 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates * 1960 Philadelphia Eagles * 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers * 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates * 1973 Philadelphia Atoms * 1974–1975 Pittsburgh Steelers * 1975–1976 Pittsburgh Steelers * 1976 Pittsburgh Panthers * 1978–1979 Pittsburgh Steelers * 1973-74 Philadelphia Flyers * 1974-75 Philadelphia Flyers * 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates * 1979–1980 Pittsburgh Steelers * 1980 Philadelphia Phillies * 1982 Penn State Nittany Lions * 1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers * 1984–85 Villanova Wildcats * 1986 Penn State Nittany Lions * 1990–91 Pittsburgh Penguins * 1991–92 Pittsburgh Penguins * 2005-06 Pittsburgh Steelers * 2008 Philadelphia Phillies * 2008-09 Pittsburgh Steelers * 2008–09 Pittsburgh Penguins * 2015–16 Pittsburgh Penguins * 2015–16 Villanova Wildcats * 2016–17 Pittsburgh Penguins *
2017 Philadelphia Eagles The 2017 Philadelphia Eagles season was the franchise's 85th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 15th playing their home games at Lincoln Financial Field and the second under head coach Doug Pederson. Philadelphia won its first-e ...
* 2017–18 Villanova Wildcats


Lacrosse

Lacrosse in Pennsylvania Lacrosse has been played in Pennsylvania since the 19th century. There are many respected amateur programs at the club, college, and high school level, as well as several respected past and present professional teams in the National Lacrosse League ...
has a long history. Lehigh, Swarthmore, and Penn were early members of the
United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association The United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association is an association of member institutions and organizations with college lacrosse programs at all levels of competition, including the three NCAA divisions and non-NCAA schools, at both the varsi ...
, and lacrosse is now played at many Pennsylvania colleges. Pennsylvania has had professional lacrosse teams such as the Philadelphia Wings and the
Pittsburgh Bulls The Pittsburgh Bulls were a member of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1990 to 1993.They were based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The National Lacrosse League would return to Pittsburgh in 2000 with the Pittsburgh CrosseFire, but the team woul ...
, and the Wings have now returned to action, beginning in 2018.


Olympians

* Giddeon Massie of Quakertown, member, 2004 Bicycling team * John Woodruff of
Connellsville Connellsville is a city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States, southeast of Pittsburgh and away via the Youghiogheny River, a tributary of the Monongahela River. It is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 7,637 at th ...
, gold medal, 1936, in 800-meters event * Catherine "Kit" Klein of
Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the List of c ...
, gold and bronze, 1932 Olympics, 1936 Olympics, speed skater, World Record – 1000 meters (1935), World Record – 3000 meters (1936), 1936 World Champion *
Roger Kingdom Roger Kingdom (born August 26, 1962) is a former sprint hurdler, athletics coach, and strength and conditioning coach from the United States. He is currently the speed and conditioning coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL. Early l ...
of Monroeville, gold medal in both 1984 and 1988 Olympics, 110m hurdles *
Kurt Angle Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler, Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, Olympic gold medalist in American freestyle wrestling, and former Collegiate wrestling, ...
, 1996
freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestling ...
gold medalist *
Kim Gallagher Kimberly Ann "Kim" Gallagher (June 11, 1964 – November 18, 2002) was an American middle-distance runner who won a silver and a bronze medal at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics. Records National high school records *800 Meters – 2:00.07 *3200 Me ...
, American
track & field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...
Olympian in the 800 meters in 1984 and 1988. She also holds National High School Records and PIAA state records and was a Penn Relays champion * Lauryn Williams 2004 Olympic Games, 2004, silver medal winner, women's 100m track, native of Rochester, Pennsylvania * Marty Nothstein of Trexlertown, Pennsylvania, Trexlertown, gold medal, 2000, Cycling * Angie Loy of Elliottsburg, Pennsylvania, Elliottsburg, eighth place, 2008, Field Hockey * Michael Shine of Youngsville, Pennsylvania, silver medal, 400m hurdles at the 1976 Summer Olympics


Bicycle racing

Pennsylvania hosts the Pro Cycling Tour "Triple Crown of Cycling" bicycle races each June, with the Lancaster Classic, Tom Bamford Lancaster Classic, the Reading Classic, and the Philadelphia International Championship. The PCT is sanctioned by USA Cycling, the national governing body for cycling in the United States. Pennsylvania also hosts the Univest Grand Prix professional bicycle race each year in September, sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale, the worldwide governing body for cycling. The road race starts and finishes in Souderton, while the criterium is located in Doylestown. The Valley Preferred Cycling Center annually hosts a USA Cycling Elite Nationals qualifying event. Floyd Landis, of Farmersville, Pennsylvania, Farmersville was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France title due to prohibited doping.


