“Losing is
the great
American
sin.”
– Jerome
Holtzman
SPORTS IN
AMERICA
Playing and watching sports are at the
center of American culture.
• The United States of America is
exceptional among the nations of the
world. Unlike most other countries,
there is no overarching ethnic or
religious affiliation that identifies one
as an “American.”
• Rather, what binds the more than
300 million Americans together is a
shared civic identity. Throughout
history, sports have played a crucial
role in helping to establish this
identity.
• It’s also a matter of pride for
Americans. The U.S. was the
underdog in the fight against the
British, and excelling at sports is
another way to prove ourselves. For
example, Americans are proud to
hold the record for the most Olympic
medals (2,549). Germany comes in
2nd with 1,099 medals.
Sports have shaped American history
• Lacrosse was one of many
varieties of indigenous
stickball games being
played by American Indians
at the time of European
contact.
• Americans took part in
sporting events as a way of
fostering ambition,
determination and
competition.
• After so much immigration,
sports soon became a way
to break down racial and
ethnic barriers.
Jackie Robinson
• Baseball was at the forefront • To put his achievement into
of the modern Civil Rights perspective, Robinson broke
movement. baseball’s color barrier seven
• Jackie Robinson entered the years before the Supreme
league with the Brooklyn Court ruled “separate but
Dodgers in 1947. Robinson’s equal” unconstitutional in
addition to the Dodger lineup Brown v. Board of Education.
was met with resistance by • Robinson was playing first
some of his teammates. base for the Dodgers a full 16
• Brooklyn manager Leo years before Martin Luther
Durocher told the Dodger King, Jr. gave his “I Have a
players that "I do not care if Dream” speech at the steps of
the guy is yellow or black, or if the Lincoln Memorial in 1963.
he has stripes like a zebra. I'm
the manager of this team, and
I say he plays.”
When do Americans start playing sports?
• As soon as they can walk!
(Peewee sports teams)
• School sports matches are
extremely popular in middle
school, high school (JV and
varsity) and college.
• High school statistics (Varsity):
– 128,000 football players
– 96,000 baseball players
– 94,000 track and field
– 86,000 soccer players
– 64,000 basketball players
– 50,000 cross country
– 40,000 swimmers/divers
What are sports at college like?
• In 2008, about 30,000-
70,000 people attended
every “home” football
game (depending on the
team).
• About 5,000-15,000
people attended “home”
basketball games.
• Because of the popularity
of sports, schools often
go out of their way to
recruit new talent.
Professional Sports
• American Football is the
most popular team sport in
the states.
• In 2010, 152 million
Americans watched the
Super Bowl ( and drank
about 1,236,900,000 liters
of beer!).
• The Super Bowl is the most
watched sporting event in
the world.
• Soccer attendance in Spain
is about 29,000 each game.
American football stadiums
have about 80,000 each
game.
Origin of Football
• The history of American football
can be traced to early versions of
rugby and association football.
• Both games have their origins in
varieties of football played in the
United Kingdom in the mid-19th
century, in which a ball is kicked
at a goal and/or run over a line.
• Many games known as "football"
were being played at colleges and
universities in the United States in
the first half of the 19th century.
• The National Football League
(professional league) began in
1921.
America’s Favorite Pastime
• Baseball is the second
most popular team sport
in the U.S.
• About 32,000 people go to
each Major League
baseball game.
• Over the last century,
more people have
attended Major League
Baseball games than any
other sporting event in
the world (over 73 million
people).
Origin of Baseball
• The earliest known mention of baseball
in the United States was a 1791
Massachusetts law banning the game
within 73 meters of the any meeting
house.
• Another early reference reports that
"base ball" was regularly played on
Saturdays in 1823 on the outskirts of
New York City in an area that today is
Greenwich Village.
• The National Association of Base Ball
Players (NABBP) was formed in New
York in 1857.
• The Civil War increased the game’s
popularity because the soldiers would
often play games while waiting for
orders.
• The Major League was born in the early
1900s after combining many regional
leagues.
NBA Basketball
• Basketball is the third most
popular professional sport in
the U.S.
• The NCAA Men’s Basketball
Championship is the most
watched indoor sporting event
in the world (73,000 average
attendants).
• NBA basketball events are less
popular. Professional
basketball tournaments rank
7th on the international list of
highest attendance at indoor
sporting events (18,000
average).
Origin of Basketball
• The first game of basketball was • The NBA was formed
played in 1982 at a YMCA in
Springfield, Massachusetts.
after several leagues
• The inventor of basketball, Dr. merged in 1949.
James Naismith, was actually
Canadian. He worked at the
YMCA, and the game spread
through this network like wildfire.
• The game was originally played
using a peach basket as a hoop.
• The sport caught on faster among
women than men.
• Due to its popularity among
youth, basketball quickly became
an important college sport, and
the NCAA took over in 1893.
Other popular sports
• Hockey •Gymnastics
• NASCAR and Indy car •Golf
racing (Indianapolis •Swimming/Diving
stadium can fit 400,000 •Horse racing
people!) •Martial Arts
• Soccer •Boxing
• Lacrosse •Wrestling
How do people play sports/exercise on
their own?
• Walking and running • The average cost of a gym
(90 million) membership is about 40
• Daily gym (53 dollars (27 euros) per
million) month.
• Swimming (52 • Another option is the many
million) national and state parks.
• Bowling (43 million) People often go running,
biking or walking there.
• Cycling (37 million)
• Fishing (35 million)
• Weightlifting (30
million)
• Aerobics (30 million)
• Hiking (28 million)
