Sports in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania sports includes numerous professional sporting teams, events, and venues located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.

Football

Football is the most popular sport in Pennsylvania, especially in the Lehigh Valley, Northeastern Pennsylvania, Central Pennsylvania, and Western Pennsylvania. In fact, Western PA is the home to some of the earliest moments in football history, as the first professional football game was played in Pittsburgh in 1895, with the first-ever professional player (William "Pudge" Heffelfinger) playing a game in the city just three years earlier.

Today, football is popular on all levels, from high school, college, and professionally. The high school games get regular attention in the local newspapers and regularly draw over 10,000 fans to the games. At the college level, the most popular football teams are the Penn State Nittany Lions (of State College), the Pitt Panthers (of Pittsburgh), and, despite being one of the college game's worst teams, the Temple Owls (of Philadelphia). The Penn State-Pitt rivalry, in fact, was once one of the biggest rivalries in the college game until a scheduling dispute ended the rivalry in 2000. The Army-Navy Game has also been played in Philadelphia on a regular basis, with their games only occasionally played on other sites, such as the 2007 matchup being played in Baltimore.

Professionally, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL are also hugely popular. 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 (as well as nearby states to Philadelphia such as New Jersey and Delaware), they still maintain a passionate fan base in the state 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, was the first sports stadium in the United States to have a jail cell 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.

Pittsburgh was also the home to one of the first Arena Football League franchises, the Pittsburgh Gladiators, in 1987. Although the team moved to Tampa, Florida in 1991 (where they currently exist as the Tampa Bay Storm), arena football remains in the state, with the Philadelphia Soul playing in the main AFL while the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers play in the AFL's minor league af2. The AFL is also considering returning to Pittsburgh with an expansion team in the near future upon the completion of the new arena for the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins.

Ice Hockey

Pennsylvania is home to more professional ice hockey teams than any other U.S. state, except New York. In all, eight professional hockey teams call Pennsylvania home: the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League; the Hershey Bears, Philadelphia Phantoms, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League; the Johnstown Chiefs and Reading Royals of the ECHL; and the Indiana Ice Miners of the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League. The Hershey Bears are the oldest existing AHL franchise, joining the league in 1938. The Erie Otters of the junior Ontario Hockey League also play in Pennsylvania. The Otters are one of only three OHL teams located outside of Canada.

Due in large part to Pennsylvania's cold winter climate and the state's geographic location in the Northeast, hockey is fairly popular throughout the state.

A number of notable current and former professional hockey players are Pennsylvania natives: Mike Richter, one of the most successful American-born goaltenders in NHL history; Pete Babando; Bob Beers; Jay Caufield; Ryan Malone; Gerry O'Flaherty; George Parros; Jesse Spring; and R.J. Umberger. Legendary amateur hockey player Hobey Baker, namesake of U.S. college hockey's Hobey Baker Memorial Award, was also born in Pennsylvania.

Collegiate teams

NCAA Division I

*Bucknell Bisons
*Drexel Dragons
*Duquesne Dukes
*Lafayette Leopards
*La Salle Explorers
*Lehigh Mountain Hawks
*Penn State Nittany Lions*
*Robert Morris Colonials
*Saint Francis Red Flash
*Saint Joseph's Hawks
*Temple Owls*
*Pittsburgh Panthers*
*Villanova Wildcats

"* indicates a member of Division I FBS; the highest level of college football in the United States.

Olympians

* Giddeon Massie of Quakertown member, 2004 Bicycling team
* John Woodruff of Connellsville Gold Medal, 1936, in 800-meters event
* Catherine "Kit" Klein of Harrisburg Gold and Bronze, 1932 Olympics, 1936 Olympics, speed skater, World Record - 1000 meters (1935), World Record - 3000 meters (1936), 1936 World Champion.
* Candy Young-Sanders of Beaver Falls, qualified for the boycotted 1980 Olympics, 100m hurdles
* Roger Kingdom of Monroeville, Gold medal in both 1984 and 1988 Olympics, 110m hurdles
* Kurt Angle 1996 freestyle wrestling gold medalist.
* Kim Gallagher, American track & field Olympian in the 800 meters in 1984and 1988. She also holds National High School Records and PIAA State Records and was a Penn Relays champion.
* Lauryn Williams 2004, silver medal winner, women's 100m track, native of Rochester, Pennsylvania.
* Marty Nothstein of Trexlertown Gold Medal, 2000, Cycling
* Angie Loy of Elliottsburg Eighth Place, 2008, Field Hockey

Bicycle racing

Floyd Landis, of Farmersville won the 2006 Tour de France. The sanctioning body alleges that Landis had abnormal hormone ratios in his system, and engaged in prohibited doping, and intends to strip him of his title. Landis denies engaging in doping and is legally challenging the action.

