Good Seats Still Available
“Good Seats Still Available” is a curious little podcast devoted to the exploration of what used-to-be in professional sports. Each week, host Tim Hanlon interviews former players, owners, broadcasters, beat reporters, and surprisingly famous "super fans" of teams and leagues that have come and gone - in an attempt to unearth some of the most wild and woolly moments in (often forgotten) sports history.
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422: The "Super Bowl Shuffle" - With Jeff Cameron
11/24/2025
422: The "Super Bowl Shuffle" - With Jeff Cameron
Few sports moments have left as lasting a mark on pop culture as the 1985 Chicago Bears’ recording of the “.” This week, we go behind the music, the madness, and the myth with NFL Films Senior Producer Jeff Cameron — director of HBO’s new documentary short "" — who takes us inside the making of the iconic rap video that transformed a championship football team into cultural icons. "The Shuffle" reveals never-before-seen, behind-the-scenes footage and fresh interviews with Bears legends Mike Singletary, Jim McMahon, Willie Gault, and Gary Fencik, who recount their experiences recording the track and performing in the video. Cameron shares the story of how Chicago record executive Dick Meyer conceived the idea and how the project unfolded in late 1985 — weeks before the Bears had even officially secured a playoff spot, let alone a Super Bowl berth. What began as a fun, irreverent recording session quickly became a lightning rod for debate: Was it playful confidence, brash hubris, or simply a team having fun in the middle of a historic season? Cameron walks us through the challenges of capturing that spirit on film: reluctant players, chaotic studio sessions, and the creative energy that turned a one-off novelty idea into both a Billboard pop chart hit and a Grammy nomination. We also explore how the song and video raised thousands of dollars for Chicago-area food banks, and how it became a blueprint for athletes crossing over into mainstream entertainment — decades before social media made such moves commonplace. "The Shuffle" debuts November 25th on HBO and HBO Max at 9pm ET/8pm CT + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE ORIGINAL DVD (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "": https://amzn.to/3LXXn2m SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: SEATS): FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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421: "There Is No Place Like Dome" - With Bruce Reynolds
11/17/2025
421: "There Is No Place Like Dome" - With Bruce Reynolds
Baseball may be a game of numbers, but Tampa Bay's Tropicana Field is a place of stories — and no one knows those stories better than Bruce Reynolds, longtime Rays "fan host" and author of "There Is No Place Like Dome." In this delightfully off-beat episode, we venture under the famously tattered fiberglass roof — currently undergoing repairs and slated to reopen next spring — to explore the quirks, characters, and quiet magic of a ballpark that has been loved, mocked, misunderstood, celebrated, and everything in between. Reynolds shares 16 seasons’ worth of memories: the oddball fan encounters, dome-induced surprises, moments of chaos, moments of kindness, and the things that only happen at the Trop because — well, there's no place like it! We talk catwalks. We talk cowbells. We talk about the time the dome shook, the traditions that only insiders know, and why a stadium often dismissed as a “quirky relic” might actually be one of baseball’s most human places. And yes — even as new ownership takes over, mulls a new stadium, and crews patch the roof to keep it safe for at least a few more seasons -- the "Trop" continues to charm in its imperfect, unforgettable way. Reynolds’ passion is infectious, his stories heart-warming, and his perspective turns a stadium often criticized into a character all its own. PLUS: College bowl games, pro wrestling, the “ThunderDome,” arena league football, and the one-game wonder of the original UFL's Florida Tuskers! + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: Buy Us a Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable The "Good Seats" Store: https://www.teepublic.com/?ref_id=35106 BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "There Is No Place Like Dome: A Fan Host's Unofficial View from the Top of the Trop, To the Stands with the Fans": https://amzn.to/47JcDZt SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): Royal Retros (10% off promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2 Old School Shirts.com (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable Web: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/
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420.5: "Banned" - With Michael Ray Richardson & Jake Uitti [ARCHIVE RE-RELEASE]
11/12/2025
420.5: "Banned" - With Michael Ray Richardson & Jake Uitti [ARCHIVE RE-RELEASE]
[We mourn the passing of pro hoops great Michael Ray Richardson with an archive re-release of our conversation with the former Nets/Knicks star from last year, featuring his biography co-author Jacob Uitti.] + + + Former NBA All-Star Michael Ray Richardson and his co-author Jacob Uitti () join the show to discuss Richardson's riveting new memoir that chronicles his extraordinary journey on and off the basketball court. Hailed as “the next Walt Frazier” coming out of the University of Montana as a first-round pick (fourth overall) in the 1978 NBA Draft, "Sugar" was a force to be reckoned with, leading the league in both assists and steals in just his second season - still New York Knicks team records to this day - and earning four All-Star appearances and two All-Defensive team honors. But behind the scenes, his career was overshadowed by personal struggles with drugs and alcohol, leading to a historic lifetime ban from the NBA in 1986 while a member of the New Jersey Nets. Richardson shares how he rebounded from that moment, finding redemption through subsequent stints as a player and coach in places like the CBA (Albany Patroons, Oklahoma Cavalry); USBL (Long Island Knights); Premiere Basketball League; and a prolific 14-year professional league run in Europe, where he guided teams to championships and redefined his legacy. Now running youth basketball clinics and reflecting on his journey, Richardson proves that resilience and accountability can turn even the darkest chapters into a comeback story. + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "": SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: SEATS): FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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420: America's "Cricket Odyssey" - With Beth Simpson & Mark Greenslade
11/10/2025
420: America's "Cricket Odyssey" - With Beth Simpson & Mark Greenslade
