Ted Kennedy: Boston Sports Loses a Devoted Fan

Aug. 27, 2009 -- The only thing that the late Sen. Ted Kennedy may have loved more than serving the people of Massachusetts was cheering on their sports teams.

At Fenway Park Wednesday night, a moment of silence was held to honor the longtime Red Sox fan.

"He was a passionately devoted fan for more than 70 years," Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said in a pregame speech. "Think of the seasons, the games, the players he watched. One can safely say that, across the country and the world, as with our club and with Fenway Park itself, all knew him, nearly all loved him, and, whether or not he was their 'team,' all admired and respected him."

Watch ABC News' special "Remembering Ted Kennedy."

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After his hospitalization in May 2008, he was photographed on a pier in a Red Sox cap and windbreaker before sailing in an annual race from Hyannis to Nantucket.

In April, Kennedy threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Fenway on Opening Day.

His enthusiasm for the New England Patriots went beyond normal fandom.

Bill Belichick, the normally stone-faced Patriots coach, became emotional at Wednesday morning's press conference. He said Kennedy would often send him personal notes, congratulating him on the team's successes or offering encouragement when they faltered.

"He was a great senator from a great family. His leadership and courage were something I personally looked up to," Belichick said.

Before the 2008 Super Bowl, Kennedy bet Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., that the New York Giants would fold against the power of the Pats, according to the Albany Times-Union. New England lost, and Kennedy dutifully donned a Giants jacket in Schumer's office and bought lunch for the Brooklyn, N.Y., YMCA.

Ted Kennedy's Lasting Contribution: Title IX

His most lasting contribution to the sports world was off the field.

He was an ardent champion of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which sought to balance funds spent on men's and women's sports.

In June, Susan Rice, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, paid homage to the landmark education amendment.

"I played point guard for my high school basketball team at National Cathedral School in Washington," she wrote in a blog posted to Whitehouse.gov. "What I learned from my coaches and teammates extended well beyond the basketball court."

Ted Kennedy: Pro Football Player?

Kennedy credited Harvard University for fostering his lifelong love of football, as well as his passion for public service.

Harvard's football team has memorialized Kennedy by hanging his No. 88 jersey in the locker room.

In 1955, after a spectacular catch at the Yale Bowl, Kennedy caught the eye of Green Bay Packers head coach Lisle Blackbourne.

He told the Packers he was flattered to be considered as a pro prospect, but planned to attend law school and "go into another contact sport, politics."