Sports History Network

Sid Gordon broke into the Majors in 1941 with the New York "baseball" Giants, bounced back-and-forth between the minors, served for two years during World War II and then made it back to the big league club in 1946; and proceeded to put together a terrific career. In fact, from 1948 through 1952 he established himself as one of the game's best by averaging 27 home runs a year, over 97 RBI a year, and during that 5-year span he hit .292 with his high, for that stretch, coming in 1950 when he hit .304. Gordon was a Jeff McNeil type of ballplayer. He could play the infield (3B) or outfield and even asked to play catcher. Over the course of his career, he played 809 games in left, 454 at third, 108 in right, 42 at first, 6 in center and 3 at second base. He clubbed 202 home runs, knocked in 805 and had a career batting average of .283. Gordon, a favorite of Leo Durocher, was reluctantly traded by the Giants to the Braves prior to the 1950 season. The native of Brooklyn, New York, was the one player the Boston Braves wanted in exchange for Alvin Dark and Eddie Stanky - catalysts for the Giants 1951 run to the NL Pennant. And that's one of the knocks against Gordon's popularity. He never played for a championship. He languished on teams that were rarely in a pennant race. Nonetheless, Gordon still had a terrific career and on this episode of SFH, Steve Cahn, Gordon's young cousin, who also authored the book, "Sid Gordon, An American Baseball Story", joins to talk about Gordon's career.

Elgin Baylor retired in 1971 due to his diminishing skills. However, the timing could not be worse for Baylor. The day that he retired, the Lakers started their famous 33-game winning streak and went on to win the championship...

CREDITS

Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice

Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher

MUSIC

"Disco Funk" by Jam Morgan

"Horizons" by Roa

SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK

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BUSINESS CONTACT

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Yesterday's Sports is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

After appearing in three straight Super Bowls and winning two, the 1974 Miami Dolphins were determined to become the first team to win three Vince Lombardi trophies. They had the talent and drive to do it, but something disrupted their focus during the off-season.

You can read the full blog post here.

YESTERDAY'S SPORTS BACKGROUND

Host Mark Morthier grew up in New Jersey just across the river from New York City during the 1970s, a great time for sports in the area. He relives great moments from this time and beyond, focusing on football, baseball, basketball, and boxing. You may even see a little Olympic Weightlifting in the mix, as Mark competed for eight years. See Mark's book below.

No Nonsense, Old School Weight Training: A Guide For People With Limited Time

Running Wild: (Growing Up In The 1970s)

Intentional Grounding is not something you see every game, especially in the NFL, where once a QB leaves the pocket, the foul becomes non-existent. The history of the foul is almost as old as the forward pas itself, and our Guest Timothy Brown has written about this football no-no in a recent Tibit titled: How Intentional Grounding Came to Pass

Join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website and the Sports Jersey Dispatch to see even more Positive football news! Sign up to get daily football history headlines in your email inbox @ Email-subscriber

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Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well don't, because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website.

We have spoken about the history of early NFL Quarterback Benny Friedman and his impact on the Giants in the past. Today, we amp this up as Larry Schmitt shares the history of this player, his impact on the NFL, and the offensive style we see in the modern game.

Larry adds after our recording that:

The official first 300-yard passing game in the NFL was 12/5/37 by Pat Coffee of the Chicago Cardinals in a game they lost to the Bears.

The first official 300-yard passing game for the Giants was 11/9/47 by Paul Governalli in a loss to the Eagles. 

Join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website and the Sports Jersey Dispatch to see even more Positive football news! Sign up to get daily football history headlines in your email inbox @ Email-subscriber

Don't forget to check out and subscribe to the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel for additional content and the regular Football History Minute Shorts.

Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well don't, because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website.

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

On this episode of “When Football Was Football,” we’ll take a break from covering professional football and journey back to 1937 for a celebration of one of Chicago’s most prominent annual sporting events: the Prep Bowl. Each year, the high school season in the city would conclude with the enormously popular clash between the champions of the Chicago Catholic League and the Chicago Public League. Things have changed over the years, of course, but for decades the Prep Bowl easily garnered one of the largest attendances of any sporting competition in the United States.