Cricket and America - two words that rarely appear in the same sentence without a smirk or a shrug. Yet, as authors Beth Simpson and Mark Greenslade reveal in their new book "," the game’s roots here run deeper than most realize — and its revival is one of the great under-told stories in modern sport. We trace the sport’s improbable journey - from its 19th-century heyday, when Philadelphia was a global cricket power; to its near extinction after baseball gained popularity; and finally to its 21st-century rebirth, fueled by immigrant passion and the game's modern-day incarnation, Twenty20 (T20). Along the way, Simpson and Greenslade take us inside the subcultures that have kept US cricket alive - from South Central LA's Compton Cricket Club to equal rights-seeking women cricketers to youth development programs from Bronx, NY high schools to suburban North Carolina ballfields. We also tackle the political dysfunction, internal corruption and repeated false starts that have haunted American cricket for decades - including the 2019 collapse of the USACA national governing body, its not-much-better replacement USA Cricket, and the additionally complicating factor of International Cricket Council (ICC) recognition. And of course, we examine the handful of attempts to make pro cricket stick in the States from 2004’s erstwhile to today's ambitious Major League Cricket, backed by nearly a billion dollars of domestic and global investment - and ask whether this latest experiment can finally overcome the sport’s chronic infighting and infrastructure gaps. It’s a journey through sport, culture, and identity - one that reveals how America keeps rediscovering cricket, and why the game still struggles to find its true home on US soil. + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "": https://amzn.to/4nFOdoh SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: SEATS): FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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419: Basketball "Prophet" Moses Malone - With Paul Knepper
11/03/2025
419: Basketball "Prophet" Moses Malone - With Paul Knepper
The story of Moses Malone is one of basketball’s most remarkable - and underappreciated - journeys. Rising from poverty in segregated Petersburg, Virginia, in the early 1970s, Malone became the first modern player to jump straight from high school to the pros, quickly establishing himself as one of the game’s most dominant forces. A three-time NBA MVP, relentless rebounder, and driving presence behind the rise of the early 1980s Houston Rockets and the Philadelphia 76ers’ 1983 league championship, Malone redefined greatness - quietly, humbly, and unstoppably. This week, biographer Paul Knepper, author of "," joins us to explore the man behind the legend and how his life reshaped both the sport and professional basketball culture. Knepper traces Malone’s rise from a poor upbringing to his groundbreaking 1974 leap to the American Basketball Association’s Utah Stars - an unprecedented move that paved the way for future hoops prodigies like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and LeBron James. On the court, Malone was a tireless worker, perennial All-Star, and the most dominant offensive rebounder in league history. Off it, the “Chairman of the Boards” quietly mentored rising stars like Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon, showing that greatness could coexist with humility. Through rare interviews and meticulous research, Knepper restores Malone’s rightful place in basketball history - not just as a Hall of Famer, but as a "prophet" of professionalism, perseverance, and quiet excellence. PLUS: Your chance to win a copy of "" via this week's trivia contest! AND: Is the new Amazon Prime NBA theme song "Victory" better than John Tesh's iconic "Roundball Rock"? You make the call! + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "": https://amzn.to/4oHEZJg SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: SEATS): FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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418: More Lost Tales of the Original MISL - With Tim O'Bryhim
10/27/2025
418: More Lost Tales of the Original MISL - With Tim O'Bryhim
Unwitting US pro soccer historian Tim O'Bryhim ("" and "") makes his third trip to the show - this time in celebration of his wild new collection of stories from the original Major Indoor Soccer League (1978-92). O'Bryhim has spent nearly a decade chronicling the MISL's wild and woolly history (including his essential ) - and his new book "" delights in its recounting of some of the truly underappreciated trials, tribulations and characters of what made this influential circuit special - and, to O'Bryhim's credit, memorable. We discuss some of them, including the 1974 NASL indoor exhibition that accidentally launched the league, the tumultuous year leading to Pete Rose's Cincinnati Kids taking on the New York Arrows in the MISL's first game, Jerry Buss' foray into indoor soccer with the Los Angeles Lazers, the Dallas Sidekicks' improbable 1987 championship run, and the absolutely bonkers ending to that 1985 playoff series between the San Diego Sockers and Minnesota Strikers. "MISL 1980s" also delves into the careers and lives of players and coaches like Erik Rasmussen, Kevin Kewley, and Alan Merrick, examines how players approached their post-MISL careers, celebrates the fans who have kept the league's history alive, and explores why the MISL ultimately failed to become America's next major league sport. From the short-shorts to the mullets to the pulsating synth music, O'Bryhim's book is a lovingly curated look at the pop-culture sensation that was indoor soccer in the "Me Decade". PLUS: Your chance to win a copy of "MISL 1980s" via this week's trivia contest! + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "": https://amzn.to/4ht4lYR SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: SEATS): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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417: When Minor League Baseball Almost Went Bust - With George Pawlush
10/20/2025
417: When Minor League Baseball Almost Went Bust - With George Pawlush
In the immediate years after World War II, the trajectory of America’s pastime looked unstoppable. By 1949, Minor League Baseball had swelled to 59 leagues, 448 teams, and some 10,000 players - the largest network in its history. But within a decade, the advent of television, suburban migration, and shifting leisure habits began to drain fans and revenue. Hundreds of teams folded, and by 1963, the entire minor-league system was on the brink of collapse. We explore that turbulent era - the golden age of small-town clubs and ballparks, the struggles of owners and players to stay afloat, and the rescue plan that reshaped the minors for the rest of the twentieth century - with SABR baseball researcher George Pawlush, whose current books "" (a SABR-driven collection of essays); and "," which chronicles a short-lived Class B circuit from 1947 to 1950, both illuminate this fascinating period. Pawlush describes stories of teams traveling on dangerously aging buses, cash-strapped franchises uprooting for survival, and the rise of players both transformative (like Jackie Robinson, whose minor-league stints with the Montreal Royals in 1946 helped pave the way for MLB integration) - and forgotten (like Ron Necciai, whose early 1952 strikeout feats dazzled fans and earned a call-up to the Pittsburgh Pirates later that summer) before injuries ended their careers. We'll dig into how the minors were both a proving ground for future stars and a fragile ecosystem vulnerable to social and economic change: What caused the rapid collapse of so many leagues in the 1950s? How did the Colonial League embody both the promise and fragility of postwar baseball? And how did the 1963 Player Development Plan finally stabilize the farm system? + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE BOOKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "": https://amzn.to/49dMQcX "": https://amzn.to/3WNVx6g SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: SEATS): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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416: Denver's "Olympics That Never Happened" - With Adam Berg
