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A Brief History of Sports

Historians believe that humans have been participating in sport for almost as long as we have had societies. The oldest of these sports, dating back to over 30,000 years ago, are archery, wrestling, and running.

Every civilization has histories that include sport. Historians suggest that the origin of sport comes from non-sporting activities, such as hunting or war. These activities that had once been done for survival became more specialized as sports became more organized and regulated. The Greeks introduced the Olympics in 776 B.C. to celebrate individual excellence and cultural variety. Many of the sports performed at the original Olympics, such as wrestling, running and boxing, went hand-in-hand with military practice.

Sports Bring People Together
Modern sports cross all social and economic boundaries. Games like baseball and soccer are played throughout the world. The modern Olympics include games such as snowboarding, luge, women’s hockey, and softball, as well as the sports of the original games. Thousands of different sports are played around the world.

Sports can bring people together in many different ways. The most common way sports achieves this is through local sports teams. You may find yourself at a sporting event rooting for your city’s team alongside a person you have never met before. People sharing only a favored sports team or athlete may find themselves friends for the duration of a sporting event. Sports, likewise, bring people together through the rivalries between teams and players. Fans of opposing teams debate the merits of their teams through all forms of media, including the Internet and radio. Being part of a sports team, such as a company softball team or a member of a recreational basketball league, is another way that people bond through sports.

Popular sports in America include football, baseball, auto racing, and basketball. Other games such as soccer, and poker have seen a rise in popularity that has raised their profile in the sports landscape. Each of these sports has a long and rich history full of teams, athletes, and coaches that have greatly affected their game.

Ways to Improve Your Sports Knowledge
The best way to improve your knowledge of sports in general is to watch them on television. Most sports telecasts will have commentators who describe each play in great detail along with a color commentator who will recount the strategic implications of each play. Watching sports on television also allows you to see each sport in action and better understand the different positions and responsibilities of each player. It also helps to have a friend or family member with knowledge of the sport watch the game with you to answer any questions you may have. And it never hurts to ask questions.

The Internet is another great resource for improving sports knowledge. Every major sports organization has websites that explain the rules, history, and current state of the game. Other sites, will give you detailed statistics for teams and individual players. Along with the Internet, there are many books, including sports almanacs, which provide similar information.

Strange and Fun Facts About Sports
You can surprise your family and friends with lots of fun facts and strange information about sports.

For example, did you know…

• before the Notre Dame football team was called the Fighting Irish, they were known as the Notre Dame Catholics?
• close to 80 percent of people who watch the Super Bowl on TV do so simply to watch the commercials? 
• due to the differences in gravity between the earth and the moon, a home run hit on the moon could travel more than 900 feet?
• hockey pucks were originally made out of frozen cow dung and players weren't required to wear masks until 1959? 
• the first basketball net was a peach basket?
• the only two days of the year in which none of the four professional American sports leagues (National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Associations, and National Hockey League) play a game are the day before and the day after the MLB All-Star Game?
• three consecutive strikes in bowling is known as a "Turkey?"

Great Victories in Sports History
A cursory knowledge of sports should always include a list of plays and events that are almost universally remembered in American sports. Here is a short list of victories that have generated an incredible amount of discussion in sports:

• Boston Red Sox, Game 4, 2004 American League Championship Series: The Red Sox were down 3-0 in the series to the New York Yankees and trailing in Game 4 by one run in the bottom of the ninth inning when Dave Roberts stole second base and eventually scored the tying run. The Red Sox won the game in the twelfth inning. They would then win the next seven games in a row, three against the Yankees and four against the St. Louis Cardinals, to capture their first World Series since 1918.
  
  
• Doug Flutie’s Hail Mary: In 1984, Doug Flutie was the quarterback for the Boston College Eagles. On November 23, his team went to Miami to play the defending national champion Miami Hurricanes. After a back and forth game in near-hurricane weather conditions, Flutie’s Eagles took over the ball with 28 seconds left in the game, trailing 45-41. After completing two passes for 33 yards, Flutie had time left for one more play from the 48-yard line with 6 seconds left. Flutie scrambled and threw the ball downfield to an open receiver in the end zone as time expired.
  
  
• The Miracle on Ice: The Russian hockey team sent to the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York was considered one of the greatest hockey teams ever assembled.  The American team was seeded seventh out of twelve teams and did not feature a professional player. When the two teams met in the semi-finals, no one gave the American team a chance. No one told the American team though, and in one of the greatest upsets of all time, the Americans defeated the “Mean Red Machine” 4-3 on their way to winning the gold medal.