Magic Number
A "magic number" is the combination of team wins and a contending team's losses that will clinch a playoff spot or title. A "tragic number" is the opposite -- a combination…
Mahjong (Mah Jongg)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: MahjongMahjong, also spelled majiang, mah jongg, and numerous other variants, is a game that originated in China. It is commonly played by four players (with…
Make-or-Miss League (NBA basketball)
The National Basketball Association has been called a "make-or-miss league." That means that players will get their shots, and the better players and teams make them more than miss them.…
Manhattan Drop (wrestling)
"Manhattan Drop" is a recent professional wrestling term. It is used on a groggy but still-standing opponent by putting a head under an opponent's shoulder, lifting him up and then…
Manhattan Rubber (bowling ball)
"Manhattan Rubber" bowling balls were popular in the 1950s and early 1960s. The "Manhattan Rubber" was most popular in Chicago.…
March Madness (NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship)
"March Madness" (also called the "Big Dance") is the NCAA Division I basketball tournament. The term is usually credited -- incorrectly -- to H. V. Porter (1891-1975), who used…
Mausoleum (Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum nickname)
The New York Islanders hockey team played at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum from 1972 to 2015; the New York Nets basketball team played there from 1972 to 1977. In the fall of 2015, both…
Mayor’s Cup Handball Tournament
The annual Mayor's Cup Handball Tournament began in 1995. It's sponsored by the Inner City Handball Association and the United States Handball Association.…
Mayor’s Trophy
The New York baseball teams in the American and National Leagues historically didn't play against each other, except possibly in a World Series. Starting 1910, in an informal "City…
MetroStars/Red Bulls (professional soccer team)
The MetroStars were formed after the 1994 World Cup revived interest in soccer. The team was sometimes called the "New York-New Jersey MetroStars." In March 2006, the team was renamed the…
Mets (National League baseball team)
The 1962-present National League "Mets" share the same name as a baseball team from the 1880s. It's a shortened form of "Metropolitan."…
Millrose Games & Wanamaker Mile
The Millrose Games is Madison Square Garden's longest-running sporting event, since 1908. The Millrose features the Wanamaker Mile, named after department store merchant Rodman Wanamaker.…
Mini-camp (Minicamp)
Professional football teams hold a "mini-camp" (or "minicamp") during the offseason. Most mini-camps are regularly scheduled for rookies and last a weekend (three days). The…
Miracle at the New Meadowlands (2010 Giants collapse)
The original "Miracle at the Meadowlands" (November 18. 1978) -- also called "The Fumble" -- featured a New York Giants fumble in the closing seconds that led to a Philadelphia…
Monday Morning Quarterback
A "Monday morning quarterback" is someone who can reflect on the Sunday National Football League games and offer the best analysis -- in hindsight. College football games are usually…
Money Down (third down in football)
A football team has four downs to make a first down (get ten yards), or else the ball turns over to the other team. The third down has been called the "money down" because if the first…
Most Exciting Team in Sports (New York Mets nickname)
The New York Mets baseball team was founded in 1962. The "METS" backronym of "Most Exciting Team in Sports" has been used infrequently since at least 2000. "My Entire Team…
Moxie (slang for having heart, courage)
Moxie is a trademarked beverage that was originally bottled in 1884 and sold as "nerve food." Moxie advertising in 1940 contained the line "He's got Moxie!" -- defined in…
Mr. Irrelevant (last person picked in the NFL draft)
The National Football League draft is held in the spring; a popular venue for the draft has been New York City's Radio City Music Hall. The last player selected in the NFL draft is jocularly…
Mr. Met (New York Mets mascot)
"Mr. Met" is the mascot of baseball's New York Mets. The comic character appeared on the cover of the team's 1963 Year Book, complete a page inside devoted to him. The character…