Why Team Sports were not popular in ancient times?

[Nikd]

Sports were and are always a theama and discussion theme in all the world and all the times from ancient till now.
Maybe it derived from the desire of humans to share or competate with othew humans, something common.
I read history but never noticed a refference for team sports till the industrial revolution, one man sports always existed and some are relative new like Tennis (later the go 2 players).

So why in your oppinion Team sports (Soccer, Basketball, e.t.c.) were not popular or non-existent?

[Commander]

You know, I was a Sport Management major in college and took a history of sports class. The earliest for of team sport I can remember reading about was called "The Ball Game".... think of it as modern day lacrosse played by the Native Americans. It dates back to the 1400s as far as I know, but could be a lot older.

Now, after googling around, I found a PSU website that claims romans and greeks played soccer.

http://www.personal.psu.edu/wxk116/romeball.html

[Ragz]

The aztecs, not exactly ancient peoples, also had a team ball game which involved tossing a ball through a round hole attached to a wall. The loser was killed. We should do that with baseball. I bet it would make the World Serries more interesting.

[kahn]

The aztecs, not exactly ancient peoples, also had a team ball game which involved tossing a ball through a round hole attached to a wall. The loser was killed. We should do that with baseball. I bet it would make the World Serries more interesting.

Holy Crap... :shock: Did people actually volunteer to play this game?

[Belisarius]

The aztecs, not exactly ancient peoples, also had a team ball game which involved tossing a ball through a round hole attached to a wall. The loser was killed. We should do that with baseball. I bet it would make the World Serries more interesting.

Holy Crap... :shock: Did people actually volunteer to play this game?

I heard it was the winners who were sacrificed to the gods. To each his own, I suppose :wink:

[Lord_Cronus]

The aztecs, not exactly ancient peoples, also had a team ball game which involved tossing a ball through a round hole attached to a wall. The loser was killed. We should do that with baseball. I bet it would make the World Serries more interesting.

Na, it'd just make them ask for more money and let them charge more for seating. :wink:

[Nikd]

Holy Crap... :shock: Did people actually volunteer to play this game?
Look if the winers take it all then sure people will play. Didn't we have gladiators? (Not a team sport but an example of winner takes it all).

In my oppinion, and reffering (more) in the history of the West (without any intention to ignore or snob the others) Romans and Greeks maybe played a form of soccer but none of the players remained and this is unusual, cause we know till today some great gladiators, chariot racers and olympic winners, and all we know that this 2 cultures record everything.
I believe that what the try to avoid (especially Rome who was imperial) was to create faction under one banner, soccer, baseball, e.t.c unifies a large group of people under one banner, color. It's like a "war" where the attentors make hemselves one with the team. How many times have you speak, cry( :) ) , celebrate, pissed of with your favorite team?
Industrial revolution and the change of economy from agricultural to industrial make people to live not in country side but in cities, in factories they worked side by side under a common boss (that in that time was very cruel), so they find much more common things and something that can play ALL, it's more easy to for 20-30 people to play a tema sport with a certain goal then simply running, through team you reach a goal.

[DigitusImpudicus]

Modern team sports are, at least partly, replacements for war. We can indulge our human desires for competition, domination, and glory without as much bloodshed.

Back then anyone athletic enough to play sports was likely a soldier.

Chris--

[tedkaw]

Modern team sports are, at least partly, replacements for war. We can indulge our human desires for competition, domination, and glory without as much bloodshed.

Back then anyone athletic enough to play sports was likely a soldier.

Chris--

Well said. Athletes often compare themselves to soldiers (Kellen Winslow Jr).