Alternate Routes

Is there anything that destroys the fortunes of a franchise more than a premium draft pick going bust? Even worse, when the next player…or two…or three…go on to have Hall of Fame careers. That’s exactly the scenario for the 2003 Detroit Pistons. Eighteen-year-old LeBron James went to the Cavs with the first pick and Detroit was on the clock at no. 2. The reigning king of college basketball, Carmelo Anthony, was there for the taking (so were Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade). But instead, Detroit’s braintrust chose a different 18-year old, 7-foot Serbian Darko Milicic who, despite lasting 10 seasons in the league, became the epitome of an NBA draft bust. But what if the Pistons, who won the 2003-04 NBA title despite the pick, chose Carmelo instead? Would playing with veterans like Chauncey Billups, Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace have silenced Melo’s critics and led to multiple Motor City rings? How would LeBron’s career have been altered with a young rival in the division? Would Darko have benefitted from being in a different locale? And what does all of this have to do with MTV and Eminem? Find out on Alternate Routes. 

Listen to Alternate Routes on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to episodes early and ad-free on Wondery+ now. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/alternate-routes now.

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Behind the closed doors of government offices and military compounds, are hidden stories and buried secrets from the darkest corners of history. Each week, Luke Lamana, a Marine Corp Reconnaissance Veteran, pulls back the curtain on what once was classified information exposing the secrets and lies behind the world’s most powerful institutions. From the hitmakers at Wondery and Ballen Studios, we bring you REDACTED: Declassified Mysteries with Luke Lamana. The stories are real, and the secrets are shocking.

Listen Now: http://wondery.fm/REDACTED

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How many football games have you watched where the difference between winning and losing boils down to a made or missed field goal? The football kicker is the most outsized position in all sports where success leads to instant hero status while missing makes them a total goat. It’s those misses that are the focus of today’s episode. How many teams would’ve gone onto win championships had the ball just gone through the uprights? How would an idiot have stopped Pittsburgh's Bus before he got to the depot? How did something so right repeatedly go so wrong for one of the power programs in the Sunshine State? Who went from perfect in purple to the biggest punchline in Vikings franchise history? And would Buffalo have derailed the career of Bill (Belichick) if the most infamous miss in football history had been good? Find out on Alternate Routes.

Listen to Alternate Routes on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to episodes early and ad-free on Wondery+ now. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/alternate-routes now.

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The boxing and social media worlds will collide on Nov. 15 when 58-year-old former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, takes on 27-year-old influencer-turned-boxer Logan Paul in one of the most highly anticipated fights in recent memory. A large portion of the audience will be YouTubers who have only heard about Tyson because he bit off part of Evander Holyfield’s ear…or maybe they saw him in The Hangover. But “Iron Mike” was once the baddest man on the planet, an undisputed undefeated fighting machine. But that all changed in 1990 when he faced journeyman James “Buster” Douglas in what was supposed to be a tune up before Tyson faced Evander Holyfield. Douglas, a 42-to-1 underdog, shocked the world and took away the title, and Tyson’s world spiraled out of control. But what would’ve happened if Tyson had defeated Douglas and faced Holyfield in the Fight of the Century? Would Tyson’s status as champ have helped him through his legal troubles? Would the UFC still have gone mainstream? And how would the careers of Schwartzenegger, Stallone and The Rock have been different? Find out on Alternate Routes.  

Listen to Alternate Routes on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to episodes early and ad-free on Wondery+ now. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/alternate-routes now.

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On today’s special Hot Routes episode, we’re getting into the Halloween spirit by looking at some of the scariest events, moments and people in sports. What happens if a Palace doesn't erupt in a melee that torches the title hopes of one of the NBA’s best teams and an all-time great? What if the NBA’s all-time worst owner isn’t unmasked? Which NFL trick looked like a treat but ultimately led to a Titanically horrifying Super Bowl result? Plus, who’s scarier? Philly fans, Raider Nation or soccer hooligans? Find out on Alternate Routes.

Listen to Alternate Routes on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to episodes early and ad-free on Wondery+ now. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/alternate-routes now.