10/13/2025
416: Denver's "Olympics That Never Happened" - With Adam Berg
In the late 1960s, Denver’s business and political leaders were convinced they had secured the ultimate prize in international sport: the 1976 Winter Olympic Games. With the backing of the US Olympic Committee and a successful bid before the International Olympic Committee, Colorado seemed poised to showcase itself on the world stage. But just two years later, that dream collapsed in spectacular fashion — when the state's voters did the unthinkable, and told the Olympics to go elsewhere. This week, we explore the fascinating saga of the “Olympics that never happened” with cultural historian and UNC Greensboro professor Adam Berg, author of "." Berg examines how an elite coalition of boosters and officials promised a glittering event, only to face escalating costs, shaky logistics, environmental concerns, and — most importantly — a grassroots multi-issue opposition movement that united environmentalists, taxpayer advocates, and suburban "NIMBY" homeowners. It’s a story that goes far beyond sport — one about power, growth, democracy, and the limits of civic boosterism in a rapidly changing/modernizing Colorado. Berg reveals how the defeat of the Games energized a new political consciousness, launched the career of future governor Richard Lamm, and reshaped how host cities and the IOC think about public consent for mega-events. It's one of the most remarkable “what-ifs” in Olympic history — and a story whose impact still resonates today. + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "": https://amzn.to/48moE7T SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: SEATS): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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415: The NFL's Dallas Texans - With David Fleming
10/06/2025
415: The NFL's Dallas Texans - With David Fleming
Peabody Award-nominated writer and David Fleming (“”) returns to the show to unpack one of the National Football League’s most chaotic and fascinating chapters: the disaster of the 1952 Dallas Texans. In his new book,"," Fleming chronicles the league’s first attempt to plant a professional football franchise in football-crazed Texas — a venture so ill-fated that the NFL reportedly still disavows it. Fleming guides us through the Texans’ brief and turbulent existence, from their origins as the financially struggling New York Yanks to their relocation to Dallas under the ambitious but ill-prepared Miller brothers. We explore a 1–11 season riddled with logistical nightmares and meet the team’s unforgettable characters: future Hall of Famers Art Donovan and Gino Marchetti, unsung heroes like Buddy Young and George Taliaferro, and a broader cast of characters who fought to keep the team afloat despite unrelenting chaos. You'll hear about rattlesnakes on the practice field, barroom brawls, bounced checks, paternity suits, one-legged trainers, humiliating defeats, a miraculous victory, strip poker with groupies, and even a future Hall of Fame coach stealing a cab. Amidst the madness, Fleming spotlights the Texans’ lone shining moment: a Thanksgiving Day "home game" upset over the Chicago Bears at the Rubber Bowl in Akron, Ohio — an improbable triumph that perfectly captured the team’s fleeting flashes of brilliance against a constant tide of organizational mayhem. PLUS: your chance to win a copy of ""! + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "": https://amzn.to/4nBNup5 SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: SEATS): FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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414: The Professional Women's Hockey League - With Karissa Donkin
09/29/2025
414: The Professional Women's Hockey League - With Karissa Donkin
How do you build a professional women’s hockey league from the ground up — and convince the sport’s best players, skeptical investors, and hungry fans that this time it’s built to last? CBC Sports journalist Karissa Donkin, author of "," helps us dive into the backstory of the incredible Professional Women’s Hockey League. Donkin traces the roots of the PWHL back to the collapse of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League in 2019 and the rise of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association, whose “Dream Gap” tours kept women’s hockey in the spotlight when no stable league existed. She also unpacks the complicated legacy of North American professional women’s leagues: the original National Women’s Hockey League (1999–2007), and the later NWHL launched in 2015 — the first U.S.-based league to pay salaries — which eventually rebranded as the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF). The overlap of these leagues, combined with the PWHPA’s touring circuit, splintered talent and divided attention, but it also highlighted what was missing: a single, unified, and financially sustainable league. These years of struggle, advocacy, and experimentation ultimately set the stage for the PWHL’s 2023 launch. We’ll explore how the Mark Walter Group, Billie Jean King, and a coalition of powerful allies turned that vision into reality, and why the league’s first collective bargaining agreement matters so much for players seeking true professional standards. Donkin also unpacks the drama and exhilaration of the inaugural 2024 season — from record-breaking crowds to the intensity of Boston–Montreal showdowns — and explains how the league is balancing rapid growth with the need for long-term sustainability. Finally, we look ahead: what does expansion to markets like Vancouver and Seattle mean for the league’s future? How will the PWHL navigate the ongoing battles for sponsorship, broadcast exposure, and cultural relevance in a crowded sports marketplace? And most importantly, how will the next generation of girls growing up with the PWHL on TV — and in their hometown arenas — reshape what professional hockey looks like in North America? + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "": SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: SEATS): FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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413: "The NFL Today" (And More!) - With Jayne Kennedy
09/22/2025
413: "The NFL Today" (And More!) - With Jayne Kennedy
