Special Teams

The legacies of Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson are now part of the common lore of NBA history. This is the story of their first title, and all they had to overcome to get there. How crushing was their defeat in the previous playoffs that caused them to hire Jackson? (And why did a VCR bear the brunt of the blame?) How did the season almost go off the rails from the beginning? What grudge does Shaquille O’Neal still hold from that season (and surprise, it’s not towards Kobe)? What evidence immediately following their title told us the Lakers two big stars could stick around & make it work for awhile? And what story will Kobe Bryant likely hear for the first time surrounding his season of breakthrough stardom…and romance?

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Before the Browns made going o-fer a “thing,” the 2008 Detroit Lions stunned the world by becoming the first team to go 0-16 in NFL history. And they actually had high hopes coming into the season. Firing their GM at the quarter pole couldn’t help them get a win. Playing a literal “Where are they now?” of quarterbacks couldn’t help. Having the best wide receiver in the NFL couldn’t help, either. Making a huge trade mid-season didn’t pan out. (What did help was possibly having the worst single-season defense ever. Hey, small victories.) And in the process, they also provided a blooper that will likely live forever as one of the most outlandish and embarrassing - think the Butt Fumble before the Butt Fumble. We also re-live 2008 in pop culture, history, and add a very special “Where are they now?” The 2008 Detroit Lions. Winless Perfection.

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Did the 1998 New York Yankees have the greatest single-season in MLB history? The full appreciation for their accomplishments looks even greater from this distance. Their offensive numbers will shock you. The success they had in one specific playoff series was stunning. And boy were they on the ropes and rescued by an unlikely source in the American League Championship Series. Did you know they could’ve been even better had they been able to sign a player they drafted who went on to stardom elsewhere? That despite their home-grown stars it was two minor trades that brought them regular season and playoff heroes? There was perfection, brawling, and controversy all wrapped up in a World Series punctuated by a power show. The 1998 New York Yankees. Possibly the best of the best. 

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Sometimes you don’t have to win a championship to be special. Sometimes you can be near-perfect and scandal-ridden. This is the story of the 2007 New England Patriots, who began the year under a cloud of controversy that followed them on their historic run through an undefeated regular season that fell just painfully short of immortality. The details surrounding Spygate seem ludicrous and stunning well over a decade later. But it was also a year when Tom Brady took a leap that no one saw coming, a star wide receiver was reborn, and the execution of one of the greatest trades ever - only to see it come to a shocking end, and the Patriots have no one but themselves to blame. The 2007 New England Patriots. Perfection denied.

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The sports landscape is filled with legendary teams and their accomplishments that we still currently talk about, reference and compare to the present. Special Teams takes a look at these squads as we help relive their victories, losses and controversies that have marked their place in history. You’ll get unique storytelling, strong opinions and heavy doses of fun. Fox Sports hosts Jason Smith and Mike Harmon work through the backstories, build-ups and breakdowns of these (in)famous squads using personal anecdotes, pop culture references and a sizable mirror. The picture isn’t always so pretty, but you’ll never forget it.

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