Motorsports

The Mario Andretti dynasty of race drivers hails from Nazareth, Pennsylvania. Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, Long Pond is home to two NASCAR race weekends a year, the Axalta "We Paint Winners" 400 in early June and the Pennsylvania 400 in late July or early August, and an IndyCar race weekend, the ABC Supply 500 in August. Pennsylvania has also seen success in the sport of drag racing in the form of five time NHRA Top Fuel champion Joe Amato (dragster driver), Joe Amato


Dirt track racing

Dirt ovals include Dunn Hill 2 Speedway in Monroeton, Pennsylvania, Monroeton, Allegheny Mountain Raceway in Kane, Pennsylvania, Kane, Bedford Speedway in Bedford, Pennsylvania, Bedford, Big Diamond Raceway in Minersville, Pennsylvania, Minersville, Blanket Hill Speedway in Kittanning, Pennsylvania, Kittanning, Borger's Speedway in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, Saylorsburg, Bradford Speedway in Bradford, Pennsylvania, Bradford, Challenger Raceway in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Clinton County Raceway in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, Lock Haven, Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway in Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania, Schaefferstown, Dog Hollow Speedway in Strongstown, Pennsylvania, Strongstown, Eriez Speedway in Erie, Pennsylvania, Erie, Farmington VFD Speedway in Farmington, Pennsylvania, Farmington, Gamblers Raceway Park in Clearfield, Pennsylvania, Clearfield, Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania, Bechtelsville, Greenwood Valley Action Track in Millville, Pennsylvania, Millville, Hamlin Speedway in Hamlin, Pennsylvania, Hamlin, Hesston Speedway in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, Huntingdon, Hill Valley Speedway in Orbisonia, Pennsylvania, Orbisonia, Hummingbird Speedway in Falls Creek, Pennsylvania, Falls Creek, Lake Moc-A-Tek Speedway in Lakeville, Pennsylvania, Lakeville, Latrobe Speedway in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, Latrobe, Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pennsylvania, Sarver, Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown, Pennsylvania, Abbottstown, Linda's Speedway in Jonestown, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, Jonestown (Lebanon County), Marion Center Speedway in Marion Center, Pennsylvania, Marion Center, Mckean County Raceway in East Smethport, Pennsylvania, East Smethport, Mercer Raceway Park in Mercer, Pennsylvania, Mercer, Path Valley Speedway Park in Spring Run, Pennsylvania, Spring Run, Penn Can Speedway in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, Susquehanna, Pittsburgh's Pa Motor Speedway in Imperial, Pennsylvania, Imperial, Port Royal Speedway in Port Royal, Pennsylvania, Port Royal, Redline Raceway in Troy, Pennsylvania, Troy, Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex in Markleysburg, Pennsylvania, Markleysburg, Selinsgrove Speedway in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, Selinsgrove, Shippensburg Speedway in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, Shippensburg, Silver Spring Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, Mechanicsburg [Operated 1953–2005], Snydersville Raceway in Snydersville, Pennsylvania, Snydersville, Susquehanna Speedway in Newberrytown, Pennsylvania, Newberrytown, The Fairgrounds At Kutztown in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, Kutztown, Thunder Valley Raceway in Central City, Pennsylvania, Central City, Trail-Way Speedway in Hanover, Pennsylvania, Hanover, Tri-City Speedway in Franklin, Pennsylvania, Franklin, Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicburg, Pennsylvania, Mechanicburg, and Windber Speedway in Windber, Pennsylvania, Windber.


Other motorsport venues

Asphalt ovals in Pennsylvania include Jennerstown Speedway in Jennerstown, Pennsylvania, Jennerstown, Lake Erie Speedway in North East, Pennsylvania, North East, Mahoning Valley Speedway in Lehighton, Pennsylvania, Lehighton, Motordome Speedway in Smithton, Pennsylvania, Smithton, Mountain Speedway in St. Johns, Nazareth Speedway in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, Nazareth (closed), and Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, Long Pond, CNB Bank Raceway Park Formerly known as Central PA Speedway Clearfield, Pennsylvania Drag Strips include Beaver Springs Dragway in Beaver Springs, Pennsylvania, Beaver Springs, Lucky Drag City in Wattsburg, Pennsylvania, Wattsburg, Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton, Pennsylvania, Mohnton, Numidia Raceway in Numidia, Pennsylvania, Numidia, Pittsburgh Raceway Park in New Alexandria, Pennsylvania, New Alexandria, and South Mountain Dragway in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania, Boiling Springs. Road Courses include Beaverun Motorsports Complex in Wampum, Pennsylvania, Wampum, and Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh. Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, Long Pond also has a road course that hosts SCCA and other events.


