First in Sports American Style

The Moments That Started Your Favorite Games…

First American Football Game
1869—Rutgers vs. Princeton
Played November 6, 1869, this game looked more like soccer than modern football. Each team had 25 players and the ball could only be kicked
or batted.

First Super Bowl
1967—Green Bay vs. Kansas City
The Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 35–10 in the first AFL–NFL Championship Game, later renamed the Super Bowl.

First Kentucky Derby
1875 — Churchill Downs
A crowd of roughly 10,000 watched Aristides win the first running of the “Run for the Roses.”

First Baseball Game 
Under Modern Rules
1846 — Hoboken, New Jersey
The New York Nine defeated the Knickerbockers 23–1 using rules created by Alexander Cartwright, which helped shape modern baseball.

First World Series
1903 — Boston vs. Pittsburgh
The Boston Americans defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first official World Series, helping cement baseball as America’s national pastime.

First Indy 500
1911—Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Ray Harroun won the inaugural race driving a Marmon Wasp at an average speed of 74 mph.

First U.S. Open (Golf)
1895 — Newport, Rhode Island
Only 10 golfers competed in the first tournament. The winner took home $150 and a gold medal.

First Basketball Game
1891 — Springfield, Massachusetts
Dr. James Naismith nailed two peach baskets to a gym balcony and created basketball to keep students active during winter.