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There wasn’t much that Kobe Bryant didn’t achieve on the basketball court. National High School Player of the Year. NBA Most Valuable Player. Five-time NBA Champion. Two-time Finals MVP. 18-time NBA All-Star. Olympic gold medalist. Hall of Famer. He even won an Oscar! But the one thing Kobe didn’t accomplish - by his own choice- was to play college basketball. Under former draft eligibility rules, Bryant was one of a few dozen U.S. players who skipped college to declare for the NBA Draft straight out of high school. At 17, Bryant was selected with the 13th pick by the Charlotte Hornets but soon after was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. The rest is history. But what would have happened if Kobe had gone to college instead? Would he have ended up on Tobacco Road? What dynasty would get an unexpected reboot by drafting him? What legendary college coach would have an unexpected homecoming? And how does J. Cole fit into all of this? Find out on Alternate Routes.

Listen to Alternate Routes on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to episodes early and ad-free on Wondery+ now. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/alternate-routes now.

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The untold stories behind the products you’re obsessed with and the bold risk-takers who made them go viral. How did Birkenstocks go from a German cobbler’s passion project 250 years ago to a starring role in the Barbie movie? Who created that bottle of Sriracha permanently living in your fridge? Did you know the Air Jordans were initially banned by the NBA, or that Super Mario became the best-selling video game character ever thanks to a strategy called “The Infinite Game?” On Wondery’s new weekly podcast The Best Idea Yet, Nick Martell and Jack Crivici-Kramer (hosts of the award-winning daily pop-business podcast, The Best One Yet aka TBOY) have identified the most viral products of all time and reveal their untold origin stories — plus the bold risk-takers who brought them to life. From the Happy Meal to Levi’s 501 jeans, come for the products you’re obsessed with, stay for the business insights that’ll make you the most interesting person at your next brunch. 

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The World Series is the most enduring team championship in North America. Not even, World War I, World War II or even the events of September 11 could postpone it. But in 1994 the World Series was canceled because of a labor dispute and players’ strike that prematurely ended what was well on its way to being an historic major league season. But what if baseball’s union and owners came to an agreement to save the season? Which franchise would never have said “bon voyage” to their longtime home? Which Hall of Famer would’ve reached heights not seen in over a half century? Which Giant (not named Barry Bonds) would’ve been the new home run king? And why would a meaningless September game on Chicago’s South Side be the toughest ticket in baseball history? Find out on Alternate Routes.

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Compared to other hockey players Wayne Gretzky wasn’t especially big, strong or fast. But nobody ever dominated a sport the way “The Great One” dominated the NHL. Before his 28th birthday the captain of the Edmonton Oilers had shattered every NHL single-season scoring record en route to leading his team to four Stanley Cups championships in five years. And that’s why the entire sports world was stunned when in the summer of 1988 the Oilers traded Gretzky to the NHL’s most remote locale, Los Angeles, sparking other NHL franchises to set their sights on the U.S. Sunbelt. But what would’ve happened if No. 99 was never traded to Southern California? How long would the Oilers dynasty have lasted? Could Gretzky have rolled into the Motor City instead? Which classic movies would never have gotten greenlit? And what does this all have to do with art smuggling? Find out on Alternate Routes.

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Whether it’s MJ or LeBron, Tiger, Serena, Brady or Biles, there are scores of athletes who can lay claim to being the GOAT. But when it comes to unicorns - mythical athletes whose abilities defy belief - there are at best a handful. For all who saw him play, Vincent “Bo” Jackson was a unicorn. A threat to score from anywhere on the football field, with elite power and arm strength on the baseball diamond, Jackson is the only person to play both in the NFL’s Pro Bowl and baseball’s All-Star game. But, in the prime of his career during his first postseason game, Jackson suffered an injury that abruptly ended his football career and was the beginning of the end for his baseball career. But what would’ve happened if Jackson had avoided injury? Would the “Bo Knows” phenomenon have eclipsed all other athletes? How much would a talent of his magnitude be worth in free agency? Could he have ended up in Cooperstown? Or Canton? Or both?! And how else would this all disrupt The Matrix? Find out on Alternate Routes.

Listen to Alternate Routes on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to episodes early and ad-free on Wondery+ now. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/alternate-routes now.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.