The incomparable Jayne Kennedy ("") joins us for an intimate conversation about a career that defied expectations and left an indelible mark on both sports broadcasting and American culture. Raised in small-town Ohio and catapulted to national attention through beauty pageants and professional ambitions, Kennedy soon found herself in early 1970s Hollywood — landing a succession of parts on TV variety shows, commercials, and film. But it was her move to CBS’s The NFL Today in 1978 that cemented her place in television history. For two groundbreaking seasons, Kennedy sat alongside Brent Musburger, Irv Cross, and Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder on what was then the . As one of the first women — and among the very first Black women — to co-anchor a national sports broadcast, she brought poise, charisma, and depth to a space long dominated by men. Kennedy reflects candidly on what it was like to navigate the high-pressure world of network television, from the excitement of breaking barriers to the behind-the-scenes tensions that eventually led to her controversial departure in 1980. In a conversation that spans both triumphs and challenges, Kennedy shares how her time on The NFL Today shaped her career, the lessons she carried into later endeavors, and why her story still resonates in today’s conversations about representation in media. PLUS: Your chance to win a copy of "Plain Jayne" via this week's trivia question! + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "": SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: SEATS): ADVERTISING & SPONSORSHIP INQUIRIES: FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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412: "Madden & Summerall" - With Rich Podolsky
09/15/2025
412: "Madden & Summerall" - With Rich Podolsky
Veteran sportswriter, Sports Broadcast Journal columnist, and Rich Podolsky ("") returns to the show to explore the story of perhaps the greatest broadcast partnership in NFL history. In his new book, "," Podolsky offers a rare inside look at how kicker-turned-play-by-play man Pat Summerall, and coach-turned-color-analyst John Madden became the voices of America’s Sundays — and why their impact still reverberates across sports media today. Through Podolsky’s storytelling, we uncover how the duo’s unlikely chemistry — Summerall’s minimalist gravitas paired with Madden’s booming energy and boundless teaching — redefined the way fans understood the game. We trace their journey from the heights of CBS to their groundbreaking leap to Fox, where their presence gave a fledgling network instant credibility. Along the way, Podolsky reveals how Madden transformed the role of analyst, turning film sessions and telestrators into staples of the craft, while Summerall perfected the art of saying more with less. What emerges is not just a portrait of two men, but of a cultural moment: the rise of the NFL as America’s most powerful television spectacle, carried into living rooms by a duo so iconic that no team since has truly replaced them. ALSO: Your chance to win a copy of "Madden & Summerall"! + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): ": SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: SEATS): SAY HELLO: FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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411: "Make Me Commissioner" - With Jane Leavy
09/08/2025
411: "Make Me Commissioner" - With Jane Leavy
Few writers have illuminated baseball’s legends with the depth, rigor, and heart of renowned sports journalist and author Jane Leavy. From to to , her biographies of the game’s greatest figures don’t just recount their lives — they reveal the eras each helped to define. Now, with her new book , Leavy turns her sharp eye and seasoned reporting toward the sport itself, asking what’s broken, what’s worth preserving, and how its lost magic might be restored. In this episode, we sit down with Leavy for a wide-ranging conversation that blends her unparalleled knowledge of baseball history with a candid assessment of its present challenges — analytics overload, youth development crises, dwindling diversity, and the struggle to balance spectacle with spontaneity. She also shares her imaginative, sometimes provocative, ideas for how the game could evolve in the years ahead. For longtime fans, casual observers, and anyone who cares about the soul of America’s pastime, this episode delivers a masterclass in baseball storytelling — and a glimpse into the possible futures of the game from one of its finest chroniclers. PLUS: Your chance to win a copy of "Make Me Commissioner"! + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): : https://amzn.to/4paR6iX SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: SEATS): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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410: The NBA's Waterloo Hawks - With Tim Harwood
09/01/2025
410: The NBA's Waterloo Hawks - With Tim Harwood
Long before the National Basketball Association evolved into a global spectacle, it began as an awkwardly assembled mashup featuring a hefty dollop of relatively small-market teams in places like Sheboygan, Wisconsin; Anderson, Indiana and Moline, Illinois. Among them were the Waterloo Hawks - the only team from Iowa ever to play in the NBA. Their story is synonymous with the fragile early days of pro hoops in the US - and it’s vividly brought back to life by this week's guest, Tim Harwood - author of the essential "." Tim and Tim retrace how the Hawks rose out of the old National Basketball League, a circuit of largely factory-backed and regional clubs scattered across the Rust Belt that provided much of the foundation for the modern professional game. In 1949, when the NBL merged with its big-city rival, the Basketball Association of America, the NBA was born - and Waterloo suddenly found itself playing against the decidedly more well-resourced likes of New York, Boston, and Chicago. The Hawks’ lone NBA season was gritty, dramatic, and short-lived, ending with the league contracting and shedding smaller markets that didn’t align with its "major-market" ambitions. Harwood explains how Waterloo tried to keep its place in the game through the short-lived National Professional Basketball League, and why the Hawks’ disappearance after 1951 symbolized the end of the small-market era in pro basketball. What remains is a remarkable story of community pride, fleeting triumph, and the overlooked role towns like Waterloo played in shaping what the NBA would become. PLUS: The legend of Waterloo's ! + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "": BUY THE SHIRT (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): : SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: SEATS): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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409: "F***in' Hell, It's Paul Cannell"
08/25/2025
409: "F***in' Hell, It's Paul Cannell"
