Sports in the 1980s were characterized by several of the best athletes known in football and basketball and the growth of interest in ice hockey. Females and the disabled revolutionize the sports industry, proving that they can perform equally as well as ordinary male athletes and even outperform them. Leisure activities often included those that were developed the decade before but did not reach peak popularity until the ‘80s. One of the most admired athletes from the 1980s is Joe Montana, a star quarterback who played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1979 to 1992. He was an eight-time Pro Bowl player, Super Bowl MVP three times, and NFL MVP twice. Nicknamed “Joe Cool” for his ability to stay calm under pressure and lead his team to victory, he displayed the ideal attitude of a quarterback. Montana and Bill Walsh, his coach, revolutionized the National Football League with the West Coast Offense. Earvin Johnson, better known as Magic Johnson, was the tallest point guard in NBA history, standing at a staggering six foot nine.
…show more content…
He spent his whole career – a total of 13 years – with the LA Lakers, leading them to 5 victories in the championships within the 1980s. Magic Johnson was awarded the MVP Award and the Finals MVP Award three times each and inspired the new word “triple-double” to basketball jargon. After being diagnosed with HIV, he left the Lakers to focus on his health and, to this day, spread awareness for AIDS. Along with Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan was a celebrated basketball star, too. He won gold with the USA team in the 1984 and 1992 Olympics and led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships. His playing style on court inspired Nike’s Air Jordans that reached peak popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Jordan’s growing international fame in the late ‘80s marked America’s cultural transition from the Cold War to globalization. Martina Navratilova lived in Communist Czech until she defected to the US and became a tennis player in America. She is one of the first openly gay sports figures, coming out in 1981. Because she is female, gay, and Czech, Navratilova faced discrimination, but she steadfastly remained a vocal advocate for equal rights and pay and a strong supporter of many charities that benefit the LGBT community. Jim Abbott debuted in MLB in 1989 for the California Angels as a pitcher. However, unlike most pitchers, he was born with a disability on his right arm. Where his right hand should be is occupied by a single finger directly attached to his wrist. Although many critics doubted his ability to play in Major League Baseball because only his left hand is free to catch and throw, Abbott proved them wrong in Cuba when he became the first US pitcher to defeat the Cuban national team in 25 years, consequently also demonstrating that people with disabilities can be equally good or even better at athletics as those without. Jackie Joyner-Kersee was an American athlete who set new records, some which are still unbroken today. In 1988, she was the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the long jump and the first female to earn more than 7000 points in the heptathlon. Her world record of 7,291 points remains undefeated. Joyner-Kersee
He spent his whole career – a total of 13 years – with the LA Lakers, leading them to 5 victories in the championships within the 1980s. Magic Johnson was awarded the MVP Award and the Finals MVP Award three times each and inspired the new word “triple-double” to basketball jargon. After being diagnosed with HIV, he left the Lakers to focus on his health and, to this day, spread awareness for AIDS. Along with Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan was a celebrated basketball star, too. He won gold with the USA team in the 1984 and 1992 Olympics and led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships. His playing style on court inspired Nike’s Air Jordans that reached peak popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Jordan’s growing international fame in the late ‘80s marked America’s cultural transition from the Cold War to globalization. Martina Navratilova lived in Communist Czech until she defected to the US and became a tennis player in America. She is one of the first openly gay sports figures, coming out in 1981. Because she is female, gay, and Czech, Navratilova faced discrimination, but she steadfastly remained a vocal advocate for equal rights and pay and a strong supporter of many charities that benefit the LGBT community. Jim Abbott debuted in MLB in 1989 for the California Angels as a pitcher. However, unlike most pitchers, he was born with a disability on his right arm. Where his right hand should be is occupied by a single finger directly attached to his wrist. Although many critics doubted his ability to play in Major League Baseball because only his left hand is free to catch and throw, Abbott proved them wrong in Cuba when he became the first US pitcher to defeat the Cuban national team in 25 years, consequently also demonstrating that people with disabilities can be equally good or even better at athletics as those without. Jackie Joyner-Kersee was an American athlete who set new records, some which are still unbroken today. In 1988, she was the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the long jump and the first female to earn more than 7000 points in the heptathlon. Her world record of 7,291 points remains undefeated. Joyner-Kersee