Distant Replay

Every Fourth of July, millions of Americans celebrate with fireworks, baseball, and the iconic Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. Most people have heard the story of how it all began in 1916, when four immigrants supposedly competed to prove who was the most patriotic. It's become one of the most repeated origin stories in American sports, but what if it never actually happened? In this episode of D...

Benji Wilson was the #1 high school basketball player in America. He was a 6'8 phenom from Chicago with NBA-level potential before he even graduated. But on November 20, 1984, everything changed. In this episode of Distant Replay , we break down the story of Benji Wilson's murder, a tragic case where a simple street encounter escalated into a fatal shooting. What started as an attempt to talk with...

Former NFL linebacker Darron Lee is now at the center of a shocking murder investigation, and prosecutors say ChatGPT conversations may be part of the evidence. During a preliminary hearing in Hamilton County, Tennessee, investigators revealed messages allegedly recovered from Lee's phone that show him asking a chatbot questions before calling 911 about his girlfriend Gabriella Perpétuo. In court,...

March Madness is packed with buzzer beaters and Cinderella runs, but some of its most fascinating stories have been forgotten. In this episode of  Distant Replay , we highlight 10 forgotten facts that shaped the NCAA tournament. From the failed 1939 experiment that started it all to the decade when dunking was banned, incredible scoring records, strange rule changes, and even the year the tourname...

In 1967, the NCAA did something almost unthinkable - it outlawed the dunk. For nearly a decade, one of basketball's most electrifying plays was banned in college hoops, a move widely seen as an attempt to curb the dominance of towering stars like Lew Alcindor. In this episode, we look back on why the rule was created, the official justifications behind it, the cultural and competitive tensions sur...

On June 4, 1974, the Cleveland Indians attempted to lure fans to their cavernous Municipal Stadium with a well‑meaning yet misguided promotion: Ten‑Cent Beer Night. It wasn't the first time they had tried something like this, but the timing on this summer night was much different.  The cheap suds, the lingering bad blood from a brawl with the Texas Rangers six days earlier, and a full moon combine...

Jack Molinas was once one of basketball's brightest stars — a 6'6" Ivy League prodigy with movie-star charisma and a gambler's soul. From the playgrounds of New York City to an NBA All-Star, he was living live... until the bets caught up with him. Suspended for wagering on his own team, Molinas reinvented himself as a lawyer — only to become the criminal mastermind behind the 1961 college point-sh...

Richard Meissner had the swing, the talent, and even a spot in the U.S. Open — but behind the sunglasses and sweet tempo was a man robbing banks to keep his golf dream alive. In this episode, we explore the unbelievable story of the aspring golf pro Richard Meissner, who disguised himself with wigs and mustaches, knocked off 19 savings and loans, and funded his PGA aspirations with stolen cash. Fr...

As Ohio State and Notre Dame get ready to meet in the first college football national championship game of the 12-team College Football Playoff, you might think these two storied programs have a lot of history. Surprisingly, the Buckeyes and the Fighting Irish have only met eight times ever.  Ohio State holds a 6-2 lead all-time in the series, and you have to go back to 1936 to find the last Notre...

If you think back to the NFL in the 80s and 90s and think about the best quarterbacks in the league, Randall Cunningham is probably near the top of your list. The former NFL MVP and mutli-year All-Pro was the face of the Philadelphia Eagles and eventually led one of the greatest offensive seasons with the Vikings in 1998.  But most people wouldn't remember that he was much more than a quarterback....

Cecil 'The Diesel' Collins burst onto the college football scene at LSU in the mid-90s and looked like he would become the next great SEC running back alongside Kevin Fault in Baton Rouge. Despite off-field problems, Collins still got a chance in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins thanks to his incredible size and speed.  Collins' career never materialized due to his issues away from football and he...

Today we go back to January 18, 1986 for the first game played inside the newly-constructed Dean Smith Student Activity Center on the campus of the University of North Carolina. Opening a new arena 18 games into the season seems odd but having an undefeated matchup between Duke and UNC made this a game every fan wanted to be in attendance for.  This might not be a game everyone talks about in this...

