Jim Thorpe is perhaps one of the best athletes the world has ever seen. His accomplishments throughout his life are records that might not ever be broken. He set the standard for being a prime example for an athlete in even the modern period we have today.
On May 28, 1888 in Prague, Ok, an amazing athlete was born. He was born by the name of James Francis Thorpe, son of Hiram Thorpe and Mary James, a Pottawatomie Indian. He lost both parents at a young age. Jim Thorpe was actually born a twin, but his brother, Charley Thorpe died at the age of nine to pneumonia. He learned to hunt and trap prey at an early age developing his legendary endurance. He would also run a twenty-mile route run to and from school. Later on in his bright path, he
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In 1913, the glorious wins that he had accomplished were compromised when it came out that Thorpe played semi-professional baseball for two seasons. During this time, the Olympic committee had some very strict rules about receiving compensation (money) for playing in any professional athletic event. Asked for his response by the Amateur Athletic Union, Thorpe wrote, "I hope I will be partly excused by the fact that I was simply an Indian schoolboy and did not know all about such things. I was not very wise in the ways of the world and did not realize this was wrong." Even though Thorpe told the judges of the Olympics that he only played for the love of the game, and not for the money, he was put on very close watch with the judges. Under further review of the problem, the Olympic officials took away his gold medals after an absolutely stunning performance in both track and field events in the 1912 Olympics. Foolishly, his name was removed from all record books essentially being robbed of his high achievements. Thorpe endured many hardships being a product of a multiracial marriage. During the prime of his career many racial issues had risen. Sometimes it is even suggested that he was stripped of his medals due to his …show more content…
In 1913 Thorpe married his college sweetheart, Iva Miller with whom he had four children. Thirteen years later he married again to Freeda Kirkpatrick but due o drinking problems he soon got a divorce. Together they have four sons. Lastly from 1945 and up until the time of his death, Jim Thorpe had been married to Patricia Askew. After his athletic career, Thorpe struggle to provide for his family during the time of the Great Depression. Thorpe was accredited to have appeared in at least sixty films from 1931 to 1950. However, he found it very hard to work in a job that was not related sports and could not hold a job for an extended period of time. In the early 1950s he ran out of money. He was later then admitted into a hospital for lip cancer as a charity
During his football career he wasn't allowed into hotels and other racists things happened just because he's black. But that didn't change how he played football. His teammates also didn't prefer to use his color as an "identity" for
Some of the greatest athletes of all time are African-American. But African American athletes should be know for more than just their accomplishments on the field or court, but more for what they have done to society. Many African-Americans athletes were great civil rights leaders. Many of them succeeded more as leaders than they did as athletes. One person who is very important to the African-American sports community is Jack Johnson.
1. Jim Thorpe; has been characterized as one of the greatest athletes America has ever seen. Thorpe was born on May 28, 1887 in a single room cabin in small town Oklahoma, Prague. Jim attended school at an all indian establishment in Pennsylvania, although he began his athletic career somewhere else. He began playing football and running track.
Thorpe’s jump also earned him a spot on the school’s track team, and he was soon winning events in the high jump,
Among many common issues that consume the world today, race is one that has been around for generations. Jesse Owens, a four time Olympic Gold Medalist in track and field, knows about this issue all too well. While attending college at Ohio State University he tied a world record and broke three others. In the 1936 Berlin Games, he broke or equaled 9 Olympic records and set three world records. Outside of track and field, however, Owens was the grandson of slaves and had endured racial battles his entire life.
Thorpe let nothing stop him even if people were dragging him down he still strived for a greater and better future for himself and his race. When the team got to the olympics Thorpe blew away the competition winning the pentathlon and the decathlon setting records that would stand for decades, all the hard work and early and long training days paid off. To me Jim Thorpe is a hero and a legend, Jim was an outstanding athlete and man on and off the field. In 1913 his olympic medals were at high risk when the olympic committee found out he played 2 years of semi professional baseball.
Throughout chapters ten and eleven of Introduction to the Philosophy of Sport, Heather L. Reid addresses the many issues that arise between the relationship between virtues and sports. In particular, Reid states, “It is characteristic of sport that we want to know not just who won but also whether they deserved to win” (Reid, 140). The emphasis on the “deserving” to win closely ties with ethics, assuming that only virtuous people “deserve” to win. What grabbed my attention even more was Reid’s next statement regarding immoral actions that occur outside of the arena of sport: “The detection and punishment of cheaters is (at least presented as) a priority, and even immoral actions that have nothing to do with sport can tarnish an athlete’s image and detract from his or her results” (Reid, 140). I agree with Reid’s proposal that an athlete’s reputation can easily be affected by actions irrelevant to his or his sport.
Jesse “J.C” Owens, the son of a sharecropper and grandson of a slave, is a renowned and popular historical figure. He is treated with awe for his physical accomplishments as a record-breaking Olympic champion, but he is also recognized for overcoming the humiliating and abusive treatment he encountered while working towards this goal. Owens was born on September 12, 1913 in Alabama, as the tenth and final child of Mary and Henry Owens. When he was young, Owens suffered from a severe lung disease, pneumonia (Israel 5), however he still managed to swim and fish, and develop a love for running (Israel 6). Owens did not officially attend elementary school, but he did attend Cleveland East Technical for his high school years where he met a coach
Football Segregation in the 1920s In the 1920s, there was a great demand for entertainment, especially with the improvements of the middle class and the development of disposable income and leisure time. With entertainment came sports, and with sports came racism. Many sports, football in particular, was on the edge about being segregated or not.
Willie Mays was a famous professional baseball player for the New York Giants. Mays was a good man who was the youngest black player ever signed by the major league, 1950, this happened a couple years after he graduated. Willie Mays was an impeccable baseball player who was famous for “the catch”. His parents were very athletic and were only in high school when he was born so they played sports and catch with him when he was very young. He has been on many baseball teams and has made over 600 home runs in the time he has played.
Unbroken is a biography by Laura Hillenbrand about Louie Zamperini’s entire life. Louie Zamperini is a son of Italian Immigrants that moved to Torrance, California. He starts out as a problem child that would steal, drink and smoke, but he eventually straightens out through sports and became an Olympian later in life. After he went to the Olympics, he gets drafted into World War 2.
Jim Brown still has records that stand today even though he retired in his prime. Jim Brown, pro football hall of famer, actor and CEO has had tremendous life and influenced many people. Jim Brown has helped or saved many lives by giving them the tools and knowledge to fit in society. Jim Brown has had a remarkable influence on young black lives. Jim has impacted so many lives through his career by educating young lives, fixing lives and inspiring people.
George Washington Carver was a great man with many beneficial accomplishments. Carver's life was not all smooth sailing, he worked hard and earned all of his success. His main goal was always to help others. He was motivated by many different things in his life. Carver’s long hours dedicated to helping others benefited many people.
The world’s greatest female athlete is a lot more than what she seems. She has done several remarkable things, other than winning the Olympics many times. She is much more than an amazing person and lots of people do not even know. Jackie Joyner-Kersee has won several honors in the Olympics. That is what most people know about her, and it is amazing but she has done more.
The argument made by these two professors state that Division 1 players qualify as employees under Federal Labor Laws. Since players are under this law, the McCormick’s feel players should get financially compensated due to the physical rigors and balance education simultaneously (Cooper, 2011). It’s unbelievable how this couple thinks Division 1 athletes should get paid. The privilege to attend a university that is costly on full scholarship should be more than enough. Furthermore, student-athletes received stipends as an allowance assist with their livelihood.