Popular Sports in America during the 1920s

I put this post together for my HIST 1302 course. It explains how in the 1920s the United States started becoming more and more the sports-crazy nation it is today.

The 1920s, often referred to as the Roaring Twenties, was a decade marked by significant economic growth, cultural change, and the rise of mass entertainment. Sports became a major part of American popular culture during this period. In fact, the current sports craziness of American society really began in the 1920s, with several sports gaining widespread popularity.

1. Baseball

Baseball was undoubtedly the most popular sport of the decade, often called “America’s Pastime.” The 1920s is considered the Golden Age of Baseball, with legendary players like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig making headlines. Babe Ruth’s power-hitting prowess changed the game forever, especially after joining the New York Yankees in 1920. Yankee Stadium, dubbed "The House That Ruth Built," opened in 1923, further cementing baseball’s dominance in American sports culture.

Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig at West Point, NY, 1927 (Click on photo for a better view)

2. Boxing

Boxing, sometimes called prize fighting, was immensely popular throughout the 1920s, particularly due to the charismatic Jack Dempsey, who held the heavyweight championship from 1919 to 1926. His fights attracted enormous audiences both in person and via radio broadcasts. The match between Dempsey and Gene Tunney in 1927, remains one of the most famous boxing events in history.

Jack Dempsey, c. 1921

3. College Football

College football was more popular than professional football during this era. Teams like Notre Dame, led by the iconic coach Knute Rockne and star player George Gipp, captured the nation’s attention. The use of radio broadcasts to cover games significantly increased the sport’s popularity, making it accessible to a nationwide audience.

4. Horse Racing

Horse racing continued to draw large crowds throughout the decade. The Kentucky Derby, in particular, was a highlight of the sporting calendar, with fans flocking to the tracks and placing bets. The excitement of betting on races contributed to the sport’s immense popularity.

Helen Wills, 1926

5. Tennis

Tennis saw considerable growth during the 1920s, especially thanks to players like Bill Tilden, who dominated the sport throughout the decade. Women’s tennis also gained attention, with stars like Helen Wills Moody emerging as champions.

6. Golf

Golf’s popularity soared, largely due to the success of outstanding players like Bobby Jones. Jones became the first golfer to win all four major championships in a single year (1930), an achievement known as the Grand Slam. The sport became more accessible to the general public during this time.

7. Basketball

Though not as popular as baseball or football, basketball was growing in popularity, particularly at the college level and within industrial leagues. The sport was still developing but laid the groundwork for its eventual rise to prominence.

8. Ice Hockey

Ice hockey began to gain traction, particularly in northern cities. The National Hockey League (NHL), founded in 1917, expanded its reach in the U.S. during the 1920s.

Conclusion

The 1920s saw sports become a central aspect of American culture, with advancements in radio broadcasting and media coverage helping to spread their appeal. Figures like Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey, and Bobby Jones became national heroes, showcasing how sports could captivate the public’s imagination.

Some Sources:

Davies, Richard O. Sports in American Life: A History. 3rd ed. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell, 2017.

Guttmann, Allen. Sports: The First Five Millennia. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2005.

One Fine, Lazy Summer Nearly Gone

It's August 10, 2025. Public schools and Amarillo College will begin a new year within days. Educators are reporting earlier than students. That means our lives are starting to get very busy again.

Nearing the end of our summer, I have to say it's been pretty nice for us the last several weeks. This year, it didn't come close to 100 degrees until a few days ago. (The last time Amarillo went a calendar year without reaching 100 was in 2015). Also, for this part of the country we've received a good bit of rain this year. I don't know the current statistics, but it's certain that we are way ahead for the amount of rainfall we usually see by early August. With the exception of Spring it hasn't been very windy this year, and the rain has come fairly consistently. All that to say, weatherwise it's been mild and pleasant in Amarillo. We really haven't seen many "dog days of Summer" like we sometimes do.

