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Sports in Georgia (U.S. state)
Encyclopedia
Sports in Georgia include professional teams, Olympic Games
contenders and medalists, collegiate teams in major and small-school conferences and associations, and active amateur teams and individual sports.
are a Major League Baseball
(MLB) team that moved to Atlanta in 1966 from Milwaukee
where they were known as the Milwaukee Braves. The Braves have played their home games at Turner Field
in Atlanta since 1997; prior to that they played at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
. They won the World Series
in 1914 (as the Boston Braves), 1957 (as the Milwaukee Braves), and 1995 (as the Atlanta Braves). Braves players in the Baseball Hall of Fame include Hank Aaron, Warren Spahn
, Orlando Cepeda
, Eddie Matthews, Phil Niekro
, Gaylord Perry
, Bruce Sutter
and Hoyt Wilhelm
.
The AAA minor league baseball Gwinnett Braves of the International League
will begin play north of Lawrenceville in Gwinnett County Ballpark
in 2009.
The Rome Braves
, previously known as the Macon Braves, are a Class-A minor league
affiliate of the Atlanta Braves
. In 2003, the team moved from Macon
, Georgia
to Rome, Georgia
. Their home games are played at State Mutual Stadium
, which opened April 11, 2003. The stadium seats 5,105 and features a lawn seating area known as "Applebee's Home Run Hill." Current Atlanta Braves include Kyle Davies (traded to the Kansas City Royals for reliever Octavio Dotel), Jeff Francoeur
, Brian McCann, and Blaine Boyer
, who were all Rome Braves in 2003. The team recently announced the 2006 manager will be Randy Ingle, as former manager Rocket Wheeler
moves to the other Class-A farm team for the Atlanta Braves, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans
.
The Savannah Sand Gnats
are a member of the Class A South Atlantic League
in Savannah, Georgia
. Since the 2007 season, the Sand Gnats have been an affiliate of the New York Mets
.
are a National Basketball Association
(NBA) team founded in 1949 and play their home games at Philips Arena
in Atlanta. The Hawks have won one Championship
, four Conference titles and fourteen Division titles. Notable current and former Hawks include Walt Bellamy, Cliff Hagan
, Connie Hawkins
, Bob Houbregs
, Moses Malone
, Pete Maravich
, Ed Macauley
, Bob Pettit
, Lenny Wilkens
and Dominique Wilkins
.
The American Basketball Association and the World Basketball Association
are also represented in Georgia. In the case of the former, Georgia has three teams: the Atlanta Vision
,the Rome Legions
, and the Georgia Gwizzlies
. The latter association teams are the Georgia Warriors
, the Marietta Storm
and the Rome Gladiators
.
Atlanta has been granted an expansion team by the Women's National Basketball Association
. The team is named the Atlanta Dream
. They play their home games at Philips Arena
. The colors are white, sky blue, red.
are a National Football League
(NFL) team founded as an expansion team
in 1966. They have played their home games at the Georgia Dome
in Atlanta
since 1992; prior to playing at the Georgia Dome they played at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium from 1966-1991. The Falcons have won three Division Championships in 1980, 1998 and 2004 and one Conference Championship in 1998. Notable current and former players include Eric Dickerson
, Tommy McDonald, William Andrews, Jeff Van Note
, Jessie Tuggle
, Mike Kenn
, Marion Campbell
, Dan Reeves
, Greg Brezina
, Ray Buchanan
, Buddy Curry
, T.J. Duckett, Bill Fralic
, Wallace Francis and the Bill Goldberg
.
Georgia is also home to several arena football
teams. The Georgia Force
, founded in 2002, is an Arena Football League (AFL) team based out of Duluth, Georgia
. Two teams were founded in 2006. They are the Atlanta Thoroughbreds
, a National Indoor Football League
(NIFL) team and the Augusta Colts, an American Indoor Football League
team (except for the 2007 season when they were part of the World Indoor Football League
(WIFL). The last Georgia team to be founded was the Columbus Lions
in 2007. The Lions were founded as a WIFL team, but have since joined the American Indoor Football Association(AIFA).
The Atlanta Xplosion
are a Women's Professional Football League
team. They have recently won the league's 2006 Championship.
, who played in the state until 1980 when they were relocated to Calgary, Alberta
. It was not until October 2, 1999 that hockey formally returned with the Atlanta Thrashers
' first game against New Jersey. On May 31, 2011 the Trashers were sold to True North Sports and Entertainment. It was announced the team would move to the MTS Centre
in Winnipeg
, bringing hockey back to the city after the Jets
departed in 1996. They played their home games at the Philips Arena
in Atlanta. The Thrashers did not appear in the Stanley Cup Finals
.
The ECHL
currently has had two teams located in Georgia. The Augusta Lynx
was the first to be founded in 1998 and play at the James Brown Arena
. In 2008, halfway through the season, the team stopped operations. The second team is the Gwinnett Gladiators
, founded in 2000; the Gladiators play at the Arena at Gwinnett Center
.
The Columbus Cottonmouths
is currently the only team in Georgia that is part of the Southern Professional Hockey League
. The team was founded in 1996.
are an USL First Division
team founded in 1999. The Atlanta Silverbacks U23's
are part of the USL Premier Development League
associated with the Atlanta Silverbacks and the Atlanta Silverbacks Women are the Silverback's W-League
team. the Silverbacks play at the RE/MAX Greater Atlanta Stadium
.
Augusta FireBall United, also known as Augusta FireBall
, were an American soccer team that was founded in 2005. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid
, until 2006, when the team left the league and the franchise was terminated. They played their home games at Patriots Park
in Augusta, Georgia
.
at Augusta National Golf Club
in April is one of four major golf tournaments played in the United States. The tournament was created in 1931 by Bobby Jones
and Clifford Roberts
, a financier from New York
. The course was designed by golf course architect Alister MacKenzie
. Notable golfers from Georgia include Atlantan Bobby Jones
, noted as the greatest amateur golfer ever, Davis Love III
of Sea Island
and Tommy Aaron
of Gainesville, Georgia
.
