Ben Franklin's World is a production of the

O'Mohandro Institute.

Welcome to Ben Franklin's World,

podcast about early American history with Liz Covert.

The study of history is key to understanding who we are and how we can

affect the better future. Van Franklin's world will introduce you to historical people

and events that have impacted and, Liz Kovalar.

Hello and welcome to episode

187 of Ben Franklin's world,

the podcast dedicated to helping you learn more about how the people

and events of our early American past have shaped the present day world we live in.

Today we live in an American culture that is obsessed with sports.

To give you just two examples, the National Football League sees an average of over 67,000 fans attend each of its games.

Major League Baseball sees an average of more than 30... fans attend each of its games.

Major League Baseball sees an average of more than 30,000 fans attend each of its games.

And this is to say nothing of the millions of Americans who watch these sports on television or online or listen to them on the radio.

Or the millions of Americans who prefer things like hockey, basketball, swimming, and all sorts of other sports.

So how did we become such super sports nuts?

And when did the business of professional sports become a thing in the United States. Early American history has answers for us, as does

Kenneth Cohen, a curator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History and the author

of They Will Have Their Game. Sporting Culture and the author of They Will Have Their Game, Sporting Culture and the Making of the American

Republic.

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