The media had a big impact on sports in the beginning. The more a sport was televised or written on, the more people played it and the more popular it was.
Ice hockey in the 1960s for instance.
In 1960 the Olympics were in February in Squaw Valley, California, United States. There was a big controversy as to whether China, Taiwan, North Korea, and East Germany could participate or not because of the Cold War going on at the time.
In the 1960’s ice hockey was not a sport that everyone watched until the semifinal match in the winter olympics that year. The United States was playing the Soviet Union. At that time it was the most watched game and televised and covered by the majority of news stations and television stations. This was the first time the Olympics were being televised and viewed worldwide.
With the Cold War going on this game meant more to the country than just the game, but it still got everyone to watch the hockey game. With the will to win with the war going on with the Soviets they beat them in the semifinals. The Americans had never beaten the strong Soviets in a hockey game before.
The media was booming trying to get this match televised and covered because of all of the buzz going on with the war. This ultimately led to Americans knowing the sport of hockey better and having it part of their history. Twenty years later in 1980 came the “Miracle on Ice” team that also beat the Soviets. This game was also highly televised and watched but this game came first. This game helped television and news casts on sports to improve. Not only did they improve, but it helped people realize how entertaining they were and they were covered more often.
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