Sports in the 1990s: era of technology, greed and perseverance and sports lighting decoration
The 1990s was the decade of technology. The sports world and its stars instantly came to everyone’s home and sports fans didn’t have to wait until the morning newspaper to see the results of the previous one or read about their favorite sporting event, team or player. With the click of a mouse and high-speed technology, sports news reached fans almost as quickly as it happened. Fans lit up their homes with sports-themed lighting decor. Additionally, television reached Americans 24 hours a day, seven days a week with the start and growth of cable television and 24-hour news, sports, and entertainment channels. American also enjoyed a decade of relative peace and prosperity, and the economy soared shortly after dot-coms and tech-related stocks. However, this created some challenges in the world of sports.
With this economic boost, athletes began to want more. They were able to move more freely between the teams that would pay them the most money and the success of a team was often judged by how much money the owners spent to get the best players than by the player himself. Fans began to support the uniform rather than the athletes themselves, as the athletes switched teams in the blink of an eye.
Michael Jordan became one of the richest athletes with his endorsement and sneakers. This made even freshman high school and college athletes want to get in on the act of making money. More children than ever left school early to play professional sports. And, for the first time in history, the World Series was canceled over discussion about how to spend the billions of dollars that sports owners were hoarding for themselves.
The scandal also affected athletes and Americans alike. The decade saw former football running back OJ Simpson running for the law and former boxer Michael Tyson enraged inside a jail cell. You saw President Clinton fight Monica Lewinsky. This brought to light the racial problems that still persist in the world of sports. The uproar over Tiger Woods in the golf world reminded us how golf was primarily a game played by white. But on the flip side, Americans of all colors celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of baseball’s great Jackie Robinson. In addition, women began to prove themselves in sports with Olympic medals in softball, soccer and volleyball and the second women’s soccer world championship in the United States, one even on American soil.
And, as American began to look to the next century and the challenges that could arise, they, as they always have, turned to sports and athletes for inspiration and courage. They found this in cycling great Lance Armstrong, who won the grueling Tour de France after surviving cancer and when one-handed baseball pitcher Jim Abbott threw a no-hitter in baseball.
Show your passion for sports by displaying sports memorabilia in your home. You can also add sports lamps and accessories to provide that illuminating light while showing your team spirit and loyalty.