Oddball History

A biweekly weird-history podcast based in Dallas, TX WILD & TRUE stories 🤯 OCCASIONAL guests 🤝 Starring comedians Jimmy Nelson & Scott Crisp

76: Baseball's Craziest Crazy Man, Rube Waddell 06/16/2025

76: Baseball's Craziest Crazy Man, Rube Waddell Rube Waddell, one of the craziest figures in baseball history. Chapters: (00:00) Intro (05:41) Top Comments (18:43) Rube Waddell (01:03:23) Comedy Shows and Idle Chit Chat /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/36962950

75: Street Gangs of Yesteryear 06/02/2025

75: Street Gangs of Yesteryear This week we dive into the streetgangs of yesteryear. There's goofy french fighting, the real gangs of new york, and everyone has a silly name. Enjoy. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 03:04 Top Comments 12:55 Streetgangs of Yesteryear 14:09 Les Apaches: French street subculture 24:52 The Dead Rabbits Riot of 1857: The Real Gangs of New York 34:42 The Gopher Gang and other such silly names 39:56 40 Elephants: The Original Girl Bosses 46:33 Chit chat and stand up dates /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/36800375

74: Adventures in Grave Robbing 05/19/2025

74: Adventures in Grave Robbing The gang goes grave robbing. Enjoy. Chapters (00:00) Intro (04:28) Top Comments (14:32) Stealing Lincoln's Corpse (22:51) King Richard II...not I (27:16) Galileo Gives God the Bird (31:12) Charlie Chaplin's Wife not Impressed (35:57) Elvis Grave Conspiracy (39:50) Black Market Composer Skulls (47:24) Doctor Riots (55:23) Idle Chit Chat /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/36604895

73: The Oddball Guide to Staying Healthy Through History 05/05/2025

73: The Oddball Guide to Staying Healthy Through History On this episode of Oddball History we go through popular medical remedies through history. The ancient greeks, romans, egyptians, random British people - you know, history. Chapters: (00:00) Intro (04:45) Top Comments (24:21) Ok, we're starting the topic (24:24) Ancient Egypt: The Ebers Papyrus (31:10) Ancient Greece: The Wandering Womb (34:39) Ancient Rome: Gladiator Blood (41:00) Dung-related Medicine (44:52) Milk Transfusions (49:56) Dead Whae Hotel (54:38) Chit Chat/Comedy Stuff /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/36414865

72: Capital FUNishment 04/21/2025

72: Capital FUNishment Capital FUNishment: The Lighter Side of capital punishment. Join us this week as we go through some of the more colorful executioners in history. Chapters (00:00) Intro (05:04) Top Comments (17:42) Capital FUNishment (18:18) Lady Betty: Irish Hanglady (24:54) William Marwood: Teaching an old dog new tricks...murder tricks (28:59) John C. Woods: American Hero/Liar (37:23) Jack Ketch: The Babe Ruth of Unskilled Executioners (42:43) John Thrift: The Tower of London Crier (50:11) Strangulation Fun Facts (55:02) Chit chat, stand up, fire stories /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/36234540

71: Historic Hell Gigs 04/07/2025

71: Historic Hell Gigs This week we dive into historic hell gigs. As comedians, we've all died on stage, but this group did it literally. Chapters (00:00) Intro (05:49) Top Comments (17:47) French Shakespeare Moliere (26:56) Lions eat a band (29:20) Lions also eat a Reverend (40:38) World's smallest harmonica (43:18) Nick Parkyakarkus aka Harry Einstein (53:53) Honorable Mention: Siegfried and Roy (55:21) Honorable Mention: Sam Patch the Yankee Leaper (59:33) Chit chat and show dates /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/36022040

70: A Salute to Dogs 03/24/2025

70: A Salute to Dogs Today's Oddball History. We give a salute to the dogs of history. Chapters (00:00) Intro (06:29) Top Comments (20:40) Bummer and Lazarus (39:54) Spuds Mackenzie and Remember the Titans (45:02) Ancient Dog Epitaphs (52:48) Balto's Stolen Valor (01:08:11) Sgt. Stubby (01:15:30) Chit chat /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/35821785

69: Mascot Mania 03/10/2025

69: Mascot Mania This week we cover the many mascots that have brought joy to our lives. They also seem to get sued a lot and do crime! Chapters: (00:00) Intro (03:47) Top Comments (15:25) Phillie Phanatic gets sued a lot (27:45) San Diego Chicken: A story of humility (37:26) New Jersey Devils Mascot gets handsy (39:44) Chicago Cubs' Fat Boy (43:52) Jumbo the Elephant (47:18) Peruna didn't attack that ram (52:57) Comedy and Stuff /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/35583790

