I'm not really buying the bit about how much older the sport is.
There's a sport that goes back nearly as far, and in an organized way, almost exactly as far. And in the 1920's -30's (and for some even farther) it often paid much better than baseball. Beginners typically got $100 a day and stars between 500 and 1000 a day. Plus in event prizes. In the late 1890's and early 1900s
That's six day bike racing.
Pro motor pacers in europe often made even more. Although many moved into doing air shows after a disaater in 1909, as the appearance money was even better and you didn't actually have to fly.
Both faded here in the late 30's and into the war, and are now gone in the US and have been for a long time.
The guy I met who did a documentary said nearly all the old racers he spoke with were willing to sit down for hours, just glad that anyone remembered and wanted to hear their stories - Sometimes even their family hadn't bothered.
I think in many ways it's more about the popularity of the sport.
College football was a much bigger deal than pro football, was at least well into the 60's and in some ways still is.
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