The 1920's was a transition period for many sports. It wasn't anything like todays athlete's making big money, using steriods, or promoting a medifast diet. Sports that had up until that time been largely amateur events caught the eye of promoters who could see an opportunity to capitalize and make money. The professional football league, golf tours, and tennis circuit were organized. Media publicity ensured large crowds and guaranteed the financial success of the ventures, allowing new stadiums to be built and providing steadily increasing salaries for the sports stars.
Babe Ruth, Red Grange, Jack Dempsey, Bill Tilden and Bobby Jones, were the so-called Big Five of sports. Red Grange NFL Hopeful People like Red Grange were an inspiration. No one gave him a chance to make the NFL, but he did and he excelled very highly. He became one of the most talked about football players of all time.There was no better time in history for sports to emerge. With the war hurting society, business people wanted to be inspired by individual stars. People rallied around their favorite athletes much like the way they rallied around the troops during war. As people were changing, as individuals and as a whole, sports took advantage of this and became a very important part of the 20’s…”The Golden Age of Sports”.
Jack Dempsey the heavy hand
Boxing in the 1920s was an exceptionally popular international sport. Many fights during this era, some 20 years away or so from the tv era, were social events with many thousands in attendance, both men and women.
World heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey dominated the sport through much of the decade. He won the title in 1919, keeping it until 1926. He lost the title to Gene Tunney in 1926, but many of his fights were historic, such as his defenses against Georges Carpentier, Luis Firpo and Tom Gibbons, a fight which almost left the town of Shelby, Montana bankrupt. His 1927 rematch against Tunney became known in boxing history as The Long Count Fight. Dempsey became a household name, and he dated and married Hollywood actresses.
Big Bill Wins Becomes First American to Win Wimbledon (1920)
William "Big Bill" Tatem Tilden II became the first American to win a Wimbledon title in 1920. He would recapture this title in 1921 and 1930 as well. Further expanding his list of victories, Tilden was crowned U.S. Champion on seven occasions. In later years, "Big Bill," who was also known for his "performances" on the court, became an actor, but was not as successful as he had been in his tennis career.
Babe Ruth Breaks Home Run Record (1927)
George Herman Ruth (1895 - 1948), often known to his fans as Babe Ruth, hit a total of 60 home runs in 1927. This record-breaker would remain a record itself until 1961, when Roger Eugene Maris (1934 - 85) hit 61 home runs. The record has since then been broken by Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs with 66 homers in 1998 and Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals with 70 in the same year. Ruth was born on February 6, 1895, in Baltimore, Maryland. He first committed to professional baseball at age 20 by playing with the minor-league Baltimore Orioles. He would later sign with the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. In 1919, as a player for the Red Sox, he hit 29 homers. He joined the Yankees in 1920 and hit 54 home runs that year. The next year, he increased to 59. He finally broke the old record in 1927 with 60. Babe Ruth, who earned more than $2 million in his career, was known by several other names as well. These included: the Bambino, the Behemoth of Bust, the Blunderbuss, the Colossus of Clout, the Mammoth of Maul, the Mauling Mastodon, the Mauling Monarch, the Prince of Powders, the Rajah of Rap, the Sultan of Swat, and the Wazir of Wham. Among all of his other accomplishments, this southpaw pitcher was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.
Bobby Jones
was an American amateur golfer, and a lawyer by profession. Jones was the most successful amateur golfer ever to compete on a national and international level. During his peak as a golfer from 1923 to 1930, he dominated top-level amateur competition, and competed very successfully against the world's best professional golfers. Jones often beat stars such as Walter Hagen and Gene Sarazen, the era's top pros. Funnily enough, golfing was not even Bobby's day job, his profession was a Lawyer, he retired from professional golf at 28.
The Negro National League was the first African-American baseball circuit to achieve stability and last more than one season. At first the league operated mainly in midwestern cities, ranging from Kansas City in the west to Pittsburgh in the east; in 1924 it expanded into the south, adding franchises in Birmingham and Memphis.
Teams in the league included:
Chicago Amerian Giants(1920–1931) — Known as the Chicago Columbia Giants in 1931.
Chicago Giants (1920–1921)
Cuban Stars(1920–1930) — Known as the Cincinnati Cubans in 1921.
Dayton Marcos(1920, 1926)
Detroit Stars(1920–1931)
Indianapolis ABCs (1920–1924, 1925–1926) — Dropped from league mid-season 1924 but returned the following season.
