Origins with Ben Smith

The story of Marshall “Major” Taylor is one that history hasn’t paid enough attention to. Breaking the color barrier in one of the top sports in the late 1800’s, at a young age, is only part of this incredible story. Origins host Ben Smith is joined this week by the President of The Major Taylor Association, Lynne Tolman, to discuss the life and legacy of one of the greatest athletes in the history of Cycling.

Join Origins host Ben Smith as he explores the story of Negro League Baseball from the early 1900's. Racism divided the sports world during this time period, forcing African-Americans to form their own leagues when the major leagues would not allow them to play with white players. This week, we are joined by Dr. Raymond Doswell, V.P. and Curator of the Negro League Museum to help tell the story of the league that brought us greats like Jackie Robinson, Oscar Charleston, Satchel Paige and many others.

This week is another Group Chat Edition of Origins. Host Ben Smith tells the tragic & surprising story behind the creation of Mascots. Ben welcomes in a few of his friends this week; Chris Moon, Mike Gorney, Rich Osborne & Ryan Knapp, as he tells them the story live over Zoom.

Join Origins host Ben Smith as he closes out his month long look into the origins of the four major sports in the United States. This week: Ice Hockey. Ice Hockey may have one of the more challenging origins to trace, but, Origins Host Ben Smith called on a detective... of sorts. This week's guest goes by many names, but he is most known as the "Hockey Holmes: Heritage Detective," he is also an author and has spent a good chunk of his career with the Nova Scotia Museum. He is currently writing a book on the Origins of Hockey and he joined Origins this week to break down his findings and his unique method of tracing the games beginning.

Join Origins host Ben Smith as he tells the tale of how America's past time came to be. There are many characters in this story that helped weave a tall tale of the game's history for hundreds of years; Was it created in ancient Egypt back in 1460 BCE? Did a famous American War Hero create the game in a cow pasture in upstate New York? Can America or any other country truly stake claim to it's creation? In this episode, we'll answer that very question.

Join Origins host Ben Smith as he continues his look into the four major sports in the United States. This week is all about the origin of Basketball. The game of Basketball comes from humble beginnings back in 1891, getting its start at a local community center, and eventually transforming into a game known around the world.

Join Origins host Ben Smith for the next month as he tells the origin stories of the four major sports in the United States. This week is all about the origin of Gridiron Football, (American football.) The game of football traces back to the 12th century and has seen a massive amount of changes over the centuries, and how one man lead the charge to save the game of football when it was on the verge of being cancelled by the U.S. government.

This week is the 1st Group Chat Edition of Origins. Host Ben Smith tells the story of the first slam dunk, and where that phrase comes from. Ben welcomes in a few of his friends this week; Chris Moon, Mike Gorney & Rich Osborne, as he tells them the story live over Zoom.

Join Origins host Ben Smith as he tells the story of the "High Five" and its simple beginnings in the city of Angels, Los Angeles, California. Hear the tale of the man who, in 1977, began this celebration at the height of his career, and the unfortunate downfall he faced in life shortly after.

The first case of "Instant Replay" took the world by surprise. One man, Tony Verna, a producer for CBS Television, found himself wanting to try out this concept in the biggest game of the year with an entire country watching. Journalist and Author, Anna Clark, joins Origins Host Ben Smith to discuss the elaborate tale of how the first case of Instant Replay came about and the history behind an idea that forever changed the way we watch Television.