The Sports Experience Podcast with Chris Quinn and Dominic DiTolla

Episode 297 of “The Sports Experience Podcast” is here & we’re continuing our block of episodes on the greatest players in the history of the Negro Leagues.

Someone who could be considered the “Black Ty Cobb,” Cool Papa Bell was a generational ballplayer.

Born in Mississippi, Bell was originally a successful knuckleball pitcher after he moved to St. Louis, Missouri in the 1920s. He began his career in the Negro Leagues as a pitcher, for the St. Louis Stars.

However, his ridiculous base stealing speed, ability to hit, ability to learn how to switch-hit and fielding talent in the outfield led to a position change with monumental success.

His career with the Pittsburgh Crawfords and Homestead Grays was incredible, and he was one of the league’s brightest stars. He hit .337 for his career in the Negro Leagues, won two World Series and won eight batting titles. Moreover, his career overseas in Mexico saw him win a Triple Crown.

Though he sadly never was able to play in Major League Baseball, his dominance and big play ability as a baserunner made him a legend. Then in 1974 he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

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Producer: @ty_englestudio

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Episode 296 of “The Sports Experience Podcast” is here & we’re continuing our block of episodes on the greatest players in the history of the Negro Leagues.

Arguably one of the greatest pitchers of all-time, Satchel Paige was an absolute legend on the mound.

After he ran into legal trouble in his youth in Alabama, Paige focused on his love of baseball and learned to pitch in a reform school. Upon his release, the young right-handed Paige became a star in the Negro Leagues. Armed with a devastating fastball, an array of breaking pitches and multiple release points, Paige dominated the competition as a member of the Pittsburgh Crawfords and Kansas City Monarchs.

Paige was a six-time All-Star, won a World Series in 1942 and even displayed his talents in the California Winter League against legends like Joe DiMaggio. Paige even found success outside the Negro Leagues in places like Puerto Rico, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

In 1947, Paige and Bob Feller went on a barnstorming tour of the country which played integrated exhibition games between some of the top talent in baseball.

Though a past injury had limited his fastball, Paige became the first African American pitcher in Major League Baseball in 1948 for the Cleveland Indians. What made that even sweeter was the fact that he pitched in and was part of Cleveland’s World Series winning team that season.

Paige then made two All-Star teams in 1952 and 1953 as a member of the St. Louis Browns in 1952 and 1953, and even pitched at age 59 for the Kansas City Athletics in 1965!

Paige ultimately received the highest honor in the sport in 1971 when he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

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Chris Quinn: @cquinncomedy

Dominic DiTolla: @ditolladominic

Producer: @ty_englestudio

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Episode 295 of “The Sports Experience Podcast” is here & we’re beginning our block of episodes on the greatest players in the history of the Negro Leagues.

Arguably one of the greatest power hitters of all-time, Gibson established himself as one of professional baseball’s most feared threats at the plate during the 1930s and 1940s.

Gibson was a fantastic catcher for the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawford during this span, and was a 12x All-Star, 3x Negro NL batting champion and 2x Negro League World Series champion.

Sadly, despite his success in the United States, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Cuba, Gibson was unable to play in Major League Baseball due to the racist, “Gentlemen’s Agreement.” This barred any ball players of color from playing in MLB until the Dodgers signed Jackie Robinson in 1947.

Though the statistics vary, many posit Gibson could’ve hit close to 800 home runs during his professional career. After MLB’s decision to include Negro League stats in 2021, Gibson became the league’s career leader in batting average!

Sadly, Gibson suffered from inner demons and died in 1947 of a stroke. Though he never played in Major League Baseball, he still made the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972 due to his amazing impact on the game!

Connect with us on Instagram!

Chris Quinn: @cquinncomedy

Dominic DiTolla: @ditolladominic

Producer: @ty_englestudio

Instagram: @thesportsexperiencepodcast

If you enjoy this podcast, please help support us @:

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Episode 294 of “The Sports Experience Podcast” is here & we’re back on the diamond discussing Ty Cobb.

One of Major League Baseball’s best and meanest players of all-time, Cobb was a tortured soul who overcame the tragedy of his Mother killing his Father right before his big league career started with the Detroit Tigers.

An intense centerfielder, Cobb established himself as one of the greatest hitters and base stealers of all-time in Detroit during the 1900s and 1910s. Overall, Cobb helped the Tigers win three pennants in a row (1907, 1908 and 1909), won 12 batting titles, won a Triple Crown in 1909, won an AL MVP in 1911 and led the AL in stolen bases six times.

Cobb’s volatile attitude got him in trouble with teammates, opponents and fans on several occasions during his career. Nevertheless, he was the premier player of the “Dead Ball Era.”

