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.

411: "Make Me Commissioner" - With Jane Leavy 09/08/2025

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: /episode/index/show/goodseatsstillavailable/id/38040975

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: /episode/index/show/goodseatsstillavailable/id/37932115

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: /episode/index/show/goodseatsstillavailable/id/37847390

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: /episode/index/show/goodseatsstillavailable/id/37745075

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: /episode/index/show/goodseatsstillavailable/id/37652855

405: Leo Lyons & The NFL's Rochester Jeffersons - With Jeffrey Miller & John Steffenhagen 07/28/2025

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: /episode/index/show/goodseatsstillavailable/id/37471270

403: "Cincinnati Soul" - With Al Lautenslager 07/14/2025

402: The Milwaukee Bucks Origin Story - With Jordan Treske 07/07/2025

401: AFL Football & Civil Rights Pioneer Abner Haynes - With King David Haynes 06/30/2025

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: /episode/index/show/goodseatsstillavailable/id/37105170

399: Roller Hockey International's San Jose Rhinos - With Brad Porteus 06/16/2025

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: /episode/index/show/goodseatsstillavailable/id/36909195

397: The 2000 "Subway Series" - With Chris Donnelly 06/02/2025

396: "Play Harder" - With Gerald Early 05/26/2025

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: /episode/index/show/goodseatsstillavailable/id/36617025

394: The 1985 "Show-Me" World Series - With Marshall Garvey 05/11/2025

393: The NFL Incorporates AAFC Stats - With Ken Crippen 05/05/2025

392: Dan Pastorini & The Houston Oilers 04/28/2025

392: Dan Pastorini & The Houston Oilers This week, we're thrilled to welcome a true legend of grit and perseverance — former NFL quarterback Dan Pastorini (). Born and raised in the Bay Area, Pastorini made his mark early at Bellarmine College Prep before starring at nearby Santa Clara University, where he etched his name into the school’s record books and shined as the Most Outstanding Player of the 1971 East-West Shrine Game. Drafted third overall by the Houston Oilers during the famed "Year of the Quarterback" in 1971, Pastorini became a symbol of toughness and innovation — famously pioneering the use of the flak jacket to play through brutal injuries. During his nine seasons with the Oilers, Pastorini led the team through the beloved "Luv Ya Blue" era under coach Bum Phillips, playing alongside greats like Earl Campbell and Elvin Bethea. His leadership helped fuel dramatic playoff victories and brought Houston to the brink of Super Bowl glory in both 1978 and 1979. It's a revealing conversation, which includes Pastorini thoughts about: His upbringing, early sports dreams, and why he chose football over a potential MLB career after being drafted by the New York Mets. Life in the NFL trenches: the hits he took, the historic games he played, and the deep bond he formed with the city of Houston. The controversial 1979 AFC Championship loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers — and the call that still sparks debate. His transition to Top Fuel drag racing, where he broke barriers once again by winning major NHRA events and clocking speeds over 270 mph, AND His passion for giving back through the Be An Angel Foundation and reflections on a life lived at full throttle. From quarterback to drag racer, businessman to philanthropist, Dan Pastorini's story is one of resilience, reinvention, and heart. + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: SEATS): (20% off promo code: GOODSEATSSTILLAVAILABLE): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): GRILL LIKE A PRO: : GIVE UNTIL IT HURTS: : https://beanangel.org/ FIND AND FOLLOW: Website: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: /episode/index/show/goodseatsstillavailable/id/36328890

391: The NASL's Chicago Sting (& More!) - With Karl-Heinz Granitza 04/21/2025

391: The NASL's Chicago Sting (& More!) - With Karl-Heinz Granitza Live and direct from Pottsdam, it's the one-and-only Karl-Heinz Granitza — the prolific German striker who became the face of the North American Soccer League's iconic Chicago Sting -- and a transformative figure in American soccer during his seven outdoor seasons across the late 1970s & early 1980s. A 2003 National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee and one of the NASL's all-time leading scorers, Granitza opens up about his remarkable journey from West Berlin to the Windy City -- where his powerful left foot, fiery personality, and unshakable will to win helped ignite a soccer revolution in the US. Granitza shares the challenges of joining the Sting in 1978, a year that began with a record-setting 10-game losing streak, only to pivot dramatically under mid-season replacement coach . With a new influx of German talent and a renewed sense of purpose, Granitza led a cultural and competitive shift that culminated in one of the most exciting eras in Chicago pro sports history. Among the stops: the tension-filled triumph of the NASL's 1981 Soccer Bowl championship match, where the Sting edged the star-studded New York Cosmos in a nail-biting, scoreless encounter that culminated in a dramatic tie-breaking shootout. Granitza recounts the euphoric aftermath: Chicago’s first major pro sports championship in nearly two decades, a ticker-tape parade attended by over 100,000 fans, and the moment he realized that soccer had finally taken root in America’s heartland. We dive into Granitza’s reputation as both a clutch performer and a demanding teammate; with humor and honesty, he reflects on his passionate leadership style — his perfectionism, on-field outbursts, and deep loyalty to teammates like Arno Steffenhagen, Ingo Peter, and Pato Margetic. We also explore Granitza’s dominance in the 1980s indoor game (for both the NASL and MISL versions of the Sting, as well as the American Indoor Soccer Association's Chicago Power), his record-setting scoring streaks, and his perspective on the bittersweet demise of the NASL -- especially the (often overlooked) legacy it still provides today's American soccer landscape. + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: SEATS): (20% off promo code: GOODSEATSSTILLAVAILABLE): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): FIND AND FOLLOW: Website: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: /episode/index/show/goodseatsstillavailable/id/36237280

