Q. Why are tennis balls fuzzy?
A. Fuzz on a tennis ball serves a functional purpose. The balls are made of a bouncy rubber and the fuzzy felt covering helps to make them softer, slows their speed in the air, and regulates their bounce, which is important as it gives the ball more surface for spinning which is a key part of the game.
Q. Who invented the game of horseshoes?
A. It is believed that Roman Legionaries invented horseshoe pitching while they occupied Britain. They already played the similar game of quoits which involves tossing a metal sphere at a peg which is a set distance away. Not having all the materials for quoits they took to pitching horseshoes which were readily available. In 1907 the World Horseshoe Association was formed and set down rules for tournament play and since then the game has grown worldwide.
Q. How long has boxing been around?
A. The earliest evidence of boxing dates back to ancient Egypt around 3000 B.C. As with many other sporting activities boxing was meant to show off a warrior’s battle skills. The sport was introduced by the Greeks to the ancient Olympic Games in the seventh century BC. Soft leather thongs were used to bind the boxer’s hands and forearms for protection.
Q. When was the first NASCAR race held?
A. The first NASCAR Strictly Stock Car race was held on June 19, 1949 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte North Carolina. The race ran 200 laps on a 0.75 mile dirt oval race track. 33-year-old Jim Roper of Halstad Kansas won the event in a Lincoln. It would be his only NASCAR win.
Q. What horse won the first Kentucky Derby?
A. Aristides, a three-year-old stallion was ridden by African American jockey Oliver Lewis and won the Churchill Downs classic’s first running in 1875. H. Price McGrath was his owner and Ansel Williamson trained the horse.
Q. What team won the first American Professional Baseball game?
A. On May 4, 1869 the Cincinnati Red Stockings beat the Cincinnati Great Westerners 45-9. This was the first game in which players received money for playing. Each player got two dollars for participating and winners divided a fifty dollar bonus.
Q. Where was the first basketball game played?
A. On Dec. 21, 1891, the first game of basketball was played at what is now Springfield College in Massachusetts. The game was invented by a Canadian, Dr. James Naismith, a versatile athlete, theologian, and physical education instructor.
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