What were sports like in the 1940's?

Question

As an example, what sports were available for participation? Information of any kind or websites would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

I think we'd have to split that up. Obviously, World War II had a huge effect on sports. There wasn't much leisure time or manpower available, so sports weren't much of a factor.

So, let's talk about the latter half of the decade. Baseball exploded in popularity, partly fueled by the Dodgers' decision to break the color line and sign Jackie Robinson. That changed everything. Baseball suddenly could include everyone. Attendance rose quickly as people had more time for recreation. College football was doing well in several parts of the country, particularly in the East. Horse racing was very popular. Tennis and golf were "country club sports," but had a following and were covered by the media of the time in part because the owners (especially newspaper) often followed them.

Pro football was still in its relative infancy. The NFL survived through the war, but got a challenge in 1946 in the All-American Football Conference. Those two leagues merged in 1950. Pro basketball was just sorting itself out. Hockey had four American teams and two Canadian ones, and really wasn't on anyone's radar unless he or she lived close to the border (Boston, New York, Detroit, Chicago).

And, of course, television was barely on the air and had virtually no effect on sports.