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Working Americans Vol. 10: Sports & Recreation

2000–2009

History will record that the new century began in the United States on September 11, 2001, when four American commercial airliners were hijacked and used as weapons of terror. After the tragedies at the World Trade Center in New York; Shanksville, Pennsylvania; and the Pentagon in Washington, DC, Americans felt vulnerable to a foreign invasion for the first time in decades. America's response to the attacks was to dispatch U.S. forces around the world in a “War on Terror.” The fist stop was Afghanistan, where a new brand of terrorist group known as al-Qaeda had planned and executed the attacks under the protection of the country's Taliban rulers. America's technologically superior weaponry was impressively displayed as the Afghan government was quickly overthrown, although capturing al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and stabilizing a new government proved more vexing. With the shell-shocked economy in overall decline and the national debt increasing at a record pace, the United States rapidly shifted from Afghanistan to Iraq. Despite vocal opposition from traditional allies such as Germany and France, President George W. Bush launched Operation Iraqi Freedom with the goal of eliminating the regime of Saddam Hussein and his cache of weapons of mass destruction. The invasion resulted in worldwide demonstrations, including some of America's largest protest marches since the Vietnam War. As in the invasion of Afghanistan, the U.S. achieved a rapid military victory, but struggled to secure the peace. When no weapons of mass destruction were found, soldiers continued fighting while an internal, religious civil war erupted; support for the war waned and vocal protest increased.

Despite the cost of the war, the falling value of the dollar and record high oil prices, the American economy began to recover by 2004. Unemployment declined, new home purchases continued to surge, and the full potential of previous computer innovation and investment impacted businesses large and small. Men and women of all ages began to buy and sell their products on the Internet. eBay created the world's largest yard sale; Amazon demonstrated, despite sneering critics, that it could be the bookstore to the world; and we all learned to Google, whether to find the exact wording of a Shakespearian sonnet or the menu at Sarah's Pizza Parlor two blocks away. At the same time, globalization took on a new meaning and political import as jobs—thanks to computerization—moved to India, China or the Philippines, where college-educated workers were both cheap and eager. American manufacturing companies that once were the centerpiece of their community's economy closed their U.S. factories to become distributors of furniture made in China, lawn mowers made in Mexico or skirts from Peru. The resulting structural change that pitted global profits and innovation against aging textile workers unable to support their families resulted in a renewed emphasis in America on education and innovation. If the U.S. was to maintain its economic dominance, the pundits said, innovative ideas and research would lead the way.

As the decade drew to a close, after eight years of the presidency of George W. Bush, America's economy was in recession—the victim of its own excesses: too much consumer borrowing, extensive speculation in the housing market and widespread use of “exotic” financial instruments that failed to reduce risk. In the wake of the economic crash, some of the most respected firms on Wall Street disappeared through mergers or collapse, unemployment topped 12 percent and consumer confidence plummeted. When newly elected President Barack Obama took office in 2009, America was at war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the federal government was spending billions of dollars to save the banking system and the price of oil was on the rise. President Obama made universal health care a key element of his first year in office, igniting controversy and exposing the deep divisions that existed nationwide.

Sports during the first decade of the twenty-first century became a 24/7 obsession for many. With the dramatic expansion of the Internet, cell phones, the addition of new cable channels and a plethora of new sporting events, America was clearly addicted to sports—including many whose lure was tinged with danger. NASCAR expanded its geographic reach and began challenging football for most viewers, the Williams sisters brought new life to professional tennis and Tiger Woods continued his winning ways on the golf course. Despite a decade of falling television ratings, NBC paid an astonishing $2.3 billion for the combined rights to the 2004 in 2008 Summer Games and the 2006 Winter Games.

The incredible achievements of cyclist Lance Armstrong captivated racing and non-racing fans alike as he won the Tour de France an unprecedented seven consecutive times. Baseball's Boston Red Sox finally shook the “Curse of the Bambino” to win a World Series and Barry Bonds slugged 73 home runs for the San Francisco Giants in 2003, only to be accused of improper drug use as the decade came to an end.

Professional women, who for decades had struggled to rise past the glass ceiling in their companies, began to find bigger opportunities in the 2000s. Significantly, the promotion of a woman to a top slot in a Fortune 500 company ceased to make headlines. Some top female CEOs even began to boldly discuss the need for more balance in the workplace. Yet surveys done at mid-decade showed that more Americans were working longer hours than ever before to satisfy the increasing demands of the marketplace and their own desire for more plentiful material goods. In some urban markets the average home price passed $400,000; average credit card debt continued to rise and the price of an average new car, with typical extras, passed $20,000.

Citation Types

Type
Format
MLA 9th
"2000–2009." Working Americans Vol. 10: Sports & Recreation, edited by Scott Derks, Salem Press, 2016. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=WA10_0077.
APA 7th
2000–2009. Working Americans Vol. 10: Sports & Recreation, In S. Derks (Ed.), Salem Press, 2016. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=WA10_0077.
CMOS 17th
"2000–2009." Working Americans Vol. 10: Sports & Recreation, Edited by Scott Derks. Salem Press, 2016. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=WA10_0077.