It's a no-holds-barred conversation with footballing legend Paul Cannell — the Geordie striker who lit up mid-1970s Newcastle United, vaulted into the heyday of the North American Soccer League, and left a trail of memorable goals, disciplinary cards, and impish chaos in his wake. Best remembered for his fiery stint with the two incarnations of the NASL's Washington Diplomats, Cannell was as much a headline in the nightlife columns as he was on the sports pages. On the field, he was fearless in the air and relentless in the tackle, leading the Dips in scoring while collecting enough penalty points to draw more than a few league suspensions. Off the field, he became a fixture in DC-area bars and dance clubs, a radio guest of a young new voice named Howard Stern, and — by his own telling — the first soccer player ever signed by Nike, bringing Studio 54-era disco-inspired white boots to the playing pitch. Cannell takes us straight into the heart of those wild years. He opens up about the highs and hangovers of the NASL boom (including stints with the Memphis Rogues, Calgary Boomers & Detroit Express), brushes with legends like Johan Cruyff and Pelé, the infamous chant that followed him everywhere, and the unfiltered stories that made his as outrageous as its title. Blunt, funny, and never shy of controversy, Cannell reminds us why he became one of the NASL’s most colorful figures — and why his name still carries a mix of respect, disbelief, and laughter decades later — especially among DC sportswriters and soccer fans. PLUS: The "Mayor of Georgetown" helps Tim remember classic DC night spots of the day like Winston's, Tramp's & Sign of the Whale! + + + Get the best in high-quality commemorative Dips, Memphis Rogues Detroit Express, Calgary Boomers & NASL league T-shirts with promo code savings from our friends at (code GOODSEATS)! + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): : SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: SEATS): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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408: "Shattering the Glass" - With Pamela Grundy & Susan Shackelford
08/18/2025
408: "Shattering the Glass" - With Pamela Grundy & Susan Shackelford
The story of women’s basketball in the United States is one of grit, activism, and transformation. From barnstorming road shows to the bright lights of the WNBA, the game has mirrored — and often propelled — larger social changes in American life. We journey through that history with the help of Pamela Grundy and Susan Shackelford, authors of the newly expanded edition of "." Drawing on years of research and oral histories, they guide us through some the game’s pivotal chapters: Barnstorming pioneers: How teams like the All-American Redheads and Hazel Walker’s Arkansas Travellers brought women’s basketball to audiences across the country when mainstream platforms were closed to them. College roots: The rise of organized play on campuses and the role of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women in carving out space for female athletes. The 1970s: The seismic impact of Title IX, the fight for the Equal Rights Amendment, and the first women’s Olympic basketball tournament in 1976. Coming of age: The ambitions and struggles of the Women’s Professional Basketball League (WBL: 1978–81), and the eventual NCAA takeover of women’s college championships in 1982. The 1990s: How 1996 Olympics success inspired the launches of both the American Basketball League (ABL) and the NBA-backed WNBA - to rejuvenate the professional landscape, and set the stage for the modern era. Grundy and Shackelford help us frame women’s basketball not only as sport, but as a cultural battleground where issues of equity, representation, and identity have played out for generations - where women players, coaches, and advocates continually broke barriers in the process. PLUS: Get your women's throwback game on with promo code savings from our friends at (WBL & ABL: code GOODSEATS) and (early-years WNBA: code SEATS)! + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "": https://amzn.to/415S3Pm SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: SEATS): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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407: Baseball's "Dangerous" Danny Gardella - With Rob Elias
08/11/2025
407: Baseball's "Dangerous" Danny Gardella - With Rob Elias
Baseball's Danny Gardella was no ordinary ballplayer. A compact powerhouse — “not much taller than a fire hydrant,” yet a left-handed pull hitter with undeniable talent — he hit .267 with 24 homers and 85 RBIs in just 169 Major League Baseball games. That blazing two-year stretch with the New York Giants in 1944–45 proved his major-league mettle. But Gardella’s story didn’t end in the box score. Humble and working-class, he was a true Renaissance man — writing poetry, quoting Shakespeare, Freud, and Dewey, singing opera and vaudeville, boxing Golden Gloves, and defying gravity with acrobatic stunts in the clubhouse and on the field. When many veterans returned after World War II, Gardella’s once-promising career faltered. Faced with limited opportunities and bound by baseball's reserve clause, he made a bold move — “jumping” to the Mexican League's Azules de Veracruz in 1946. That leap didn’t just cost him his place in Organized Baseball — it catalyzed his fight for justice. In "," author Rob Elias recounts how this “little-known but remarkable ballplayer” took the sport's reserve clause to court, sparking a legal battle that would echo through decades. Gardella’s act of defiance set the stage in later years for Curt Flood, Marvin Miller, and the struggle for free agency — and ultimately helped birth the modern MLB Players Association. It's a compelling blend of baseball lore, legal drama, and the human story of a forgotten pioneer who dared to challenge the game — and, eventually, changed it forever. PLUS: "Gardella Gardens" - the upper left-field balcony section of the old Polo Grounds, where ardent Giants fans cheered on their favorite player - affectionately nicknamed "Gardenia". + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "": SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (15% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: SEATS): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (20% off promo code: GOODSEATSSTILLAVAILABLE): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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406: The 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics - With Tommy Phillips
08/04/2025
406: The 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics - With Tommy Phillips
This week, we revisit one of the most politically charged (and frequently forgotten) Olympic Games - the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow - with sports historian/author Tommy Phillips (""). While a much-debated US-led boycott - sparked by the Soviet Union’s brazen invasion of Afghanistan in late 1979 - kept dozens of countries away and fundamentally reshaped the competition, Phillips takes us on the inside to discuss what actually happened once the torch was lit and the athletes took to competition. We explore standout performances from Soviet gymnasts, doping-aided East German swimmers, a rogue Austrian equestrian dressage competitor, Great Britain's dueling track duo (Sebastian Coe & Steve Ovett) - and lesser-known athletes from around the globe who seized their moment in the absence of many Western rivals. Phillips also walks us through controversies and logistical missteps that plagued the Games, including judging disputes, wind-aided performances and technical problems, all unfolding within the sleek but tightly controlled confines of the Soviet-run Olympic