Kansas City Monarchs(1920–1931)
St. Louis Giants(1920–1921) — Replaced by St. Louis Stars in 1922, which was virtually the same team with new owners.
Columbus Buckeyes (1921)
St. Louis Stars(1922–1931) — Replaced the St. Louis Giants.
Cleveland Tate Stars (1922–1923) — Dropped out mid-season 1923.
Pittsburgh Keystones(1922)
Milwaukee Bears(1923)
Toledo Tigers (1923) — Mid-season replacement for Cleveland Tate Stars.
Birmingham Black Barons(1924–1925, 1927–1930) Cleveland Browns (1924) Cleveland Elites
Memphis Red Sox(1924–1925, 1927–1930) — Mid-season replacement in 1924 for Indianapolis ABCs.
Cleveland Elites (1926) — Closely related to both Cleveland Hornets and Cleveland Tigers.
Cleveland Hornets (1927) — Closely related to both Cleveland Elites and Cleveland Tigers.
Cleveland Tigers (1928) — Closely related to both Cleveland Hornets and Cleveland Elites.
Nashville Elite Giants(1930–1931) — Became Cleveland Cubs for 1931 season.
SPORTS THROUGH THE ROARING 20'S
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The 1920's was a transition period for many sports. It wasn't anything like todays athlete's making big money, using steriods, or promoting a medifast diet. Sports that had up until that time been largely amateur events caught the eye of promoters who could see an opportunity to capitalize and make money. The professional football league, golf tours, and tennis circuit were organized. Media publicity ensured large crowds and guaranteed the financial success of the ventures, allowing new stadiums to be built and providing steadily increasing salaries for the sports stars.
Babe Ruth, Red Grange, Jack Dempsey, Bill Tilden and Bobby Jones, were the so-called Big Five of sports.
Red Grange NFL Hopeful
People like Red Grange were an inspiration. No one gave him a chance to make the NFL, but he did and he excelled very highly. He became one of the most talked about football players of all time.There was no better time in history for sports to emerge. With the war hurting society, business people wanted to be inspired by individual stars. People rallied around their favorite athletes much like the way they rallied around the troops during war. As people were changing, as individuals and as a whole, sports took advantage of this and became a very important part of the 20’s…”The Golden Age of Sports”.
Jack Dempsey the heavy hand
Boxing in the 1920s was an exceptionally popular international sport. Many fights during this era, some 20 years away or so from the tv era, were social events with many thousands in attendance, both men and women.World heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey dominated the sport through much of the decade. He won the title in 1919, keeping it until 1926. He lost the title to Gene Tunney in 1926, but many of his fights were historic, such as his defenses against Georges Carpentier, Luis Firpo and Tom Gibbons, a fight which almost left the town of Shelby, Montana bankrupt. His 1927 rematch against Tunney became known in boxing history as The Long Count Fight. Dempsey became a household name, and he dated and married Hollywood actresses.
Babe Ruth Breaks Home Run Record (1927)
Ruth was born on February 6, 1895, in Baltimore, Maryland. He first committed to professional baseball at age 20 by playing with the minor-league Baltimore Orioles. He would later sign with the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. In 1919, as a player for the Red Sox, he hit 29 homers. He joined the Yankees in 1920 and hit 54 home runs that year. The next year, he increased to 59. He finally broke the old record in 1927 with 60.
Babe Ruth, who earned more than $2 million in his career, was known by several other names as well. These included: the Bambino, the Behemoth of Bust, the Blunderbuss, the Colossus of Clout, the Mammoth of Maul, the Mauling Mastodon, the Mauling Monarch, the Prince of Powders, the Rajah of Rap, the Sultan of Swat, and the Wazir of Wham. Among all of his other accomplishments, this southpaw pitcher was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.
Bobby Jones
was an American amateur golfer, and a lawyer by profession. Jones was the most successful amateur golfer ever to compete on a national and international level. During his peak as a golfer from 1923 to 1930, he dominated top-level amateur competition, and competed very successfully against the world's best professional golfers. Jones often beat stars such as Walter Hagen and Gene Sarazen, the era's top pros. Funnily enough, golfing was not even Bobby's day job, his profession was a Lawyer, he retired from professional golf at 28.The Negro National League was the first African-American baseball circuit to achieve stability and last more than one season. At first the league operated mainly in midwestern cities, ranging from Kansas City in the west to Pittsburgh in the east; in 1924 it expanded into the south, adding franchises in Birmingham and Memphis.
Teams in the league included: