Sports History Network

In the rich tapestry of American football, where strategy and athleticism intertwine, there are moments when innovation pushes the boundaries of the game. One such instance is the gadget play known as the "Helmet Toss," a daring maneuver that once captivated audiences with its audacious flair. Introduced in the early days of the college game, the play involved a player taking off their helmet. Whi...

Get ready to step back in time to the golden age of football! In our next episode, we’re diving deep into the legendary 1938 New York Giants. This championship team was a force to be reckoned with, and we're going to uncover the stories, the players, and the games that made them legends. From the gritty trenches to the dazzling passing game, we'll break down what made this team so special. So buck...

Wrestling With Heels On is part of the  Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear . EPISODE SUMMARY Ariel shares the story of his own battle with Bell's Palsy and integrates the story of Jim Ross, one of the most well-known people that has struggled with this condition. Known to the wrestling world as "J.R.," he is widely considered the best ringside announcer in WWE/WWF...

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Your Favorite Sports' Yesteryear . EPISODE SUMMARY I'll be honest- I nerded out with this interview. I got the chance to talk to Ben Troupe, former Tennessee Titan and Florida Gator tight end. In this interview, Ben talks about his past, some people who have helped him on the way, and how he views his life. Very...

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear . EPISODE SUMMARY As usual during the staging of the Summer Olympics, numerous stars are born, discovered, and revered forever based on their gold-medal winning performances. World-wide coverage of the numerous events is eagerly followed by millions and many of the champions quickly become hous...

Hello Old Sports is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Your Favorite Sport's Yesteryear . Prior to 2004, the U.S. Olympic Basketball Team had won three straight gold medals, and not even lost a game since professionals were first allowed to play in 1992. That all changed as the Larry Brown-coached team in '04 managed only a bronze medal, and lost three games. Tune in to hear...

Football Is Family is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Your Favorite Sports' Yesteryear . EPISODE SUMMARY Today we talk to author Kelly Bennett about her great picture book The House That Ruth Built. I enjoyed this interview because she read the book to me, showing me the awesome pictures, and helped me get immersed in this amazing story. If you want to get one of her book...

Paris. The City of Light. Paris. The City of Love and the capital of fashion. Also Paris is the city of Olympic dreams this summer. Over the last two weeks the eyes of the sporting world have been fixated on the city along the river Seine and everyone for the most part have been entranced with the competition and the spectacle that we know as the summer Olympics. In this edition of the Historicall...

 The 1960 Olympic Basketball Team was selected using a tournament format where four NCAA teams, three adult amateur teams, and a military team competed in hopes of getting their players on the Olympic roster. The AAU was in charge of the selection process, but they saw their power diminish when the college players dominated the AAU players. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice...

Yesterday's Sports is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear . EPISODE SUMMARY The 1976 Olympics were in Montreal, and the weightlifting started on July 18 and ended on July 27. The weight classes remained the same as they had at the 1972 Olympics. The clean & press was eliminated as a competition lift following the 1972 Olympics. These would be the first O...

Gridiron Greats Magazine podcast is part of the  Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear . EPISODE SUMMARY Episode summary goes here.... GRIDIRON GREATS MAGAZINE BACKGROUND Gridiron Greats covers 140+ years of North American football history and memorabilia. It was founded in 2002 and published by Franklin Rose who then turned over to Bob Swick and Swick Enterprises st...

In a time when football was a brutal, almost barbaric spectacle, a new era dawned. A place where the game would be redefined, where legends would be born. Harvard Stadium was constructed to last, and it changed the field venues and stadium designs that had been around prior. Timothy Brown of FootballArchaeology.com joins us to share the history of the opening of Harvard Stadium and its impact on t...

In the annals of New York Giants football, few names command as much respect and admiration as Ward Cuff. A titan of his era, Cuff was more than just a player; he was a legend. Join us as we delve into the extraordinary life and career of this gridiron great. From his humble beginnings to his iconic moments on the field, we'll uncover the story of a man who left an indelible mark on the game of fo...