venues. Along the way, Phillips shares some of the stranger, more human stories that emerged from his deep dive into archival material. Among them: a massive food fight in the Olympic Village kitchen, pirate TV signals illegally rebroadcasting the Games to viewers in Florida, and the arrest of Rollen Stewart - the eccentric, rainbow-wig-wearing “John 3:16” superfan—who managed to insert himself into the tightly guarded Soviet spectacle. These moments reveal a side of the Games that didn’t make headlines but speak volumes about the surreal atmosphere surrounding them. PLUS: Our salute to late jazz flugelhorn master Chuck Mangione - and his ABC Sports-commissioned theme for the 1980 Winter Olympic Games earlier that year in Lake Placid, NY! + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "": https://amzn.to/4olbM7A SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: SEATS): (15% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (20% off promo code: GOODSEATSSTILLAVAILABLE): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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405: Leo Lyons & The NFL's Rochester Jeffersons - With Jeffrey Miller & John Steffenhagen
07/28/2025
405: Leo Lyons & The NFL's Rochester Jeffersons - With Jeffrey Miller & John Steffenhagen
In 1898, a 16-year-old dreamer named Leo Lyons was tossing a football around a Rochester, NY sandlot. Within two years, he wasn’t just playing—he was managing, coaching, and bankrolling a team that would become an National Football League charter member: the Rochester Jeffersons. This week, we sit down with authors Jeffrey Miller and John Steffenhagen to explore their powerful new book, "" - the unbelievable-but-true story of how one man’s relentless vision helped shape pro football’s earliest days. From challenging Jim Thorpe’s Canton Bulldogs and signing Black players decades before integration, to mortgaging his house and offering Red Grange $5,000 per game, Lyons’ tale is one of grit, guts, and heartbreak. With exclusive access to the Leo Lyons Collection, Miller and Steffenhagen uncover the backroom deals, sandlot beginnings, and forgotten heroes behind the NFL's formation. It’s a story of ambition, obsession — and a dream that changed American sports forever. PLUS: Tim devises a strategy to definitively get Leo Lyons into the Pro Football Hall of Fame! + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "": SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: SEATS): (15% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (20% off promo code: GOODSEATSSTILLAVAILABLE): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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404: Petty vs. Pearson: The Rivalry That Shaped NASCAR - With Mike Hembree
07/21/2025
404: Petty vs. Pearson: The Rivalry That Shaped NASCAR - With Mike Hembree
It's another pit stop into the rich history of NASCAR racing this week, with a look back at the circuit's greatest rivalry — the legendary driving battle between Richard Petty and David Pearson that shaped the sport forever. With the help of veteran motorsports journalist Mike Hembree's new book, "," we explore how these two titans transformed racing from a regional spectacle into an American sports passion during the late 1960s and the bulk of the 1970s. Discover the contrasting styles that made their frequent track duels electric: "The King's" relentless aggression versus "The Silver Fox's" calculated patience. We'll revisit their most jaw-dropping moments, including the wild finish at the 1976 Daytona 500 where both drivers crashed on the final lap, and examine how their incredible 63 head-to-head 1st/2nd-place finishes created the stuff of true NASCAR legend. Learn how Petty's record-breaking 200 wins and seven championships stacked up against Pearson's incredible 18.3% winning percentage in just 574 starts. And, beyond the statistics, we explore Petty's and Pearson's mutual respect for each other and the friendship that transcended their fierce competition on the track — a rivalry that elevated NASCAR during its most transformative, increasingly televised era. Plus: Mike and Tim reminisce about the once-essential weekly magazine! + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "": https://amzn.to/3GXrl4p SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: SEATS): (15% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (20% off promo code: GOODSEATSSTILLAVAILABLE): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Substack: COMING SOON Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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403: "Cincinnati Soul" - With Al Lautenslager
07/14/2025
403: "Cincinnati Soul" - With Al Lautenslager
Our summer roadtrip rolls on this week with a deep dive into one of the Queen City's most overlooked sports stories with baseball author Al Lautenslager - whose new book "" explores the remarkable but brief legacy of the Cincinnati Tigers, the city's first official Negro Leagues baseball team. Discover how DeHart Hubbard, America's first Black Olympic gold medalist, founded the Tigers as a dual-circuit minor league (Indiana-Ohio League & Negro Southern League) outfit in 1934 - eventually joining as a charter member of the 1937 Negro American League - now an officially recognized as "major league" by Major League Baseball. Lautenslager shares fascinating details about the team's home at Crosley Field, where they wore hand-me-down Cincinnati Reds uniforms and drew crowds that sometimes exceeded that of their benefactors. Also: The Tigers' historic 44-36 record and second-place finish in 1937 Five All-Star selections including legendary manager Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe Key players like submarine pitcher Porter Moss and future Brooklyn Dodgers MLB signee Roy Partlow The team's cultural impact on Cincinnati's African American community during segregation Why the franchise folded despite on-field success and community support + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "": SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (15% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: SEATS): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (20% off promo code: GOODSEATSSTILLAVAILABLE): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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402: The Milwaukee Bucks Origin Story - With Jordan Treske
07/07/2025
402: The Milwaukee Bucks Origin Story - With Jordan Treske
It's a Wisconsin road trip this week for a sit down with Jordan Treske, author of "," to explore one of the most astonishing turnarounds in modern American pro sports history. Treske walks us through how Milwaukee rebounded from the loss of the MLB Braves to become an NBA basketball powerhouse in just three seasons — thanks to savvy ownership, an historic draft coin flip, and the ultimate pairing of two all-time greats: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (née Lew Alcindor) and Oscar Robertson. We’ll also unpack the racial and cultural tensions of the era, the ABA bidding war, and the community’s unique investment in the team. Whether you're a Bucks fan or a basketball history buff, this conversation offers fresh insight into how a franchise — and a city — found its "big league" identity through the game. PLUS: From 1977, the Milwaukee Bucks theme song "Green And Growing (The Bucks Don't Stop Here)!" + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "": https://amzn.to/3TVtQXI SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: SEATS): (15% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (20% off promo code: GOODSEATSSTILLAVAILABLE): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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401: AFL Football & Civil Rights Pioneer Abner Haynes - With King David Haynes