On paper, the 8-6 win by #1 LSU at home against unranked Alabama seemed like another Friday night college baseball game in the SEC. But in the following days, sportsbooks around the country stopped taking bets on Alabama baseball and head coach Brad Bohannon would be fired before the team's next series.  This is the story of the betting scandal that shocked the sport last year. Now that the NCAA h...

Today we have another true crime episode of Distant Replay and we're going to tell you about Javaris Crittenton. A talented one and done basketball player out of Georgia Tech who plead guilty to manslaughter in 2015 and was sentenced for 23 years. It's a story of promise, gangs, locker room drama, and an unexpected early release.  Here's a good detailed account of Crittenton from FOX Sports: https...

Barret Robbins was the center for the Oakland Raiders in 2002 when Bill Callahan led the team to Super Bowl XXXVII against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the days leading up to the game, he disappeared to Tijuana before returning to the team right before the game.  He never played in that Super Bowl as a result and his life eventually spiraled due to mental health issues. He's faced multiple arrests...

On the eve of the 2023 Ryder Cup, we go back to the final day of the last Ryder Cup played in Europe. The 2018 competition was 10-6 in favor of the Euros heading into Sunday and play began with as good of a singles match as you'll get at the Ryder Cup. Rory McIlroy, ranked 6th in the world, faced Justin Thomas, ranked 4th in the world, in a match both teams hoped would set the tone for the rest of...

A day after Len Koenecke was released from the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1935, the outfielder was killed in mid-air by the pilot during a flight to Buffalo. It's a story that would rock social media today, but back then it only created more questions about what went wrong. How did this 31-year-old, who was once called a bright start in the National League, die on his way home from a road trip?  We'll te...

The NFL record for the most points scored in a game is one of the longest-standing records in the game. The crazy thing about this game is it wasn't the explosive offensive showdown you would expect from a game that's held the record for more than 50 years. But this game had everything else - turnovers, long touchdowns, a controversial ending, and some stats that seem incredible today.  Join us fo...

There aren't many sports fans that won't know what you're talking about if you mention the 'Hand of God.' It's arguably the most famous single moment in soccer history because of who was involved and the stage where it took place. Diego Maradona's 51st minute goal for Argentina against England in the quarterfinals of the 1986 World Cup gave Agentina a lead that they wouldn't relinquish. Argentina...

Today we have our first True Crime Sports update! With former Ohio State and Colts QB Art Schlichter recently being released from prison, we wanted to provide an update for everyone on one of the most popular subjects on the show. We discuss why Art was released from prison, the prosecutors reaction to him being released, and some of the conditions of his release that will surprise you.    Be sure...

It's difficult to find a lot of early season classics but the the USC-Cal game from 2003 make the list. This game turned out to be a roller coaster ride featuring beginning of a USC roster that would dominate the sport for the next three years and a JUCO transfer named Aaron Rodgers making his 2nd career start at Cal.  USC and Pete Carrol came in ranked 3rd nationally and the Bears were looking fo...

We continue our review of the Netflix documentary series Untold with the episode on Caitlyn Jenner. It is a very unique look at the athletic career of Bruce Jenner told by Caitlyn in present day.  If you don't know much about the rise to stardom of a young Bruce Jenner, this is a documentary you will want to watch.   We discuss:   - Bruce Jenner's early life as a football player - Where is Gracela...

The true crime story of Willie Mays Aikens is different than a lot of the True Crime Sports episodes you have heard in the past because it is a story of addiction and redemption.  Aikens is best known on the field for being the cleanup hitter behind George Brett on the 1980 Kansas City Royals American League champion squad while off the field his life was being turned upside down by drugs and alco...

What if we told you there was a game played in 1984 that featured Bo Jackson, a preseason #1 ranked team, a defending national champion, and Jimmy Johnson making his coaching debut for the Miami Hurricanes? Well that's what we have for this episode of Distant Replay. The second edition of the Kickoff Classic, a long-time opening weekend college football game played at the Meadowlands, featured #1...

The 2nd installment of the Netflix documentary series Untold  did not disappoint. This episode covers the life of former women's boxing champion Christy Martin and her tumultuous relationship with her former trainer/husband Jim Martin.    This film had us captivated all the way through and it was of the more interesting we have done for the podcast. If you are a fan of our doc reviews and our True...