Press Box Access: A Sports History Podcast

Come join Mark Purdy inside the tiny hockey arena as the “Miracle on Ice” erupts at the 1980 Winter Olympics. He’ll also put you on site of the earthquake that struck the Bay Area’s World Series. Mark recalls other rocking moments from his four decades as a sportswriter, including 33 years as a columnist for the San Jose Mercury News. He explains how Paul Brown’s decision about Bill Walsh fueled a...

Marla Ridenour has eagerly taken fans to the front lines of sports since the 1970s. Her enthusiasm for the task has never wavered, even when battling barriers against women sportswriters. Marla has maintained a keen appreciation for the moment, and it comes through as she recounts walking alongside Jack Nicklaus on the Old Course, serving as the eyes of Jim Murray at the Kentucky Derby, and witnes...

College football is a cyclone of emotion, passion, and downright insanity. Dennis Dodd has been chasing the game’s outbursts since its growth from a regional sport into a national obsession. He’ll take you along with the Big Eight Skywriters, into the Boz’s dorm room, and to breakfast with Bobby Bowden. He’ll put you at the Flea Kicker, the Kick Six, the Colorado-Miami brawl. Hear about Pete Carro...

What was it like inside the old Boston Garden? To smell Red Auerbach’s victory cigar? To see firsthand Bird’s Celtics and Magic’s Lakers battle for basketball supremacy? Bob Ryan knows as well as anyone, and he puts you there when the NBA was a fledgling pro sport in the late ‘60s, and takes you all the way through its growth into a world game. He shares behind-the-scenes details from his illustri...

Being among the trailblazers for women sportswriters came with certain stakes. “I knew there would be people watching and probably hoping that I’d fail,” Christine Brennan says. Hear what it was like being on the front lines of the NFL’s locker room issue in the 1980s. Christine discusses her daily dealings with Joe Gibbs, and takes us into the wider world of the Olympics. The USA Today columnist...

His editor told him to stay away from the office because there were no stories to be told in there. Dick Jerardi took that command and lived it. He scoured gymnasiums, arenas, and horse tracks. There, he discovered great characters and told their stories for 33 years at the Philadelphia Daily News. Join him as he recounts to Todd in his funny, Philly style detailed tales about John Chaney, Hank Ga...

Some things you can’t unsee, especially when viewed up close. Kevin Blackistone was ringside when Mike Tyson chomped off a chunk of Evander Holyfield’s ear. The horror. The horror. Kevin recounts that infamous boxing moment and discusses an up-close look at the rollicking Dallas Cowboys of the 1990s. He also shares how his perspective as an African American and a former news reporter informed his...

He went to the circus with Muhammad Ali. Pulled pranks on Don Shula. Got thrown out of a hotel by Mr. T. Yes, few sportswriters can match the colorful career of Tom Archdeacon, known and beloved by peers as “Arch.” Take a joy ride with a storyteller who somehow always finds his way to the heart of a matter. The legend is true, as recounted to Todd. Stick with Arch, and you can’t go wrong. Just han...

Bob Hunter once found himself in a cinder-block office listening to Woody Hayes and Bobby Knight talk about World War II. Hunter will take you inside that room and to other offbeat places that he ventured such as Pete Rose’s home in the early ’70s. Bob and Todd discuss anecdotes about the greatest coaches and athletes producing historic, goose-bump sports moments while still being flawed like all...

Coming February 17th with a new episode every other Wednesday, hear some of the greatest sports stories ever told from the writers who had front row access! Here is a sneak peek at some of our guests this season! Episode 1 Bob Hunter, Feb. 17 Episode 2 Tom Archdeacon, March 3 Episode 3 Kevin Blackistone, March 17 Episode 4 Dick Jerardi, March 31 Episode 5 Christine Brennan, April 14 Episode 6 Bob...

Sit down with host Todd Jones and other sportswriters who knew the greatest athletes and coaches, and experienced first-hand some of the biggest sports moments in the past 50 years. They’ll share stories behind the stories -- some they’ve only told to each other. Premiering Feb. 17 with a new episode every other Wednesday, here is a sneak peek at the season to come! Episode 1 Bob Hunter, Feb. 17 E...