College football bowl games don't count, unless they are, or turn out to have been, deciders of the National Championship. Nor does the U.S. Open tennis tournament, which is always held here. Or golf "majors," because golf is not a sport.
1. 1905 World Series at "old" Polo Grounds. New York Giants beat Philadelphia Athletics.
2. 1911 World Series at "new" Polo Grounds. A's beat Giants.
3. 1912 World Series at Polo Grounds. Boston Red Sox beat Giants.
4. 1913 World Series at Polo Grounds. A's beat Giants.
5. 1916 World Series at Ebbets Field. Red Sox beat Brooklyn Dodgers.
6. 1917 World Series at Polo Grounds. Chicago White Sox beat Giants.
7. 1920 World Series at Ebbets Field. Cleveland Indians beat Giants.
8. 1921 World Series at Polo Grounds. Giants beat New York Yankees.
9. 1922 World Series at Polo Grounds. Giants beat Yankees.
10. 1923 World Series at the original Yankee Stadium and Polo Grounds. Yankees beat Giants.
11. 1924 World Series at Polo Grounds. Washington Senators beat Giants.
12. 1926 World Series at Yankee Stadium. St. Louis Cardinals beat Yankees.
13. 1927 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Yankees beat Pittsburgh Pirates.
14. 1928 Stanley Cup at Madison Square Garden III (a.k.a. "The Old Garden"). New York Rangers beat Montreal Maroons.
15. 1928 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Yankees beat Cardinals.
16. 1929 Stanley Cup at Madison Square Garden III. Boston Bruins beat Rangers.
17. 1932 Stanley Cup at Madison Square Garden III. Toronto Maple Leafs beat Rangers.
18. 1932 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Yankees beat Chicago Cubs.
19. 1933 Stanley Cup at Madison Square Garden III. Rangers beat Leafs.
20. 1933 World Series at Polo Grounds. Giants beat Senators.
21. 1934 NFL Championship at Polo Grounds. New York Giants beat Chicago Bears.
22. 1936 World Series at Yankee Stadium and Polo Grounds. Yankees beat Giants.
22. 1936 NFL Championship at Polo Grounds. Green Bay Packers beat Boston Redskins. It was the Eastern Division Champions' turn to host the game, but Redskins owner George Preston Marshall saw how bad attendance was at home games, and got permission from the NFL to move the game, and then the next season got permission to move the team to Washington. Times have changed: The New England Patriots haven't played to an unsold seat since 1993.
23. 1937 Stanley Cup at Madison Square Garden III. Detroit Red Wings beat Rangers.
24. 1937 World Series at Yankee Stadium and Polo Grounds. Yankees beat Giants.
24. 1938 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Yankees beat Cubs.
25. 1938 NFL Championship at Polo Grounds. Giants beat Packers.
26. 1939 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Yankees beat Cincinnati Reds.
27. 1940 Stanley Cup at Madison Square Garden III. Rangers beat Leafs.
28. 1941 World Series at Yankee Stadium and Ebbets Field. Yankees beat Dodgers.
29. 1942 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Cardinals beat Yankees.
30. 1943 Final Four at Madison Square Garden III. Wyoming beat Georgetown.
31. 1943 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Yankees beat Cardinals.
32. 1944 Final Four at Madison Square Garden III. Utah beat Dartmouth.
33. 1944 NFL Championship at Polo Grounds. Packers beat Giants.
34. 1945 Final Four at Madison Square Garden III. Oklahoma State (Oklahoma A&M until 1958) beat NYU.
35. 1946 Final Four at Madison Square Garden III. Oklahoma State beat North Carolina.
36. 1947 Final Four at Madison Square Garden III. Holy Cross beat Oklahoma.
37. 1947 World Series at Yankee Stadium and Ebbets Field. Yankees beat Dodgers.
38. 1948 Final Four at Madison Square Garden III. Kentucky beat Baylor.
39. 1949 World Series at Yankee Stadium and Ebbets Field. Yankees beat Dodgers.
40. 1950 Final Four at Madison Square Garden III. CCNY beat Bradley.
Interlude: Although the Rangers reached the 1950 Stanley Cup Finals, this was in the years when the Ringling Brothers/Barnum & Bailey Circus made more money for the Madison Square Garden Corporation than the Rangers did. As a result, the Rangers' home games in this series were moved to Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. Losing the home-ice advantage, the Rangers lost to the Wings in overtime of Game 7. It could easily have been 44 years instead of 54, "1950!" instead of "1940!" The Knicks made the NBA Finals the next three years, 1951, '52 and '53, but did not get their home games moved to accommodate the circus. But the Rangers hosted no Stanley Cup Finals games between 1940 and 1972.
41. 1950 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Yankees beat Philadelphia Phillies.
42. 1951 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden III. Rochester Royals beat Knicks.
