This in from Southern Connecticut ...

Fans of the Southern Connecticut State University men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs will have an opportunity to follow the Owls at the 2009 World Swimming Championships in Rome through www.southernctowls.com .

Maria Zenoni of the Dominican Republic will be blogging from Rome during the course of the event, which runs from July 26-August 2.

In addition to Zenoni, current Owls Miguel Nesrala and Nicole Huerta will represent their native Dominican Republic at the event, while current Owls’ assistant coach Matt Hurst will serve as an assistant coach for the Dominican Republic delegation at the Championships.

Look for a feature on the Dominican Republic connection in the fall or winter.

So there are reports that Notre Dame is playing Army at Yankee Stadium in 2010. Former Register sports editor Matt Pepin's new paper was the first to make the report.

This is good for college football. Good for college football traditionalists. And probably good for TV ratings as well.

But how about Yale-Army in 2011 or beyond at Yankee Stadium. Army is expected to visit Yale Bowl in 2014 for the 100th anniversary of the Bowl.

Yale has a strong alumni base in greater New York and students would arrive by the trainfulls so packing the place would not be a problem.

Just a thought.

The March of Dimes will hold its second annual Elm City Legends dinner Monday, Nov. 9 at the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale.

This is a great event for an even greater cause.

This year’s Elm City Legends include:

Ed Aston (Head Coach, Cheshire High School Boys’ and Girls’ Swimming).

Bob Dikranian (former Head Coach, Southern Connecticut State University Men’s Soccer Assistant Coach, Yale University Women’s Soccer).

Dick Gagliardi (former Head Coach, Hamden High School Boys’ Hockey and Yale University Men’s Hockey; former Athletic Director, Sacred Heart Academy of Hamden).

Dan Gooley (Head Coach, Quinnipiac University Baseball; former Head Coach, University of Hartford Baseball).

Jack Siedlecki (Assistant Athletic Director and former Head Coach, Yale University Football).

Frank "Porky" Vieira (former Head Coach, University of New Haven Baseball).

Anne Worcester (Tournament Director, Pilot Pen Tennis; Chief Marketing Officer, Market New Haven).

Now here is the only question I have. How does one become an honorary Elm City Legend.

This year’s honorary Elm City Legends are Tommy John (former MLB pitcher; former manager, Bridgeport Bluefish) and Karl Ravech (ESPN SportsCenter Anchor/Baseball Tonight Host/Golf Commentator).

With no disrespect to either, what have they done for New Haven?

Shouldn't there be some criteria about honorary legends working with New Haven in some way.

What about the ESPN personalities who have served as masters of ceremonies for Walter Camp dinners? Better yet, what about the big names that come back year after year to Walter Camp, speak to our youth about staying in school and visit children's hospitals, such as Hugh Green or Tony Rice or David Fulcher. A perfect fit, I would think.

Tickets for the event can be purchased at marchofdimes.com/connecticut

They are $95 each or $180 per pair. Reserved tables of 10 are $850. Sponsorship packages are also available.

It was nice to see Amity freshman Jessica Seidman do so well in tennis this past year, earning a spot on the Register's All-Area team.

We did a story on Jessica a few years ago, when she was running a Rackets for Recreation promotion to get tennis rackets donated for those who might not be able to afford them otherwise.

So on this All-Star night we pay homage to what could have been ...

Imagine.

We had what amounted to a Major League Baseball team here in 1875 called the Elm Citys.

They were a part of the National Association, which became the National League in 1876, taking the Hartford Blues rather than New Haven.

New Haven wasn't that good, posting a record of 7-40 and placing 8th of 13 teams. The team went through three managers. George was not the owner.

But what if the National League took New Haven?

Consider the teams in the National Association that year: Boston Red Stockings. Chicago White Stockings. St. Louis Brown Stockings. Philadelphia Athletics. St. Louis Red Stockings. Washington Nationals. Brooklyn Atlantics. There were three teams from Philadelphia. Two from New York and St. Louis.

New Haven obviously was a small-market team.

They played at Hamilton Park, also the first home of Yale football, located at Whalley and West Park.

The Boston Red Stockings were 71-8 that year. Today, they are known as the Atlanta Braves.

Cap Anson played in the league.
So did Albert Spalding.
And so to did Jim O'Rourke, the gentleman from Bridgeport, who is credited with getting the first hit in the National League a year later.

There were three Connecticut teams in the National Association. New Haven, Hartford and Middletown, which played in 1872.

David Arcidiacono, an East Hampton author has written a few books on the teams. His latest, came out this week.

Visit baseballreference.com to learn more about the history of the game.

And visit ourbaseballhaven.com to get an idea about the potential future of the game here.

New Haven is quite an interesting place when it comes to sports.

This is where American football as we know it came to be.

It's where the inspiration for major college football venues was built in 1914, underground to the amazement of many.

They say the first 5-on-5 college basketball game was played here and many argue the first time a curveball was thrown, it was done so by a New Havener.

Yale has won more golf titles than any NCAA institution.

Hillhouse has won as many state titles in boys basketball as anyone in the nation.

Year after year high schools in our area produce state champions in an array of sports.

Southern Connecticut and New Haven have both won national titles in Division II women's basketball. The Owls have also won more soccer titles than any Division II program.

Yale is overflowing with tradition and Quinnipiac's new arena is as nice an athletic building as you'll find.

College hockey: Every weekend top teams are in our backyard at Yale and Quinnipiac.

Each year the city plays host to the very best college football players in January for the Walter Camp Football Foundation All-America Awards Dinner.

We have a combined men's and women's tennis tournament the week before the final Grand Slam of the year.

The 20K national championships take place here each year in the New Haven Road Race.

We're 30 minutes from a PGA Golf stop, and a little over an hour from the best college basketball programs in the nation.

Then throw in the professional sports scene and watch for the chairs flying between Yankees, Mets and Red Sox fans, Celtics and Knicks followers and Giants, Jets and Patriots diehards.

As you can see, it keeps us quite busy.

We will share our opinions on the New Haven sports scene and open up our thought process for coverage and we'll have some fun introducing you to some members of the staff here, who like you argue over the Yankees, Red Sox and Mets, and get consumed by fantasy football and baseball.

We want to hear your ideas, your comments and suggestions.

So come back and visit us for the latest in a Haven of Sports.

Sean