There is a “Battle of the Boroughs” when one borough challenges another borough in a competition. “Battle of the Boroughs” usually refers to a competition with at least one of the teams officially using a borough name. Baseball “battles of the boroughs” have been between the borough of Manhattan (New York Giants, New York Yankees) or the borough of the Bronx (New York Yankees) playing against the borough of Brooklyn (Brooklyn Dodgers). Staten Island has not had a major league professional sports team, although Staten Island has a minor league baseball team.
 
“Battle of the Boroughs” has been cited in print since at least May 30,1919, when baseball’s New York Giants defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers. The term was written by New York (NY) Tribune sportswriter W. O. McGeehan (1879-1933), who used it frequently and possibly coined it.
 
The baseball “Battles of the Boroughs” occurred infrequently because inter-league play was not allowed for many years. A “Battle of the Boroughs” can be said to occur when the New York Yankees (Bronx) play the New York Mets (Queens), but neither team has a borough name, with both using “New York.” When the Yankees play the Mets, it’s usually called a “subway series,” whether it’s regular season games or (more often) World Series games. The term “city series” has also been used, especially for the regular season games between the Mets and Yankees.
 
Basketball’s Brooklyn Nets began with the 2012-13 season. “Great to see Jay-Z bring a sports team to Brooklyn. can’t wait to see the Knicks/Nets battle of the boroughs rivalry begin” was posted on Twitter by Cameron Sinclair on September 26, 2011. A November 26, 2012 basketball game between the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Knicks was dubbed the first “Battle of the Boroughs” by the local media. A Brooklyn Nets-New York Knicks game has less frequently been called a “Clash of the Boroughs.”
 
When the Long Island Nets play the Westchester Knicks in the NBA’s development league, the game is called the “Battle of the ‘Burbs” (New York City suburbs).
   
   
Wikipedia: Knicks-Nets rivalry
The Knicks–Nets rivalry is a crosstown rivalry between New York City’s two National Basketball Association (NBA) teams, the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets. Both teams compete in Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The New York Knicks were established in 1946 as one of the charter franchises of the NBA, and have been based at Madison Square Garden in Midtown Manhattan since 1968. The Nets were established in 1967 as a member of the now-defunct American Basketball Association, and joined the NBA in 1976. They have been based at Barclays Center in Brooklyn since 2012, though have played in the New York metropolitan area their entire existence.
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After the Nets’ move to Brooklyn, due to the close proximity of the two teams and the overall histories of Brooklyn and Manhattan, media outlets have dubbed the rivalry the Battle of the Boroughs, or Clash of the Boroughs. The two teams have met in the playoffs three times over the course of their history, with the most recent meeting in 2004. This rivalry can also be called the “Cross-Bridges Rivalry”.
   
Chronicling America
30 May 1919, New York (NY) Tribune, “Giants Triumph Over Dodgers” by William O. McGeehan, pg. 8, col. 1:
The Battle of the Boroughs, waged by the Giants and the Dodgers, almost ended in one justifiable homicide and a couple of murders at the Polo Grounds yesterday.
     
CHronicling America
14 August 1920, New York (NY) Tribune, “Dodgers Defeat Giants in First of Two-Game Series” by W. O. McGeehan, pg. 8, col. 1:
The first skirmish in the Battle of the Boroughs staged in a moist and acrimonious atmosphere at the Polo Grounds yesterday went to the Brooklyn Dodgers by the score of 4 to 2.
 
Chronicling America
15 August 1920, New York (NY) Tribune, “Giants Beat Dodgers in Ninth Inning of Riotous Game: by William O. McGeehan, pg. 16, col. 1:
The second skirmish of the Battle of the Boroughs ended in a ninth-inning victory for the Giants by the score of 7 to 6, after some of the wildest scenes that have been enacted at the Polo Grounds since Brush Stadium was tucked into the lee of Coogan’s Bluff.
 
Chronicling America
26 September 1920, New York (NY) Tribune, “Giants Smother Dodgers, 8-0” by W. O. McGeehan, pg. 20, col. 1:
The Giants won the first skirmish in the Battle of the Boroughs from Uncle Wilbert Robinson’s Dodgers at Ebbets Field yesterday afternoon by a score of 8 to 0.
   