Horse racing

Pennsylvania has a long history of horse racing, as the sport was one of the few that was not banned in 17th century Pennsylvania. William Penn, the founder of Philadelphia and
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, reportedly raced his horses down the streets of Philadelphia. Stephen Foster wrote the song "Camptown Races" about horse racing in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia-area businessman Samuel D. Riddle owned prominent horses Man o' War and War Admiral. Penn National Race Course in Grantville, Pennsylvania, Grantville, Parx Casino and Racing, Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, Bensalem, and Presque Isle Downs near Erie offer thoroughbred racing. Hollywood Casino at The Meadows, The Meadows in Pittsburgh, Mohegan Pennsylvania in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Wilkes-Barre, and Harrah's Philadelphia in Chester, Pennsylvania, Chester offer harness racing in Pennsylvania. Smarty Jones, the 2004 Kentucky Derby winner, was owned by Roy Chapman and wife Patricia. Smarty Jones was bred at Chapman's Someday Farm (Patricia explains the name: "Some day we were going to do this and some day we were going to do that. And my husband said, 'I think we ought to call it Someday Farm,' so we did.") near Philadelphia, and had Philadelphia Park (now Parx Racing) as his home course. Barbaro (horse), Barbaro, the 2006 Kentucky Derby winner, came from Mr. and Mrs. Roy Jackson's Lael Stables in West Grove, Pennsylvania, West Grove. After suffering injuries in the Preakness Stakes on May 20, 2006, Barbaro was treated for laminitis. He developed further complications, and he was animal euthanasia, euthanized on January 29, 2007.


Golf

PGA tournaments in Pennsylvania include the 84 Lumber Classic, played at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, Pennsylvania, Farmington, and the Northeast Pennsylvania Classic, played at Glenmaura National Golf Club in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Scranton. There is also the PGT (Pittsburgh Golfers Tour) which is people from all over the east coast joining a club where the owner schedules tournaments all over the state. Arnold Palmer, winner of seven Men's major golf championships, major golf championships and 62 PGA Tour events, was from Latrobe, Pennsylvania, Latrobe. Jim Furyk, winner of the 2003 U.S. Open and 2010 Tour Championship, grew up near Manheim Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Lancaster.


Wrestling

Pennsylvania is an area of the United States that is prominent in the sport of wrestling. Many of the United States top Collegiate wrestling, collegiate wrestlers are produced from Pennsylvania, with Pennsylvania's own Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic serving as a national level high school All-Star event, featuring the top PA wrestlers in a dual team match against the top wrestlers from other states in the country. During the 2010s, the Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling, Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling team won eight national championships, from 2011–2014 and 2016–2019. Many Pennsylvania wrestlers have also represented the United States on the international circuit, by being on Team USA World and Olympic Games, Olympic teams. Notable Pennsylvania wrestlers include
Kurt Angle Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler, Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, Olympic gold medalist in American freestyle wrestling, and former Collegiate wrestling, ...
, Coleman Scott, Nate Carr, Cary Kolat, Wade Schalles, Jake Herbert, Bobby Weaver, Stanley Dziedzic, Carlton Haselrig, Ed Ruth, Jason Nolf, Zain Retherford, Jordan Oliver (amateur wrestler), Jordan Oliver, and Spencer Lee.


