Sports History Network

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

YESTERDAY'S SPORTS HOME PAGE

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Yesterday’s Sports on the Sports History Network, Mark and fellow sports historian Dave DePaolo take on the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the growing gap between how modern players are inducted versus legends from earlier eras. They discuss how today’s nonstop media coverage has changed the conversation, creating pressure for instant, first-ballot inductions, while many past greats waited years to receive the same honor.

Dave explains the Hall of Fame voting process, including modern-era and senior candidates, the role of the 50-member committee, and how personal biases and media influence can affect outcomes. Mark and Dave also reflect on numerous historical players who waited far longer than today’s stars, reinforcing their shared belief that Hall of Fame discussions should focus less on hype and more on true impact, longevity, and what a player meant to the game.

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)

In 1968, American Peggy Fleming won the only Gold Medal for the US during the '68 Olympics.

In 1992, American Bonnie Blair won her second Gold Medal in the 500m Speed Skating event.

In 1962, American Jim Beatty became the first human to run a sub-4 minute mile indoors.

In 1949, Jumpin' Joe Fulks dropped 63 points to set the record for most points scored in an NBA game. His record stood for a decade until Elgin Baylor scored 64 in 1959.

In 2012, New York Knick Jeremy Lin scored 38 in a 92-85 win against Kobe and the Lakers.

In 1998, the USMNT beat Brazil 1-0 in the Concacaf Semifinal.

In 1996, IBM's Deep Blue beat Chess Grand Master and World Champ Gary Kasparov.

Ever wonder why a football field is 100 yards long and exactly 160 feet wide? It turns out the dimensions of the gridiron aren't just random numbers—they are a mix of 17th-century surveying tools, farming traditions, and a desperate need to fit a game into a New York baseball stadium.

In this session of the Pig Pen, Darin Hayes sits down with Timothy P. Brown of Football Archaeology to dig into the fascinating and often arbitrary evolution of the football field.

Our friend Timothy Brown, from Football Archaeology.com, joins us to tell the tale of the tape, errrr.. chain in his recent post titled: Why Football Fields are 100 Yards Long and 160 Feet Wide

American football began as a variation of rugby. In 1876, the first official American rules defined the field as 140 yards long and 70 yards wide.

At the time, there were no stadiums. Games were played on whatever flat land was available—school grounds, town squares, or between two oak trees. Because space was inconsistent, the dimensions were loose until teams from different regions began playing each other and demanded a standardized field.

By 1879, the Intercollegiate Football Association (IFA) shortened the field to 110 yards. This seemingly odd number actually has its roots in British surveying:

• Gunter's Chains: In 1608, Edmund Gunter invented a surveying tool called "chains." Each chain was 22 yards long.
• The Furlong: A standard unit of measurement in the UK (the length of a furrow in a farm field) was 220 yards.
• Standardization: 110 yards is exactly a half-furlong (or 5 chains). Since this was a standard land measurement, it became the logical choice for standardizing a field of play.

If we started at 110 yards (a measurement the Canadian game still uses today), why did American football drop those extra 10 yards?

The culprit: The Forward Pass.

When the forward pass was legalized in 1906, players weren't allowed to throw the ball across the goal line. To loosen this up, the rules committee decided to allow catches behind the goal line but wanted to limit how far back a receiver could go. They decided to add 10-yard end zones.

However, adding 20 total yards of end zones to a 110-yard field made the total length 130 yards—which was too big to fit into many existing stadiums, most notably the Polo Grounds in New York. To make the game fit the architecture, they shortened the field of play to 100 yards in 1912, and it has remained that way ever since.

While the length has a clear history, the width of 160 feet (or 53.3 yards) remains a bit of a "football archaeology" mystery.

• The Myth: Many believe Walter Camp narrowed the field in 1880 to accommodate fewer players (dropping from 15 to 11).
• The Fact: Meeting minutes show the IFA adopted the 160-foot width in 1879, a year before the player count was reduced.

Despite various mathematical theories involving fractions of a furlong, there is no confirmed record of why 160 was the magic number.

The "chains" used by officials today to measure first downs also have a humble beginning. Early rules called for two poles connected by a stout cord. However, cords stretch and shrink depending on the weather. By 1892, innovators began using actual metal chains to ensure a "fair" 10 yards, mirroring the surveying tools used to measure the field itself.

For more deep dives into the antiquity of the game, visit FootballArchaeology.com. Tim Brown publishes "tidbits" several times a week that uncover the hidden stories behind the rules and equipment we see on the field today.

