Sports in America in the 1950s

Prosperity after World War II gave Americans more leisure time to enjoy sports. Also helping sports' popularity were technological advances, including the growth of television coverage, improved airline service that prompted professional leagues to expand westward and improved equipment such as the automatic pinsetter in bowling alleys. Professional sports increasingly became more racially integrated.

  1. Baseball

    • The birth of the Jet Age took professional baseball from a very popular, yet provincial game to our national pastime. When the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants took their rivalry from the boroughs of New York to the West Coast after the 1957 season, the game became a ubiquitous and symbolic image of American pride.

    Football

    • In what has been coined "the greatest game ever," the Baltimore Colts defeated the New York Giants 23-17 in overtime of the 1958 NFL championship game, helping the pro game achieve unprecedented popularity. In the college game, the Oklahoma Sooners dominated the decade, going 93-10-2.

    Basketball

    • Athletic big men like Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell revolutionized the college game. As a professional, Russell helped the Boston Celtics begin an area of domination that started with the 1956-57 NBA title.

    Boxing

    • Rocky Marciano retired in 1956 as the only heavyweight boxer to finish a career undefeated (49-0), and Sugar Ray Robinson won an unprecedented five middleweight championships.