Sports History Network

In 1980, BYU overcame a 20-point deficit in the final four minutes to beat SMU 46-45.

In 2010, Philadelphia overcame a 21-point deficit with eight minutes to play to beat the New York Giants.

In 1948, Philadelphia beat the Chicago Cardinals to win their first NFL Championship.

In 1992, Marshall won the I-AA National Championship using a guy who'd never kicked in college field goal.

In 2002, Marshall rallied from a second half deficit to beat ECU in the GMAC Bowl.

In 1976, a small plane crashed into Baltimore's Memorial Stadium shortly after a playoff game between Pittsburgh and the Colts.

In 2007, Shaquille O'Neal fouled out after committing just five personal fouls.

Total Sports Recall (TSR) is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

TOTAL SPORTS RECALL HOMEPAGE

TOTAL SPORTS RECALL BACKGROUND

The Sports History Network welcomes back the Total Sports Recall podcast. Host Harv Aronson brings you an array of sports history topics recalling great moments and athletes from sports yesteryear.

No sport is left alone with an emphasis on football and baseball but there will be reflections on past boxing, mixed martial arts, basketball, golf, and an occasional hockey memory.

Harv Aronson has been an established sportswriter with one published book under his wing and brings with him nearly 55 years of sports knowledge and exposure to sports as a fan.

With a degree in communications and journalism, Harv will be using his radio voice to entertain listeners with popular stories and events from the past as well as some surprises. Some podcasts will bring interviews with a sports personality and perhaps the opportunity for listeners to join in on the show.

Sports History Network hosts many great podcasts and now Total Sports Recall makes it return to the network. The current schedule has Total Sports Recall or T.S.R. making its renewal podcast on January 17 with a new episode every two weeks for 2026.

HOSTS - HARV ARONSON

Harv Aronson was born and raised in Pittsburgh but now lives in Jacksonville, Florida with his beautiful wife Melissa.

Harv’s writing career began at North Hills High School in Pittsburgh where he was a sportswriter for the “Tribal Tribune” in 1975. As a college student at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, Harv wrote for the school newspaper, “The Rocket” as well as served as a disc jockey and sports announcer on the university radio station, WRCK. Harv also held the role as Sports Director at WRCK, doing play by play for the football team and for an NCAA wrestling championship qualifier.

Since graduating from Slippery Rock in 1982, Harv has written for many sports outlets, had run his own Pittsburgh Steelers website called “Steelers Hotline” for 15 years and in 2023 conducted a podcast titled “Total Sports Recall.” Harv also authored a book in 2012, “Pro Football’s Most Passionate Fans” that profiled football fans that were recipients of the Visa Hall of Fans Award. The award was an honor presented to one fan from every NFL team who was named fan of the year for their respective team. The book is still available from several sites on the internet.

Currently, Harv writes for Abstract Sports and the magazine Gridiron Greats and is a member of the Sports History Network where his podcast “Total Sports Recall” appears. Harv’ passion is for sports history but also writes articles about current sports topics. Harv loves all sports but his passion for pro sports began in 1971 as he watched Roberto Clemente, and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeat the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series. As a diehard Pittsburgh Steelers fan and other Pittsburgh sports, Harv enjoys all sports and is an avid combat sports fan focusing on MMA and boxing.

Harv is a veteran of the United States Coast Guard where he served aboard the cutter Gallatin with the job role of radioman. Since 1987 Harv has worked for several corporate offices currently working for a financial company in Florida.

Harv’s personal portfolio can be viewed at: https://www.clippings.me/totalsportsrecall. You can contact Harv at [email protected].

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

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL HOME PAGE

EPISODE SUMMARY

Throughout the history of professional football, every so often you might notice a club roster that is so strong, so impressive, and so very talented, that you just could not anticipate anything less than total success for that specific team.

This may have been the case with the 1931 Chicago Bears, a squad that featured no less than four future Hall of Famers in Red Grange, Bronko Nagurski, Link Lyman, and George Trafton. Despite this wealth of talent, the Bears stumbled to a good, but not great, 8-5 record, finishing in just third place in the final standings of the National Football League. This was before the league was divided into two divisions and there was no playoff system in effect, so that last game was indeed the end of the season......

