The Football Odyssey with Aron Harris

A video essay that dives into the very first time the NCAA implemented a playoff system in football. Originally uploaded to YouTube on 1/3/2025.

Armen Keteyian is an author and journalist. His newest book, The Price: What It Takes To Win in College Football's Era of Chaos, co-authored with John Talty, is an inside look at the rapidly changing world of college football that covers Name, Image and Likeness deals, conference re-alignment, the transfer portal and much more. The Price https://www.amazon.com/Price-Takes-College-Footballs-Chaos/d...

The Football Odyssey is back from hiatus, and we're starting things back up with Thomas Fuller, a page one correspondent for the New York Times and author of The Boys of Riverside that chronicles that California School for the Dead Riverside Cubs and their pursuit of a championship. CSDR became a media sensation in 2021 for their dominance in 8-man football, and through Fuller's reporting, we lear...

Dan Moldea is an investigative journalist and author of 11 books. Today, Dan joins Aron to discuss his controversial 1989 book Interference: How Organized Crime Influences Professional Football, that explored the relationship between the NFL and the world of gamblers and bookmakers, as well as chronicled the rise of the NFL Security Department that was created to safeguard the integrity of the gam...

Today's episode features Aron on the other side of the mic as a guest on friend of the show Greg James' new podcast, Gridiron America, that focuses on the pop culture surrounding pro football and a look at the stories of men who play the game. This is only a portion of Greg and Aron's discussion, so to listen to the full interview, click the link below to Greg's new podcast. Gridir...

Super Bowl Sunday is finally here. Today, TFO presents Adagio for Rings, a highlight film chronicling the best plays in Super Bowl history and the path the Eagles and the Chiefs took to get to the big game. Aron's Email aronharris7@gmail.com TFO Blog https://www.thefootballodyssey.com/    TFO Social Media Accounts   https://twitter.com/FootballOdyc  https://www.instagram.com/th...

Tom Waggoner is an architect and consultant who has developed designs for Madison Square Garden, Notre Dame's football stadium and Kansas State's football stadium, to name a few. Last year, Tom published his first book,  Designed In Kansas City : How Kansas City Became the Sports Architecture Capital of the World, that chronicles how a group of architects pioneered the new field of sports arc...

Chuck Klosterman is an author of numerous books such as Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs , Downtown Owl and Killing Yourself to Live . His most recent book, The Nineties , is a collection of essays about a decade that occurred not too long ago, yet in many ways feels like an entirely different world. In this episode, Chuck sits down with Aron to discuss his book and a variety of other topics, including:...

The Detroit Lions are inching closer to a playoff berth. Will they make a push toward the Super Bowl if they get in? If so, it will be the first time since 1957 that they've reached the Championship game. On your long car ride to your New Years destination, listen back to that last Lions championship from 65 years ago today and ponder if they'll do something they haven't done in over six decades.....

Today's episode is a video analysis of Paul Zimmerman's 1974 book, The Last Season of Weeb Ewbank, a "life in the season" account of the 1973 New York Jets that was Weeb Ewbank's final year as the head coach of the organization that also serves a short biography on one of the most prolific yet under appreciated coaches in pro football history. TFO Blog  https://www.thefootballodyssey.com/&nbs...

Michael Oriard is a former professional football player, a retired professor at Oregon State University and the author of numerous books that analyzes the cultural relevance of football in America, including The End of Autumn: Reflections On My Life In Football, King Football and Brand NFL: Making and Selling America's Favorite Sport. Today, Michael joins Aron to discuss a wide variety of subjects...

Alvin Roy was a fitness pioneer who introduced weight training into the game of football, debunking the long held myth that weight training impeded a player's speed and flexibility. His impact was felt at the high school, college and pro ranks, and his contributions are felt today more than ever before.    TFO Blog  https://www.thefootballodyssey.com/  TFO Social Media Accounts...

Bob Cowser Jr. is an author and English professor at St. Lawrence University. In 2001, Bob embarked on a writing project in which he embedded himself as a player on the Watertown Red and Black football team, the oldest gridiron semi pro team in the United States. In 2004, Bob published his first book about his experiences playing on the Red and Black, titled Dream Season: A Professor Joins America...