12 August 1921, Daily News (New York (NY), “Giants and Dodgers Break Even,” pg. 20, col. 1:
The Battle of the Boroughs was resumed yesterday at the Polo Grounds.
 
Chronicling America
23 June 1922, New York (NY) Herald, “Brooklyn Wins First Skirmish from Giants at Polo Grounds, 3 to 2” by W. O. McGeehan, pg. 12, col. 1:
The first skirmish in the Battle of the Boroughs which is being waged with no quarter given on either side, in the lee of Coogans Bluff was won by the Dodgers yesterday by the tight score of 3 to 2.
 
New York (NY) Times
GIANTS ARE VICTORS OVER ROBINS, 12-5; Take Tenth Game Out of Twelve Played With Brooklyn Team This Season.
24 June 1924
The once bitter battle of the boroughs has dissolved into a rout. The Giants, who for years have held only one side of the East River, are now in full control on both banks. They completed the subjection of the Brooklyn side yesterday when they defeated the Robins in their own stronghold, 12 to 5.
       
Twitter
Cameron Sinclair
@casinclair
Great to see Jay-Z bring a sports team to Brooklyn. can’t wait to see the Knicks/Nets battle of the boroughs rivalry begin.
9:13 PM - 26 Sep 2011
   
Twitter
Chevy
@ItsChevBoy
In a couple years the Knicks and Nets rivalry is going to wicked.  They should name it “The Borough Battle” or “The Battle of the Boroughs”
8:44 PM - 3 May 2012
   
Twitter
President Dumbfuck
@2feryou
Replying to @HowardBeck
@HowardBeckNYT Cant wait to read Nets stories should be packed with drama “Basketball Battle of the Boroughs”.
11:52 AM - 27 Jun 2012
 
26 July 2012, The Wall Street Journal (New York, NY), pg. A15, col. 1:
battle of the Boroughs:
Nets Host Knicks First
By CHRIS HERRING
 
Gothamist
Nets Beat Knicks In OT To Win First Battle Of The Boroughs
By Derek Evers in News on November 26, 2012 10:22 PM
Forty-eight minutes wasn’t enough to settle the score between the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks, as the new rivalry lived up to its Battle of the Boroughs billing before a raucous crowd at the Barclays Center. The game ended regulation in an 84-84 tie, before the Nets took the first meeting—and city bragging rights—beating the Knicks 96-89.
 
Washington (DC) Post
Knicks, Nets: Battle of the boroughs goes to Brooklyn
Posted by Cindy Boren on November 27, 2012 at 9:27 am
The Rivalry — a k a, the Battle of the Boroughs — is off and running, a little late because of Hurricane Sandy.
 
Originally set for Nov. 1 in the new Barclays Center, the rescheduled game between the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets had plenty of panache, with politicos and football players and stars in the stands.
     
Grantland
We Went There: The Battle for New York 
NOVEMBER 27, 2012
by BEN DETRICK
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Even in a showdown billed as the “Battle for New York” or the “Clash of the Boroughs” or “A Bunch of Professional Athletes Who Live in Westchester Playing for Franchises Across the Bridge From Each Other,” most Nets fans aren’t emotionally invested enough to curse at every miss.
 
Gothamist
Battle Of The Boroughs II: Will The Knicks Have Their Revenge On The Nets?
By Ben Yakas in News on December 11, 2012 1:15 PM
In the inaugural “Battle of the Boroughs” game last month, the Brooklyn Nets came away with a decisive overtime victory over the Knicks.
 
Gothamist
Battle Of The Boroughs IV: Can The Nets Even The Season Series?
By Ben Yakas in News on January 21, 2013 11:17 AM
So far, New York has been treated to three compelling, competitive games between the Knicks and Nets, who are battling for the top of the Atlantic Division. The Knicks have a 2-1 season series lead coming into this afternoon’s fourth and final “Battle Of The Boroughs” showdown (or as we like to think of it, “Battle Of The Boroughs: Zoso”).
 
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Word Mark BATTLE OF THE BOROUGHS
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