New York vs Boston Sports Divides Connecticut and Hopkins

Pizza, Yale, and beaches: Connecticut is known for it all. Pro sports? Not so much. The state's lack of professional sports teams forces fans to choose between the two closest cities: New York and Boston. But how does this manifest in the Hopkins community?

With the smaller market and population, the state of Connecticut has struggled to sustain a professional team. The state’s former National Hockey League team, the Hartford Whalers, relocated and converted into the Carolina Hurricanes in 1997. In December 1998, Patriots Owner Robert Kraft signed a letter of intent, which would have moved the team out of Foxborough, Massachusetts and into Hartford. An unsuccessful attempt to construct a stadium on the Connecticut River kept the team in Massachusetts. While the state has a Women’s National Basketball Association franchise, the Connecticut Sun, there is a plan for the team to move to Boston for the 2027 season pending a purchase from a minority owner of the Boston Celtics and approval by the league. 

In a survey sent out to the Hopkins community with 40 respondents,  41% asserted allegiance to the New York teams, while 33.3% root for Boston teams. The remaining 25.7% supported other cities or claimed disinterest in professional athletics. 

There were various reasons as to why people selected their teams, but the most popular response was family connections by 51% of respondents. New York fan Henry Weinstein ’26, who started rooting for New York teams because his father grew up in New Jersey, said that “indoctrination is a powerful spell.” Math Teacher Bob Studley mentioned a favorite family memory that helped him select his teams: “My grandfather loved the Red Sox but Reggie Jackson hit three home runs in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series so that pretty much clinched it. I have been a diehard Yankees fan ever since!” Boston fan Teddy Shin  ’29 also mentioned his family connections, “My brother grew up in Boston and my family has roots there.” Juliette Watson ’30, who spent most of her life in Massachusetts said that Boston Sports “have become ingrained in my brain.” 

Other students exhibited more variety in why they selected their chosen teams. Kimaya Phatak ’29, a New York fan, said, “I just picked one and went with it because there was no other option.” Some chose just by instinct, such as Isaac Kim ’27, who explained the reason he chose New York teams was “my heart”. Arjun Vashist ’27 had similar logic, and said he “just did” when deciding to become a New York fan. Some even selected their teams relative to the region the state is in, like Haley Kreitler  ’27, who said, “Connecticut is in New England; Boston is the only logical choice.” 

Students had varying opinions on the current intensity of the rivalry. Over the years, the opposing teams have had intense moments, intensifying the division in Connecticut sports fans. From the Boston Red Sox’ unprecedented 3-0 comeback against the New York Yankees in the 2004 American League Championship Series to the New York Giants upsetting the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII in 2008, the rivalry has stayed intense throughout the years. Some respondents believe that this is still the case. Maeve Phipps ’27 described the rivalry as “very intense, always lots of talk.” Tiago Fernandes ’30 agreed with Phipps that intensity is a large part of the rivalry and also referred to it as “hostile.” On the other hand, some students believe that the rivalry is too hyped up. Emi Onorado ’28 said, “I used to think this rivalry was a big deal, but it seems a little played up to me. I do not think the rivalry has ever come up in conversation for me.” Students also argued that the infamous Red Sox/Yankees rivalry has begun to fade, like James O’Dowd ’26, who mentioned, “[The rivalry in] Major League Baseball has gotten worse recently because the Red Sox suck and the Yankees and Mets are pretty good.”

According to 30% of respondents, the divide is palpable between the two cities. Sarah Bilal ’31 explained, “Even though I always root for Boston teams, I am surrounded by New York fans in my town, it is like enemy territory.” George Thompson ’28 claimed that the team support in towns is also split,“[Sports Broadcasts] go right through my town so what game is ‘local’ [the] fan base is really variable.” Unlike Bilal and Thompson, Natalie Billings ’27 felt the absence of the divide: “I do not let the New York fans bother me - Boston fans are above that.” History Teacher Megan Maxwell agreed with Billings’ point and simply claimed, “I ignore Red Sox Nation.”

56.8% of survey respondents believe that Connecticut should house professional teams. Julianne Gonzalez ’28 said,“It would be great to have more representation from our state.” School Counselor Linda Romanchok agreed, “It would be fun to support local teams and attend those games.” Others disagreed, saying that the state should not  have any pro teams. Will Juel ’28 said,“No one would want to watch them because we already have our teams we have had forever.” Ally Reichart ’29 commented about the state's small population saying, “There is no one here.” Overall, only 36.1% of form respondents said they would root for Connecticut teams if they existed.

Despite Hopkins community members wanting to bring professional sports teams to Connecticut, the rivalry between Boston and New York fans will continue on until a team comes to the state.