68: A Series of Unfortunate Historical Figures 02/24/2025

68: A Series of Unfortunate Historical Figures The gang goes deep on some of the unluckiest people in history. The Japanese guy in both atomic bombs, a lady on many famous sinking ships, and who knew Abraham Lincoln's son was a harbinger of doom for 3 U.S. Presidents. Chapters: (00:00) Intro (05:06) Top Comments (11:42) Tsutomu Yamaguchi - Double A-Bomb Guy (18:35) Violet Jessop Sinks Ships (25:04) Robert Todd Lincoln - Harbinger of Doom (30:00) Roy Sullivan Gets Struck by Lighting...a lot (35:02) Honorable Mentions (43:00) Comedy Shows and Dumb Thoughts /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/35371245

67: Charles in Charge (of France) 02/10/2025

67: Charles in Charge (of France) Charles VI, King of France, went from "the Beloved" to "the Mad" in a very short time frame. Here is that story. We also discuss Luka, gay-aliens, and there's 4 or 5 Stone Cold Steve Austin impersonations. Chapters: (00:00) Intro (01:38) Top Comments (11:42) Charles VI Starts (15:21) First brush with crazy (22:23) The Ball des Ardents (Ball of the burning men) (31:54) Full Blown Crazy Time (45:43) Traitors, Book Reviews, Comedy, Luka... /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/35196990

66: The Bone Wars 01/27/2025

66: The Bone Wars Edward Cope and OC Marsh were late 19th century paleontologists that were married to the game...until it quit loving them back. Chapters: (00:00) Intro (03:54) Top Comments (14:41) Meet the Characters (23:58) The Bone Wars Start (34:28) The Bone Wars get real (49:20) Comedy and Stuff /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/34986245

65: Animal Researchers Gone Wild! 01/13/2025

65: Animal Researchers Gone Wild! This week on Oddball History: The strange stories of animal researchers gone wild. Dolphins get satisfied, earth worms have bassoons blown on them, and a Russian guy tries to make an Ape-Man chimera. We got it all. Chapters: (00:00) Intro (02:58) Top Comments (12:09) Cool Rats Like Jazz (18:03) Elephants on Acid (27:09) When a Woman Loves a Dolphin (35:35) Men and Women are Different (41:26) Russian Ape-Man Chimeras (44:55) Charles Darwin Bonus! (46:36) Comedy + Fire Talk /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/34793425

64: New Years Through History 12/30/2024

64: New Years Through History We look into New Years traditions throughout history. Per usual, Gilmore Girls and other stuff comes up. Chapters: (00:00) Intro (02:56) Top Comments (09:37) Akitu, Ancient New Years (18:16) Romanian Dancing Bears (24:23) Touching Peacocks (29:30) Bible Dipping (31:38) NYC Ball Drop (34:20) Black Eyed Peas (37:02) The Moment of Truth, TV Show (42:15) The Plugging of Dates (43:38) The Beach Boys (46:38) Gilmore Girls & Simpsons (51:26) Cow Commercials & Christmas Gifts /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/34638840

63: Strange Saints & Mischievous Martyrs 12/16/2024

63: Strange Saints & Mischievous Martyrs This week on Oddball History, we break down some of the strangest saints and martyrs the Catholics have to offer. We also go through last shows top comments, fire department physicals and break down the secret Rock of Love/Below Deck murder connection. Chapters: (00:00) Intro (02:11) Top Comments (11:36) Drogo: Saint of Ugly People (13:32) Barbara: Saint of Explosions (14:40) Fiacre: Saint of Hemorrhoids (17:03) Simeon the Stylite: Saint of Puppeteers (18:32) Bibiana: Saint of Hangovers (19:54) Lawrence: Saint of Comedians (21:01) Gummarus: Saint of Difficult Marriages (25:03) Saint Denis: Saint of Headaches (28:22) Erasmus: Saint of Tummy Aches (30:44) Agatha: Saint of Breast Ailments (31:44) Giles: Saint of Breastfeeding (34:31) Smithin: Saint of Eggs (36:11) Rita: Saint of Impossible Causes (38:43) Nicholas: You know the one (41:09) Fire Department Physicals (45:55) Old Timey Radio Shows (49:00) Family Game Night (52:35) Taco Bell Inflation (53:51) Rock of Love and Live Dates /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/34440325

