Sports' Forgotten Heroes

There was a time when scoring 60 goals in a season in the NHL was rare. Dennis Maruk was one of the first to do it when scored 60 for the Washington Capitals in the 1981-82 season. And that came after scoring 50 the previous year! Yet, Dennis played in relative obscurity as he was a center for the California Golden Seals, the Cleveland Barons and the Minnesota North Stars – all teams that no longe...

Bob Waterfield holds a very unique distinction. He is the only quarterback in the history of the NFL to lead the Rams franchise to two NFL Championships. First, Waterfield did it as the quarterback of the Cleveland Rams in 1945, and then he followed that by leading the Los Angeles Rams to the NFL Championship in 1951. Waterfield elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965 also was a star on...

The Los Angeles Clippers are celebrating their 40th Anniversary on the west coast. But, long before they were the Clippers, they were the Buffalo Braves. And what a legacy they left! In just eight years in Buffalo, three players won Rookie of the Year honors (Bob McAdoo, Ernie DiGregorio, Adrian Dantley), Randy Smith became a fan favorite, coaches like Dr. Jack Ramsay and Cotton Fitzsimmons led th...

Justin Fashanu was a star on the rise. Young. Strong. Fast. His goal against Liverpool for little regarded Norwich City was so unexpected, and so spectacular it was named goal of the year. It also catapulted young Justin into another stratosphere and into the world of big-time soccer. His transfer fee of $1-million-pounds was the largest sum ever. However, playing for his new club, Nottingham Fore...

2017 is the 80th anniversary of the Rams joining the NFL. Most know the Rams are calling Los Angeles home for the second time in their history. However, what few know is that the Rams debuted in 1936 as the Cleveland Rams in the AFL. Yes, Cleveland was the original home for the Rams, but the team always struggled to attract fans; and after winning the NFL Championship in 1945 and with a new league...

In 1986, Amos Otis was inducted into the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame. A three-time Gold Glove winner and five-time all-star, Amos Otis played for the Royals from 1970 through the 1983 season and is still top-3 in several all-time offensive categories for the Royals including: hits (3rd, 1977), HR (3rd, 193), runs (2nd, 1074), triples (3rd, 65) and RBI (3rd, 992). Acquired from the Mets for Joe...

He was one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, and had it not been for Benny Friedman there might not be an NFL! That’s how key he was to the development of the game. Friedman turned the pro game from a running game to a passing game. In fact, he was throwing for more touchdown passes in a season than the rest of the league combined! Friedman set the record with 20 TD passes in...

During the three-year stretch of 1944, 45 and 46, Hal Newhouser of the Detroit Tigers put together three of the most dominant seasons any pitcher has ever enjoyed. Overall he went 80-27 with a 1.98 ERA. He completed 83 games and tossed 20 shutouts. He won the MVP Award in 1944 and 1945 (the only pitcher to ever win back-to-back MVP Awards) and finished second in 1946. Overall, he was 207-150. Over...

Nate Colbert played first base for the San Diego Padres during the early 1970s. Very few fans turned out to see him play. The Padres weren’t that good. In fact, they were one of the worst teams the game has ever seen. But, the few fans that did go out to see Nate Colbert play saw one of the game’s most feared sluggers. In fact, he is still the team’s all-time leader in home runs. But it was one da...

Willie Anderson is the only golfer in history to win three straight U.S. Open golf championships. In fact, if not for a fourth place finish in 1902, he would have five in a row. Only Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Bobby Jones can match his four victories. Yet, when you mention the name Willie Anderson to most golf fans and most sport’s fans very few, if any, know who he is. How can this be? How can...

Dean Chance pitched for the then Los Angeles Angels in the early 1960s. The Angels were a so-so team, but in 1964, Dean turned in one of the most dominant seasons in Angels history. He went 20-9 with a 1.65 ERA for a team that went just 82-80. But that was only half the story. Dean won the Cy Young Award that year to interrupt Sandy Koufax’s string of three Cy Young’s in four years. Denny McLain,...

Tony Lema was one of the best golfers in professional golf. In 1964 he won the British Open, and was knocking at the door of the Big 3 of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. He was as tough as the came, as evidenced by his 8-1-2 record in Ryder Cup play. But he was also one of the most fun-loving guys on the PGA TOUR, and the media loved him too! They loved the fact that they were treate...

Teofilo Stevenson was one of the most powerful heavyweights of all time. Although he never fought professionally, he is still regarded as one of the best ever. He is the only boxer to ever win three-straight Gold Medals in the Olympics. He did it in 1972, 1976 and 1980. Some think he would have won a fourth straight Gold in 1984, however, this Cuban superstar didn't fight in 1984 because Cuba boyc...

In the early 1900s, Ed Delahanty was the biggest star in baseball. Regarded, by some, as baseball’s first 5-tool player, he hit over .400 three times, and was the game’s most powerful hitter. But he was struggling financially and, essentially, had to pay his team to continue playing. Big Ed was caught up in a battle between the well-established National League and the upstart American League. He w...

In overtime of game 5 of the 1951 Stanley Cup Finals, Bill Barilko scored to give the Toronto Maple Leafs their 4th Stanley Cup Championship in 5 years. Barilko was the toast of the town. Unfortunately, however, it would be the last goal Barilko would ever score. Shortly afterwards, Barilko went on a fishing trip with his good friend, and dentist, Dr. Henry Hudson. Neither of them would ever be se...

Bill Barilko was a young hard-hitting defenseman for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was called up to the Leafs towards the end of the 1946-47 season and helped Toronto win the Stanley Cup. He helped the Maple Leafs win the Cup again in 1948 and 1949. Toronto became the first team to win the Cup three straight years. After failing to make it to the finals in 1950, the Leafs returned in 1951 and Barilk...

After leading LSU to a National Championship and winning the Heisman Trophy, Billy Cannon was selected No. 1 in the NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams and then GM Pete Rozelle. But the upstart AFL also had its eyes set on Cannon; and Houston Oilers owner Bud Adams offered Cannon a contract he couldn't refuse. With two contracts in hand, and both leagues claiming rights to Cannon an arbitrator was c...

Description of Sports' Forgotten Heroes. This summary outlines the fact that a new podcast of Sports' Forgotten Heroes will be released every other Tuesday. Additionally, it details some of the great heroes we will be discussing like Billy Cannon, Bill Barilko, Ed Delahanty, and Dean Chance.   Links: www.sportsfh.com www.patreon.com/sportsfh SportsFHeroes@twitter.com ©2017 Sports' Forgotten H...

Billy Cannon was a Heisman Trophy winning running back for LSU. He helped lead the Tigers to a National Championship in 1958 and followed that with a stellar career in the AFL and a brief appearance in the NFL. In this two-part series of Sports' Forgotten Heroes, author Charles de Gravelles and Sports Historian Jim Weathersby join Warren Rogan to take a look back at the career of Cannon, his fall...