Pennsylvania hosts the Pro Cycling Tour "Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling" bicycle races each June, with the Tom Bamford Lancaster Classic, the Reading Classic, and the The Philadelphia International Championship Bike Race. The PCT is sanctioned by USA Cycling, the national governing body for cycling in the U.S.

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 Lehigh Valley Velodrome annually hosts a USA Cycling Elite Nationals qualifying event.

Motorsports

Motorsports are popular in Pennsylvania. The Mario Andretti dynasty of race drivers hails from Nazareth.

Asphalt oval tracks

Asphalt ovals in Pennsylvania include Jennerstown Speedway in Jennerstown, Lake Erie Speedway in North East, Mahoning Valley Speedway in Lehighton, Motordome Speedway in Smithton, Mountain Speedway in St. Johns, Nazareth Speedway in Nazareth, and Pocono Raceway in Long Pond.

Dirt track racing

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

Drag strips

Drag Strips include Beaver Springs Dragway in Beaver Springs, Lucky Drag City in Wattsburg, Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton, Numidia Raceway in Numidia, Pittsburgh Raceway Park in New Alexandria, and South Mountain Dragway in Boiling Springs.

Road racing

Road Courses include Beaverun Motorsports Complex in Wampum, and Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix in Pittsburgh.

Horse events

Harness racing

The Meadows Racetrack, in Pittsburgh, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, in Wilkes-Barre and Summerside Raceway in Summerside offer harness racing in Pennsylvania.

Thoroughbred racing

Penn National Race Course in Grantville and Philadelphia Park, in Bensalem which offer thoroughbred racing.

Famous horses

Smarty Jones, the 2004 Kentucky Derby winner, was owned by Roy Chapman and wife Patricia. Roy Chapman had built a chain of car dealerships known as the Chapman Auto Group in southeast and south central Pennsylvania. 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 as his home course. [ [http://www.horse-races.net/library/article-smarty.htm Smarty Jones story] ]

Barbaro, the 2006 Kentucky Derby winner, came from Mr. and Mrs. Roy Jackson’s Lael Stables in West Grove. After suffering injuries in the Preakness Stakes on May 20, 2006, Barbaro was treated in the Intensive Care Unit of George D. Widener Hospital, at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center in Kennett Square. He was also being treated for laminitis. As of September 12, 2006, the horse was being hand-grazed daily, and his vital signs and appetite were excellent. [ [http://www.vet.upenn.edu/newsandevents/news/Barbaro_Update9-12.htm Barbaro update] ] In November, his cast was removed, and his prognosis seemed good. Sadly, he developed further complications in January 2007, and after a final surgery that month, he was euthanized on January 29 after his owners concluded that his pain and suffering were too great to continue treatment.

Golf

Leading golfers

Arnold Palmer, one of the leading 20th-century pro golfers, comes from Latrobe, and Jim Furyk, one of the leading 21-century pro golfers, grew up near Lancaster.

Major tournaments

PGA tournaments in Pennsylvania include the 84 Lumber Classic, played at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, in Farmington and the Northeast Pennsylvania Classic, played at Glenmaura National Golf Club, in 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.

Gaming

Poker

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.

Section 5512(d) 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.

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." [ [http://www.wnep.com/Global/story.asp?S=1909600 State Police, D.A. Crack Down on Illegal Gambling] ]

In 2005, 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 kindof a fine line." [ [http://www.ydr.com/howto/ci_3214951 How to . . . Play Texas Hold 'Em Poker] ]

In 2007, legal challenges and legislative initiatives have taken place, but none have changed the status of poker in Pennsylvania to date.

• [http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?&syear=2007&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=2121 HB2121] would authorize table games, including poker, in Pennsylvania's recently authorized casinos.
• [http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?&syear=2007&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=0947 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. [ [http://www.lewistownsentinel.com/articles.asp?articleID=7926 Judge warns fire co.: Texas Hold’em tournament not legal fundraising tool ] ]
• 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. [ [http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/westmoreland/s_522678.html Greensburg lawyer's poker games under scrutiny] ]

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has published an [http://www.lcb.state.pa.us/plcb/cwp/view.asp?a=1334&q=558358 FAQ page] on the legalities of Texas Hold'em Poker for licensed establishments.

References