06/30/2025
401: AFL Football & Civil Rights Pioneer Abner Haynes - With King David Haynes
In this special episode, we sit down with King David Haynes, son of American Football League legend and civil rights trailblazer Abner Haynes, to discuss his newly released biography "." Abner Haynes was far more than just a football star — he was a barrier-breaking athlete, community leader, and a courageous voice for racial justice. From integrating Texas college football in the 1950s to becoming the league's first MVP in 1960 to standing at the forefront of athlete activism during the 1965 AFL All-Star Game boycott, his story is as American as it is heroic. King David shares deeply personal stories about his father’s triumphs and struggles — on the field, in the locker room, and in segregated America — and reflects on how Abner’s legacy continues to resonate today. We talk about what it was like to grow up as the son of a sports pioneer, what inspired the book, and how the family continues to honor Abner’s legacy in the modern era. + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "": https://amzn.to/44iXLPX SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (20% off promo code: GOODSEATSSTILLAVAILABLE): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: SEATS): (15% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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400: Hall of Fame Broadcaster Steve Albert
06/23/2025
400: Hall of Fame Broadcaster Steve Albert
It's our 400th, so we’re going big with a guest who’s called it all, seen it all, and somehow lived to laugh about it. Steve Albert ("") -- Hall of Fame broadcaster and proud member of the legendary Albert sportscasting family (including nephew/t Kenny) -- joins us for a deep dive into his one-of-a-kind, 45-year ride through the wilds of professional sports. From vanished leagues to unforgettable fights, from Brooklyn bedrooms-turned-broadcast-booths to center stage at Showtime Championship Boxing, Albert's stories are equal parts history and hilarity. In this special milestone episode, we retrace Albert’s journey through memorable stops like: The WHA’s Cleveland Crusaders, where his broadcast partner was the coach’s elbow-needling wife; The MISL’s New York Arrows, where goal-scoring was nonstop and whiplash an occupational hazard; The final ABA game ever played, which he and his older brother Al called from opposing sides; 30+ years across the NBA, including 19 seasons with the New York and New Jersey versions of the Nets, and a career-capping, Emmy-winning turn with the Phoenix Suns; Local New York TV sports anchor stints, where juggling 6 o’clock newscasts and rush-hour traffic to call evening games became an art; And, of course, his nearly quarter-century ringside seat with Showtime Championship Boxing -- including the infamous Tyson–Holyfield (II) “Bite Fight” We also talk about growing up in a house where three brothers fought over the mic instead of the remote, how a botched bathroom door nearly derailed a broadcast, and why the strangest moments in sports often happen outside the lines of the game. + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): ": https://amzn.to/4negHqc SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: SEATS): (15% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (20% off promo code: GOODSEATSSTILLAVAILABLE): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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399: Roller Hockey International's San Jose Rhinos - With Brad Porteus
06/16/2025
399: Roller Hockey International's San Jose Rhinos - With Brad Porteus
What do you get when you mix Gen X slacker spirit, a startup sports league on wheels, and a 25-year-old Deadhead-turned-front office exec? Welcome to the wild world of Roller Hockey International (RHI) — and the improbable story of the San Jose Rhinos. Brad Porteus, former GM of the Rhinos and author of the rollicking new memoir "," joins us to unpack one of the most absurd, glorious, and ultimately short-lived chapters in modern American pro sports history. RHI burst onto the scene in the early 1990s during the inline skating craze, promising a legit summer hockey league full of high-speed thrills and low-rent spectacle. What it delivered was equal parts innovation and chaos. Porteus was there from the beginning — drafting players who could barely skate; marketing a new team, league and sport on a shoestring budget; and helping San Jose win an unlikely Murphy Cup championship in only its second season (1995). But Roll With It is about more than sports. It’s also a love letter to the analog '90s, a memoir of coming of age in an ascendant Silicon Valley, and a tribute to the resilient, underdog ethos of Generation X. Porteus brings us into a time before social media, when careers were launched on little more than a mixtape, a road map, and the blind faith that you could figure it out. + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "": https://amzn.to/4kEUKyT SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: SEATS): (15% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (20% off promo code: GOODSEATSSTILLAVAILABLE): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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398: The Seattle Metropolitans - With Kevin Ticen
06/09/2025
398: The Seattle Metropolitans - With Kevin Ticen
Before the Kraken. Before the Canucks. Before the NHL crossed the 49th parallel, there was the Seattle Metropolitans -- the first American team ever to win the Stanley Cup, in 1917. This week, we uncover the forgotten saga of the Metropolitans, a team built on innovation, grit, and West Coast ambition. They played fast, they played smart -- and led by brilliant young coach Pete Muldoon, they made hockey history in a city barely known for winter sports. But as author/guest Kevin Ticen chronicles in his acclaimed book " ," their Stanley Cup story wasn’t just about sports -- it was about a country on the edge of entering World War I, about patriotism and sacrifice, and about what happens when the games we play intersect with global events we can’t control. We discuss the heroics of Bernie Morris, who scored a staggering 14 goals in the 1917 Stanley Cup Final -- and whose life took a dark turn when he was arrested for alleged draft evasion two years later. We revisit the tragic 1919 Final -- canceled due to the Spanish flu pandemic -- and the heartbreaking death of the Montreal Canadiens' Joe Hall. And we explore how the Seattle Kraken have embraced the legacy of the Metropolitans, from commemorative banners and tribute jerseys to the modern-day Pete Muldoon Award, given annually to the current-day team's MVP. From hockey glory to global catastrophe, this is the incredible, nearly forgotten tale of how Seattle once conquered the hockey world -- "when it mattered most." + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): : https://amzn.to/3SGCc52 SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: SEATS): (15% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (20% off promo code: GOODSEATSSTILLAVAILABLE): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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397: The 2000 "Subway Series" - With Chris Donnelly
