Florida a Sporting Powerhouse
Florida is one of the most Southern of all the United States. It is known as the Sunshine State for it’s warm weather and pacific climate. “Florida” is a Spanish adjective which means “flowery”. Florida was discovered by a Spanish explorer during Easter, which in spanish is called Pascua Florida.
Major Cities and Towns in Florida are: Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Tallahassee, and Tampa.
Because of Florida’s climate it has become the traditional home for several Major League Baseball teams spring training. In 2004, these are all of the major league teams that Florida hosted for spring training:
* Atlanta Braves at Walt Disney World
* Baltimore Orioles in Fort Lauderdale
* Boston Red Sox in Fort Myers
* Cincinnati Reds in Sarasota
* Cleveland Indians in Winter Haven
* Detroit Tigers in Lakeland
* Florida Marlins in Jupiter
* Houston Astros in Kissimmee
* Los Angeles Dodgers in Vero Beach
* Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers
* New York Mets in Port St. Lucie
* New York Yankees in Tampa
* Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater
* Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton
* Saint Louis Cardinals in Jupiter
* Tampa Bay Devil Rays in St. Petersburg
* Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin
* Washington Nationals in Viera
Not only does Florida Host alot of the major sports teams in the United States it is also home to several of it’s own teams:
* National Football League
o Jacksonville Jaguars
o Tampa Bay Buccaneers
o Miami Dolphins
* National Basketball Association
o Orlando Magic
o Miami Heat
* National Hockey League
o Tampa Bay Lightning
o Florida Panthers
* Major League Baseball
o Tampa Bay Devil Rays
o Florida Marlins
* Arena Football League
o Orlando Predators
o Tampa Bay Storm