Sports Season

Question: Which of these terms is important to scuba divers?

Answer: Absolute pressure is the combined pressure of water at a given depth and of the air above. Scuba divers keep an eye on this measure.

Question: What sport did James Naismith invent in 1891?

Answer: In 1891, James Naismith asked a janitor to hang boxes from a gymnasium balcony for an indoor ball game. Unable to find boxes, the janitor nailed up two half-bushel peach baskets—and thus basketball.

Question: What is the field of play called in fencing?

Answer: The field of play in fencing is called a piste. It measures 45.93 ft (14 meters) in length and 4.91–6.56 ft (5–2 meters) in width.

Question: Which of these is a move in skating?

Answer: Named for skater Axel Paulsen, the axel is a jump with one and a half turns from one skate to the other.

Question: In what game was a referee’s whistle first used?

Answer: A referee in New Zealand, officiating a rugby match, had the idea to use a whistle rather than shout. This occurred in 1884.

Question: What is the name of the basketball team for which Michael Jordan played?

Answer: Michael Jordan helped the Chicago Bulls win six championships during the 1990s. In 2009 he was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Question: What is the oldest contested sports trophy match?

Answer: The America’s Cup yacht race was founded in 1851. Winners have come from all over the world.

Question: The first sport to be filmed was:

Answer: Thomas Edison, the film pioneer and inventor, filmed a boxing match in 1893.

Question: Who invented windsurfing?

Answer: Duke Kahanamoku, a Hawaiian surfing champion, invented windsurfing in the 1920s. When he wasn’t surfing, he worked as an actor and a sheriff.