Between 1900 and 1940, sports stars became major features of American popular culture.

Between 1900 and 1940, sports stars became major features of American popular culture.  Bath Ruth, a baseball player for the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, was the most well-known sports celebrity in the country, but there was also the female Olympic star Babe Didrikson, the boxer Jack Dempsey, the male Olympic stars Jim Thorpe and Jesse Owens, and dozens of other athletes who became regional and even national celebrities.  They represented the diversity of the United States, and helped break down class, gender and racial barriers.  They also became the first modern sports stars to become major advertising stars, and were featured in advertising for a variety of different products, from breakfast cereal to cigarettes.  

In your opinion, do you think ads featuring sports stars influenced Americans’ consumer decisions in the early 20th century?  And what is the most significant legacy of the commercialization of sports stars on American society?