# What sporting events will still be remembered 300 years from now? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 6, 2013, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sporting-events-will-still-be-remembered-300-years-from-now/646252 "2013-01-06T12:33:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![blindboyard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blindboyard/32/2833_2.png) [@blindboyard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blindboyard)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sporting-events-will-still-be-remembered-300-years-from-now/646252/61 "2013-01-07T08:06:53Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > What about Secretariat’s Belmont? Or the disappearance of Shergar, if we’re talking horses. ---
**Author:** ![blindboyard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blindboyard/32/2833_2.png) [@blindboyard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blindboyard)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sporting-events-will-still-be-remembered-300-years-from-now/646252/62 "2013-01-07T08:09:45Z")
On the one hand James Parrott actually did the first four minute mile, not even 250 years ago, and no-one remembers. On the other hand my local football team have been going for over 150 years. So there might be things remembered locally. 1966 will still probably be famous in England, people will probably have seen Nobby Stiles dancing about and that, and foreigners will have other things, but not much will survive that long. Maybe things with outside political significance, maybe the black lad who won the 100m in front of Hitler. Or strange happenings, like the ancient Greek Olympic boxer who won by eviscerating his opponent but was disqualified for usng his fingertips rather than his fist. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sporting-events-will-still-be-remembered-300-years-from-now/646252/63 "2013-01-07T08:20:55Z")
Just had a random thought: history will only remember these games if they are still played in the future. How many games are we playing that are 300 years old? Baseball, football, and basketball are all around 100-150 years old. And then, what will these games look like? I can totally imagine a scenario like Real Steel where human boxers are replaced by robots. How many human fighters would be remembered then? Or, a situation like the PBA where the league nearly went bankrupt and died. As mentioned earlier, probably the only reason we remember Ouimet is the book and movie made about the match, and the only reason we don’t remember sports from 200 years ago is that nobody wrote books or made movies about them. I think this question might be unanswerable because we have no ideas about the cultural and technological changes the next 300 years will bring. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sporting-events-will-still-be-remembered-300-years-from-now/646252/64 "2013-01-07T08:35:40Z")
How many people recognize the name James Figg without looking it up? Three hundred years ago, he was arguably the most famous athlete in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sporting-events-will-still-be-remembered-300-years-from-now/646252/65 "2013-01-07T08:43:59Z")
…us Kiwi’s will never let the Aussies forget the[underarm bowling incident](http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/underarm-smell-still-lingers/story-e6frf9if-1225996756082). I have no doubt that in 300 years time it will still be the subject of many a pub rant! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sporting-events-will-still-be-remembered-300-years-from-now/646252/66 "2013-01-07T12:08:51Z")
Fans of a particular sport will no doubt remember big moments in that sport, assuming there are still fans. Chess players today know about important matches from several hundred years ago. I’m sure there are, say, fencing enthusiasts who know about centuries-old fencing matches as well. That will be niche knowledge, though. I doubt anything on this list will be a part of the general public consciousness simply by virtue of their sporting achievements. Hell, I’d be willing to bet one million Hypothetical Dollars that 99% of people only know the word “Spartacus” because there was a really famous _movie_ about him, and that a large chunk of them haven’t actually seen the movie. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sporting-events-will-still-be-remembered-300-years-from-now/646252/67 "2013-01-07T13:54:41Z")
> [@blindboyard](#): > > On the one hand James Parrott actually did the first four minute mile, not even 250 years ago, and no-one remembers. On the other hand my local football team have been going for over 150 years. So there might be things remembered locally. 1966 will still probably be famous in England, people will probably have seen Nobby Stiles dancing about and that, and foreigners will have other things, but not much will survive that long. Maybe things with outside political significance, maybe the black lad who won the 100m in front of Hitler. Or strange happenings, like the ancient Greek Olympic boxer who won by eviscerating his opponent but was disqualified for usng his fingertips rather than his fist. Where’s the proof that the distance and time were accurate enough to justify the claim? The black lad was Jesse Owens, try to be not so condescending next time. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sporting-events-will-still-be-remembered-300-years-from-now/646252/68 "2013-01-07T15:19:06Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > If I had to pick an event that would be remembered, I would say perhaps the black pride salute at the hitler olympics perhaps. No sporting event will be remembered for itself, but if it had a wider cultural significance it just might. > [@Telemark](#): > > That happened at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. There was no black pride salute at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. I think it’s quite likely that in 300 years, people will remember Jesse Owens giving the black pride salute to Hitler during the Munich Olympics, shortly before he and the rest of the Israeli team were tragically murdered by Nazi terrorists. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sporting-events-will-still-be-remembered-300-years-from-now/646252/69 "2013-01-07T15:23:01Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > I think it’s quite likely that in 300 years, people will remember Jesse Owens giving the black pride salute to Hitler during the Munich Olympics, shortly before he and the rest of the Israeli team were tragically murdered by Nazi terrorists. And it was the red-white and bluest olympics ever for the US. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sporting-events-will-still-be-remembered-300-years-from-now/646252/70 "2013-01-07T16:22:52Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > Or can we count Franz Ferdinand’s assassination as competitive target shooting? 😛 [Well, the assassination of JFK counts as a downhill motor race … .](http://www.evergreenreview.com/102/fiction/duo.html) ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sporting-events-will-still-be-remembered-300-years-from-now/646252/71 "2013-01-07T16:36:21Z")
I’d be surpirised that anything except Association Football (soccer) and the Olympics will be remembered, if by remembered we mean regularly by regular people. For example. The 4-minute mile. Even though I clearly understand its significance, I cannot tell you the name of the guy or the year without looking. You can get at least 500 million people tell you the country and championships won by Pele and Maradona. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sporting-events-will-still-be-remembered-300-years-from-now/646252/72 "2013-01-07T19:52:15Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Not even that. Poker circle are very, very small and in 300 years nobody will give a shit who he was or what he did. I guarantee it. Well, I think at least 1 guy was remembered for playing cards, or at least to have played cards if not for his card-playing skills persay. Earl of Sandwich ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sporting-events-will-still-be-remembered-300-years-from-now/646252/73 "2013-01-07T19:57:05Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > Well, I think at least 1 guy was remembered for playing cards, or at least to have played cards if not for his card-playing skills persay. > > Earl of Sandwich Seriously, is this a joke? I’ve heard of the guy, but not associated with cards ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sporting-events-will-still-be-remembered-300-years-from-now/646252/74 "2013-01-07T19:59:46Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Seriously, is this a joke? I’ve heard of the guy, but not associated with cards Not at all. The story is that the sandwich was invented so that he’d have something easy to eat while he played cards. When I think of famous people associated with poker, I immediately think of Wild Bill Hickok and the Dead Man’s Hand. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sporting-events-will-still-be-remembered-300-years-from-now/646252/75 "2013-01-07T20:02:43Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Seriously, is this a joke? I’ve heard of the guy, but not associated with cards The story is he was so engrossed in his card games he would have a servant bring him meat between slices of bread. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sporting-events-will-still-be-remembered-300-years-from-now/646252/76 "2013-01-07T22:48:52Z")
Here’s another possibility: How about Alan Shepard’s golf drive? Although, again, it’s not really remembered for the sport per se. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sporting-events-will-still-be-remembered-300-years-from-now/646252/77 "2013-01-07T23:32:24Z")
What sporting event from 300 years ago do we remember now? Exactly. I think that sports will change so radically in 300 years that they will look back in our time with the same mix of horror and curiosity as we look back on old-timey bareknuckle boxing and fox hunts by French nobles ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sporting-events-will-still-be-remembered-300-years-from-now/646252/78 "2013-01-07T23:38:37Z")
The cricket match that spawned The Ashes test series was 130 years ago and is still well known today. ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sporting-events-will-still-be-remembered-300-years-from-now/646252/79 "2013-01-08T00:34:41Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > 839 players played the 2003 Main Event, it grew to 2576 in '04, has been over 6,000 every year since. In Australia a million people play netball on a regular basis, so what? 4 minute mile IMO will be about the only one. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sporting-events-will-still-be-remembered-300-years-from-now/646252/80 "2013-01-08T00:50:37Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > What sporting event from 300 years ago do we remember now? > > Exactly. > > I think that sports will change so radically in 300 years that they will look back in our time with the same mix of horror and curiosity as we look back on old-timey bareknuckle boxing and fox hunts by French nobles Apples and oranges. Sports journalism has a much higher profile now (hell it didn’t even _exist_ back then), and rise of the “leisure class” means people have a lot more time and energy to devote to sports (hard to do when you’re in a field 20 hours a day). Now if your point is that androids and cyborgs duking it out while jumping 15 feet in the air to catch a pass is our sporting future, and the quaint exploits of their all-too-human and ordinary forbears have no interest for fans in such a world, then you have a point (I guess). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sporting-events-will-still-be-remembered-300-years-from-now/646252.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sporting-events-will-still-be-remembered-300-years-from-now/646252.md?page=5)