Back in June, we traveled up to Springfield, Illinois, where I conducted the wedding of the couple who live two doors down from us. We had never spent much time in "the Land of Lincoln." I got to see the

Lincoln Presidential Library. I also got to tour the Lincoln Home. It was the only house Abraham Lincoln ever owned.

More recently, we've spent some time eating out at local restaurants. A place called Hoffbrau Steak and Grill House has become a favorite of ours. We also watched a crime drama series on Netflix called Seven Seconds. It's dark, not exactly edifying, and not for the faint of heart. It kept us entertained over the course of several nights. Earlier in the summer, we went to see the latest Mission Impossible movie, The Final Reckoning, which was well worth it. I know, Tom Cruise seems awfully weird and even creepy to some people. But the guy is a bona fide movie star who goes all out when it comes to entertaining audiences. This latest of his is pure movie escapism at its best.

Starting back in late June, I began teaching a summer course in post-1877 American History. I met with students 9:30 to 11:20, Monday through Thursday. It was a relatively small class, about sixteen of them. 

Ever since I was in college, I've always enjoyed summer sessions. Not many people are on campus. The common extra-curricular activities aren't happening. So the whole thing feels both more relaxed and more focused on what we're presumably there to do. I like it. Last week was the sixth and final week. Nowadays, I'm getting a ten-day break before returning faculty have to report.

Back on the Fourth of July, the two of us went to a home game of the Sod Poodles, our very own Double-A baseball team. The Soddies won, and the concert and fireworks afterward were great. As it turned out, we had the chance to go to another game with a group from church on Sunday, July 13. A member of the congregation who's part of a law firm here in Amarillo managed to get us the firm's sky box, a great venue for the twenty or so people who went.

Oh, and back on August 3, we got to see Bachman-Turner Overdrive with opening act the Marshall Tucker Band. A friend was able to get tickets at his workplace. We got to share a nice dinner just before the show, which was really great. Randy Bachman is 81-years old these days and still touring. What a treat to see him perform.

It's been one fine, lazy summer.

On Baseball Cards, Babe Ruth, and the Bible

A few years ago, I came across what has to be one of the most interesting works of art in New York City. It's not at the Guggenheim or the Museum of Modern Art. (Hate to say it, but I've never been to either). No, this one is preserved in the rarefied air of the ESPN Zone.

Really.

It's a large mosaic that's made of baseball cards. But as it is with all mosaics, you don't see the baseball cards (tiles) when you first see this one. What you initially see is the big picture.

In this case the picture is the face of Babe Ruth. Only when you get closer do you realize that the Babe is depicted by a large number of creatively-placed cards. The effect is similar to that of a towering home run. It's fantastic. To get a taste of what I'm talking about, check out these photos.

Anyway, I've been reflecting lately about how a mosaic can resemble a piece of literature. I'm especially thinking about the books of the Bible. When a person first starts reading, he encounters it as a series of cards (each verse representing one card or tile, let's say).

Of course, this is true of any sort of reading. But people have ways of reading the Bible that don't match up with how they read anything else. I'm thinking about that method of Bible that study spends a lot of time looking at one or just a few verses. According to this method, the student will often skip from one verse to another verse found in a different book. The comparisons between the two passages seem very natural. In this method, a person or group might spend a half hour on one or two verses, with no big picture in sight.

Now, there's something to be said for this method. It can be engaging and instructive. Provided that it's governed by a healthy theology, it can itself be healthy. I've done some of this myself.

But there's also something to be said for looking at all the cards together at the same time in order to get the big picture. Of course, when it comes to Bible study, "the big picture" can refer to any one of a series found in ever-expanding frames. Some examples:

• A psalm or a parable can be the mosaic.
• So can a whole book, like Psalms or one of the Gospels.
• Old Testament scholars think that Deuteronomy through Kings (not counting Ruth) is a mosaic.
• New Testament scholars now treat Luke-and-Acts like one.
• Biblical theologians sometimes look at either the Old or the New Testament as a mosaic.
• Out from there, of course, is the Bible as a whole.

