Sports ManiaSports Mania

By: Brian Tang, Samuel So, By: Brian Tang, Samuel So, Desmond Wong, Trevor FungDesmond Wong, Trevor Fung

Why Sports Became PopularWhy Sports Became Popular

• New laws limiting working hours and increased New laws limiting working hours and increased national productivity led to significant increases national productivity led to significant increases in people’s leisure time and income. People filled in people’s leisure time and income. People filled their leisure hours with new forms of their leisure hours with new forms of entertainment, and sports became a national entertainment, and sports became a national passion.passion.

• Radio became a national past time, and many Radio became a national past time, and many people would gather in the living room to listen to people would gather in the living room to listen to sports.sports.

Sports That Became Sports That Became PopularPopular

• American Football GolfAmerican Football Golf

• Baseball Swimming Baseball Swimming

• Boxing TennisBoxing Tennis

American FootballAmerican Football

• Back then, American Football was often thought of as Back then, American Football was often thought of as dangerous and violent. This was because of two dangerous and violent. This was because of two reasons. First, the equipment the players had were very reasons. First, the equipment the players had were very flimsy and weak. Second, the rules were a lot different. flimsy and weak. Second, the rules were a lot different. For example, back then they allowed holding, which For example, back then they allowed holding, which meant that players could grab and throw each other to meant that players could grab and throw each other to the ground. the ground.

• There was a lot of gambling and drinking associated There was a lot of gambling and drinking associated with American Football, which sometimes put it in a bad with American Football, which sometimes put it in a bad light.light.

• Blacks had to form their own league, because there was Blacks had to form their own league, because there was still a lot of racial discrimination back then.still a lot of racial discrimination back then.

BaseballBaseball

• Baseball in the 1920s were characterized by new Baseball in the 1920s were characterized by new game strategies, equipment, and ball parks. game strategies, equipment, and ball parks.

• Baseball was so popular that it became known as Baseball was so popular that it became known as America’s pastime. America’s pastime.

• It became so popular because new innovations It became so popular because new innovations enabled people to build huge ballparks, and also enabled people to build huge ballparks, and also because radio broadcasting became very popular in because radio broadcasting became very popular in baseball games.baseball games.

• Baseball in the 1920s was known as the end of the Baseball in the 1920s was known as the end of the dead-ball era, which was characterized by low-dead-ball era, which was characterized by low-scoring games and a lack of home runs.scoring games and a lack of home runs.

BoxingBoxing

• Boxing in the 1920s produced two of the greatest Boxing in the 1920s produced two of the greatest fighters of all time: heavyweight Jack Dempsey fighters of all time: heavyweight Jack Dempsey and light-weight Benny Leonard. Before World War and light-weight Benny Leonard. Before World War I, boxing was in a bad light, because it was I, boxing was in a bad light, because it was practiced by rough people in saloons and attracted practiced by rough people in saloons and attracted spectators of the same type. After the war, boxing spectators of the same type. After the war, boxing rules were tightened and it was brought under rules were tightened and it was brought under control, in an attempt to eliminate gambling in the control, in an attempt to eliminate gambling in the sport. Because of all this, boxing became a sport. Because of all this, boxing became a popular sport for both the privileged class and the popular sport for both the privileged class and the common man.common man.

GolfGolf

• Like all the other sports in America during Like all the other sports in America during the Roaring Twenties, golf experienced a the Roaring Twenties, golf experienced a huge increase in popularity. Weekend huge increase in popularity. Weekend golfers doubled between 1916 and 1920 to golfers doubled between 1916 and 1920 to one-half million. Because of golf’s increasing one-half million. Because of golf’s increasing popularity, many new golf courses had to be popularity, many new golf courses had to be constructed. In the past golf was viewed as constructed. In the past golf was viewed as a sport for the upper classes, but now it a sport for the upper classes, but now it appealed more to the middle classes appealed more to the middle classes because they were enjoying more leisure because they were enjoying more leisure time than ever before. time than ever before.

SwimmingSwimming

• In the Roaring Twenties, many ethnic associations In the Roaring Twenties, many ethnic associations and settlement houses had built swimming pools and settlement houses had built swimming pools and established competitive swim programs.and established competitive swim programs.

• The Illinois Athletic Club (IAC) dominated The Illinois Athletic Club (IAC) dominated competitive U.S. swimming for the next ten years. competitive U.S. swimming for the next ten years. It was known for producing some of the world’s It was known for producing some of the world’s greatest swimmers, including Johnny Weissmuller, greatest swimmers, including Johnny Weissmuller, Sybil Bauer and Ethel Lackie.Sybil Bauer and Ethel Lackie.

• By the late 1920s, the Illinois Women's Athletic By the late 1920s, the Illinois Women's Athletic Club (IWAC), founded by Bertha Severin in 1918, Club (IWAC), founded by Bertha Severin in 1918, was dominating women's swim competition as was dominating women's swim competition as well.well.

TennisTennis

• In the Roaring Twenties, male tennis players In the Roaring Twenties, male tennis players wore what can be compared to business suits wore what can be compared to business suits of today. Female players often wore of today. Female players often wore sleeveless shirts with skirts which were knee sleeveless shirts with skirts which were knee length.length.

• Bill Tilden and Helen Wills were the two Bill Tilden and Helen Wills were the two influential figures in America and abroad. The influential figures in America and abroad. The pair were role models to American citizens, pair were role models to American citizens, who were flocking to tennis courts in who were flocking to tennis courts in unprecedented numbers.unprecedented numbers.

BibliographyBibliography

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-twenties-sports-twenties-sports>>• Redneckrabbit01. “1920s boxers.” Apr. 2009 <http://redneckrabbit01.glogster.com/1920s-boxers/>Redneckrabbit01. “1920s boxers.” Apr. 2009 <http://redneckrabbit01.glogster.com/1920s-boxers/>• ""Boxing." Boxing." American DecadesAmerican Decades. 2001. The Gale Group, Inc. . 2001. The Gale Group, Inc. Encyclopedia.com.Encyclopedia.com. 24 Jan. 2010 24 Jan. 2010

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http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5087/http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5087/>>• ““Baseball in the 1920s.” 2007 <http://www.baseballgenie.com/baseball-history/baseball-in-the-1920-Baseball in the 1920s.” 2007 <http://www.baseballgenie.com/baseball-history/baseball-in-the-1920-

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<http://swimming.about.com/od/swimhistoryandstars/a/pa_ederle.htm><http://swimming.about.com/od/swimhistoryandstars/a/pa_ederle.htm>All picturesAll pictures• http://images.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wihttp://images.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi