The city of Lexington may now be known as the center for horse and race excellence, but anyone who visits or lives in the area knows that there is a rich variety of sports and sports enthusiasts. The Kentucky Wildcats have over twenty two varieties of sports. While residents will often debate which is most popular, basketball and baseball seem to be the main sports that attracts fans. The baseball games are currently the most popular with the results posted on the baseball scoreboards and great attendance of every game.
Originally named for the Lexington, Massachusetts victory, the concept for the town was put on hold as they built stockades to defend against Native American and British attacks. The evolution of this area eventually changed to taking advantage of the Bluegrass fields as a world wide center for the breeding of some of the world’s finest horses.
Gulfport is a city of beautiful beaches and some of the best pop culture competitions in the country. A harbor city with its root in the lumber industry, it has progressed to be a wonderful tourist town. Milner Stadium is host to some of the most rousing sports competitions you will find in any town; and the local residents support their baseball team with colors, banners and the excitement of the results of every run on the baseball scoreboard.
Originally started as a location for the shipment of lumber by two of the railroad and lumber magnates of the time, Gulfport had a huge infusion of investments to ensure that it was a functioning seaport. The beautiful beach area, combined with the location attracted people from all cultures to stop in for a visit. Progress continued so that the little community grew with the tourism trade, opening inns and later motels and casinos. The geographic location became the home of the U.S. Navy Atlantic Fleet Seebees with active, Coast Guard Auxiliary and reserves on duty at all times.
Huntsville is an area in Alabama that experienced many changes throughout its lifetime. While it was initially started as a settlement, it grew to become a major center in the south for a variety of industries. Huntsville also has its heart in their love of sports, which includes football, baseball, soccer, hockey and roller derby. While the area loves most sports, it’s soccer that seems to hit the top of the charts. The many games and the soccer scoreboards are a testimony to the town’s devotion to sports.
The original name given to the Huntsville area in 1805 was changed due to the lack of support for the British. The new name honored the former citizen, John Hunt, who had to relinquish his stay and relocate further south.
Shreveport enjoys a unique demographic location as the meeting place between Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas. The importance of the location was the basis for the actual establishment of Shreveport as a city. However, the rich history of Shreveport has contributed to much of our culture as a nation through music, cuisine, industry and sports. Shreveport has been home to many well known sports figures and currently has a women’s top roller derby team: The Twin City Knockers. The other focus from this city is on their basketball and the game attendance and basketball scoreboards are proof of their devotion.
Originally called Shreve Town, after the commander of the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the focal point was to create a town to accommodate the tri-state needs. The locale offered a meeting of the Texas Trail and the Red River, which also opened up opportunities for river transportation.
While you might think of Parkersburg as the home for the U.S. Department of the Treasury, there is more to this city than the government installation. This historic area of West Virginia brings the beauty of its natural landscape with the modern attitudes of today. This is a city of history, beauty and the pride in their Wood County Ravens football team. The people of Parkersburg love sports and the football scoreboards that show their team’s victories.
Originally named Newport, there were conflicts of opinion regarding confusion with other local towns of similar names. Parkersburg became a center hub during the Civil War days with its location as part of the railway service. The town prospered with added interests of both gas and oil companies. Post war days continued to bring growth to the area.
A visit to Biloxi, Mississippi may be due to a number of reasons. The foremost may be as a member of the military at the Keesler Air Force Base. However, once there, you are simply taken with the rich history of the area. Biloxi is deeply entrenched in the development of our country as a nation. As a truly American town, it’s also not surprising that they are incredibly avid sports fans. Hockey is a mainstay in Biloxi and the Mississipi Surge team is part of the Southern professional hockey league. Basketball is one of the main hot sports as well, with games attended by almost standing only crowds peering at the basketball scoreboard for each point made.
Three hundred years ago, the area now known as Biloxi was an important port area that was claimed by the French, English and Spanish. Like many of the territories of the time, the French influence was held the longest and the residents retained much of the culture in the creation of their own unique blend. The close proximity to New Orleans gave Biloxi the advantage of becoming more of a summer resort area.
A drive through the historic downtown area of Owensboro is a glimpse at Americana at its best. There is a warm welcoming feeling in this town as you are greeted by smiles and a hand waive. It’s not surprising that the area has produced many notable sports figures, because it is just this kind of environment that cultivates fair play and team efforts. This common sense attitude is also found at every game. Whether in a stadium or field, the locals will offer their opinion as to the most favorite sport. You can see every eye on the basketball scoreboard for each winning point and just as many in attendance to football and softball games. Owensboro proudly shares their love of sports with every visitor. The venues are top notch, highest quality and technology.
Covington is considered to be a more new city in Kentucky, having been established in the early 1800’s. The beautiful scenery and picturesque setting, combined with the variety of things to do and see gave Covington the award of one the Best Destinations of 2011. Covington is also home to the game of baseball. Their love of the game has shown that this is truly an American city. The support attendance sets records and the baseball scoreboards that light the game at Cincinnati Reds Stadium.
The beginning of Covington started in 1816 with the purchase of around 150 acres by the founders of the area. At that time, it was referred to as “The Point”. The close proximity to the bustling city of Cincinnati offered a lot of growth opportunities. The land was coveted by many and soon homes and businesses were being established. While it became known as more of a town outside of the larger cities, it soon began to establish a name of its own with industries and commerce moving into the area.
Memphis Tennessee conjures images of jazz, blues and country and western music. But Memphis is more than the sum of its parts; it is a city of strength that has overcome some of the most devastating odds to become a national treasure. Memphis also has a heart in sports, with the college teams at the center. Basketball is one of the most popular sports, and the Memphis Tigers from University of Memphis have an avid following. Memphis supports their teams with excellence in stadium attendance and basketball scoreboards.
Memphis was inhabited by Native American tribes for over ten thousand years. Various European groups found the locale to be a perfect jump point for ocean voyages to transport slaves. Memphis was named after its sister city in Egypt, as it shared the same kind of elevation and location near a major river. Originally home to a booming cotton and lumber trade, the inhabitants and infrastructure grew to accommodate the growth.
Clarksville Tennessee is one of those cities that have an incredible history in our country. The historic downtown area is a vision of small town Americana, but set within a bustling city. There isn’t a single phase of U.S. history that didn’t involve Clarksville in one form or another and the residents have taken great pride in preserving much of the story for generations to come. The sports scoreboards of history show a literal who’s who of famous sports figures that have all come from Clarksville. In this town, baseball reigns supreme.
The lands that are now part of Clarksville have been archeologically dated to habitation by Native Americans to over 11,000 years ago. While there are many tribes that have lived in the area, the most recent and notable are the Muscogee and later the Cherokee, Chicasaw and Choctaw. When the Spanish explorers arrived they brought with them European diseases that the local tribes could not combat and many of the native people died and relocated to escape the disaster. The influx of European settlers to the area created the need to displace the Cherokee people and a plan was designed to forcibly relocate 17,000 people of the Cherokee nation to another state, with lesser land quality. This was known as the Trail of Tears. Cherokee women. men and children walked from Georgia to Oklahoma, and over 4,000 of the tribe died along the way.