62: Painless Parker Dentistry 12/02/2024

62: Painless Parker Dentistry Episode 62: "Painless" Parker, the story of a dentist. Chapters: (00:00) Intro (07:27) Painless Parker (11:54) The Parker Dental Circus (17:11) Painless Parker = Legal Scholar (20:26) Remembering Painless Parker (25:33) Thanksgiving (27:56) A Wedding (29:12) Nick Lachey Makes A Joke (30:37) Fire Station Pranks and Comedy (38:56) Comedy + Fights /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/34217085

61: Mario Tonelli + Erwin Rommel = A Podcast 11/18/2024

61: Mario Tonelli + Erwin Rommel = A Podcast Episode 61 of Oddball History Chapters: (00:00) Intro (02:11) Top Comments (07:11) Mario Tonelli (22:06) Rommel, the Nicest Nazi (26:28) Would you rather? (31:31) Scott finds Jesus (33:19) Questionable Reddit discovery (37:55) Cowboys Update (40:49) Stand Up Comedy /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/33957142

60: Real Life Frankensteins 10/21/2024

60: Real Life Frankensteins This week on an utterly macabre Oddball History, Jimmy and Scott talk Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Toaster Strudel and Real Life Dr. Frankensteins--from the alchemist who may have been the inspiration for the book to the Russian transplantation pioneer who became obsessed with creating a two-headed dog for some reason. Chapters: (00:00) Intro (01:14) Top Comments (06:04) Johann Dippel boils bodies (14:01) Giovanni Aldini shocks some dogs (20:12) Andrew Ure was a pretty good guy (22:53) Robert Cornish boy genius (34:38) Vladmir Demikhov loves 2-headed dogs (42:45) Crowd Work Goes wrong and fatherhood (47:50) Movie: Rover Dangerfield (50:39) Jerry Jones is messy (53:48) Closing Remarks: Tom and Jerry /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/33534837

59: Salute to Apes 10/07/2024

59: Salute to Apes This week on Oddball History Chapters: (00:00) Intro (01:55) Top Comments (09:01) Ken Allen "Hairy Houdini" (20:10) Ham the Space Chimp (27:04) Koko the Gorilla (39:15) Politics! (42:51) Scott Has an Old Man Complaint (43:32) Wieners and Relationship Advice (49:35) Closing Remarks /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/33339172

58: Tarrare, The Remorseless (and smelly) Eating Machine 09/23/2024

58: Tarrare, The Remorseless (and smelly) Eating Machine This week on Oddball History, Jimmy and Scott talk all things Tarrare—the foul-smelling, ever-hungry 18th century French sideshow act & soldier who once ate a toddler probably. ALSO: Elementary school assemblies, grilled cheese sandwiches and making friends online. Chapters: (00:00) Intro (00:56) Top Comments (05:08) Tarrare's Background (11:31) Tarrare The Traveling Showman (16:19) Tarrare The Failed Spy (20:57) Tarrare Goes Full Goblin Mode (28:55) The End of Tarrare (31:21) Facebook and Comedy Scene Drama (36:47) Final Thoughts on Chimp Crazy (38:37) Comedy and Shows (45:38) Scott Meets a Blind Man /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/33158362

57: CIA Gone Wild! 09/09/2024

57: CIA Gone Wild! This week on a heavily redacted Oddball History, Jimmy & Scott talk DB Cooper’s whereabouts, “The Devil’s Advocate” and a few of the CIA’s wildest moments, including a Cold War era plan to turn cats into listening devices and that time the group tried to scare a Filipino rebel army into surrendering by faking a series of vampire attacks. (00:00) Intro (01:44) Top Comments (04:00) Best Football Movies (09:40) Failed CIA Blackmail (15:48) CIA Spy Cats (19:22) CIA Vampires (25:50) CIA Condoms (28:39) Chimp Crazy + First 48 (33:13) Jimmy Runs a 40 + The Highwayman (36:44) Baby Decisions: To snip or not to snip (40:39) Unsolved Mysteries (43:23) Standup Comedy /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/32954032

56: The Real Rudy 08/26/2024

56: The Real Rudy This week on Oddball History, Jimmy has a baby, Scott watches some TV and the both of them get to know the scrappy weirdo that is the real Rudy Ruettiger, the inspiration for the 1993 film “Rudy.” ALSO: HBO’s Chimp Crazy, Wallace Shawn and OJ Simpson’s best friend. Chapters: (00:00) Intro (02:20) Top Comments (04:37) Rudy! Rudy! Rudy! (33:53) Goofin' and Gabbin' /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/32727032

