Massachusetts

==Sports==
{{Main|Sports in Massachusetts}}
[[File:Gillette Stadium Foxboro.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.25|Gillette Stadium in [[Foxborough, Massachusetts|Foxborough]] is the home venue for the [[New England Patriots]] (NFL) and the [[New England Revolution]] (MLS)]]

Massachusetts is home to five major league professional sports teams: seventeen-time [[NBA Finals|NBA Champions]] [[Boston Celtics]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Celtics History—Championship Wins |publisher=[[National Basketball Association]] |access-date=May 7, 2015 |url=http://www.nba.com/celtics/history/ChampionshipWins.html}}</ref> nine-time [[World Series]] winners [[Boston Red Sox]],<ref>{{cite web|title=MLB World Series Winners |publisher=[[ESPN]] |access-date=May 7, 2015 |url=http://espn.go.com/mlb/worldseries/history/winners |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101101122907/http://espn.go.com/mlb/worldseries/history/winners |archive-date=November 1, 2010 }}</ref> six-time [[Stanley Cup]] winners [[Boston Bruins]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Stanley Cup Winners |publisher=[[Hockey Hall of Fame]] |access-date=May 7, 2015 |url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SilverwareTrophyWinners.jsp?tro=STC}}</ref> six-time [[Super Bowl]] winners [[New England Patriots]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Super Bowl History |publisher=National Football League |access-date=May 7, 2015 |url=http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/history}}</ref> and five-time [[MLS Cup]] finalists [[New England Revolution]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Butler|first=Dylan|date=December 6, 2020|title=New England Revolution ownership committed to Boston-area home: "We want to build the stadium"|url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/new-england-revolution-ownership-committed-boston-area-home-we-want-build-stadiu|access-date=August 8, 2021|website=[[Major League Soccer]]|language=en}}</ref>

In the late 19th century, the [[Olympics|Olympic]] sports of basketball<ref name=basketball/> and volleyball<ref name=volleyball/> were invented in the Western Massachusetts cities of [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]]<ref name=basketball/> and [[Holyoke]],<ref name=volleyball/> respectively. The [[Basketball Hall of Fame]] is a major tourist destination in the City of Springfield and the [[Volleyball Hall of Fame]] is located in Holyoke.<ref name=volleyball/> The [[American Hockey League]] (AHL), the NHL's development league, is headquartered in Springfield.<ref>{{cite web |title=AHL Staff Directory |url=http://theahl.com/staff-directory-p137544 |publisher=American Hockey League |access-date=May 7, 2015 |archive-date=March 15, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315010801/http://theahl.com/staff-directory-p137544 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Several universities in Massachusetts are notable for their collegiate athletics. The state is home to two [[NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision|Division{{spaces}}I FBS]] teams, [[Boston College]] of the [[Atlantic Coast Conference]], and FBS [[NCAA Division I FBS independent schools|Independent]] [[University of Massachusetts Amherst|University of Massachusetts at Amherst]]. [[Football Championship Subdivision|FCS]] play includes [[Harvard University]], which competes in the famed [[Ivy League]], and [[College of the Holy Cross]] of the [[Patriot League]]. [[Boston University]], [[Northeastern University (Boston, Massachusetts)|Northeastern University]], [[University of Massachusetts Lowell|UMASS Lowell]], and [[Merrimack College]] also participate in Division{{spaces}}I athletics.<ref>{{cite web |title=College Football Teams (FBS and FCS) |publisher=[[ESPN]] |access-date=October 18, 2009 |url=http://espn.go.com/college-football/teams}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=College Basketball Teams—Division I Teams |publisher=[[ESPN]] |access-date=October 18, 2009 |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/teams}}</ref> Many other Massachusetts colleges compete in lower divisions such as [[Division III (NCAA)|Division{{spaces}}III]], where [[MIT]], [[Tufts University]], [[Amherst College]], [[Williams College]], and others field competitive teams.<ref>{{cite web |title=NCAA Directory - Directory - Member Listing |url=https://web3.ncaa.org/directory/memberList?type=12&division=III |website=web3.ncaa.org |access-date=December 4, 2022}}</ref>

Massachusetts is also the home of rowing events such as the [[Eastern Sprints]] on [[Lake Quinsigamond]] and the [[Head of the Charles Regatta]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Cornell Rowing Excels at Eastern Sprints |publisher=Cornell University |access-date=June 6, 2010 |url=http://cornellbigred.com/news/2010/5/16/MROW_0516105419.aspx}}</ref> A number of major golf events have taken place in Massachusetts, including nine [[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Opens]] and two [[Ryder Cup]]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=2009 U.S. Open—Past Champions |publisher=[[United States Golf Association]] |access-date=October 21, 2009 |url=http://usga.usopen.com/2009/history/past-champions.html |archive-date=August 31, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090831040023/http://usga.usopen.com/2009/history/past-champions.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Deutsche Bank Championship |publisher=[[Professional Golfers' Association of America]] |access-date=October 21, 2009 |url=http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/r505/ |archive-date=September 24, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090924225531/http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/r505/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Massachusetts has produced several successful Olympians including [[Thomas Burke (athlete)|Thomas Burke]], [[James Brendan Connolly|James Connolly]], and [[John Thomas (athlete)|John Thomas]] ([[Track and field at the Summer Olympics|track & field]]); [[Butch Johnson]] ([[Archery at the Summer Olympics|archery]]); [[Nancy Kerrigan]] ([[Figure skating at the Olympic Games|figure skating]]); [[Todd Richards (snowboarder)|Todd Richards]] ([[Snowboarding at the Winter Olympics|snowboarding]]); [[Albina Osipowich]] ([[Swimming at the Summer Olympics|swimming]]); [[Aly Raisman]] ([[Gymnastics at the Summer Olympics|gymnastics]]); [[Patrick Ewing]] ([[Basketball at the Summer Olympics|basketball]]); as well as [[Jim Craig (ice hockey)|Jim Craig]], [[Mike Eruzione]], [[Bill Cleary (ice hockey)|Bill Cleary]], [[Keith Tkachuk]] ([[Ice hockey at the Olympic Games|ice hockey]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=25 Olympians from Massachusetts |url=http://www.golocalworcester.com/sports/top-25-olympic-athletes-from-massachusetts |publisher=GoLocalWorcester |access-date=May 7, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.masslive.com/sports/2017/05/ranking_the_top_50_athletes_fr.html|title=Ranking the Top 50 Athletes from Massachusetts|date=May 30, 2017}}</ref>