In Wartime: Famous Sports During WW2

In the darkest days of the war, when the world was in commotion, fuel and food were scarce, and people took to sports to lift their morale. The role of sports played a huge role to keep the world’s civility intact. Below are the sports the thrived during World War 2.

Boxing

Boxing was hugely popular. Joe Louis won a rematch against heavyweight champion German Max Schmeling in 1938. Joe Louis was drafted and spent the war giving boxing exhibitions in bases around the country.

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Baseball

During the war, American sports took a huge hit. Months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, automobile sports like racing were suspended to save on gas and rubber rationing.

Major League Baseball commissioner Judge Kenesaw asked President Roosevelt if the sport will be cancelled as well. To maintain good public morale, Roosevelt decided to continue funding the sport. There were many top talented players that lost their lives during the war, but many more stepped up.

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Football

During this time, college football was more popular than the professional game. Thousands of college players, though, got drafted to serve the whole country instead of just their alma mater.

Hi I’m John Eilermann. I love sports. My father served in the military during WW2. Visit my Twitter page to know more about me.

The Striker’s Striker: Jurgen Klinsmann

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Jurgen Klinsmann was the head coach of the United States men’s national soccer team. That was his last gig. He has also been a football manager in Germany. But for a host of German fans, he will always be the quintessential football striker.

Klinsmann’s athletic prowess combined with his keen sense of the goal and his killer instinct make for the perfect striker. Just like the perfect predator or assassin, Klinsmann utilized all these abilities and struck into the hearts of opponents’ defenses time and time again. The first time he suited up for the West German team was in 1987. Upon his retirement, Klinsmann had 108 caps, which was 4th overall. He also scored 47 goals in the highest levels of competition for the national team, which was good enough to put him in 4th place alongside Rudi Voller.

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He won the 1990 FIFA World Cup with the West German team besting the Diego Maradona-led Argentina, and six years later, led the German team to the UEFA European Championship. He scored in all the major international tourneys that he played in, and in 1995, was third overall for the FIFA World Player of the Year.

In 2004, Klinsmann received yet another honor, when FIFA recognized him as one of the 125 Greatest Living Footballers. That in itself is a testament to the legendary striker that is Jurgen Klinsmann.

John Eilermann loves to discuss the German national football team. For more on Die Mannschaft, follow this Facebook page.