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

Today’s special guest is Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher, who played with the Chicago Bears from 2000 through 2012. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018. In this episode, we talk about something that is important to both Brian and me, and that is helping retired players in need. Brian is on the board of directors for the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, and we spend time talking about that organization in this interview. We also talked a little Hall of Fame and the current state of the Chicago Bears.

For the Pro Football History Nugget of the Week, we talk about the lineage of great linebackers for the Chicago Bears.

Visit Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund at: https://www.gridirongreats.org/

Football Learning Academy Website:

To learn more about the FLA, go to: https://www.football-learning-academy.com

Social Media:

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Music By:

Jeff Nixon, Safety for the Buffalo Bills from 1979-82.

1930s University of Minnesota halfback Pug Lund may have been one of the toughest players in college football history. He was an efficient runner and willing to serve out crushing blocks to keep defenders away from offensive teammates, too. Pug once had a body part chopped off to improve his ability to help his team! His story is truly unique.

Join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website and the Sports Jersey Dispatch to see even more Positive football news! Sign up to get daily football history headlines in your email inbox @ Email-subscriber

Don't forget to check out and subscribe to the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel for additional content and the regular Football History Minute Shorts.

Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well don't, because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website.

Football Is Family is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Your Favorite Sports' Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Today we talk to Dr. Yasmine Ali, author of the book Walk Through Fire: The Train Disaster that Changed America. This tragic event took place in her hometown of Waverly, just a few miles away from where I live now. Dr. Ali paints a personal picture of this tragedy, one that doesn't just rely upon cold facts, but one that points that people, real people, with real lives, died or were hurt as a result of the explosion.

Home - Yasmine S. Ali, MD (yasminealimd.com)

Her book is available at all fine bookstores, online, and in audio book form.

ABOUT FOOTBALL IS FAMILY

Do you bleed your favorite football team’s colors each weekend? Does the difference of a W or L in the box score dictate how you respond for the rest of the week? Or do most of your conversations with your family and friends revolve around your favorite football team?

If you answered yes to any (or maybe all) of these questions, then you are in the right place. The host of this podcast truly believes that “Football Is Family” and he is on a mission to share the stories of other fans out there sharing how they have been touched by the greatest sport on Earth. Listen below to the trailer and learn more about the host and show.

HOST - JEREMY MCFARLIN

Growing up in Middle Tennessee, I didn’t have a pro football team that was close enough to me to feel a part of. My first memory of pro football was Super Bowl 22. I picked the Broncos to win, and, even though they didn’t win, I followed them from that point on.

John Elway was (and is) my favorite player. I have played as the Broncos on Tecmo Bowl, Tecmo Bowl Super Bowl, Madden, and 2K Sports. I fondly remember the moments when the Broncos won Super Bowls 32 and 33.

Around this time, the Oilers came to Tennessee. I was hooked. I finally had a team just down the road from my hometown of Bon Aqua. Oiler (and later Titans) mania hit this area. Jerseys, hats, footballs, merchandise, and several autographs later, I’m a Titans fan through and through.

It’s the dedication, the love, and the passion for football that helps me realize that football is family. Each fan base has a story, a history, and a love for their team. That’s what I want to talk about each and every podcast.

You can follow me @jeremy_mcfarlin. Message me if you want to share your reasons why your football team is family.

This episode delves into the strategic history of trading out of the number 1 NFL Draft pick. From the early days of the draft to the present, teams have used calculated trades to build their rosters and secure future success. Join us as we unravel this practice's evolution and profound impact on the league. Whether you're a die-hard football fan or just curious about the NFL Draft's inner workings, this video will surely provide valuable insights and information. Don't miss out on this fascinating journey through the history of trading the number 1 NFL Draft pick!

Get ready for a thrilling ride through the world of sports with our channel. Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe for all the latest updates. Remember, the draft is just the beginning - the real adrenaline rush starts when the trades start rolling in.

Join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website and the Sports Jersey Dispatch to see even more Positive football news! Sign up to get daily football history headlines in your email inbox @ Email-subscriber

Don't forget to check out and subscribe to the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel for additional content and the regular Football History Minute Shorts.

Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well don't, because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website.