20 Little-Known Facts About Sports, People and Places
Sports Trivia: Fun Facts About Your Favorite Games
1. The name “basketball” was coined by Canadian physical education instructor James Naismith in 1894 after he nailed a peach basket to the wall of his gym for students to shoot at with a soccer ball.
2. Soccer is known as football throughout most of the world except for North America, where it’s called soccer because British sailors brought the game to New York City in the mid-19th century and dubbed it “association football.”
3. Baseball has been played since ancient times but modern baseball originated in Cooperstown, New York, in 1839 when Abner Doubleday invented the sport using a round bat and an inflated rubber bladder covered with leather.
Little-Known Stories of Famous Athletes
4. Michael Jordan wore his University of North Carolina shorts underneath his Chicago Bulls uniform during every NBA game because they brought him luck.
5. Muhammad Ali once donned a fake beard and glasses disguise to sneak into the Olympic Village during the 1960 Rome games so he could meet his idol, wrestler Gorgeous George.
The History of Sports Around the World
6. Chess is considered a sport in many countries and has its own international governing body, the World Chess Federation (FIDE), which regulates tournaments and titles.
7. Sumo wrestling dates back centuries in Japan and is steeped in tradition, including elaborate ceremonies before each match and strict rules on behavior outside the ring.
Unusual Rules and Customs in Different Sports
8. In cricket, players can be out if they are caught offside or run out of their crease while attempting to score runs.
9. Rugby union has a unique scoring system that awards four points for a try, two for a conversion kick, three for a penalty goal, and five for a drop goal.
Incredible Feats and Records in Sports
10. Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile barrier in 1954, running the distance in 3 minutes and 59 seconds.
11. Usain Bolt holds the record for the fastest human ever timed at 27.8 mph over 100 meters.
People Behind the Scenes of Sports
12. Dr. James Andrews is one of the most famous sports surgeons in history, performing groundbreaking procedures on athletes from all walks of life.
13. Bob Costas has hosted more than 10 Olympics broadcasts and is considered one of the greatest sports broadcasters of all time.
Quirky Nicknames and Mascots in Sports
14. The San Diego Padres have a mascot named the Swinging Friar who dances around the stadium and entertains fans between innings.
15. The Philadelphia Phillies used to have a live bullpen coach dressed up like a pig named Phanatic who would dance and interact with fans.
Places Where Sports Are Played and Their Histories
16. Wimbledon tennis championships take place annually at the All England Club in London, which opened in 1868 and remains one of the most prestigious venues in sports.
17. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, built in 1909, is home to the Indy 500 race and is considered the birthplace of American motorsport.
Interesting Origins of Popular Sports
18. Volleyball was created in 1895 by William Morgan, a YMCA physical education director, as a way to combine elements of basketball, handball, and tennis.
19. Golf originated in Scotland in the Middle Ages and evolved from hitting rocks into rabbit holes with sticks to become one of the most popular sports in the world today.
Weird and Wacky Sports You’ve Never Heard Of
20. Underwater hockey is played with a puck on the bottom of a swimming pool and involves teams trying to score goals against each other using snorkels and fins.