, Road Atlanta
(where the Petit Le Mans
is held), Atlanta Dragway
, Dixie Speedway and Roebling Road Raceway
. One of the most famous racers to come from Georgia is Bill Elliott
.
one of the birthplaces of NASCAR because so many individuals involved in the sport were from that city. Notable racers from Dawsonville include, Bill Elliott
, Roy Hall and Lloyd Seay
.. Since 1951 Georgia tracks have hosted two to eight races in NASCAR's elite division. Dawsonville is home to the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame.
The state of Georgia has twenty-eight schools competing in the National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) and ten schools in the NAIA
.
Georgia Bulldogs
compete in NCAA Division I as members of the Southeastern Conference
. The Bulldogs have won 31 total national collegiate championships over the years.. They have also won 127 Southeastern Conference Championships. There are seven other Division I institutions besides the University of Georgia. They are:
Blazers compete in NCAA Division II as members of the Gulf South Conference
. The Blazers have won four total national collegiate championships, two in football in 2004 and 2007, one in baseball in 1979 and one in tennis in 2006. There are thirteen other Division II institutions besides the University of Valdosta. They are:
. The school's most successful athletic program is its men's golf team, which is perennially among the nation's best.
Georgia has seven other institutions in Division III. They are:
was the site of the 1996 Summer Olympics
and the 1996 Summer Paralympics
. The Olympics were held from July 19 until August 4, 1996. It was during this time, on July 27, 1996, that a bombing took place in Centennial Park
killing two and injuring 111 people. The Paralympics were held from August 15 to August 29, 2006.
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
contenders and medalists, collegiate teams in major and small-school conferences and associations, and active amateur teams and individual sports.
Baseball
The Atlanta BravesAtlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
are a Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
(MLB) team that moved to Atlanta in 1966 from Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
where they were known as the Milwaukee Braves. The Braves have played their home games at Turner Field
Turner Field
Turner Field is a stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, home to Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves since 1997. Turner Field was originally built as Centennial Olympic Stadium, it was completed in 1996 to serve as the centerpiece of the 1996 Summer Olympics...
in Atlanta since 1997; prior to that they played at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, often shortened to "Fulton County Stadium," was a multi-purpose stadium that formerly stood in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.-History:...
. They won the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
in 1914 (as the Boston Braves), 1957 (as the Milwaukee Braves), and 1995 (as the Atlanta Braves). Braves players in the Baseball Hall of Fame include Hank Aaron, Warren Spahn
Warren Spahn
Warren Edward Spahn was an American Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in the National League. He won 20 games each in 13 seasons, including a 23-7 record when he was age 42...
, Orlando Cepeda
Orlando Cepeda
Orlando Manuel Cepeda Pennes is a former Puerto Rican Major League Baseball first baseman.Cepeda was born to a poor family. His father, Pedro Cepeda, was a baseball player in Puerto Rico, which influenced his interest in the sport from a young age. His first contact with professional baseball was...
, Eddie Matthews, Phil Niekro
Phil Niekro
Philip Henry Niekro , nicknamed "Knucksie" because of his usage and skill level with the knuckleball, is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997....
, Gaylord Perry
Gaylord Perry
Gaylord Jackson Perry is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1962-1983 for eight different teams in his career. During a 22-year baseball career, Perry compiled 314 wins, 3,534 strikeouts, and a 3.11 earned run average...
, Bruce Sutter
Bruce Sutter
Howard Bruce Sutter is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He was arguably the first pitcher to make effective use of the splitter....
and Hoyt Wilhelm
Hoyt Wilhelm
James Hoyt Wilhelm was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985....
.
The AAA minor league baseball Gwinnett Braves of the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
will begin play north of Lawrenceville in Gwinnett County Ballpark
Gwinnett County Ballpark
Coolray Field is a 10,475-seat minor league baseball park in Lawrenceville, Georgia. It is the home field of the Gwinnett Braves, the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves....
in 2009.
The Rome Braves
Rome Braves
The Rome Braves are a Class-A minor league affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. In 2003, the team, previously known as the Macon Braves, moved from Macon, Georgia, to Rome, Georgia, 60 miles northwest of Atlanta....
, previously known as the Macon Braves, are a Class-A minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
affiliate of the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
. In 2003, the team moved from Macon
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
to Rome, Georgia
Rome, Georgia
Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Rome is the largest city and the county seat of Floyd County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Rome, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Floyd County...
. Their home games are played at State Mutual Stadium
State Mutual Stadium
State Mutual Stadium has been the home of the Rome Braves of the South Atlantic League since its completion in 2003. It seats 5,105 people. The playing field dimensions are a mirror of the parent club's Turner Field, which is a mere away. The naming rights were sold to Rome-based State Mutual...
, which opened April 11, 2003. The stadium seats 5,105 and features a lawn seating area known as "Applebee's Home Run Hill." Current Atlanta Braves include Kyle Davies (traded to the Kansas City Royals for reliever Octavio Dotel), Jeff Francoeur
Jeff Francoeur
Jeffrey Braden Francoeur , nicknamed "Frenchy", is a Major League Baseball right fielder who now plays for the Kansas City Royals. Francoeur is known for a strong throwing arm.-Minor league career:...
, Brian McCann, and Blaine Boyer
Blaine Boyer
Blaine Thomas Boyer is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played for the Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, and New York Mets.-Baseball career:...
, who were all Rome Braves in 2003. The team recently announced the 2006 manager will be Randy Ingle, as former manager Rocket Wheeler
Rocket Wheeler
Ralph Norman "Rocket" Wheeler is a former minor league infielder and the current minor league manager for the Class AA Mississippi Braves of the Southern League. Wheeler attended the University of Houston where he obtained his nickname "Rocket" for his speed and hustle.Wheeler was drafted by the...
moves to the other Class-A farm team for the Atlanta Braves, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are a minor league baseball team in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. They are a Class A Advanced team in the Carolina League and the franchise is currently the farm team of the Texas Rangers. From their inaugural season until 2010, the Pelicans were an affiliate of the...
