In 1923, two brothers formed a new shoe company, Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik, or Geda.

The company grew quickly against the backdrop of the rising Nazi party, and by the 1936 Berlin Olympics, top athletes, including Jesse Owens, wore the brothers' shoes.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy look at how the Second World War tore the two brothers apart, leading to the biggest feud in sports history.

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Resources

There are too many resources to name for this one as it’s been a favourite for both business and sports reporters for years.

The person who has covered it the most however is Barbara Smit. She's written a few books on the topic. I’ve put the link below and highly recommend it as not just a great sports book but a great read for anyone.

Sneaker Wars: The Enemy Brothers Who Founded Adidas and Puma and the Family Feud That Forever Changed the Business of Sports by Barbara Smit

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In part two of our look at the LIV Golf-PGA Tour merger, Greg Norman is now CEO of LIV Golf, unleashing a civil war in the sport.

Money is thrown around like a loose bucks night, as golfers make hundreds of millions of dollars by swapping sides.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy then ask they question, after all the unpleasantness, why the sudden change of heart?

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Resources

Jane Cadzow, ‘We need to talk about Greg Norman’, Sydney Morning Herald, 10 December 2022.

Greg Norman, Way of the Shark: Lessons on golf, business, and life, Atria Books, 2007.

Thomas Boswell, ‘Norman Golfing for Greed in Plans for World Tour’, Washington Post, 18 November 1994.

Dave Seanor, ‘A man and an idea ahead of their time’, Sports Illustrated, 14 November 2019.

Bob Harig, ‘A Disruptor to the PGA Tour Is Here, and Professional Golf May Never Be the Same’, Sports Illustrated, 10 June 2022.

Cydney Henderson, ‘“We’ve all made mistakes”: Greg Norman downplays the killing of journalist while promoting Saudi backed golf league’, USA Today, 11 May 2022.

David Rowe, ‘How Saudi Arabia came to be at the centre of a global golf merger’, The Conversation, 7 June 2023.

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We have a treat, two episodes this week, on the LIV Golf-PGA Tour merger. The second episode will be out Wednesday unless you’re a Bizarre Plus member, then you’ll have both today.

In this episode, we trace the history of breakaway leagues in golf.  The first being the PGA Tour splitting from the PGA of America, caused by a dispute between Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope.

Then look at an attempted breakaway league in 1994, the World Golf Tour, led by none other than Greg Norman.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy then look at how Greg Norman launched his revenge on the PGA Tour thirty years later.

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Resources

Jane Cadzow, ‘We need to talk about Greg Norman’, Sydney Morning Herald, 10 December 2022.

Greg Norman, Way of the Shark: Lessons on golf, business, and life, Atria Books, 2007.

Thomas Boswell, ‘Norman Golfing for Greed in Plans for World Tour’, Washington Post, 18 November 1994.

Dave Seanor, ‘A man and an idea ahead of their time’, Sports Illustrated, 14 November 2019.

Bob Harig, ‘A Disruptor to the PGA Tour Is Here, and Professional Golf May Never Be the Same’, Sports Illustrated, 10 June 2022.

Cydney Henderson, ‘“We’ve all made mistakes”: Greg Norman downplays the killing of journalist while promoting Saudi backed golf league’, USA Today, 11 May 2022.

David Rowe, ‘How Saudi Arabia came to be at the centre of a global golf merger’, The Conversation, 7 June 2023.

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In our final episode on the USFL, the league’s final season is overshadowed by the showdown court case between the USFL and the NFL.

In one of the strangest cases of all time, Donald Trump takes the stand, the jury doesn’t understand how their job works and the court's decision makes no real sense to anyone.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy watch the sun set on the beautiful chaos of the USFL.

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Research

I went wide researching this, but I kept coming back to Football for a Buck: The Crazy Rise and Crazier Demise of the USFL by Jeff Pearlman.

If you don’t know his work, Jeff Pearlman is one of, if not the best sports writer of his generation and I’d recommend any of his books to you.

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Following the first season of the USFL, the most incredible offseason in sports history commenced.

New teams were created, teams traded their entire playing lists, Donald Trump purchased a team, Andy Warhol selected cheerleaders, and a new honour set a high bar for erratic behaviour.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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Research

I went wide researching this, but I kept coming back to Football for a Buck: The Crazy Rise and Crazier Demise of the USFL by Jeff Pearlman.

If you don’t know his work, Jeff Pearlman is one of, if not the best sports writer of his generation and I’d recommend any of his books to you.

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On March 6 1983, the new United States Football League (USFL) season kicked off with a plan to bring American football to springtime.

What unfolded was a wild tale of early success, crazy players and crazier owners, and the undoing of the entire league by a little-known property developer from New York, Donald J Trump.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy begin their three-part look at one of the wildest leagues in history, a league that featured ex-criminals, a defensive end who gained fame for trapping his head in the sunroof of a car, and the bodyguard of Rick James.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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Research

I went wide researching this, but I kept coming back to Football for a Buck: The Crazy Rise and Crazier Demise of the USFL by Jeff Pearlman.

If you don’t know his work, Jeff Pearlman is one of, if not the best sports writer of his generation and I’d recommend any of his books to you.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Few players have burned so bright and fallen so far as Detroit Tigers Denny McLain.

In 1968, 'The Year of the Pitcher', Denny would win 30 games, a World Series, release a record through Capitol Records, Denny McLain at the Organ and drink 24 bottles of Pepsi daily.

The fall was fast; it involved fraud, the mafia, his house burning down, and jail time.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy looked at an athlete as brilliant as he was dodgy.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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Athletes get injured; it comes with the territory, but a lot of them get injured in weird ways.

From damaging a tooth eating a microwaved chocolate doughnut, having your own dentures bite you, to falling asleep in a sunbed.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy look at the weirdest sport injuries of all time, and wonder how exactly you injure yourself by running into a moose.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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In the final of our series on James Hunt, we look at his 1976 battle with close friend Niki Lauda for the World Championship, the greatest season of F1 ever.

We then look at his commentary career, where he once said French driver Jean-Pierre Jarier had “a mental age of 10” and should be given a short suspension for poor driving before adding: “for being himself, he should receive a permanent suspension.”

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy finish off their tribute to the most entertaining F1 driver of all time.

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When Lord Hesketh started Hesketh Racing team, he needed a driver, and he found the perfect one, James Hunt.

Everything about Hesketh Racing was fun. “We had failed in both Formula 2 and Formula 3, so Formula 1 was the only logical place to go, said Lord Hesketh on entering the big leagues.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molly continue their series on James Hunt, covering his time at Hesketh and his interesting marriage.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

As a member, you’ll get:

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