The Role Of Sports In The 1950s

Sports were as popular as ever in the 1950s. Baseball and boxing were huge, while football and golf were growing. The 50s produced its share of remarkable athletes, stellar teams and history making sports events that grabbed everyone’s attention. The 1950s were also a time of comfortable prosperity and the economy was back on track.

Although sports in the 1950s were not a new thing, there are a few key players as to why they became as popular as they are today. The few key players include the first colored T.V., which was introduced in 1953. In the 1950s, America’s economy was back in motion. “After the hardships caused by both WWII and Korea, the American people were enjoying a time of growth. Workers were saving time on the job because of

Some of the major highlights from this decade include, in 1950, “female tennis wonder Althea Gibson became the first black player to participate in the U.S. National Championships and was the first black woman to win the tennis Grand Slam.” (Fisk, Judy). “Also, in college football, the Oklahoma Sooners won three national championships over the course of the decade. The team was undefeated from 1953 to November 1957.” (Fisk, Judy). “In 1958, baseball player, Jackie Jensen peaked as a major-leaguer, winning the American League MVP. His success convinced Jensen to skip his senior year and accept a $40,000 bonus to play for the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League. ‘Who knows how long he might have gone,’ George I. Martin said, ‘but what matters is how far he went and that he found a life beyond baseball.” (Ebsco). Also, in 1954, 16 year old, Marilyn Bell, swam across Lake Ontario.

In the 1950s, the colored T.V. helped people so they could watch their favorite sports at their own home in color, instead of black and white. “October 3, 1951 marked the first coast-to-coast television broadcast of a baseball game” (Fisk,Judy). “In 1950, the Los Angeles Rams became the first team in the National Football League to arrange for all of their games, both home and away, to be televised.” (Fisk, Judy). Also, in 1951, the first flash camera was invented which helped enjoy sports, in a way that anyone could go watch their favorite sports and get good quality pictures during the day or at