.
The Savannah Sand Gnats
Savannah Sand Gnats
The Savannah Sand Gnats are a minor league baseball team in Savannah, Georgia and are a member of the A-level South Atlantic League. Since the 2007 season, the Sand Gnats have been an affiliate of the New York Mets.-History:...
are a member of the Class A South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
in Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
. Since the 2007 season, the Sand Gnats have been an affiliate of the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
.
Basketball
The Atlanta HawksAtlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
are a National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA) team founded in 1949 and play their home games at Philips Arena
Philips Arena
Philips Arena is an indoor arena in Atlanta, Georgia.Completed in 1999 to replace The Omni, at a cost of $213.5 million, it is home to the Atlanta Hawks, of the National Basketball Association, and the Atlanta Dream, of the Women's National Basketball Association...
in Atlanta. The Hawks have won one Championship
1958 NBA Finals
The 1958 NBA Finals pitted the Western Champion St. Louis Hawks against the Eastern Champion Boston Celtics. The Hawks won the series in six games to become the National Basketball Association champions.-Series summary:Hawks win series 4-2...
, four Conference titles and fourteen Division titles. Notable current and former Hawks include Walt Bellamy, Cliff Hagan
Cliff Hagan
Clifford Oldham Hagan is an American former professional basketball player. A 6-4 forward who excelled with the hook shot, Hagan, nicknamed "Li'l Abner," played his entire 10-year NBA career with the St. Louis Hawks...
, Connie Hawkins
Connie Hawkins
Cornelius L. Hawkins is a former National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association player, Harlem Globetrotter and New York City playground legend...
, Bob Houbregs
Bob Houbregs
Robert J. "Bob" Houbregs is a former professional basketball player.A 6'8", 225 pound forward-center, Houbregs attended the University of Washington from 1949 to 1953. In 1952, Houbregs was a Second Team Consensus All-America selection...
, Moses Malone
Moses Malone
Moses Eugene Malone is a retired American Hall of Fame basketball player who starred in both the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association...
, Pete Maravich
Pete Maravich
Peter "Pistol Pete" Press Maravich was an American professional basketball player. Born and raised in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, Maravich starred in college at Louisiana State University and played for three NBA teams until injuries induced him to retire in 1980...
, Ed Macauley
Ed Macauley
Charles Edward "Ed" Macauley was a professional basketball player in the NBA. His playing nickname was "Easy Ed."...
, Bob Pettit
Bob Pettit
Robert Lee "Bob" Pettit Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the NBA, all with the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks . He was the first recipient of the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970...
, Lenny Wilkens
Lenny Wilkens
Leonard Randolph "Lenny" Wilkens is a retired American basketball player and coach in the NBA...
and Dominique Wilkins
Dominique Wilkins
Jacques Dominique Wilkins is a retired American professional basketball player who primarily played for the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA...
.
The American Basketball Association and the World Basketball Association
World Basketball Association
The World Basketball Association, often abbreviated to the WBA, is a professional men's spring basketball league in the United States.-History:The WBA was conceived in 2004, with seven teams scheduled to play...
are also represented in Georgia. In the case of the former, Georgia has three teams: the Atlanta Vision
Atlanta Vision
The Atlanta Vision is an American Basketball Association team based in Atlanta. The team began play in the fall of 2004. They finished the 2005 season with a 7-14 record. They missed the playoffs. However, in the 2005-06 season, they finished 23-7, good for first place in the Barnes-Malone...
,the Rome Legions
Rome Legions
The Rome Legions are a team of the American Basketball Association scheduled to begin play in 2008.The team was initially named the Rome Knights in honor of Medieval Times, which is very popular in Rome, and is also one of their sponsors. In early 2007, the team's owners purchased the World...
, and the Georgia Gwizzlies
Georgia Gwizzlies
The Georgia Gwizzlies are a basketball team that currently plays in the American Basketball Association. They once played in various men's minor leagues: the Continental Basketball League , the American National Basketball League, and their original stint in the American Basketball Association...
. The latter association teams are the Georgia Warriors
Georgia Warriors
The Georgia Warriors are a World Basketball Association franchise in Cartersville, Georgia. The Georgia Warriors were formerly the Griffin Warriors in Acworth, Georgia, and later the Cartersville Warriors before adopting the state's name as their locale descriptor...
, the Marietta Storm
Marietta Storm
The Marietta Storm is a World Basketball Association franchise based in Marietta, Georgia. The Storm plays its home games at Smyrna Recreation Complex in Smyrna, Ga, just outside of Atlanta.-2011 Team roster:1. Andrew Francis 6’7” RWANDA...
and the Rome Gladiators
Rome Gladiators
The Rome Gladiators, based in Rome, Georgia, USA are a franchise in the World Basketball Association. They play at the Winthrop-King Centre at Shorter College.-2004:...
.
Atlanta has been granted an expansion team by the Women's National Basketball Association
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
. The team is named the Atlanta Dream
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta...
. They play their home games at Philips Arena
Philips Arena
Philips Arena is an indoor arena in Atlanta, Georgia.Completed in 1999 to replace The Omni, at a cost of $213.5 million, it is home to the Atlanta Hawks, of the National Basketball Association, and the Atlanta Dream, of the Women's National Basketball Association...
. The colors are white, sky blue, red.
Football
The Atlanta FalconsAtlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
are a National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) team founded as an expansion team
Expansion team
An expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...
in 1966. They have played their home games at the Georgia Dome
Georgia Dome
The Georgia Dome is a domed stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west. It is primarily the home stadium for the NFL Atlanta Falcons and the NCAA Division I FCS Georgia State Panthers football team. It is owned and operated by the...
in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
since 1992; prior to playing at the Georgia Dome they played at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium from 1966-1991. The Falcons have won three Division Championships in 1980, 1998 and 2004 and one Conference Championship in 1998. Notable current and former players include Eric Dickerson
Eric Dickerson
Eric Demetric Dickerson is a former professional running back in the National Football League who in his career played for the Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons.-College career:...
, Tommy McDonald, William Andrews, Jeff Van Note
Jeff Van Note
Jeffrey Aloysius Van Note , is a former American football player who played his entire 18-year NFL career as a center for the Atlanta Falcons from 1969 to 1986.-NFL career:...
, Jessie Tuggle
Jessie Tuggle
Jessie Floyd Tuggle is a former professional American football linebacker who played for the Atlanta Falcons his entire career from 1987 to 2000. He graduated from Valdosta State College in Valdosta, Georgia...
, Mike Kenn
Mike Kenn
Michael Lee Kenn is a former American football player who was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the 1st round of the 1978 NFL Draft. A 6'7", 275-lb. offensive tackle from the University of Michigan, Kenn played his entire 17-year NFL career with the Falcons from 1978 to 1994. He is notable for...
, Marion Campbell
Marion Campbell
Francis Marion Campbell is a former American football defensive lineman and head coach. Campbell played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs from 1949 until 1951, where he was appropriately nicknamed "Swamp Fox"...
, Dan Reeves
Dan Reeves
Daniel Edward Reeves is a former American football player and head coach. He has participated in more Super Bowls as player/assistant coach/Head Coach than anyone else...
, Greg Brezina
Greg Brezina
Greg Brezina was a linebacker who played twelve seasons in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons....
, Ray Buchanan
Ray Buchanan
Raymond Louis Buchanan is a former American football player in the NFL. He was drafted out of Louisville in 1993 by the Indianapolis Colts in the 3rd round , and subsequently played for the Atlanta Falcons and the Oakland Raiders.-High school career:At Proviso East High School in Maywood,...
, Buddy Curry
Buddy Curry
George Jessel "Buddy" Curry is a former NFL football player. He is a graduate from the University of North Carolina who played pro football from 1980–1987 for the Atlanta Falcons....
, T.J. Duckett, Bill Fralic
Bill Fralic
William P. Fralic, Jr. is a former professional American football offensive guard in the NFL.-Early years:...
, Wallace Francis and the Bill Goldberg
Bill Goldberg
Goldberg earned a scholarship to play for the University of Georgia Bulldogs football team where he served as a defensive tackle. He was taken in the 11th round, with the 302nd overall selection, in the 1990 NFL Draft....
.
Georgia is also home to several arena football
Arena football
Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
teams. The Georgia Force
Georgia Force
The Georgia Force are an Arena Football League team based in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States that plays in the South Division of the American Conference. The team is owned by Doug MacGregor and Donn Jennings...
, founded in 2002, is an Arena Football League (AFL) team based out of Duluth, Georgia
Duluth, Georgia
Duluth is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia and an increasingly more affluent and developed suburb of Atlanta. Unincorporated portions of Forsyth County also have Duluth as a mailing address, though this area is outside city limits...
. Two teams were founded in 2006. They are the Atlanta Thoroughbreds
Atlanta Thoroughbreds
The Atlanta Thoroughbreds are an indoor football team. They are a 2007 expansion member of the National Indoor Football League. They were scheduled to play their home games at the John H. Lewis Gymnasium in Atlanta, Georgia, but failed to play any home games...
, a National Indoor Football League
National Indoor Football League
National Indoor Football League was a professional indoor football league in the United States. For their first six years, the league had teams in markets not covered by either the Arena Football League or its developmental league, af2, however, that changed briefly with their expansion into AFL...
(NIFL) team and the Augusta Colts, an American Indoor Football League
American Indoor Football League
American Indoor Football is a professional indoor football league that has gone through various incarnations since 2005.The AIFL began as a regional league with six franchises on the East Coast of the United States in 2005; after a rapid, and largely failed, expansion effort in 2006, most of the...
team (except for the 2007 season when they were part of the World Indoor Football League
World Indoor Football League
This article is about the proposed league that was to begin in 1988, for the 2007 indoor football league, see World Indoor Football League The World Indoor Football League was an indoor football league that was to begin in 1988 to compete with the Arena Football League, which was playing its second...
(WIFL). The last Georgia team to be founded was the Columbus Lions
Columbus Lions
The Columbus Lions are an indoor football team of the Professional Indoor Football League. Based in Columbus, Georgia, the Lions play their home games at the Columbus Civic Center...
in 2007. The Lions were founded as a WIFL team, but have since joined the American Indoor Football Association(AIFA).
The Atlanta Xplosion
Atlanta Xplosion
The Atlanta Ravens, formerly known as the Atlanta Xplosion, is a football team in the Independent Women's Football League. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, the Ravens play their home games in nearby Roswell at Centennial High School.-2003:...
are a Women's Professional Football League
Women's Professional Football League
The Women's Professional Football League is the original and longest operating women's professional American football league in the United States. Now with teams across the United States, the WPFL had its first game in 1999 with just two original teams: the Lake Michigan Minx and the Minnesota...
team. They have recently won the league's 2006 Championship.
Hockey
Hockey's history in Georgia goes back to the 1970s with the Atlanta FlamesAtlanta Flames
The Atlanta Flames were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA from 1972 to 1980. The team, a member of the National Hockey League , was relocated to Calgary, Alberta, Canada for the start of the 1980–81 NHL season and were re-named the Calgary Flames. The NHL returned to the...
, who played in the state until 1980 when they were relocated to Calgary, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. It was not until October 2, 1999 that hockey formally returned with the Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
' first game against New Jersey. On May 31, 2011 the Trashers were sold to True North Sports and Entertainment. It was announced the team would move to the MTS Centre
MTS Centre
The MTS Centre is an indoor sports arena and entertainment venue in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and home of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League. It is located on the former Eaton's site and is owned and operated by True North Sports & Entertainment. The 440,000 square feet ...
in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, bringing hockey back to the city after the Jets
Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets were a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. They began play in the World Hockey Association in 1972, moving to the National Hockey League in 1979 following the collapse of the WHA...
departed in 1996. They played their home games at the Philips Arena
Philips Arena
Philips Arena is an indoor arena in Atlanta, Georgia.Completed in 1999 to replace The Omni, at a cost of $213.5 million, it is home to the Atlanta Hawks, of the National Basketball Association, and the Atlanta Dream, of the Women's National Basketball Association...
in Atlanta. The Thrashers did not appear in the Stanley Cup Finals
Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the professional club championship of ice hockey. Although the Cup itself has existed since 1893, an annual championship series between professional teams was not established until 1913...
.
The ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
currently has had two teams located in Georgia. The Augusta Lynx
Augusta Lynx
The Augusta Lynx were a minor-league professional ice hockey team based in Augusta, Georgia. The Lynx played their home games at the James Brown Arena...
was the first to be founded in 1998 and play at the James Brown Arena
James Brown Arena
The James Brown Arena is a multi-purpose complex, in Augusta, Georgia.It features an 8,500 seat arena, renamed the James Brown Arena, in honor of musician James Brown on August 22, 2006...
. In 2008, halfway through the season, the team stopped operations. The second team is the Gwinnett Gladiators
Gwinnett Gladiators
The Gwinnett Gladiators are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Duluth, Georgia. The Gladiators play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. The Gladiators play their home games at the Arena at Gwinnett Center....
, founded in 2000; the Gladiators play at the Arena at Gwinnett Center
Arena at Gwinnett Center
The Arena at Gwinnett Center is an indoor arena in Duluth, Georgia, United States. The arena was an expansion to the Gwinnett Center, which also includes a performing arts center and a convention center...
.
The Columbus Cottonmouths
Columbus Cottonmouths
The Columbus Cottonmouths are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Georgia. The team is nicknamed the Snakes, and play their home games at the Columbus Civic Center.-Central Hockey League : 1996-2001:...
is currently the only team in Georgia that is part of the Southern Professional Hockey League
Southern Professional Hockey League
The Southern Professional Hockey League is a low-level professional ice hockey league based in Charlotte, North Carolina, with teams located in the southeastern United States.- History :...
. The team was founded in 1996.
Soccer
The Atlanta SilverbacksAtlanta Silverbacks
Atlanta Silverbacks is an American professional soccer team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1995, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, having previously sat out the 2009 and 2010 seasons while the ownership...
are an USL First Division
USL First Division
The United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico....
team founded in 1999. The Atlanta Silverbacks U23's
Atlanta Silverbacks U23's
Atlanta Blackhawks was an American soccer team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Founded in 2009, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Southeast Division of the Southern Conference...
are part of the USL Premier Development League
USL Premier Development League
The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...
associated with the Atlanta Silverbacks and the Atlanta Silverbacks Women are the Silverback's W-League
W-League
The USL W-League is a national women's soccer league in the United States on the 2nd level of women's soccer in the United States soccer pyramid, alongside the Women's Premier Soccer League and below Women's Professional Soccer....
team. the Silverbacks play at the RE/MAX Greater Atlanta Stadium
RE/MAX Greater Atlanta Stadium
Atlanta Silverbacks Park, is a soccer complex located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, which is the home of the Atlanta Silverbacks soccer club, which includes the Atlanta Silverbacks of the North American Soccer League, the Atlanta Silverbacks Women of the W-League and the Atlanta Silverbacks...
.
Augusta FireBall United, also known as Augusta FireBall
Augusta FireBall
Augusta FireBall United, more commonly known as simply Augusta FireBall, was the American soccer team for Augusta, Georgia, founded in 2005...
, were an American soccer team that was founded in 2005. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid
American Soccer Pyramid
The United States soccer pyramid is a term used in soccer to describe the structure of the league system in the United States. The country's governing body for the sport, the United States Soccer Federation , oversees the system but does not operate any of its component leagues—with one temporary...
, until 2006, when the team left the league and the franchise was terminated. They played their home games at Patriots Park
Patriots Park, Augusta
Patriots Park is a public park in Columbia County, Georgia. Currently, it served as the home venue for the Augusta FireBall United Soccer Leagues PDL team....
in Augusta, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
.
Golf
The Masters Tournament, played in Augusta, GeorgiaAugusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
at Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta National Golf Club, located in Augusta, Georgia, is a famous men's golf club. Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts and designed by Alister MacKenzie on the site of a former indigo plantation, the club opened for play in January 1933. Since 1934, it has played host to the annual...
in April is one of four major golf tournaments played in the United States. The tournament was created in 1931 by Bobby Jones
Bobby Jones (golfer)
Robert Tyre "Bobby" Jones Jr. was an American amateur golfer, and a lawyer by profession. Jones was the most successful amateur golfer ever to compete on a national and international level...
and Clifford Roberts
Clifford Roberts
Clifford Roberts was an American investment dealer and golf administrator.-Biography:Born in Morning Sun, Iowa, Roberts had a troubled family life as a boy, and left school in the ninth grade. He worked at a great variety of jobs all around the United States, and eventually chose the investment...
, a financier from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. The course was designed by golf course architect Alister MacKenzie
Alister MacKenzie
Dr. Alister MacKenzie was an internationally renowned, British golf course architect whose course designs, on three different continents, are consistently ranked among the finest golf courses in the world...
. Notable golfers from Georgia include Atlantan Bobby Jones
Bobby Jones (golfer)
Robert Tyre "Bobby" Jones Jr. was an American amateur golfer, and a lawyer by profession. Jones was the most successful amateur golfer ever to compete on a national and international level...