43. 1951 World Series at Yankee Stadium and Polo Grounds. Yankees beat Giants.
44. 1952 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden III. Minneapolis Lakers beat Knicks.
45. 1952 World Series at Yankee Stadium and Ebbets Field. Yankees beat Dodgers.
46. 1953 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden III. Lakers beat Knicks.
47. 1953 World Series at Yankee Stadium and Ebbets Field. Yankees beat Dodgers.
48. 1954 World Series at Polo Grounds. Giants beat Indians.
49. 1955 World Series at Yankee Stadium and Ebbets Field. Dodgers beat Yankees.
50. 1956 World Series at Yankee Stadium and Ebbets Field. Yankees beat Dodgers.
51. 1956 NFL Championship at Yankee Stadium. Giants beat Bears.
52. 1957 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Milwaukee Braves beat Yankees.
53. 1958 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Yankees beat Braves.
54. 1958 NFL Championship at Yankee Stadium. Baltimore Colts beat Giants.
55. 1960 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Pirates beat Yankees.
56. 1961 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Yankees beat Reds.
57. 1962 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Yankees beat San Francisco Giants.
58. 1962 NFL Championship at Yankee Stadium. Packers beat Giants.
59. 1963 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Los Angeles Dodgers beat Yankees.
60. 1964 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Cardinals beat Yankees.
Interlude: From the 1966-67 football seasons onward, the finals of the sport would be held at neutral sites. (Although the 1979-80 Los Angeles Rams played in a Super Bowl in Pasadena, and lost; and the 1984-85 San Francisco 49ers played in one in Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, and won. No team has ever played a Super Bowl in its home stadium, although the Miami Dolphins have had plenty of chances.) So I am not counting the 1968 AFL Championship at Shea, or the 1986 and 2000 NFC Championship Games played at Giants Stadium.
61. 1969 World Series at Shea Stadium. Mets beat Baltimore Orioles.
62. 1970 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden IV (a.k.a. "The New Garden"). Knicks beat Los Angeles Lakers.
63. 1972 Stanley Cup at Madison Square Garden IV. Bruins beat Rangers.
64. 1972 ABA Finals at Nassau Coliseum. Indiana Pacers beat New York Nets.
65. 1972 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden IV. Lakers beat Knicks.
66. 1973 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden IV. Knicks beat Lakers.
67. 1973 World Series at Shea Stadium. Oakland Athletics beat Mets.
68. 1974 ABA Finals at Nassau Coliseum. Nets beat Utah Stars.
69. 1976 ABA Finals at Nassau Coliseum. Nets beat Denver Nuggets.
70. 1976 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Reds beat Yankees.
71. 1977 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Yankees beat Dodgers.
72. 1978 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Yankee beat Dodgers.
73. 1979 Stanley Cup at Madison Square Garden IV. Montreal Canadiens beat Rangers.
74. 1980 Stanley Cup at Nassau Coliseum. New York Islanders beat Philadelphia Flyers.
75. 1981 Stanley Cup at Nassau Coliseum. Isles beat Minnesota North Stars.
76. 1981 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Dodgers beat Yankees.
77. 1982 Stanley Cup at Nassau Coliseum. Isles beat Vancouver Canucks.
78. 1983 Stanley Cup at Nassau Coliseum. Isles beat Edmonton Oilers.
79. 1984 Stanley Cup at Nassau Coliseum. Oilers beat Isles.
80. 1986 World Series at Shea Stadium. Mets beat Red Sox.
Interlude: Although the Giants won Super Bowl XXV during this period, the Administration of George H.W. Bush was the only Presidency since William McKinley during which the Tri-State Area did not host at least one sports final. But if you count 19th Century baseball championships, a team in the Area has won at least 1 World Championship in every Administration since Grover Cleveland's first time around, and at least 1 in every decade since the 1850s.
81. 1994 Stanley Cup at Madison Square Garden IV. Rangers beat Canucks.
82. 1994 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden IV. Houston Rockets beat Knicks. Only a Game 7 loss in Houston prevented The Garden from becoming the first indoor building to host an NBA and a Stanley Cup champion in the same year.
Interlude: Although games of the 1994 World Cup were played at Giants Stadium, including a Quarterfinal and a Semifinal, the Final was held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, outside Los Angeles.
83. 1995 Stanley Cup at Brendan Byrne Arena. New Jersey Devils beat Wings.
84. 1996 Final Four at Brendan Byrne Arena (by this point, the name had been changed to Continental Airlines Arena). Kentucky beat Syracuse.
85. 1996 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Yankees beat Braves.
86. 1998 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Yankees beat San Diego Padres.
87. 1999 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden IV. San Antonio Spurs beat Knicks.
88. 1999 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Yankees beat Braves.
89. 2000 Stanley Cup at Brendan Byrne Arena. Devils beat Dallas Stars.
90. 2000 World Series at Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium. Yankees beat Mets.