One problem that preachers and Bible teachers encounter is the challenge of teaching a text as it relates to and is informed by the larger whole. Let's face it, if a person preaches from, say, Romans chapter 5, there's a good chance that most of the audience will not hear the sermon in light of the whole letter.

However, allowing a passage to be heard in the context of the larger whole is next to impossible given the time limitations we've placed on Bible classes and sermons. A few tiles here. A few baseball cards there. Never the whole mosaic.

Something closely related is the ironic dearth of biblical knowledge in the U.S., including in our churches. Read some of the sermons that were preached many years ago. It's amazing to hear how often the preachers could make a passing reference, knowing that most listeners would either catch the allusion, or at least want to figure it out.

But before I get too far off the track here, I want to say that what I'm describing is a real problem. It has the potential to frustrate teachers of the Word and impoverish churches. Christians should work to overcome it. So here are some of my questions:

1. What are some of the ways that churches--parents, elders, preachers, ministers of education, etc., etc.--can effectively work to make sure that the church sees the big picture(s) of the Bible?

2. Who are some of the teachers who most effectively overcome the problem I've described here?

3. Of the different churches you've known, which one knew its Bible the best? Why were they more knowledgable than the other congregations?

Pedro Martinez pitches against the Braves, Friday, September 16th, Shea Stadium.

A Night to Remember

It was overcast and a little damp in Connecticut yesterday. Same thing in New York. So I had my doubts as I looked at the tickets for last night's game at Shea Stadium between the Mets and their great rivals, the Atlanta Braves.

"Who'll be pitching?," I wondered. With the Mets out of the hunt for the wildcard, maybe the names of two mediocre pitchers would help me decide against the risk of rain. But in a couple of clicks I knew, rain or shine, Ben and I would make it to that game. The likely starters? John Smoltz and Pedro Martinez.

I picked Ben up just as school was letting out. We made it to Queens by late afternoon, just in time to get a quick bite and get ourselves into the stadium.

As expected, both Smoltz and Martinez sat down most of the batters in short order (the game lasted barely 2 hours). But this was Pedro's night. Martinez completed eight shutout innings by striking out the side.

Then, with a pitch count over 100, Pedro returned to the mound for the top of the ninth. I could only imagine how his conversation had gone with Mets' manager Willie Randolph. Whatever was said, two thoughts prevailed: one, Martinez wanted to go the distance, especially in a shutout and, two, with a four-run lead, he should be given the chance.

In the ninth, a lead-off hit by the Braves' Rafael Furcal raised my fears. While trying to prove something, I thought, Pedro was running out of gas. The next batter, Marcus Giles also singled, sending Furcal to third. It was getting worse.

Next, with runners at the corners, the Braves' Chipper Jones came to the plate. Now, for folks who haven't followed the Mets through the years, Jones' appearance would seem daunting enough. But both the legend and the fact is that Chipper Jones stands out as the dasher of hope, many times the deciding difference in a victory over the Mets. This was high drama.

Martinez, clearly recognizing the stakes, threw a mix of pitches that culminated with a fastball in the low 90s. Jones struck out looking.

Just as I was sighing relief, I remembered that the next batter was the other Jones of the Braves: Andruw . . . with one of the best batting percentages in the National League . . . who's hit 50 homeruns so far this year. Pedro's solution? Again, a brilliant array of pitches that concluded with a 77 mph curveball that puzzled the power hitter. Andruw went down with a half swing. The word "magnificent" was invented for just such a performance. But it wasn't over.

Things got tense moments later when Adam LaRoche--whose three previous plate appearances accounted for 3 of Pedro's 10 strikeouts on the night--walked to load the bases. But with his 122nd pitch of the game, Martinez managed to get Jeff Francouer to fly out to left. Just like that, it was over.

We had watched as Pedro Martinez racked up his 17th career shutout, surpassed 200 strikeouts on the season, and moved into 14th place among all-time strikeout leaders. And it didn't rain a drop.