Pitch, Punch and Throw: A History of Modern Sports in America, 1920-2020

A look at the culture of American sports as it shifted from boxing, horse racing, and baseball in 1920 to football and basketball by 2020
About this Event

In 1920, the most popular sports in America were horse-racing, boxing and baseball. In 2020, the most popular sports are basketball and football on both the college and professional levels. What has happened in sports and in American History that US culture has changed so markedly? In this set of 4 lectures, we will examine the decline of the first three as reflective of broad social changes in the mid-20th century. In contrast, we will look at the rise (most notably of college sports) as a catalyst for much bigger changes in education, work, industry, media, and the evolution of global sports such as the Olympics.