Sports History Network

Calling all gridiron gurus! Ever wonder how fans first paid a premium to watch football on TV? Today, we have historian Timothy Brown joining us to delve into the forgotten era of early pay-per-view for America's favorite sport. Buckle up and get ready for a touchdown worth of knowledge! Tim's original Tidbit that generated this discussion is: Football and Early Pay-Per-View Television. Join us at...

The celebration of the New York Football Giants' 100th season rolls on. We are in for a special treat in this 15th part of our series. Collector and Historian Jeff Payne brings some of his favorite NYG pieces to share some awesome gridiron history. Just a guy who loves football Join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website and the Sports Jersey Dispatch to see even more Positive football news! Sign up t...

In the late 1980s, NBA Commissioner David Stern looked to take full advantage of the growing popularity of his league. So on April 5, !987, the NBA announced the addition of four new teams to the NBA. Beginning in the fall of 1988, the Charlotte Hornets and the Miami Heat took the floor for the first time as NBA franchises. One season later, in 1989 two more teams, the Orlando Magic and Minnesota...

Hello Old Sports is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Your Favorite Sport's Yesteryear . EPISODE SUMMARY Our latest episode takes us all over the place as we talk about some of the great teams in sports history that should have won championships but didn't! Some choked, some were unlucky, but all were disappointing. From the 2004 Lakers to the 1906 Cubs to the 2018 Penguins...

Football Is Family is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Your Favorite Sports' Yesteryear . EPISODE SUMMARY Today we celebrate the 100th episode of the Football is Family podcast by talking about something very important to my personal life- Mental Health. If you are struggling with mental health or thoughts of suicide, please dial 988 on your phone for immediate help, or ta...

The name "Shoeless Joe Jackson" is one of the most famous in baseball history. A key figure to the dominant Chicago White Sox of the late 19-teens, Joe led the team to the World Series Championship in 1917 when he hit .304 in the 6-game series. However, we all know the story of what happened next. In 1919, the White Sox threw the Series against the Cincinnati Reds and a year later, despite batting...

 In today's edition of The Lost Teams, we cover the Baltimore Bullets -- who were the 1951 NBA champions -- along with the Indianapolis Olympians and the Anderson Packers. These teams all came to the NBA different ways and all left in different ways. However, all three were able to give the league steady footing that later led to success as a league. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer,...

Yesterday's Sports is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear . EPISODE SUMMARY Mark sits down with his long-time friend, Dave DePaola, to talk about the "Thrilla in Manila."  This is part 1 of that conversation. ‘The Thrilla in Manila’  would be the third time that Muhammed Ali and Joe Frazier squared off. In th...

Ever wonder what it's like to be a champion? To have nerves of steel and a winning arm? Then buckle up, because we're diving into the incredible story of Otto Graham... not just as a football legend, but as a comic book hero! That's right! Today, we're tackling touchdowns and thought bubbles as we explore this rare piece of football history. Was Otto Graham just a great quarterback, or did he have...

Fast forward to a time overshadowed by World War II, a time when the very soul of America was tested. Yet, amidst the chaos, an unlikely story unfolded on the gridiron – the 1942 college football season. This wasn't your typical year. Join us on this podcast adventure as we delve into a season unlike any other. Join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website and the Sports Jersey Dispatch to see...

Have you ever wondered what happened to NFL teams that seem to have disappeared from memory? Some NFL teams have faded into obscurity despite once being prominent in the league, while others never really made it, though they were there at the beginning of the League. Here a look and quick summary at some of the more famous teams in this category. Join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website and the Spo...

Football Is Family is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Your Favorite Sports' Yesteryear . EPISODE SUMMARY We talk to my friend Zaquan Kemp about mental health, his struggles and triumph, and how he is working to help kids overcome hurdles in their lives. He encouraged me, and I know he will encourage you. https://open.spotify.com/episode/1QV2jfK38roucSe957FdlL?si=hjzqyu2HT...

Football Is Family is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Your Favorite Sports' Yesteryear . EPISODE SUMMARY Today we talk to Ben and Travis about mental health and how we as people can not only help others but also help ourselves if we are struggling. I want to thank Ben and Travis for coming on. You can catch them on the Helping Healing Humor podcast and on benandtravis.com...