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/

In our latest installment of the Pigskin Daily History Dispatch, we embark on a compelling journey through the current NFL landscape, contemplating the implications of Week 16 predictions as the season approaches its conclusion.

Based on the discussion between Darin Hayes and Ed Kleese, the primary observations after Week 15 revolved around two main themes: the plight of the Washington Commanders and the volatility of the league standings.

Ed Kleese, a Commanders fan, detailed his team's historically difficult relationship with the late season:

• Status:The Commanders are characterized as "dead and done" and playing in a "dismal atmosphere" (3-10 vs. 2-11 game).
• Historical Context:In 17 out of the last 33 seasons, the Commanders have been either officially or essentially eliminated from the playoffs by December 1st. In 25 out of those 33 seasons, they were eliminated before the last game of the season.
• Current Sentiment:Kleese is "grappling with the bitterness" and now just "root[s] for around the league... just pain," hoping other teams join the misery. He noted the team is "playing out the string" and starting to think about 2026.

Kleese noted that the "roller coaster of the NFL season" has been extreme, with inconsistent performances dominating the league:

• Inconsistent Teams:Kleese estimates that15 out of 32 teamshave had a "roller coaster season" (being significantly different from how they looked at the start or middle of the year).
• Examples of Volatility:
• Chiefs:Described as having a "bad start, good middle, miserable end."
• Dolphins:Started 1-6 before making a run.
• Commanders:Started 3-2 before an eight-game losing streak.
• Texans:Looked "dreadful in as recently as mid-October" but now look like Super Bowl contenders.
• Contenders Falling:Both the Buccaneers and Colts were 5-1 and near the one-seed at one point but are now fighting for their playoff lives or likely to miss entirely.
• Saints:Had a "rough, rough first three quarters" but look like they will "finish strong."
• Consistent Teams (Exceptions):The NFC West (Rams, Seahawks, 49ers) were singled out as teams that were "pretty good Week 1... and they're still good in December," showing consistency throughout.

The hosts concluded that the volatility serves as a reminder "to not panic, not freak out" early in the year, and that in the NFL, "things may not be what they seem in the NFL because you got it. You got to make it through the long haul." They cautioned against dismissing any team that is "one in five."

Here are the points awarded to Darin and Ed for Week 15.

Ravens vs. Bengals

Darin - 2 Points (Perfect Call/Win)

Ed- Not Discussed (Implied not a pick)

Bills vs. Patriots

Darin -2 Points (Win)

Ed- 2 Points (Win by 4+ points)

Broncos vs. Packers

Darin - 1 Point (Partial Credit - Win but score missed)

Ed- 0 Points (Loss - Called Packers win)

Chiefs vs. Chargers

Darin - 0 Points (Loss)

Ed- 0 Points (Loss)

Panthers vs. Saints

Darin - 0 Points (Loss - Called Panthers rolling)

Ed- Not Discussed (Implied not a pick)

Steelers vs. Dolphins

Darin - Not Discussed (Implied not a pick)

Ed- 2 Points (Win - Called steamrolling)

WEEK 15 TOTAL

Darin- 5 Points

Ed- 4 Points

• Darin's Week 15 Total:5 points
• Ed's Week 15 Total:4 points

This means Darin finished ahead of Ed for the week, narrowing the overall gap in the season total.

Season Total (After Week 15)

Ed - 71 points

Darin - 67 points

Our predictions for week 16 went something like this:

1. Seahawks vs. Rams (Thursday Night):Ed picks the Seahawks to win a "coin flip" game, stating it is a "law of averages game" and that Sam Darnold will play much better.
2. Packers over the Bears
3. Commanders vs. Eagles:Ed predicts the Eagles will win, but the game will be "way closer than people think," with the Eagles' defense holding on during a crucial final drive by the Commanders.
4. Dallasto bounce back, have a big week and beat theChargersin Dallas
5. Lions vs. Steelers:Ed predicts the Lions will "roll the Steelers" and win the game by10 or more points.

