History: Life In The New York City, 19th Century, United States

The New York Rangers represent the city in the National Hockey League. Within the metropolitan area are two other NHL franchises, the New Jersey Devils, who play in nearby Newark, New Jersey and appeal mostly to the fans of Northern and Central New Jersey, and the New York Islanders, who play in Nassau County, Long Island. This is the only instance of a single metropolitan area having three teams within one of the four major North American professional sports leagues.
The city's National Basketball Association team is the New York Knicks and the city's Women's National Basketball Association team is the New York Liberty. Also within the metropolitan area is the NBA team New Jersey Nets, who are planning a move to nearby Brooklyn, where they will occupy the Barclays Center as early as 2012. The first national college-level basketball championship, the National Invitation Tournament, was held in New York in 1938 and remains in the city. Rucker Park in Harlem is a celebrated court where many professional athletes play in the summer league.
In soccer, New York is represented by the Major League Soccer side, Red Bull New York. The "Red Bulls" play their home games at Red Bull Arena in nearby Harrison, New Jersey.
Queens is host of the U.S. Tennis Open, one of the four Grand Slam tournaments. The New York is one of the world's largest, and the 2004–2006 events hold the top three places in the marathons with the largest number of finishers, including 37,866 finishers in 2006. The Millrose Games is an annual track and field meet whose featured event is the Wanamaker Mile. Boxing is also a prominent part of the city's sporting scene, with events like the Amateur Boxing Golden Gloves being held at Madison Square Garden each year.