, noted as the greatest amateur golfer ever, Davis Love III
Davis Love III
Davis Milton Love III is an American professional golfer.Love was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina before turning professional in 1985. He earned his PGA Tour card in the fall of 1985, on his first attempt. He quickly established himself on the PGA...
of Sea Island
Sea Island
Sea Island may refer to:*Sea Island , an island in Richmond, British Columbia that contains the Vancouver International Airport*Sea Island, Georgia, an isolated resort island in Glynn County, Georgia...
and Tommy Aaron
Tommy Aaron
Thomas Dean Aaron is a former American professional golfer who was a member of the PGA Tour during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Aaron is best known for winning the 1973 Masters Tournament.- Early years :...
of Gainesville, Georgia
Gainesville, Georgia
-Severe Weather:Gainesville sits on the very fringe of Tornado Alley, a region of the United States where severe weather is common. Supercell thunderstorms can sweep through any time between March and November, but are concentrated most in the spring...
.
Table of professional teams
| Club | Sport | League |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Braves Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997.... |
Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League... |
| Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
Football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by... |
National Football League National Football League The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing... |
| Atlanta Hawks Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:... |
Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
National Basketball Association National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada... |
| Georgia Force Georgia Force The Georgia Force are an Arena Football League team based in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States that plays in the South Division of the American Conference. The team is owned by Doug MacGregor and Donn Jennings... (Atlanta) |
Arena football Arena football Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game.... |
Arena Football League |
| Atlanta Vision Atlanta Vision The Atlanta Vision is an American Basketball Association team based in Atlanta. The team began play in the fall of 2004. They finished the 2005 season with a 7-14 record. They missed the playoffs. However, in the 2005-06 season, they finished 23-7, good for first place in the Barnes-Malone... |
Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
American Basketball Association |
| Atlanta Silverbacks Atlanta Silverbacks Atlanta Silverbacks is an American professional soccer team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1995, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, having previously sat out the 2009 and 2010 seasons while the ownership... |
Soccer | USL First Division USL First Division The United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.... |
| Atlanta Silverbacks U23's Atlanta Silverbacks U23's Atlanta Blackhawks was an American soccer team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Founded in 2009, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Southeast Division of the Southern Conference... |
Soccer | USL Premier Development League USL Premier Development League The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid... |
| Atlanta Silverbacks Women Atlanta Silverbacks Atlanta Silverbacks is an American professional soccer team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1995, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, having previously sat out the 2009 and 2010 seasons while the ownership... |
Soccer | W-League W-League The USL W-League is a national women's soccer league in the United States on the 2nd level of women's soccer in the United States soccer pyramid, alongside the Women's Premier Soccer League and below Women's Professional Soccer.... |
| Atlanta Xplosion Atlanta Xplosion The Atlanta Ravens, formerly known as the Atlanta Xplosion, is a football team in the Independent Women's Football League. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, the Ravens play their home games in nearby Roswell at Centennial High School.-2003:... |
Football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by... |
Independent Women's Football League Independent Women's Football League The Independent Women's Football League was founded in 2000, and began play in 2001.IWFL founders began with the goal to establish a quality women's football league that would be respected as the top level of women's tackle football in the world.... |
| South Georgia Wildcats South Georgia Wildcats The South Georgia Wildcats were a professional arena football team. They were a 2002 expansion member of af2, the minor league for the Arena Football League... (Albany) |
Arena football Arena football Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game.... |
Af2 AF2 AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup... |
| Augusta GreenJackets Augusta GreenJackets The Augusta GreenJackets are a minor league baseball team that plays in Augusta, Georgia, as a Class A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Lake Olmstead Stadium has been the home of the GreenJackets since the 1995 season, although Augusta has fielded a team in the South Atlantic League since 1988... |
Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
South Atlantic League South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States... |
| Augusta Colts | Indoor football | World Indoor Football League World Indoor Football League (2007) The World Indoor Football League was an indoor football league founded by Harry Pierce, owner of the Rome Renegades and Raleigh Rebels of the American Indoor Football League... |
| Cartersville Warriors | Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
World Basketball Association World Basketball Association The World Basketball Association, often abbreviated to the WBA, is a professional men's spring basketball league in the United States.-History:The WBA was conceived in 2004, with seven teams scheduled to play... |
| Columbus Cottonmouths Columbus Cottonmouths The Columbus Cottonmouths are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Georgia. The team is nicknamed the Snakes, and play their home games at the Columbus Civic Center.-Central Hockey League : 1996-2001:... |
Ice hockey Ice hockey Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take... |
Southern Professional Hockey League Southern Professional Hockey League The Southern Professional Hockey League is a low-level professional ice hockey league based in Charlotte, North Carolina, with teams located in the southeastern United States.- History :... |
| Columbus Catfish Columbus Catfish The Columbus Catfish were a minor league baseball team in Columbus, Georgia. They were a Class A team in the South Atlantic League, and were an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays since September 29, 2006. The Catfish relocated to Bowling Green, Kentucky for the 2009 season.The Catfish played home... |
Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
South Atlantic League South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States... |
| Columbus Lions Columbus Lions The Columbus Lions are an indoor football team of the Professional Indoor Football League. Based in Columbus, Georgia, the Lions play their home games at the Columbus Civic Center... |
Indoor football | World Indoor Football League World Indoor Football League (2007) The World Indoor Football League was an indoor football league founded by Harry Pierce, owner of the Rome Renegades and Raleigh Rebels of the American Indoor Football League... |
| Georgia Gwizzlies Georgia Gwizzlies The Georgia Gwizzlies are a basketball team that currently plays in the American Basketball Association. They once played in various men's minor leagues: the Continental Basketball League , the American National Basketball League, and their original stint in the American Basketball Association... (Fayette County) |
Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
American Basketball Association American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:... |
| Gwinnett Gladiators Gwinnett Gladiators The Gwinnett Gladiators are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Duluth, Georgia. The Gladiators play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. The Gladiators play their home games at the Arena at Gwinnett Center.... (Duluth) |
Ice hockey Ice hockey Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take... |
East Coast Hockey League |
| Rome Braves Rome Braves The Rome Braves are a Class-A minor league affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. In 2003, the team, previously known as the Macon Braves, moved from Macon, Georgia, to Rome, Georgia, 60 miles northwest of Atlanta.... |
Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
South Atlantic League South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States... |
| Savannah Sand Gnats Savannah Sand Gnats The Savannah Sand Gnats are a minor league baseball team in Savannah, Georgia and are a member of the A-level South Atlantic League. Since the 2007 season, the Sand Gnats have been an affiliate of the New York Mets.-History:... |
Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
South Atlantic League South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States... |
Motorsports
Georgia is home to approximately twenty-two race tracks and drag strips. Some of the twenty-two tracks in Georgia are the Atlanta Motor SpeedwayAtlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway is a track just outside Hampton, Georgia, twenty miles south of Atlanta. It is a quad-oval track with a seating capacity of over 125,000. It opened in 1960 as a standard oval. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track...