When he finished his career, he was MLB’s all-time leader in hits, stolen bases, runs scored and consecutive seasons batting .300 or better.

Cobb remains a controversial figure to this day. However, his impact on baseball will forever remain important.

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Chris Quinn: @cquinncomedy

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Producer: @ty_englestudio

Instagram: @thesportsexperiencepodcast

If you enjoy this podcast, please help support us @:

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Episode 293: “Dynasty Established” - Super Bowl XIII (Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Dallas Cowboys)

Episode 293 of “The Sports Experience Podcast” is here & we’re concluding our block on some of professional football’s best postseason games of all time.

In this episode we’re discussing Super Bowl XIII between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys.

In what was a rematch of Super Bowl X, both the Steelers and Cowboys battled to become the first NFL team to win three Super Bowl titles.

In a game which featured Hall of Fame coaches (Chuck Noll and Tom Landry) and dozens of Hall of Fame players on both teams, Super Bowl XIII was the most exciting installment of this game to this point in history.

Pittsburgh’s offense found success against Dallas’ “Doomsday Defense” towards the end of the first half, and quarterback Terry Bradshaw threw three touchdown passes to John Stallworth (2x) and Rocky Bleier to give the Steelers a 21-14 lead at halftime.

The Cowboys mounted a great second half drive against “The Steel Curtain” and could’ve tied the game at 21-21 until tight end Jackie Smith dropped a Roger Staubach pass which forced a field goal.

Pittsburgh responded with a huge Franco Harris rushing touchdown, and took advantage of a fumble on the ensuing kickoff. Bradshaw hit Lynn Swann on the first play from scrimmage for a touchdown which put Pittsburgh’s lead at 35-17.

To the Cowboys’ credit, they responded in the fourth quarter and made the game 35-31 late. Sadly for Dallas, they ran out of time, and Pittsburgh became the first team to win three Super Bowls.

Terry Bradshaw won Super Bowl MVP in the only game of his career where he threw for 300+ passing yards. Moreover, the Steelers established themselves as the NFL’s: “Team of the 70s.”

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Chris Quinn: @cquinncomedy

Dominic DiTolla: @ditolladominic

Producer: @ty_englestudio

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If you enjoy this podcast, please help support us @:

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Episode 292 of “The Sports Experience Podcast” is here & we’re continuing our block on some of professional football’s best postseason games of all time.

In this episode we’re discussing the 1962 AFL Championship between the Houston Oilers and the Dallas Texans.

In a matchup between the upstart AFL’s best teams of 1962, this game did not disappoint.

Houston was going for a third straight AFL title, and the talented Texans were playing their final game before moving to Kansas City to become the Chiefs.

Dallas raced to a 17-0 lead at halftime thanks to some spectacular plays by running back Abner Haynes and two interceptions off of George Blanda by the Texans’ defense.

As champions always seem to do, Houston fought their way back into the game in the second half. Thanks to touchdowns by Willard Dewveall and Charlie Tolar, sandwiching a Blanda field goal, Houston tied the game at 17 and it went to overtime.

Haynes made an incredible blunder after Dallas won the toss when he told officials, “We’ll Kick to the Clock.” Dallas was not only forced to kick off in sudden death, but their offense had to go into the wind.

Luckily for the Texans, they mounted a drive late in the first overtime period after a Bill Hull interception, and were able to drive with the wind in the second overtime period.

Tommy Brooker nailed a 25-yard field goal 2:54 into the second overtime period to give Dallas the win, 20-17, and the AFL title.

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Chris Quinn: @cquinncomedy

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Producer: @ty_englestudio

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Episode 291 of “The Sports Experience Podcast” is here & we’re continuing our block on some of the NFL’s best postseason games of all time.

In this episode we’re discussing the 1958 NFL Championship between the New York Giants and the Baltimore Colts.

How did professional football become America’s most popular sport? It’s this game.

Played on a cold day at Yankee Stadium, the Baltimore Colts took on the New York Giants for the NFL title for the 1958 season.

Though it was marred by turnovers and mistakes, this tight game featured so much excitement and was littered with Hall of Fame coaches and players.

The Colts raced to a 14-3 lead at halftime thanks to quarterback Johnny Unitas, running back/flanker Lenny Moore and wide receiver Raymond Berry.

New York stopped the bleeding in the second half with a goal line stand, and ended up taking a 17-14 lead after a Frank Gifford touchdown reception from Charlie Conerly.

Unitas then took over with a Two Minute Drill and led to Colts into New York territory before time expired in the fourth quarter. A Steve Myrah field goal tied the game at 17 apiece which set up the first sudden death overtime scenario in an NFL Championship Game.

After stopping the Giants on their first overtime possession, Unitas and Berry went to work and Baltimore ended the game with a one yard touchdown run from Alan Ameche to win 23-17.