1. Seahawks vs. Rams (Thursday Night):Darin picks the Seahawks to win and specifically predicts that the Seahawks'defense is going to set up a score (or score themselves) late in the second halfto make the difference.
2. Bears vs. Packers (Saturday):Darin predicts the Bears will win a hard-fought game with alate Caleb-led driveputting them over the edge.
3. Buccaneers vs. Panthers:Darin predicts the Buccaneers will "write the ship" with astatement win, and that quarterbackBaker Mayfield will account for at least three touchdowns.
4. Patriots vs. Ravens:Darin predicts a big Patriots win, stating that Drake May willoutduel Lamarand the Patriots' defense will lead them to holding Baltimore's offense to21 points or less.
5. Colts vs. 49ers:Darin makes his "Christmas miracle" prediction, taking Philip Rivers and theIndianapolis Colts to knock off the 49ers. He also suggests Rivers might become theAFC Player of the Week.

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.

Basketball’s first professional game was played in New Jersey in 1896, just five years after the game was invented. That is an incredibly short window. And the fouls were rough.

CREDITS

Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice

Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher

MUSIC

"The Stars and Stripes Forever" by John Philip Sousa

"Horizons" by Roa

SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK

sportshistorynetwork.com

sportshistorynetwork.com/podcasts/basketball-history-101/

FACEBOOK

m.facebook.com/Basketball-History-101-103801581493027/

BUSINESS CONTACT

[email protected]

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

EPISODE SUMMARY

The Atlanta Falcons joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1966. Like most expansion teams, they struggled during their first five seasons, winning only 16 of 70 games. They recorded their first winning season in 1971, finishing 7–6–1, and followed that with a 7–7 record in 1972.

The first game of the 1973 season couldn't have gone any better for the Falcons, as they blew out the Saints 62–7. It was the third biggest blowout in NFL history up to that point, and still ranks in the top six all-time as of 2025......

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)

Gridiron Greats Magazine podcast is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

With Special Guest Football Author Mike Cobern. Author of Wards of the League: The Untold Story of the First NFL Team in Dallas. A book on the NFL's 1952 Dallas Texans

GRIDIRON GREATS MAGAZINE BACKGROUND

Gridiron Greats covers 140+ years of North American football history and memorabilia. It was founded in 2002 and published by Franklin Rose who then turned over to Bob Swick and Swick Enterprises starting with Issue 23.

Editor and publisher, Bob Swick has been collecting football cards since 1965. He has written about football cards and memorabilia since 1990 for several major sports collecting publications including Sports Collectors Digest and had his own column, Turning The Pages.

He self-published Bob Swick’s Football Times in the 1990s; he has been interviewed in Tuff Stuff, the Giants Report, the Packers Report, and the Beckett Football Monthly magazine. He has also been a contributor to the Beckett Annual Football Price Guide. Bob also collects programs, yearbooks, media guides, ticket stubs, pocket schedules, and team photos of the Green Bay Packers, of which he is a shareholder.

He is also a member of The Professional Football Researchers Association. Bob brings his expertise to the magazine in the form of his love of all things football-related. His BA in journalism and MS in Economics brings a unique focus to the niche of football memorabilia and history.

We want to thank everyone who takes the time to subscribe to and support Gridiron Greats Magazine. Besides our knowledgeable, generous contributors and most talented illustrator, Jared Kraus, all administrative activities are performed by Bob Swick and his wife, Brenda. Thank you all for your support. We are ever so grateful.

See our Contributors page for a bio on some of our fantastic writers. Without them, this magazine would not exist. We are grateful for their continuing support.

If you would like to be a contributing writer, or subscriber or want to advertise in Gridiron Greats, please contact the Publisher via the information above. Portions of the material presented are the opinion of the contributing writers and not necessarily those of Swick Enterprises, LLC. 

CONTACT US If you are interested in any particular football topic that you would like to either see featured in Gridiron Greats or would like to write about, and if you have a Super Collection you want to be considered for an upcoming publication please feel free to contact Bob via email. 

In 1999, Oliver Stone's movie about professional football, 'Any Given Sunday,' was released in theaters. The NFL tried to stop the movie from being made, released, and promoted.

In 2001, fans protested refs bad calls and decisions by throwing beer bottles on the field.

In 1945, a pass off the goalpost resulted in 2 points and a rule change.

In 1973, Buffalo Bills running back OJ Simpson became the first to rush for 2000 yards in a season.

In 2019, Drew Brees set an NFL record by completing 97% of his passes, including 22 in a row.

In 1980, the Winnipeg Jets lost their 28th straight game to set the NHL record.