, Road Atlanta
Road Atlanta
Road Atlanta is a 2.54-mile road course located just north of Braselton, Georgia, USA. The facility is utilized for a wide variety of events, including professional and amateur sports car and motorcycle races, racing and driving schools, corporate programs and testing for motorsports teams...
(where the Petit Le Mans
Petit Le Mans
The Petit Le Mans is a sports car endurance race held annually at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, USA. It uses the rules established for the 24 hours of Le Mans by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest , which are slightly modified if necessary, mainly to allow additional cars to compete.The race was...
is held), Atlanta Dragway
Atlanta Dragway
Atlanta Dragway is a drag racing facility located in Banks County, Georgia, just north of Commerce, Georgia. It is current home to the NHRA Full Throttle Series, Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals-History:...
, Dixie Speedway and Roebling Road Raceway
Roebling Road Raceway
Roebling Road Raceway, formerly Savannah International Raceway, is a 2.02-mile road racing course located just outside Bloomingdale, Georgia. Opened in 1959, Roebling Road is relatively unique amongst racetracks in that it lacks any accommodations for spectators: there are no grandstands, no...
. One of the most famous racers to come from Georgia is Bill Elliott
Bill Elliott
William Clyde "Bill" Elliott , also known as Awesome Bill from Dawsonville or Million Dollar Bill, is a part-time driver and former champion of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Elliott was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on August 15, 2007. He won the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup...
.
NASCAR
Many observers consider DawsonvilleDawsonville, Georgia
Dawsonville is a city in Dawson County, Georgia, United States. The population was 619 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Dawson County...
one of the birthplaces of NASCAR because so many individuals involved in the sport were from that city. Notable racers from Dawsonville include, Bill Elliott
Bill Elliott
William Clyde "Bill" Elliott , also known as Awesome Bill from Dawsonville or Million Dollar Bill, is a part-time driver and former champion of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Elliott was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on August 15, 2007. He won the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup...
, Roy Hall and Lloyd Seay
Lloyd Seay
Carl D. "Lightning" Lloyd Seay was an early stock car racing driver from Georgia. NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr. described Seay as the "best pure race driver I ever saw". He was shot to death by his cousin over a moonshine operation. His last name was pronounced as "See".Seay came from a racing...
.. Since 1951 Georgia tracks have hosted two to eight races in NASCAR's elite division. Dawsonville is home to the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame.
College
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) and ten schools in the NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
.
Division I
The University of Georgia'sUniversity of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia Bulldogs
The Georgia Bulldogs are the athletic teams of the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference...
compete in NCAA Division I as members of the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
. The Bulldogs have won 31 total national collegiate championships over the years.. They have also won 127 Southeastern Conference Championships. There are seven other Division I institutions besides the University of Georgia. They are:
- Georgia Southern UniversityGeorgia Southern UniversityGeorgia Southern University is a national public university located on a campus in Statesboro, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1906, it is part of the University System of Georgia and is the largest center of higher education in the southern half of Georgia offering 117 academic majors in a comprehensive...
- Georgia State UniversityGeorgia State UniversityGeorgia State University is a research university in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1913, it serves about 30,000 students and is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities...
- Georgia Institute of TechnologyGeorgia Institute of TechnologyThe Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
- Kennesaw State UniversityKennesaw State UniversityKennesaw State University, also referred to as KSU, Kennesaw, or Kennesaw State, is a public, coeducational, comprehensive university that is part of the University System of Georgia. The university's main campus is located in Kennesaw, Georgia, United States, approximately north of Atlanta...
- Mercer UniversityMercer UniversityMercer University is an independent, private, coeducational university with a Baptist heritage located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Mercer is the only university of its size in the United States that offers programs in eleven diversified fields of study: liberal arts, business, education, music,...
- Savannah State UniversitySavannah State UniversitySavannah State University is a four-year, state-supported, historically black university located in Savannah, Georgia. Savannah State holds the distinction as the oldest public historically black university in Georgia...
Division II
Valdosta State University'sValdosta State University
Valdosta State University, also referred to as VSU, or Valdosta State, is an American public university and is one of the two regional universities in the University System of Georgia. Valdosta State is located on a campus at the heart of the city of Valdosta...
Blazers compete in NCAA Division II as members of the Gulf South Conference
Gulf South Conference
The Gulf South Conference is a College Athletic Conference which operates in the southeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division II.-History:...
. The Blazers have won four total national collegiate championships, two in football in 2004 and 2007, one in baseball in 1979 and one in tennis in 2006. There are thirteen other Division II institutions besides the University of Valdosta. They are:
- Albany State UniversityAlbany State UniversityAlbany State University is a four-year, state-supported, historically black university located in Albany, Georgia, United States. It is one of three HBCU's in the University System of Georgia.-History:-Establishment:...
- Armstrong Atlantic State UniversityArmstrong Atlantic State UniversityArmstrong Atlantic State University, also referred to as Armstrong Atlantic, Armstrong, or simply AASU, is a four-year public university part of the University System of Georgia. It is located on a campus in suburban Savannah, Georgia, United States...
- Augusta State UniversityAugusta State UniversityAugusta State University is a public university located in Augusta, Georgia, United States and is the oldest institution in the state of Georgia ....
- Clark Atlanta UniversityClark Atlanta UniversityClark Atlanta University is a private, historically black university in Atlanta, Georgia. It was formed in 1988 with the consolidation of Clark College and Atlanta University...
- Clayton State UniversityClayton State UniversityClayton State University is a public university in Morrow, Georgia, with 6,785 students. Clayton State University is a part of the University System of Georgia....
- Columbus State UniversityColumbus State UniversityColumbus State University is a public institution of higher learning located in Columbus, Georgia. Founded as Columbus College in 1958, the university was established and is administered by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, and is fully accredited by the Commission on...
- Fort Valley State UniversityFort Valley State UniversityFort Valley State University is a historically black university located in Fort Valley, Georgia. It is also a unit of the University System of Georgia and a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund...
- Georgia College and State University
- Georgia Southwestern State UniversityGeorgia Southwestern State UniversityGeorgia Southwestern State University in Americus, Georgia, is a school in the University System of Georgia.-The College of Arts and Sciences:The College of Arts and Sciences at GSW offers undergraduate degrees in art Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, Georgia, is a school in the...
- Morehouse CollegeMorehouse CollegeMorehouse College is a private, all-male, liberal arts, historically black college located in Atlanta, Georgia. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Wabash College, Morehouse is one of three remaining traditional men's colleges in the United States....
- North Georgia College and State UniversityNorth Georgia College and State UniversityNorth Georgia College & State University is a four-year public university located in Dahlonega, Lumpkin County, Georgia. Founded as North Georgia Agricultural College in 1873, it is the second oldest co-educational institution in the state. The university is renowned for its ROTC program, and is...
- Paine CollegePaine CollegePaine College is a private Historically Black college located in Augusta, Georgia.-Mission:The Mission of Paine College, a church-related private institution, is to provide a liberal arts education of the highest quality that emphasizes academic excellence, ethical and spiritual values, social...
- University of West GeorgiaUniversity of West GeorgiaThe University of West Georgia is a comprehensive doctoral-granting university in Carrollton, Georgia, approximately 45 miles west of Atlanta, Georgia. The University is built on 645 acres including a recent land gift of 246 acres from the city of Carrollton in 2003...
Division III
LaGrange College is in the NCAA Division III with 14 sports, and competes as a member of the Southern Collegiate Athletic ConferenceSouthern Collegiate Athletic Conference
The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference , founded in 1962, is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas...
. The school's most successful athletic program is its men's golf team, which is perennially among the nation's best.
Georgia has seven other institutions in Division III. They are:
- Agnes Scott CollegeAgnes Scott CollegeAgnes Scott College is a private undergraduate college in the United States. Agnes Scott's campus lies in downtown Decatur, Georgia, nestled inside the perimeter of the bustling metro-Atlanta area....
- Emory UniversityEmory UniversityEmory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
- LaGrange CollegeLaGrange CollegeLaGrange College is the oldest private college in the U.S. state of Georgia. Affiliated with the United Methodist Church, it is located in LaGrange, Georgia, with an enrollment of about 1,000 students. The student-to-faculty ratio is 11:1...
- Oglethorpe UniversityOglethorpe UniversityOglethorpe University is a private liberal arts college in Brookhaven, Georgia, an inner suburb of Atlanta. It was chartered in 1835 and named after James Edward Oglethorpe, the state's founder.-History:...
- Piedmont CollegePiedmont CollegePiedmont College is a private liberal arts institution founded in 1897 to serve residents of the Appalachian area of northeast Georgia, USA. When the college was first founded, it was established as the J.S. Green Collegiate Institute named after a local banker. In 1899, the name was shortened to...
- Spelman CollegeSpelman CollegeSpelman College is a four-year liberal arts women's college located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The college is part of the Atlanta University Center academic consortium in Atlanta. Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, Spelman was the first historically black female...
- Wesleyan CollegeWesleyan CollegeWesleyan College is a private, liberal arts women's college located in Macon, Georgia, United States.-History:The school was chartered on December 23, 1836 as the Georgia Female College, and opened its doors to students on January 7, 1839. The school was renamed Wesleyan Female College in 1843...
1996 Summer Olympics
AtlantaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
was the site of the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
and the 1996 Summer Paralympics
1996 Summer Paralympics
The 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta, USA were held from 16 August to 25 August. It was the first Paralympics to get mass media sponsorship, and had a budget of USD $81 million....
. The Olympics were held from July 19 until August 4, 1996. It was during this time, on July 27, 1996, that a bombing took place in Centennial Park
Centennial Olympic Park bombing
The Centennial Olympic Park bombing was a terrorist bombing on July 27, 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States during the 1996 Summer Olympics, the first of four committed by Eric Robert Rudolph...
killing two and injuring 111 people. The Paralympics were held from August 15 to August 29, 2006.
Olympians from Georgia
Several people from Georgia, or from Georgia schools, have received gold medals at the Olympics over the years. Some of those gold medalists are:- Brent B. Abernathy
- Alice Marie Coachman
- Teresa EdwardsTeresa Edwards-External links:******...
- Debbie FergusonDebbie FergusonDebbie Ferguson-McKenzie is a Bahamian sprint athlete who specialises in the 100 and 200 metres. She had her first major successes with the Bahamian 4×100 metres relay team, winning gold at the Pan American Games and World Championships in Athletics in 1999, and taking another gold at the Olympic...
- Vern FlemingVern FlemingVern Fleming is a former professional basketball player in the NBA who played twelve seasons from 1984 until 1996...
- Katrina McClain
- Courtney ShealyCourtney ShealyCourtney Shealy is a former freestyle swimmer from the United States, who swam the third leg of the world record-breaking 4×100 m freestyle relay team that won gold at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Her winning teammates were Jenny Thompson, Dara Torres, and Amy Van Dyken...
- Sheila TaorminaSheila TaorminaSheila Taormina is an Olympic athlete from the United States, who has competed at 4 Olympics and was the first woman to qualify for the Olympics in 3 different sports...
- Forrest TownsForrest TownsForrest Grady "Spec" Towns was an American track and field athlete. He was the 1936 Olympic champion in the 110 m hurdles, and broke the World Record in that event three times....