Pro Football in the 1970s is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Your Favorite Sport's Yesteryear . JOE ZAGORSKI'S BOOKS ON AMAZON The NFL in the 1970s: Pro Football's Most Important Decade The Year the Packers Came Back: The 1972 Resurgence America's Trailblazing Middle Linebacker: The Story of NFL Hall of Famer Willie Lanier The 2,003-Yard Odyssey: The Juice, The Electric C...

NO NONSENSE, OLD SCHOOL WEIGHTLIFTING HISTORY is presented by the  Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Your Favorite Sport's Yesteryear . EPISODE SUMMARY In my last article, I wrote about the first World's Strongest Man contest in 1977. Olympic weightlifter Bruce Wilhelm easily won the competition and returned in 1978 to defend his title. The total number of competitors increased fr...

In 1920, the Negro National League started play and the historic Kansas City Monarchs took the field for the first time. Leading the way was a 5-foot-7 two-way ballplayer who was about to embark on a journey that didn't end until 1938 - Bullet Joe Rogan. What no one knew then was that Rogan was going to put up numbers that ultimately led him into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Rogan is...

NDN All-Stars is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear . EPISODE SUMMARY In this episode of the NDN All-Stars podcast, my guest is historian and author Mark Wagner. He has written a new book - "NATIVE LINKS - The Surprising History of Our First People in Golf". While Mr. Wagner is not of Native heritage, he has researched and written a quality book about the s...

Yesterday's Sports is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear . EPISODE SUMMARY Whenever football fans talk about great teams of the past that failed in their quest to win the Super Bowl, the 1977 Denver Broncos get overlooked. Perhaps it’s because this was the team's first successful season in its 18-year existence. Before 1977, the Broncos had only three winni...

What if the biggest rivalry in college football wasn't Alabama vs. Ohio State? What if it was Yale vs. Georgia? Timothy Brown of Football Archaeology takes us back a century when these two programs were on par on the gridiron, and it was a Bulldog v. Bulldog matchup. Join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website and the Sports Jersey Dispatch to see even more Positive football news! Sign up to get daily...

Ed Danowski, a name often overlooked in the annals of football history, was pivotal in shaping the quarterback position. His tenure with the New York Giants during the 1930s was marked by exceptional skill and leadership that continues to inspire football enthusiasts.   Join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website and the Sports Jersey Dispatch to see even more Positive football news! Sign up to g...

Today’s special guest is legendary broadcaster Chris Berman, who joined ESPN in 1979, a month after its founding. He spent 31 years hosting Sunday NFL Countdown and ten years hosting Monday Night Countdown , among his many other duties at the network. In this episode, we go behind the scenes at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies, as well as talk about the American Football League....

Football Is Family is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Your Favorite Sports' Yesteryear . EPISODE SUMMARY Today we talk to friend of the show, Travis Creasy, about his predictions for the upcoming NFL season, about the NCAA football game, and any other topic that could come to our minds. I hope you enjoy disagreeing with our picks. If you would like to come on the podcast,...

Gridiron Greats Magazine podcast is part of the  Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear . EPISODE SUMMARY With Special Gues Co-Host John Spano and USFL Author Keith Woods GRIDIRON GREATS MAGAZINE BACKGROUND Gridiron Greats covers 140+ years of North American football history and memorabilia. It was founded in 2002 and published by Franklin Rose who then turned over to...

Pete Newell was one of the greatest coaches of all time. In the summer of 1976, he took time to help Kermit Washington improve his low post skills. That became the start of his Big Man Camp that he ran for nearly 30 years. Every summer some of the greatest players in the NBA took time to learn from Pete Newell; players like Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Scottie Pippen, Charles Oakley, and Chr...

Yesterday's Sports is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear . EPISODE SUMMARY Weightlifting at the 1972 Olympics occurred in Munich, Germany, from August 27 to Sept.6. In 1969, the International Weightlifting Federation added two new weight classes: flyweight (52 kg), bantamweight (56 kg), featherweight (60 kg), lightweight (67.5 kg), middleweight (75 kg), lig...