55: "The Great Imposter" Fred Demara 08/12/2024

55: "The Great Imposter" Fred Demara This week on Oddball History, Jimmy and Scott discuss the life and times of famed imposter Fred (Ferdinand) Demara. Who famously saved 13 lives during the Korean War while posing as a doctor on a Canadian warship. ALSO: Past lives, Taco Bell, and that French Olympic pole vaulter everyone keeps talking about. Chapters: (00:00) Intro (01:30) Top Comments (05:24) "The Great Imposter" Fred Demara (33:39) Goofin' and Gabbin' /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/32534977

54: The Darkside of Breakfast 07/29/2024

54: The Darkside of Breakfast This week on Oddball History, Jimmy and Scott explore the weirdly dark history of the most important meal of the day, from the 1920s ad campaign that made bacon a breakfast food to the cultish origins of the cereal industry. Also: Calvin Coolidge, Below Deck, and the Planet of the Apes. Chapters: (00:00) Intro (02:46) Darkside of Breakfast (25:43) Goofin' and Gabbin' /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/32322437

53: Odd Olympic Stories 07/15/2024

53: Odd Olympic Stories This week on Oddball History, Jimmy and Scott discuss Hawk Tua Lady Fever, Robert Durst and the wildest things to ever happen at the Olympics—from the most ill-conceived bike race of all time to the first and only time live birds were used as shooting targets and all the grisly weirdness in between. Chapters: (00:00) Intro (03:53) Olympic Shenanigans (35:44) Hawk Tua & Goofin' /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/32128097

52: Animals on Trial 07/01/2024

52: Animals on Trial This week on Oddball History, Jimmy and Scott discuss robots, invisible men and the history of animals being put on trial—from the seafaring monkey-spy to the medieval rats who beat the barley-eating allegations to the killer pigs who terrorized the babies of France throughout the late Middle Ages. Chapters: (00:00) Intro (00:43) Animals on Trial (35:37) Goofin' & Gabbin' - Vapes and Movies /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/31941187

51: The Lake Worth Monster 06/17/2024

51: The Lake Worth Monster This week on Oddball History, Jimmy and Scott pontificate on the scarf’s place in men’s fashion, Mary Poppins and the Lake Worth Monster, a “fishy man-goat” or possible “drunken teenager in a gorilla suit” who terrorized the Lake Worth area just outside Fort Worth, Texas in the summer of 1969. Chapters (00:00) Intro/Recap (06:38) The Lake Worth Monster (31:02) New Bit Goofin' (41:50) Comedy Talk /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/31765305

50: Pettiest Moments of History 06/03/2024

50: Pettiest Moments of History This week on Oddball History, Jimmy and Scott discuss Great Moments in Pettiness, including the King of Persia physically attacking an ocean, the King of Korea falling off his horse and then desperately trying to cover it up, and the Pope putting the corpse of the former pope on trial. Chapters: (00:00) Intro (01:31) Petty Moments in History (04:22) Petty Ancient Koreans (09:34) Petty Persians vs. Ocean (22:25) Petty Popes (30:15) Comedy Shows & Dallas News (34:41) New Bit Goofin' /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/31556587

49: Jack Parsons w/ Pete Jung 05/20/2024

49: Jack Parsons w/ Pete Jung (00:00) Intro (02:14) Our Guest Pete Jung (03:58) Jack Parsons (17:04) Alistair Crowley Enters (21:48) L. Ron Hubbard Enters (27:31) Engineering with Pete (30:24) Jack Parsons Career (34:19) Jack's late life (45:23) Comedy Shows and Chit Chat /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/31361607

48: Gary Suiter an NBA Legend...Kinda 05/06/2024

48: Gary Suiter an NBA Legend...Kinda This week on Oddball History the boys talk offensive nicknames of yesteryear, the poetry of Walt Whitman and the weirdest and most unintentionally hilarious NBA player of all time, Gary Suiter. Chapters: (00:00) Intro (01:57) Salami and Nicknames (07:30) Gary Suiter's College Career (12:41) The 1970-71 Cleveland Cavaliers (14:50) Gary makes the NBA (20:36) Gary's Bad (23:50) Gary Wants Playing Time (26:20) First Start...Gets cut (28:42) Post Firing Craziness (34:30) Gary Post-NBA (39:48) Movies and Stand up /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/31134088

47: JFK Theories with Clint 04/22/2024

47: JFK Theories with Clint Scott Chapters (00:00) Intro (03:26) Graceland and Vice TV (11:17) OK, We'll talk about JFK (19:55) Jack Ruby Stuff (25:07) The Parade Route (29:56) LBJ (32:42) The Motorcade and Secret Service (34:26) Parkland Hospital and Autopsies (45:57) We solve it. /episode/index/show/f60b9180-7f20-4dc6-a813-e12313c99270/id/30904673

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