Before the era of 12-team playoffs and million-dollar bowl games, the 1917 football season was pure chaos, defined by World War I restrictions and a lack of organized post-season play. Amidst this turmoil, an impromptu Christmas Day tiebreaker game was scheduled in San Diego, pitting the Utah Artillerymen (Camp Kearney) against the Balboa Park team. But the biggest drama wasn't on the field; it was off it, where the Utah squad's coach vanished just two days before kickoff. This is the astonishing, forgotten story of Coach Richard F. King, a true football history rogue whose disappearance forced a team to play its biggest game coachless.

The story from our guest Timothy Brown's archives in a post he put out titled: The 1917 Postseason and the AWOL Football Coach.

In the early days of football, postseason games were rare, and World War I further complicated travel and scheduling. The prestigious Rose Bowl, for instance, had only just returned in 1916. Sensing an opportunity for local excitement, San Diego decided to host its own holiday spectacle in Balboa Park.

The contest materialized after a December 9th match between the local Balboa Park team and the championship winners of Camp Kearney—a field artillery unit largely composed of men from the Utah National Guard—ended in a tie. A Christmas Day rematch was quickly arranged, but the military team's leader, Coach Richard F. King, was quickly becoming the center of attention for all the wrong reasons.

Coach King, who had served along the Mexican border in 1916 and was coaching the artillery unit’s football team, was a man shrouded in a spectacular fog of deceit. He routinely told elaborate lies, claiming he attended prestigious institutions like West Point and Lehigh and was even the brother of famous Princeton All-American, Phil King. More troubling than his tall tales was his habit of borrowing significant sums of money from fellow officers without repaying his debts.

As the Christmas Day game approached, King’s superior officer finally confronted him about his conduct and finances. Rather than facing the music, Richard F. King simply disappeared. He went officially AWOL from the Army just 48 hours before his team's crucial post-season game, leaving the Utah Artillerymen scrambling and coachless for their biggest match of the season.

King’s bizarre story didn't end there. He was reportedly spotted partying in Los Angeles before beginning a cross-country odyssey, mailing letters from El Paso and Chicago that falsely claimed he was already serving in France. A world without national IDs or digital records allowed him to thrive.

In Chicago, King re-enlisted under a completely different name, successfully deploying to France where he was eventually spotted by a man who had previously served under him in California. Arrested and shipped back to the U.S., King promptly escaped custody. Undeterred, he reenlisted a third time under a new alias. His final capture occurred in Hawaii after he accrued too many debts while scheduled to sail to Siberia after the war.

Despite the coach's ongoing personal chaos, the Utah Artillerymen were forced to play the Christmas Day tiebreaker. Without their leader, they ultimately fell to the Balboa Park squad with a final score of 24–13, suffering a defeat made even sadder by their coach’s spectacular abandonment. King and his wife disappeared shortly thereafter, never to be heard from again.

The story of the Utah Artillerymen and their disappearing coach on December 25, 1917, highlights the wild, unregulated nature of early football history. It’s a remarkable pre-Super Bowl tale that proves the drama surrounding the gridiron—from recruiting scandals to financial fraud—is hardly new. While the Chicago Bears and Bronko Nagurski were still years away from defining the professional game, this single, strange Christmas match in San Diego remains a compelling anecdote about the characters and chaos that built American football.

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.

Before the dynasties, before the banners, before Brady, before Belichick, even before Bledsoe, there was the 1985 New England Patriots.

A team built on grit, not glamour.

History often remembers the champions, yet the 1985 New England Patriots didn't win a championship. Yet in this case, they are remembered for the journey, a journey that was one of the most memorable in NFL History.

In this episode of the Historically Speaking Sports Podcast, the place where we give you sports from back in the day, Co hosts Charles Combs and Dana Auguster will bring you back to the mid 1980s.

In this edition will will talk about Patriots' first AFC Championship team that posted three, count them, three postseason upsets that included ending a losing streak that dated back to the Lyndon Johnson administration.

This was a team that was devoid of big names and huge stars. But was comprised of several solid individuals that was the personification of blue collar teamwork.

Leading this group was a head coach who had made his own way into Canton as a Hall of Fame receiver, but his quiet understated style was the trademark of this great team.

Later in the show we will send a shout out to a former Patriot great, whose clutch performance that season made him a New England legend plus a discussion on who was actually the worse Super Bowl participant.

You could contact the show at [email protected]