Launching Pad (New Yankee Stadium nickname)
The new Yankee Stadium (opened in 2009) quickly gained a reputation for being home-run-friendly. The Colorado Rockies' Coors Field has allowed the most home runs in a single season, and the…
Leaky Roof Circuit (small-time racetracks)
The "leaky roof circuit" (also called the "frying pan circuit") referred to the small-time racetracks in horceracing, but the term was also used in baseball and ice hockey. The…
Liberty (WNBA women’s basketball team)
The New York Liberty played its first season in the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) in 1997. The Statue of Liberty is on the team's logo, so the nickname's meaning is…
Liberty Cup (Columbia vs. Fordham)
The "Liberty Cup," created after September 11, 2001, is awarded to the winner of the Columbia University and Fordham University annual football game.…
Lollapalooza (Lallapalooza; Lollapaloosa; Lallapaloosa; Lolapalooza; Lalapalooza; Lolapaloosa)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: LollapaloozaLollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring alternative rock, hip hop, and punk rock bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths.…
Long Island Frankfurter (long, thin AFL football)
When the American Football League (AFL) played the National Football League (NFL) in the Super Bowl in the 1960s (before the two leagues merged in 1969), each league would use its own ball on…
Lou Gehrig’s Disease; “Luckiest Man” speech
Lou Gehrig was one of baseball's greatest players. His streak of playing in consecutive games was broken only recently by Cal Ripkin. Gehrig retired from the game because of ALS, but the…
Lovable Losers (New York Mets; Chicago Cubs)
The New York Mets became a baseball expansion team in the early 1960s and proceeded to lose many, many games. However, New York fans still attended games to cheer them on. "Lovable Losers --…
Madness Square Garden (Madison Square Garden nickname)
Madison Square Garden (an indoor sports arena in Midtown Manhattan, the home of basketball's New York Knicks and hockey's New York Rangers) is infrequently nicknamed "Madness Square…
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…
Meet at the Apple (New York Mets podcast, 2024-)
The New York Mets baseball team have a Home Run Apple at Citi Field, based on New York City's nickname of the "Big Apple." In 2024, the Mets started a podcast called "Meet at…
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…