From the start of the NBA until the mid-1990s, there existed a role in professional basketball known as an enforcer. Before technical fouls and flagrant fouls, some teams would try to intentionally injure the opponent's star player since it only counted as a normal foul, so enforcers arose to protect those stars and punish anyone who tried to injure them. Then in the 1970s, the “One Punch” rule wa...

Yesterday's Sports is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear . EPISODE SUMMARY Mark sits down with his long-time friend, Dave DePaola, to talk about the "Thrilla in Manila." This is part 1 of that conversation. ‘The Thrilla in Manila’  would be the third time that Muhammed Ali and Joe Frazier squared off. In the  first fight, held at Madison Square Ga...

We travel back in time almost 120 years and revel in a phenomenal play that changed the course of history in the gridiron realm. Timothy Brown of Football Archaeology joins us to tell the saga of the 1905 Michigan Wolverines and Michigan's Goal Line Punt Return of 1905 . Join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website and the Sports Jersey Dispatch to see even more Positive football news! Sign up to get d...

We are crossing the passion of loving football history with that of the desire to be in better shape, and voila, the inspiration of better health through using principles in football conditioning and the game's rich history. That is exactly what you will get some history behind conditioning of players from yesteryear and today and knowhow, and what the drills do to make a participant better fit. D...

Pro Football in the 1970s is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Your Favorite Sport's Yesteryear . JOE ZAGORSKI'S OTHER WORK "JOE ZAGORSKI WRITER" WEBSITE CHECK OUT THE NFL IN THE 1970S FACEBOOK PAGE EPISODE SUMMARY On January 14, 1973, the Miami Dolphins completed a seemingly impossible dream by defeating the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII by a score of 14-7.  T...

From the 55 Yardline is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear . EPISODE SUMMARY Fran, Dave and Greg are back to discuss the impending failure that is the new version of the Arena Football League, as it struggles with franchise losses in just its first week. They then discuss the United Football League, which is seemingly holding its own in the face of low expe...

Football Is Family is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Your Favorite Sports' Yesteryear . EPISODE SUMMARY Today we talk to Ken Smoller, author of the book Last Comiskey. We talk about Chicago history, politics, Greer Stadium and much, much more. Check out this book at www.lastcomiskeybook.com Www.stadiumvagabond.com/portfolio @stadiumvagabond ABOUT FOOTBALL IS FAMILY Do yo...

When you think of classic ballparks throughout the history of Major League Baseball, Ebbets Field or Yankee Stadium or Shibe Park in Philadelphia comes to mind. Yet Comiskey Park, located on the corner of 35th and Shields on Chicago's southside, is just as charming and as famous as all of the others. It was the home park for the Chicago White Sox from 1910 through 1990 and has been the site of so...

Jim Bottomley played for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1922 to 1933. During his 11 years with the Redbirds, Bottomley just might have been the best first baseman in the National League. If he wasn't you'd be hard-pressed to find another first baseman who was better. During that 11 year span, Bottomley hit .325, whacked 181 home runs and knocked in 1,105. In 1928, he won the National League MVP. Fou...

 Dennis Johnson was one of the most underrated players in the NBA. The man was a 9-time All-Defensive Player, a 5-time All-Star, and a starter on 3 NBA championship teams. What's unique is that he was neither a starter in high school nor recruited to any colleges. He was a classic late bloomer who grew six inches in height after he graduated high school and turned into a well-deserving Hall-of-Fa...

Yesterday's Sports is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear . EPISODE SUMMARY I belong to several old-school football groups on Facebook, and one of the biggest topics of discussion is who should and shouldn’t be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Everyone has an opinion about who’s worthy of having their bust placed in the Hallowed Hall. If the HOF voting comm...

The awarding of game balls to the best players after a contest is a practice that seems to be as old as the game itself. It is close, but it did have an origin after football was well established. Football Archaeology.com's Timothy Brown explains as he tells us about one of his recent Tidbits titled: A History of Game Balls Join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website and the Sports Jersey Dispatch to...