Due to the game being so exciting and being broadcast to the country on NBC, the American public was enthralled by professional football. Over the course of the next ten years, the league expanded, the AFL was formed and professional football became the most popular sport in the United States of America.

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Chris Quinn: @cquinncomedy

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Producer: @ty_englestudio

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Episode 290 of “The Sports Experience Podcast” is here & we’re continuing our block on some of the NFL’s best postseason games of all time.

In this episode we’re discussing the 1983 NFC Championship between the Washington Redskins and the San Francisco 49ers.

Expectations were high for a game which featured the Super Bowl champions from the previous two seasons.

Washington dominated the first half of play with their defense, and led San Francisco 7-0 at half time.

The lead could have been bigger had kicker Mark Moseley not had an off day.

Washington took a commanding 21-0 lead by the time the third quarter ended thanks to a touchdown run by John Riggins and touchdown catch by “Downtown” Charlie Brown.

At that point, all appeared lost for the 49ers until Joe Montana led a furious comeback. In just over eight minutes, Montana threw three touchdown passes to tie the game with 7:08 to play.

Washington then went on a drive which lasted 6:12, and were assisted by two controversial penalties by San Francisco’s Eric Wright and Ronnie Lott.

It all came down to Moseley, who had missed four field goals in the game, to make a 25 yard field goal to put the Redskins ahead 24-21. Moseley drilled the kick and Washington was off to Super Bowl XVIII in Tampa.

Connect with us on Instagram!

Chris Quinn: @cquinncomedy

Dominic DiTolla: @ditolladominic

Producer: @ty_englestudio

Instagram: @thesportsexperiencepodcast

If you enjoy this podcast, please help support us @:

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Episode 289 of “The Sports Experience Podcast” is here & we’re continuing our block on some of the NFL’s best postseason games of all time.

In this episode we’re discussing the 2018 AFC Championship between the Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots.

In a game which featured two of the biggest dynasties of the 21st Century in the NFL, the Chiefs and Patriots did not disappoint on a cold January evening at Arrowhead Stadium.

It appeared like business as usual for the Patriots during the first half. Led by Tom Brady, New England raced out to a 14-0 lead with a ball-control offense. In addition, their stout defense appeared to be helping their team capture a third straight AFC title, and fourth in five years.

Yet in the second half, league MVP Patrick Mahomes helped Kansas City storm back into the game.

Down 17-7 entering the fourth quarter, Damien Williams scored three touchdowns for the Chiefs. Unfortunately for him, Sony Michel & Rex Burkhead were scoring for New England. In a see-saw final quarter, 38 total points were scored. The last three came off the toe of Kansas City’s Harrison Butker with 0:08 in regulation, and his crucial kick sent the game to OT.

Not wanting to cede supremacy over the NFL to the young and hungry Chiefs, Brady and teammates like Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman came up big on the only drive of OT. New England’s offense executed a drive of 13 plays over 75 yards which ended with a Burkhead touchdown run and a 38-31 score.

Connect with us on Instagram!

Chris Quinn: @cquinncomedy

Dominic DiTolla: @ditolladominic

Producer: @ty_englestudio

Instagram: @thesportsexperiencepodcast

If you enjoy this podcast, please help support us @:

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-sports-experience-pod/support

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Episode 288 of “The Sports Experience Podcast” is here & we’re continuing our block on some of the NFL’s best postseason games of all time.

In this episode we’re discussing the 1999 AFC Wild Card game between the Buffalo Bills and the Tennessee Titans.

In a game which featured two of the most physical defenses in the AFC, the Nashville crowd got their money’s worth.

Tennessee employed a ground and pound offensive strategy with running back Eddie George and a relentless pass rush led by rookie Jevon Kearse to race out to a 12-0 Halftime lead.

Buffalo found their offensive stride in the second half with backup quarterback Rob Johnson and eventually took a 13-12 lead in the fourth quarter on the strength of two touchdown drives.

Tennessee then converted a go-ahead field goal with 1:48 to go which appeared to have won them the game. Yet after a long kickoff return, Buffalo was able to get Steve Christie into field goal range where he drilled a 41 yard field goal with 20 seconds to go.

All seemed lost for Tennessee until a perfectly executed kickoff return which featured a controversial across the field lateral from Frank Wychek to Kevin Dyson allowed Dyson to score the game-winning touchdown with 16 seconds to play!

Connect with us on Instagram!

Chris Quinn: @cquinncomedy

Dominic DiTolla: @ditolladominic

Producer: @ty_englestudio

Instagram: @thesportsexperiencepodcast

If you enjoy this podcast, please help support us @:

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-sports-experience-pod/support

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