Poker


Texas Hold 'em Poker

Texas Hold' em Poker was found in 2009 not to be gambling under the Pennsylvania Crimes Code by Judge Thomas A. James Jr. in the case of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania vs Walter Watkins. The case involved a $1/$2 table stakes Texas Hold 'em Poker game with a dealer making tips. The organizers were charged with 20 counts of violating Section 5513 sections (a)(2), (a)(3), and (a)(4), related to "unlawful gambling", and had materials related to the games confiscated by police as "gambling devices". Section 5513 of the Pennsylvania Code makes it a misdemeanor of the first degree for a person to invite or allows other people to gather in a place of his control for the purpose of "unlawful gambling". In his decision, Judge Thomas A. James Jr. stated, "[T]here are three elements of gambling: consideration, chance and reward." The judge found through a four pronged test that skill predominates over chance, and that Texas Hold' em is a game of skill, therefore not gambling. Specifically, the decision states:
The court finds that Texas Hold 'em poker is a game where skill predominates over chance. Thus, it is not "unlawful gambling' under the Pennsylvania Crimes Code.
Section 5512(d), which provides definitions, states:
As used in this section the term "unlawful" means not specifically authorized by law.
Section 5513 states: (emphasis added)
§ 5513. Gambling devices, gambling, etc. (a) Offense defined.--A person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree if he: (1) intentionally or knowingly makes, assembles, sets up, maintains, sells, lends, leases, gives away, or offers for sale, loan, lease or gift, any punch board, drawing card, slot machine or any device to be used for gambling purposes, except playing cards; (2) allows persons to collect and assemble for the purpose of unlawful gambling at any place under his control; (3) solicits or invites any person to visit any unlawful gambling place for the purpose of gambling; or (4) being the owner, tenant, lessee or occupant of any premises, knowingly permits or suffers the same, or any part thereof, to be used for the purpose of unlawful gambling.


Other Poker games

In the 1949 case of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania V. Silverman, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the "Sporadic or casual act of playing cards or betting is not an indictable offense in Pennsylvania." In 2004, Lackawanna County District Attorney Andy Jarbola was quoted as saying, "it's legal to gather with friends to play poker but it's not legal when the 'house' or an outside party profits from the game." In 2005, York County, Pennsylvania, York County District Attorney Stan Rebert was asked about illegal poker games in the York area by the ''York Daily Record''. He replied that he had not heard of any and that it's not something that he would worry about. "Casual gambling ... that is not illegal", he said, "It's kind of a fine line." Previous legal challenges and legislative initiatives have taken place, but until recently, none have changed the status of poker in Pennsylvania.
HB2121
would authorize table games, including poker, in Pennsylvania's recently authorized casinos.
HB947
would authorize poker tournaments to be held by the holders of licenses for small games of chance. * In Lewistown, three members of the Brooklyn Hose Fire Co. were charged with unlawful gambling for the poker tournaments held there. * In Greensburg, a defense attorney who had $10,000 and equipment confiscated from his office from poker tournaments is suing for their return. The attorney has not been charged and insists that poker tournaments are legal games of skill. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has published a
FAQ page
on the legalities of Texas Hold'em Poker for licensed establishments.


Other sports

Joe Sweeney holds the national Pennsylvania championship for table tennis. After each victory, he celebrates by staring directly into the eyes of his opponent and let's out a classic "surfer dude laugh." The Delaware Valley was a center of cricket in the United States, with players such as Bart King competing for early 20th century teams such as the Philadelphia Cricket Club. Pennsylvania has been home to many accomplished boxing, boxers, including Tommy Loughran, Joe Frazier, and Bernard Hopkins. Pennsylvania has also been home to prominent tennis players, such as Donald Johnson and Bill Tilden. The U.S. Pro Indoor was held from 1969 to 1998, and the Advanta Championships of Philadelphia from 1971 to 2005. The Philadelphia Freedoms play in World TeamTennis. Another team, the Pittsburgh Triangles, played in the league in the 1970s. Pennsylvania has a strong track and field tradition. Events include the Penn Relays and the Pittsburgh Great Race. Famous swimmers from Pennsylvania include Johnny Weissmuller and Brendan Hansen. The Professional Inline Hockey Association was founded in Middletown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Middletown, Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Typhoon and Harrisburg Lunatics both play in the league. The American Inline Hockey League was founded in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, Bensalem after the league split off from the Professional Inline Hockey Association. The Delco Demons and the Pittsburgh Bandits play in the AIHL. The Bucks County Sharks, the Philadelphia Fight and the Pittsburgh Sledgehammers are members of the USA Rugby League, the top rugby league competition in the United States. The Pennsylvania Rebellion plays in the National Pro Fastpitch league, the only professional women's softball league in the United States.
Allentown Allentown may refer to several places in the United States and topics related to them: * Allentown, California, now called Toadtown, California * Allentown, Georgia, a town in Wilkinson County * Allentown, Illinois, an unincorporated community in T ...
is home to The Holy Name Cadets of Drum Corps International. The Pittsburgh Thunderbirds and the Philadelphia Phoenix (AUDL), Philadelphia Phoenix compete in the American Ultimate Disc League.


See also

* Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame * Sports in South Central Pennsylvania * Sports in Philadelphia * Sports in Pittsburgh * List of professional sports teams in Pennsylvania


References


External links

{{authority control Sports in Pennsylvania