06/02/2025
397: The 2000 "Subway Series" - With Chris Donnelly
We use up our remaining MTA MetroCard credit this week for a sit-down with baseball author/historian Chris Donnelly — whose new book "" represents the final installment of his intriguing trilogy charting the divergent, yet intertwined sagas of the Mets and Yankees from the mid-1980s through 2000's historic “Subway Series.” Donnelly’s previous works — "" and "" — set the stage. But now, with “,” he delivers the most in-depth look ever at how the late-1990s Yankees rose to dynasty status while the Mets clawed their way back from irrelevance — culminating in a tightly contested World Series showdown that defined a generation of New York baseball fans. We explore how the Yankees became the undisputed kings of New York, the Mets’ dramatic resurgence, and what the 2000 cross-town showdown meant for the city’s baseball soul -- some four decades after the Giants and Dodgers abandoned Gotham for the California coast. + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE BOOKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): : https://amzn.to/3HBihSD : : https://amzn.to/3StBKan SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: SEATS): (15% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (20% off promo code: GOODSEATSSTILLAVAILABLE): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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396: "Play Harder" - With Gerald Early
05/26/2025
396: "Play Harder" - With Gerald Early
We welcome to our microphones award-winning author, cultural critic and Washington University in St. Louis professor Gerald Early, whose new book is a sweeping chronicle of Black Americans’ extraordinary influence on the game of baseball — from the sport’s formative days in the wake of the Civil War, through the heyday of the Negro Leagues, to the modern era. A leading voice in the conversation about race, sports, and American identity, Early also served as an advisor to the ’s landmark new exhibit, . Together, the book and exhibit offer a timely and powerful retelling of baseball’s past — one that acknowledges long-overlooked figures like Moses Fleetwood Walker, Rube Foster, and Cool Papa Bell, and reexamines well-known legends like Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Barry Bonds through a deeper historical lens. We discuss how Play Harder arrives at a moment of renewed focus on the Negro Leagues, as Major League Baseball officially recognizes them as major leagues and into the game’s official record. Early explains why this recognition matters, how the Negro Leagues shaped Black identity and community, and what the story of Black baseball says about America itself. + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): : https://amzn.to/4dzBmRj SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: SEATS): (15% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (20% off promo code: GOODSEATSSTILLAVAILABLE): FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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395: The "American Game" - With S.L. Price
05/19/2025
395: The "American Game" - With S.L. Price
Lacrosse is more than just a sport; it’s a mirror — one that reflects the history, tensions, and contradictions of America itself. So posits acclaimed sports journalist/renowned Sports Illustrated Senior Writer S.L. Price on this week's episode, as we explore his impressive new book "" — a sweeping chronicle of the Indigenous origins, elite entrenchment, and modern upheaval of America's truest "oldest sport.” From its sacred beginnings among the Native American (and First Nations) Haudenosaune — where the “Creator’s Game” served as both spiritual expression and a form of conflict resolution — to its adoption and reshaping by white elites in Ivy League corridors, lacrosse has long occupied a complicated cultural space. Price brings us inside this uniquely American paradox: a sport that’s simultaneously expanding at lightning speed, yet reckoning with the deep scars of exclusion, privilege, and violence. We dive into lacrosse's turbulent professional history, including the shaky rise and fall of multiple pro leagues, the game’s fraught image in the wake of high-profile scandals, and the symbolic power of the Iroquois Nationals playing as a sovereign team on the world stage. Along the way, Price shares stories of legendary figures like Jim Brown, Kyle Harrison, Lyle Thompson, and Oren Lyons — voices who have reshaped what lacrosse means, and who it belongs to. This isn’t just a conversation about sports — it’s about race, class, identity, and what it means to belong in America. If you think you know lacrosse, think again. + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (15% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: SEATS): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (20% off promo code: GOODSEATSSTILLAVAILABLE): FIND AND FOLLOW: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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394: The 1985 "Show-Me" World Series - With Marshall Garvey
05/11/2025
394: The 1985 "Show-Me" World Series - With Marshall Garvey
Though it seems like only yesterday, this season marks the 40th anniversary of one of baseball's most misunderstood and overshadowed Fall Classics - the surprisingly competitive seven-game 1985 World Series. While most remember the all-Missouri "Show-Me Series" for umpire Don Denkinger's blown call at first base in Game 6, baseball historian Marshall Garvey joins us to discuss why that single moment, while a significant turning point, shouldn't define what was otherwise a colorfully spirited battle between two well-matched in-state rivals. In his new book, "," Garvey peels back four decades of myth and oversight to uncover the full, rich tapestry of the "I-70 Series" — a provincial, emotionally charged showdown between two teams forever linked by more than just geography. Through more than two dozen exclusive interviews with key figures like George Brett, Ozzie Smith, Bud Black, and even Don Denkinger himself, Garvey explores the human stories, cultural context, and remarkable on-field drama that have long deserved more attention. + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : https://www.teepublic.com/stores/good-seats-still-avalable?ref_id=35106 SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (15% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: SEATS): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (20% off promo code: GOODSEATSSTILLAVAILABLE): FIND AND FOLLOW: Web: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn:
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