At a glance
What: Ohio-champion of Sports
Where: Ohio History Center, Interstate 71 and East 17th Avenue
Contact: 614-297-2300, www.ohiohistory.org
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; exhibit opens Saturday
Admission: $12, or $10 for senior citizens and college students, $6 for ages 4 to 12, free for members and age 3 and younger the human condition that everyone can really relate to, that ideally makes it more relevant or engaging.”
Visitors to the exhibit can see the Cleveland Cavaliers jersey worn by James as an NBA rookie. The uniform is on loan for six months from the Smithsonian National Museum of AfricanAmerican History and Culture.
They can hear first-person accounts from Columbus boxer Buster Douglas — who pulled off a historic upset on Feb. 11, 1990, when he became the undisputed heavyweight boxing champion by knocking out Mike Tyson; Katie Smith, a Logan native, a WNBA champion and the all-time leading scorer in women's professional basketball; and Sarah Fisher, born in Columbus and raised in Commercial Point, the youngest woman to race in the Indianapolis 500.
Fisher also donated her racing fire suit to the display.
Guests may also enjoy learning about Ohioans’ involvement in lesser-known sports, including roller derby — a sport in which a player scores points by lapping opposing skaters.
Amy Spears is a founding member of Ohio Roller
Derby, which will soon embark on its 14th season at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus. She and her teammates contributed jerseys, helmets, skates and a flag emblazoned with initials for “The Ohio Roller Girls,” the team’s original name.
Spears said they’re privileged to be among such elite company in the exhibit.
“The most impactful thing to me is knowing who we’re among,” Spears said. “It’s great being able to represent our sport, especially since roller derby can be regarded as a niche sport.”
Other highlights include information about:
• Ohio State University wrestler Kyle Snyder, the youngest wrestler to ever win a world championship, an NCAA championship and an Olympic gold medal in the same year.
• The Toledo Troopers, an all-female professional football team that some regard as the winningest in pro-football history, with seven consecutive National Women's Football League championships from 1971 to 1977.
• Branch Rickey — a Stockdale, Ohio, native — who brought Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball.
• The music and history of the Ohio State University Marching Band.
• The founding of the National Football League on Sept. 17, 1920, in Canton.
• Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany. The exhibit includes a 1936 Olympics guide book written in German; images of Owens in high school and at Ohio State University; and an oral history shared by his daughters.
Curators also wanted to make the exhibit interactive by allowing guests to put their own personal stamp on it and try their hand at a number of activities.
Visitors can play basketball at a "wall of hoops," record a victory dance to share with friends, run an obstacle course and record a "one-minute legends" story about their own personal sports achievements.
Logan said he expects the exhibit to have a wide appeal for both rabid and casual sports fans.
“We think it’s an exhibit that will have a lot of appeal and will help folks see history in a different light,” Logan said. “I think everyone in some way identifies with sports.”