The Oklahoma Historical Society, with its affiliate, the Jim Thorpe Foundation, preserves and displays the former home of the 1912 Olympian containing exhibited artifacts from Jim Thorpe and his family.
The home offers tours.
The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum commemorates figures and processes crucial to or exemplary of Mississippi sportsmanship. Museum exhibit topics include sports broadcasting; Dizzy Dean (1910-1974), famed baseball pitcher; major sports figures; Mississippi Olympic medal winners; sports medicine; high school athletes; golf; soccer; baseball; and football. Several exhibits encourage active participation.
The museum offers an 11-minute introductory film, interactive and traditional exhibits, scavenger hunts for groups, and food service for groups. Reservations are suggested for groups of 12 or more. Advance notice is required for food service.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame commemorates athletes who have excelled in the sport of football, and presents the history of football in the U.S.
The hall offers self-guided tours, traditional and interactive exhibits, films, educational questionnaire booklets, educational programs in accordance with state educational standards, distance learning programs, seminars, teacher workshops, and a snack bar. Reservations are required for school groups. The website offers photographs, audio and video files, classroom activity suggestions by program, a teacher activity guide, and team activity guides.
The College Football Hall of Fame is located adjacent to the campus of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. The Hall of Fame seeks to honor the best college football players as well as promote the sport in general. At the Hall of Fame, visitors can view a variety of exhibits that give insight into the culture and history of the sport of football at the collegiate level.
The site offers a virtual tour, visitor information, an event planner and calendar, information on all inductees to the hall of fame, a gift shop, and an overview of the Hall of Fame's educational program, "Stay in Bounds."
Over 30 years, beginning in 1876, football evolved from a slight variation on rugby into (roughly) its present-day form. Along the way, spectators saw some plays that would baffle today's football fans. Choose the answer that best describes each play below.
1. a. Mass Plays, such as the "flying wedge" pictured here (invented in 1892 by a Harvard fan), were tremendously brutal and were soon outlawed. The rules were changed in 1894 so that no more than 2 players could go in motion before the start of the play. Also, the ball carrier's teammates were forbidden to push or pull him.
2. b. For a long time, goals scored more points than touchdowns. Touchdowns were more valuable as a means of getting a favorable placement for an unimpeded try at kicking a field goal. The defense would play in order to prevent a goal rather than defending against a touchdown, making the "dribble" a possible offensive strategy until it was made illegal in 1887. Note that the player holding the ball for the kicker (lying on the ground) in the illustration here had to keep the ball off the ground as the kicker prepared himself because as soon as the ball touched the ground, it was in play.
3. b. This method of putting the ball in play (known as a "fair," as opposed to the play known as a "fair catch," described in the other possible answer), proved too unruly and prone to "slugging" as the players massed together near the sideline. It was eliminated by requiring the referee to bring the ball out from the sideline and place it in the middle of the field.
4. True. When tackling below the waist down to the knees was allowed in 1888, the defense was strengthened and the offense therefore needed to be bolstered by the rules to keep the game balanced. To do this, the teammates of the ball carrier were allowed to "interfere" with (that is, move and block) the opposing team with their bodies (but not their hands and arms—note the illegal use of hands by the blockers in the picture) even after the ball had been snapped. Because these offensive players were in front of the ball after it had been snapped, any movement by them had previously been disallowed as "offsides play." The rule meant that the ball carrier could now run behind his teammates (who would block for him), and not (as in rugby) in front of them, ready to pass the ball back when he was about to be tackled.
5. True. The forward pass was not legal until 1906. Until then, a "pass" always meant the ball carrier's passing backwards. The extensive 1906 rule changes aimed to reduce violence and injury on the field, which had become pronounced, especially in the clash at the line of scrimmage. The changes were meant to "open up" the play. Most notable among the changes was the increase in the number of yards the offense had to advance in a series of downs from 5 to 10, and the allowing of forward passes, which was meant to spread out the players more. Oddly, many football pundits, when the rule was changed and for some time afterwards, did not think the forward pass would be popular. This was partly because, at first, the new rule stipulated that if the pass was incomplete, the ball had to be turned over to the opposing side, and partly because no one had figured out how to throw an effective, spiraled forward pass. The shape of the ball then evolved to make passes easier, becoming a little smaller and more pointed.
American football evolved from the English game of rugby. In 1876, a small group of athletic enthusiasts from Ivy League colleges met and agreed on a set of rules that allowed scoring for touchdowns as well as goals (rugby scored only goals), and established a line of scrimmage (giving one team clear possession of the ball).
Each new rule affected the game, sometimes in unpredictable ways, as revealed during play. This led to additional changes to balance the game. In 1882, for example, the team in possession of the ball was required to turn it over to the other team if they had not advanced the ball 5 yards in 3 downs (soon increased to 10 yards). This rule eliminated the "block game," in which a team held the ball for an entire half. A series of incremental changes over the decades increased the importance of touchdowns and decreased the importance of kicked goals.
Have you ever considered using sports as a window into local history? Your area might have a sports hall of fame or museum to explore, for field trips or primary and secondary sources. Type "sports" into the "Keyword" field in Museums and Historic Sites, or choose "Sports Museum" from the "Type of Museum Site" drop-down menu. Remember to also type in your state in the "State" field.