Join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website to see even more Positive football news!

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.

In 1992, Magic Johnson returned to play in the NBA All-Star game three months after his retirement from the league due to his HIV diagnosis.

In 1991, Terrible Terry Norris pummeled Sugar Ray Leonard, forcing him to retire once again.

In 2006, Al Michaels was traded to NBC for the rights to Walt Disney's first creation, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.

In 1986, golfer Charlie Owens won a Senior PGA tour event. It was the PGA sanctioned event won with an anchored putter.

In 1920, Major League Baseball outlawed the 'spitball' but grandfathered in 17 pitchers to continue to throw it legally.

The joy of collecting serves as the focal point of our discussion in this podcast episode. We delve into the world of football card collecting, exploring not only the sheer delight it brings but also the rich history intertwined with each card. Joining us is Bob Swick, a distinguished expert whose extensive experience in this field offers invaluable insights and practical advice for both novice and seasoned collectors alike. Throughout our conversation, we reflect on the nostalgia associated with collecting and the community that forms around this beloved pastime. Ultimately, we aim to inspire listeners to engage with this hobby, emphasizing the importance of collecting what resonates with them personally.

You can find more of Bob's work on the hobby and preservation of football history at Gridiron Greats Magazine or look for the Gridiron Greats Magazine podcast on SportsHistoryNetwork.com or your favorite podcast provider.

Join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website to see even more Positive football news!

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.

Gridiron Baltic is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Kristjan Kallaste & Vlad Põtko—The Tallinn Bay Ballers & The Tallinn Diamonds (Estonian Flag Football)

GRIDIRON BALTIC BACKGROUND

Gridiron Baltic is a monthly podcast exploring connections between American football in the Baltic states—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. On the surface, America’s Game may seem to have little in common with three small-nation states in Eastern Europe. Basketball and ice hockey, however, are not the only North American sports intertwined with the histories of Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian nations.

Among other things, nineteenth century immigration and the shifting political borders of the twentieth century created a multitude of connections and entanglements, both in the West and in the East. From immigrant players in the regional leagues of the United States to the first (un)official games on Soviet and post-Soviet fields, Gridiron Baltic traces how a distinctly American sport intersects with the complex and interconnected histories of the three modern Baltic nations.

New episodes drop on the first day of each month. Some highlight early pioneers who helped build the sport (both in the United States and the Baltic region); others focus on its diffusion and present-day developments in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

HOST - JAMES BAXENFIELD

Hosted by James Baxenfield, a historian, researcher, and chronicler of overlooked stories, Gridiron Baltic invites you on a unique journey through the history of American football—from its significance in immigrant communities to present-day teams and leagues across the Baltic region. Combining guest interviews with scholarship and archival research, Gridiron Baltic brings you the stories of star college players and celebrated coaches of yesteryear alongside Cold War-era gridiron legends.

In 1992, Duke's Christian Laettner went head-to-head with LSU's Shaquille O'Neal.

In 1986, 5'7" Spud Webb won the NBA's Dunk Contest.

In 1996, the NFL and the city of Cleveland reached an agreement to keep the name, colors and history of the Browns franchise in Cleveland.

In 1964, the US won its first Alpine skiing medals in the Winter Olympics.

In 1998, women’s hockey premiered at the Olympics in Nagano, Japan.

The Pro Football Time Machine is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

The Green Bay Packers have a history of excellence at the quarterback position. For most fans, the argument over the greatest to wear green and gold begins and ends with Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers but in the team's past there's a quiet man who brought five NFL Championships, two Super Bowl titles and the MVP hardware that went with those titles home to Green Bay. The true GOAT at quarterback for the Packers is Bart Starr.

THE PRO FOOTBALL TIME MACHINE BACKGROUND

PRO FOOTBALL TIME MACHINE WEB PAGE

Every two weeks, you’ll take a trip with me and Zo-Zo the cat to discover events and people who contributed, each in their own way, to building a league that has become the king of professional sports. Sometimes we will visit an event or star player, but to hopefully bring to light something that has always flown under the radar that is an important part of their story.

More often though, we’ll find events and people who’ve been missed by documentaries and books but have stories that need telling. Those are the destinations that are the most fun to discover.

Join me, Tom Pollin, and Zo-Zo the cat as we have fun on our journeys.