Kevin Bryant is an Army veteran with over twenty years of experience safeguarding and gathering information for the Department of Defense, including thirteen years as a Special Agent during which he conducted national security investigations and instructed federal agents in training. His book, Spies on the Sidelines: The High-Stakes World of NFL Espionage details the collection techniques that NFL...

Parke Hill Davis is widely regarded as the first football historian who chronicled the rich history of the early autumn athletes of gridiron football, earning the nickname "The Grandfather of Football Statistics." Here is a short biography of his career. Written by Darin Hayes of Pigpen Sports  https://pigskindispatch.com/ https://twitter.com/PigskinDispatch   Edited by Benaiah Newhall &...

Today's episode is an audio version of a new Football Odyssey documentary about the history of the line of scrimmage, the most important rule in gridiron football. If you'd like to watch the video, here is the link to the video below:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUwEu0uhizw&t=2s   If you enjoyed listening to this episode, click the link below to browse more option at The Footbal...

Brett Forrest is an author and writer for the Wall Street Journal. Today, Brett joins Aron to discuss his 2002 book Long Bomb: How the XFL Became TV's Biggest Fiasco, in which Brett chronicled the lone 2001 season of the catastrophic XFL through the eyes of the Las Vegas Outlaws and how XFL founders/partners Vince McMahon and NBC's Dick Ebersol failed to capitalize on a prime opportunity.  https:/...

Today's episode is a special Memorial Day presentation: the original broadcast of the 1946 Army vs. Notre Dame contest that became of one the first games to be labeled the "Game of the Century" that featured four eventual Heisman Trophy Award winners and numerous World War II veterans battling it out in front of 70,000 spectators at Yankee Stadium.    Happy Memorial Day everyone, an...

Ken Crippen is a football historian and author. Ken recently launched the Football Learning Academy, a website that contains online courses and videos on football history and the impact that the game has had on society. Ken and Aron discuss his new venture, as well as his background as a football writer, his work on the All America Football Conference and the original Buffalo Bills franchise...

Clayton Trutor is the author of Loserville: How Professional Sports Remade Atlanta, and How Atlanta Remade Professional Sports. Clayton sits down with Aron to discuss his book, including his inspirations as a writer, the influence Atlanta had on future expansion cities, the struggles that Atlanta sports teams faced in the early years, and much more.  The Football Odyssey @FootballOdyc thefootballo...

John Davis is a 23-year US Army Veteran/Retiree with 20+ years of coaching youth sports and 25+ years of management and leadership experience. He is the Owner/President of JD Sports Academy and host of the For The Good Of The Game podcast. In this interview, John walks Aron through his life experiences within football, including how the game helped him develop as a leader, coaching youth football,...

Big Fan is a 2009 film starring Patton Oswald and directed by Robert Siegel. The film follows Phil Aufiero, a lonley parking garage attendant and obsessive New York Giants super-fan who's world is shattered to pieces when he is beaten up at a nightclub by his favorite Giants player, Quantrell Bishop. In this episode, Aron shares his thoughts on the movie.   The Football Odyssey  @Fo...

On this special episode of the podcast, Aron is joined by NFL Films' Head of Research Chris Willis and CFL America host Greg James to discuss their favorite NFL Films productions featuring John Facenda, one of the most iconic voices in NFL history who earned the nickname "the voice of God" for his thunderous narration of pro football's beauty, violence and passion. ***Clips used in this podcast ar...

Phil Villapiano is a former pro bowl linebacker who played for the Oakland Raiders from 1971-1979 and for the Buffalo Bills from 1980-1983. In this interview, Phil sits down with Aron to discuss various memories from his iconic days with the Silver and Black, including his relationship with John Madden, the infamous Immaculate Reception play, what made the NFL in the 70's unique, and much more.  *...

Bob Lederer is the author of Beyond Broadway Joe: The Super Bowl TEAM That Changed Football. In this episode, Bob sits down with Aron to discuss his book that looks at the various unheralded players on the 1968 New York Jets football team that shocked the world with their 16-7 victory over the vaunted Baltimore Colts of the National Football League in Super Bowl III that all but legitimized the Am...