Popular Sports in the 40's

Sports during the 1940s were influenced a great deal by World War II. People flocked to baseball stadiums to see their favorite players or teams play. They were able to escape the realities of the world and the war for a few hours as they cheered on their team and celebrated with the thousands of other fans who were also trying to "escape" reality. Besides baseball, other popular sports in the decade were boxing, football and basketball.

  1. Baseball

    • With the war threatening the 1943 baseball season, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt took action and hired P.K. Wrigley to do something to keep the game going. Wrigley hired women players to start an All American Women's League. The game was almost as popular as the Major League Baseball and lasted from 1943 to 1954. But that wasn't the biggest thing to happen in baseball in the decade -- during the 1940s Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier and joined the Brooklyn Dodgers, making him the first African American player to play in Major League Baseball.

    Boxing

    • Boxing in the 1940s was almost as big as baseball. With televisions becoming increasingly popular, many people would watch fights at home. Joe Louis, Beau Jack, Bob Montgomery and Sugar Ray Robinson were just some of the boxing legends who came out of this decade. Just like baseball players, boxers were not above being drafted, including Louis, Jack and Montgomery. Louis held the title from 1937 to 1949 before Robinson knocked him off his throne.

    Basketball

    • The 1940s was a big decade for basketball. Because of the height of most of its players, they were not drafted for the war; therefore, basketball thrived while other sports fought for survival without their best players. The Basketball Association of America joined with the National Basketball League in 1949 to form the National Basketball Association, or the NBA as it is known today. College basketball was also popular in the 1940s, but it was hit hard with gambling scandals.

    Football

    • The sport of football changed immensely in the 1940s, which added to the popularity. Free subs were added to the rules in 1941, which allowed players to get breaks during games instead of playing offense and defense all game. This allowed for more skilled players to play positions. The color barrier in football was also broken in the 1940s. Playbooks became much more extensive and games became more exciting. Fans began to flock to football games much like baseball.