91. 2001 Stanley Cup at Brendan Byrne Arena. Colorado Avalanche beat Devils.
92. 2001 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Arizona Diamondbacks beat Yankees.
93. 2002 NBA Finals at Brendan Byrne Arena. Lakers beat New Jersey Nets.
94. 2003 Stanley Cup at Brendan Byrne Arena. Devils beat Anaheim Ducks.
95. 2003 NBA Finals at Brendan Byrne Arena. Spurs beat Nets. The Nets won 2 games in that Finals, but failure to win 2 more prevented their arena from having both titles in the same year.
96. 2003 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Florida (now Miami) Marlins beat Yankees.
97. 2009 World Series at Yankee Stadium II. Yankees beat Phillies.
98. 2012 Stanley Cup at Prudential Center. Los Angeles Kings beat Devils.
99. 2014 Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium. Seattle Seahawks beat Denver Broncos.
So the next trip to the Finals will be the 100th. Here's how many each venue has hosted:
40 Yankee Stadium I
17 Polo Grounds
16 Madison Square Garden III (Old Garden)
9 Ebbets Field
8 Nassau Coliseum
8 Madison Square Garden IV (New Garden)
4 Shea Stadium
1 MetLife Stadium
1 Yankee Stadium II
1 "old" Polo Grounds
UPDATE: With calendar years 2014, 2015 and 2016 in the books, the Rangers have hosted another Finals, making 9 finals for the new Garden; and the Mets have hosted their 1st World Series at Citi Field.
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Hours until Super Bowl XLVIII at the Meadowlands: 3.
Days until the Devils play again: 1, tomorrow night, home to the Colorado Avalanche.
Days until the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia: 5, this coming Friday.
Days until Arsenal play again: 6, Saturday afternoon (7:45 AM our time), away to Liverpool. Today, Arsenal hosted South London club Crystal Palace, and won 2-0, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scoring both goals. For the moment, Arsenal are top of the League, pending the result of tomorrow's match between challengers Manchester City (who would go back top with a win but remain 2nd with a draw) and West London club Chelsea (who would remain in 3rd even with a win).
Days until the Devils next play a local rival: 27, on Saturday afternoon, March 1, away to the New York Islanders. We play away to the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night, March 11; home to the Rangers on Saturday night, March 22; away to the Islanders a week after that; and home to the Islanders on Friday night, April 11.
Days until the U.S. national soccer team plays again: 31, on Wednesday, March 5, a "friendly" (exhibition game) vs. the Ukraine in Kharkiv. Just 1 month. Last night, the U.S. beat the Republic of Korea (a.k.a. South Korea), 2-0, both goals by Chris Wondolowski, in a friendly at the StubHub Center (formerly the Home Depot Center) in Carson, California, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA. I suspect that there will be another tuneup match or two between the end of the European club season in May and the start of the World Cup in June.
Days until the Red Bulls play again: 34, on Saturday, March 8, 7:30 PM, away to the Vancouver Whitecaps. Just 5 weeks.
Days until the next North London Derby between Arsenal and Tottenham: 41, a Premier League match, on Saturday, March 15, at White Hart Lane. Just 6 weeks.
Days until the Yankees play again: 60, on Tuesday, April 1, at 7:10 PM, away to the Houston Astros. Just 2 months.
Days until the Yankees' home opener: 66, on Monday, April 7, at 1:00 PM (well, 1:07 or so), vs. the Baltimore Orioles.
Days until the next Yankees-Red Sox series begins: 69, on Thursday, April 10, at 7:00 PM (well, 7:07 or so), at Yankee Stadium II.
Days until the Red Bulls next play a "derby": 71, on Saturday, April 12, 2:30 PM, vs. D.C. United, at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in Washington.
Days until the 2014 World Cup in Brazil: 131, on Thursday, June 12. A little over 4 months.
Days until Rutgers plays football again: 209, on Saturday, August 30, away to Washington State, at whatever the Seattle Seahawks' stadium is going to end up being called next fall. Under 7 months. Why we're playing "Wazzu" in the University of Washington's territory, I don't know. Maybe WSU, in the eastern part of the State in Pullman, wants to boost their recruiting in the Western part. Either way, it will be Rutgers' first game since losing the 2013 Pinstripe Bowl to Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium II, finishing the season at 6-7.
Days until East Brunswick High School plays football again: Unknown, as the schedule has yet to be released. Most likely, it will be on the 2nd Friday night in September. If so, that will be September 12, therefore 223 days.
Days until Rutgers makes its Big Ten Conference debut: 224 days, on Saturday, September 13, time to be determined, against old enemy Penn State.
Days until the next East Brunswick vs. Old Bridge Thanksgiving game: 299, on Thursday morning, November 27, 10:00 AM. Under 10 months.
Days until the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: 947, on Friday, August 5, 2016. Just 2 1/2 years.
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