One hundred years ago, while being an athlete may have garnered attention in some arenas, it certainly wasn’t something one could make a living off of, let alone consider a career. However, by the latter half of the 20th Century, devotion to a particular sports team was as good as having a family crest: your affiliation let the world know where you came from and who you were loyal to.
By the 1970’s, no Midwestern family would let a weekend pass without spending a day with the Browns or the Phillies, and here in Oregon, that same fascination and dedication to sports emerged through the track boom of the 70’s, led by Steve Prefontaine. The Olympics encouraged the sports hype on a national level, and the 80’s ushered in an NBA revival through players like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.
All of this public interest in athletics rippled out past the bleachers and television sets and made its presence known in sports fans’ apparel as track jackets, running shoes and basketball jerseys became popular fashion trends. In the 90’s extreme sports swept onto the scene with figures such as pro-skateboarder Tony Hawk and BMX champion Matt Hoffman: influencing youth culture through their signature video games; and fashion through branding and sponsorship.