Sports History Network

In 1993, it was the REPEAT or REVENGE fight outside at Las Vegas’ Caesars Palace between Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe. The fight became known for 'Fan Man' crashing into the ringside ropes and lights.

In 1869, Rutgers and the school that would soon become known as Princeton played what is considered to be the first college football game.

In 1995, Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell announced that his franchise would be moving to Baltimore to start play the next season.

In 1974, Los Angeles reliever Mike Marshall became the first relief pitcher to win the Cy Young Award.

And in 2001, Fergus Muir used a putter off the tee at a 125 yard par 3 at St. Andrews' Eden Course. His shot went in to record the longest putt ever made.

In 1989, Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Jerry Burns went on a post-game rant defending his Offensive Coordinator Bob Schnelker.

In 1994, 45-year old George Foreman shocked the boxing world, knocking out Michael Moorer in the 10th round to win the Heavyweight title.

In 2000, Tiger Woods coughed up his 54-hole lead for just the second time in his career. Phil Mickelson started the day a shot behind and shot a 66 to win by two.

In 1946, Chuck Connors broke a backboard in the pre-game shoot around, becoming the first pro basketball player to do so.

In 2023, Houston Texans running back Dare Ogunbowale kicked a 29-yard field goal to become the first non-kicker to boot a FG since Wes Welker in 2002.

In 1976, the Oakland A's traded manager Chuck Tanner for catcher, Manny Sanguillen.

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

EPISODE SUMMARY

As a quarterback in the early 1950s, Jim Finks was never able to lift the Pittsburgh Steelers to a winning record. As a general manager though, Finks' eye for talent and team building philosophy transformed four losing teams into playoff powerhouses.

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.

As we find ourselves at the midpoint of the 2025 NFL season, there remains ample opportunity for teams to turn their fortunes around. In this discourse, we delve into the ramifications of the recent trade deadline, assessing teams that may find themselves languishing in mediocrity. With a keen focus on Week 10, we offer audacious predictions that could potentially alter the trajectory of several franchises. Joined by esteemed analyst Ed Cleese, we shall reflect upon the outcomes of Week 9 and engage in forecasting the pivotal matchups to come. Through this dialogue, we aim to illuminate the evolving landscape of the NFL and the impact of emerging talents, particularly the recent cohort of quarterbacks, on the league's competitive fabric.

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.

When John Wooden retired from coaching UCLA, the big question was how do you replace John Wooden? Gene Bartow was hired away from Memphis State to take over UCLA. It was a no-win situation. This is that story. But that should not take away from the fact that Bartow was a great coach.

CREDITS

Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice

Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher

MUSIC

"Take Care" by Julian Avila

"Horizons" by Roa

SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK

sportshistorynetwork.com

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

FACEBOOK

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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

From 1957 to 1971, the Baltimore Colts never experienced a losing season. They played in four NFL Championship games, winning three of them. They also appeared in two AFC Championship games, winning one, and played in two Super Bowls, winning one. 

But by 1972, age had caught up with them, and combined with some questionable trades, that led to their worst season since 1954. The Colts finished 1972 with a 5–9 record, and things only worsened. In 1973, they went 4–10; in 1974, they were 2–12. The Colts went through four head coaches in three years.

The head coach for 1975 was Ted Marchibroda, but there was little hope that the team would improve.....

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)

In 1951, golfer Skip Alexander won 8 and 7 in his singles Ryder Cup match. The amazing thing is that he was even on the golf course after being the sole survivor of a plane crash 14-months prior.

In 1977, Los Angeles High School WR Steve Martinez caught 19 passes for 312 yards and five TDs in one half. He would have had more but the other team hopped on the bus and left.

In 2001, the Chicago Bears DB Mike Brown picked off a pass and returned it for the game winning touchdown for the second straight week.

In 1979, the Seattle Seahawks had the worst offensive performance in the history of the NFL.

In 1976, Reggie Jackson was offered a 5-year, $5 million contract to play for the Montreal Expos. He took a smaller contract to play in New York instead.

In 1994, a pre-game fireworks display caused sprinklers to go off in the Alamodome, delaying tipoff by an hour.

This podcast episode delves into the historical implications of incomplete passes within the realm of American football, particularly during the formative years of the forward pass. We engage with Timothy Brown of FootballArchaeology.com, who elucidates the punitive measures that accompanied early forward passing, revealing how such restrictions shaped the evolution of the game. As we traverse through the timeline of rule modifications from 1906 to 1934, we observe the gradual easing of penalties associated with incomplete passes, which transitioned from severe consequences to more lenient measures that fostered the development of offensive strategies. We discuss how these changes not only reflect the changing attitudes towards the forward pass but also illustrate the intricate relationship between running and passing plays in the sport. Through this exploration, we aim to provide listeners with a comprehensive understanding of how historical regulations have influenced modern football dynamics.

Tim's original Tidbit on the subject is: A Look at Early Incomplete Pass Penalties -

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.

The year was 2002.

The price of gas was roughly a $1.19 a gallon, a dozen of eggs were under a dollar and the biggest hits in Hip Hop was "Getting Hot in Here" by Nelly and the song from the movie Eight Mile "Lose Yourself" by Eminem.

In the world of college football, the Miami Hurricanes were coming off of a national championship run and were looking to continue their 22-game winning streak, a streak that seemed to have no end in sight.

However "The U" was beginning to hear rumbles from other programs looking to knock them off of their lofty perch.

In this episode of the podcast, we will travel back to the year 2002 in College Football in our first episode of the series we call "A Year in the League" where we talk about all of the headlines, best teams and memorable moments that made that season so memorable.

In addition of the Larry Coker coached Miami Hurricanes, there were other teams that included the USC trojans that were on the rise who were led by head Coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Carson Palmer who went on to win college footballs most coveted trophy.

Another team that was making noise in college football that year was Oklahoma who had returned to glory after years of struggle that followed the exit of their legendary coach Barry Switzer and also will revisit one of the most improbable finishes in college football that fans have called the "Bluegrass Miracle".

Yet that season climaxed in the desert of Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl when a team with a second year coach and a freshman running back pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the year in one of the best national championship games ever and brought a national title to a place that hadn't celebrated one for more than a generation.

Later in the show, we'll send a shout out to all of the schools in our home state and what they did in that season of 2002 including our alma mater who won their rivalry game for the ninth time in a span of 10 seasons.

To contact the show, send us an e-mail at Historically.Speaking.Sports@gmail .com

In 1979, retired Dallas Cowboy Defensive End, Ed 'Too Tall' Jones stepped into the boxing ring for the first time.

In 1962, a meeting between Oakland Raider team officials and a reporter led to what we know today as Fantasy Football.

In 1990, the 16th ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets beat #1 Virginia.

In 1990, Houston and TCU engaged in an aerial battle over the state of Texas.

In 2012, the Brooklyn Nets unveiled their new mascot, the Brooklyn Knight. It did not go well.

Mentioned in this episode:

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