HOST - TOM POLLIN BIO

I grew up in the Chicagoland area, Waukegan to be specific and now make my home in Chicago. I’ve been a fan of football, and the Chicago Bears, since I first became aware of the existence of both. Of course, in those years the Bears dwelled at the bottom of the NFL standings but I grew to love the team more as I began to read everything about their storied history that I could get my hands on.

The diving into the Bears history spread into a need to know more about the NFL from the times before its birth, through its formation and growing pains, to the present day.

Writing and talking about pro football history is a labor of love for me. Since I began writing about the NFL in 2011, I’ve written hundreds of articles on teams, games and opinion pieces but the pieces I’ve written about teams, games and players gone by have been the most satisfying of the work I’ve published.

In 2023, LeBron James became the all-time scoring leader in the NBA.

In 1970, Pete Maravich set an NCAA single game record by scoring 69 against Alabama.

In 1985, Marshall's Bruce Morris hit the longest shot in NCAA basketball history.

In 2015, legendary college basketball coach Dean Smith passed away. He gifted every one of his former players $200 to have a dinner out on him.

In 1994, Michael Jordan signed with the Chicago White Sox to play baseball.

In 1993, NBA rookie Shaquille O’Neal collapsed the entire basket with one of his power dunks.

In 1969, Diane Crump became the first female jockey to compete in a Pro Horse Race.

In 1976, Toronto's Daryl Sittler scored 6 goals and dished 4 assists to score 10 points

In 1999, Payne Stewart won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am after the final round was cancelled due to weather.

In 1962, PGA pro Sam Snead became the only man to win an LPGA event.

The sixth no-hitter of Nolan Ryan's illustrious career, achieved on June 11, 1990, stands as a monumental achievement in the annals of baseball history. As we reflect upon this remarkable event, we delve into the context surrounding it, including the unfortunate circumstances that marked the one-year anniversary of the Luca trade, a pivotal moment for sports in North Texas. Throughout this episode, we will explore the complexities of Ryan's career, the significance of this particular no-hitter, and the indelible impact he has had on the sport, particularly within the Texas Rangers organization. Our discussion will encompass Ryan's evolution as a pitcher, his interactions with teammates, and the palpable excitement that enveloped the crowd on that fateful night. Join us as we celebrate a legend whose love for Texas and the game of baseball continues to resonate profoundly with fans and players alike.

The Mixtape: 90s Sports Edition is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

The Mixtape: 90s Sports Edition Home Page

EPISODE SUMMARY

Episode summary goes here......

THE MIXTAPE BACKGROUND

Step into the time machine with hosts Scott and Derek as they dissect the most electrifying decade in sports history.

90s Sports Mixtape is your weekly deep dive into the era that gave us legendary dynasties, iconic athletes, and unforgettable controversies. Each episode explores the stories behind the headline, from championship runs to shocking scandals, from breakthrough moments to career-defining performances.

Each week on 90s Sports Mixtape, this Texas duo will break down the championships, controversies, and cultural moments that made the '90s unforgettable. Whether it's Jordan's Bulls, Aikman’s Cowboys, or the Trial of the Century of OJ Simpson, no topic is off limits.

Expect deep dives, hot takes, and the kind of passionate arguments that can only come from two friends who've been rehashing these debates for decades.

Subscribe now and relive the glory of the decade that changed sports forever.

HOSTS - SCOTT & DEREK

Scott and Derek first met at Blockbuster Video in college bonding over their shared love of The Big Lebowski. But during those long minimum-wage shifts stacking copies of Armageddon, they quickly found out they had a deeper affection for sports of their childhood and the players and teams they idolized.

From Pete Rose to Nolan Ryan, Larry Bird to Hakeem Olajuwon, these two Texans have spent countless hours debating the top players and thrilling moments from their favorite decade of sports, making them the ideal hosts of The Mixtape: 90s Sports Edition.

Takeaways:

1. This podcast episode commemorates the one-year anniversary of a significant event in North Texas sports history, notably the trade involving Luca.
2. The discussion highlights Nolan Ryan's remarkable sixth no-hitter, emphasizing his legendary status and impact on Texas baseball.
3. Listeners are reminded of Ryan's extraordinary achievements, including his 5,000th strikeout and his subsequent Hall of Fame career.
4. Throughout the episode, the hosts reflect on the nostalgia surrounding baseball in the 1990s, particularly the cultural significance of players like Nolan Ryan.
5. The analysis includes insights into the dynamics of the game during Ryan's sixth no-hitter, showcasing the strategies and player interactions.
6. The episode culminates in a celebration of Ryan's achievements, underscoring the collective admiration from fans and teammates alike.