| A Note to the Readers and Acknowledgments |
| Readers will find references in this book to people, places and events that today may seem obscure, as well as mention of events that, and people who, are quite famousor even infamous. |
| Right at the start, we advise you most gently, but urgently, to refer to the list of abbreviations found in Appendix I at the back of the book. Some of these abbreviations need to be explained slightly. ABL, for instance, is used to stand for two different pro basketball leagues, and AFL for four different pro football organizations, so that the focus of time is important. In the abbreviations, the time lines for some of these various groups are delineated. |
| Also bear in mind that when something is indicated as the "most," "best," "biggest," "longest, highest or widest,'' it is meant in the context that it was so at the time the event described took place, though it may no longer be the case today. "First," of course, is just that. |
| Records in virtually every sport have changed dramatically over the more than 150 years of history covered by this work, and there is no attempt here to be comprehensive. We have attempted merely to give the flavor of New York area sports over the period of time, places that were, people who were and events that were. Some still are (the Yankees), some lasted many years and then disappeared (the Americans), some came back several times (the Football Yankees), and ultimately failed anyway. |
| A word is in order here about what is meant by "New York area." We define it as that area within 75 miles of Columbus Circle in Manhattan, plus all of Long Island. We do so because that is the charter territory of the New York Sports Museum & Hall of Fame. |
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