390: Sports Broadcaster Jim Lampley 04/14/2025

389: The 1925 NFL Champion(?) Pottsville Maroons - With David Fleming 04/07/2025

389: The 1925 NFL Champion(?) Pottsville Maroons - With David Fleming It's our long-overdue dive into one of the most controversial stories in National Football League history — the tale of the Pottsville Maroons and its stolen 1925 championship — with ESPN journalist and author David Fleming, whose acclaimed 2007 book "" is newly apropos on the 100th anniversary of what many consider to be pro football's most egregious historical blunder. Fleming guides us through the dramatic rise and fall of the Maroons — an Eastern Pennsylvania coal-country semi-pro team born of grit, visionary coaching, and the raw determination of hard-working, hardscrabble working-class miners/players/characters, like Tony 'The Human Howitzer' Latone. We'll trace how this unlikely squad stormed into the NFL in 1925, defeated its powerhouse Chicago Cardinals in the ostensible title game, and then toppled a heavily-favored University of Notre Dame "Four Horsemen" squad in a much-hyped exhibition match. But their moment of triumph became their undoing. The NFL suspended the team for allegedly violating territorial rights for the game — a charge hotly contested to this day — and stripped them of the title. Instead, the Cardinals were awarded the championship, and Pottsville was left with nothing but heartbreak. Hear how the Maroons’ win over the Fighting Irish actually helped legitimize a still-fledgling NFL — and how the league "repaid" them with what many call the worst injustice in pro football history. We'll explore the political maneuvering behind the decision, the 100-year fight for redemption, and what it reveals about the NFL's ownership power dynamics, both then and now. + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (20% off promo code: GOODSEATSSTILLAVAILABLE): (10% off promo code: SEATS): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "": https://amzn.to/43C5atA FIND AND FOLLOW: Website: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: /episode/index/show/goodseatsstillavailable/id/36026500

388: "1978: Baseball & America in the Disco Era" - With David Krell 03/31/2025

387: The BAA, NBL & the Merger That Created the NBA - With Josh Elias 03/24/2025

386: The NHL's Unlikely First Season - With Bob Duff 03/17/2025

385: Batavia's Baseball "Homestand" - With Will Bardenwerper 03/10/2025

384: Basketball's Nomadic Nets - With Rick Laughland 03/03/2025

384: Basketball's Nomadic Nets - With Rick Laughland Strap in and try to keep up, as we attempt to follow the peripatetic 58-year journey of one of the NBA's most wandering franchises - with New York-area sports beat reporter Rick Laughland (""). Today's Brooklyn Nets club began its life in 1967 as the New Jersey Americans - a charter member of the American Basketball Association, playing at the Teaneck Armory. A year later, they moved to Long Island (LI Arena, then Island Garden, then Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum) to become the New York Nets, winning two ABA championships (1974, 1976) behind superstar Julius Erving. Absorbed into the NBA in 1976, the team struggled financially and was forced to sell Erving, leading to early-season struggles. In 1977, they relocated to the Garden State as the New Jersey Nets, playing at Rutgers Athletic Center (now Jersey Mike's Arena) before moving to Brendan Byrne (aka Meadowlands) Arena in 1981. After almost becoming the "Swamp Dragons" in 1994, the early 2000s saw breakthrough success with Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin, and Richard Jefferson - making back-to-back NBA Finals runs in 2002 and 2003. Before a brief move to Newark's Prudential Center (2010–12), the team relocated to Brooklyn's purpose-built Barclays Center, with a complete franchise name, logo and color-scheme rebrand. Initially building around Deron Williams, they later pursued star power with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, followed by Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden in 2019–2021. Still bereft of an elusive NBA title, will the Nets continue to ply their trade in Brooklyn - or will they eventually return to their nomadic ways? + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: : : SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS) (10% off promo code: SEATS): BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): " ": https://amzn.to/41oxSev FIND AND FOLLOW: Website: Bluesky: X/Twitter: YouTube: Threads: Instagram: Facebook: /episode/index/show/goodseatsstillavailable/id/35500040

383: The Original San Jose Earthquakes - With Eric Gouldsberry 02/24/2025

382: The ABA Players' "Waiting Game" - With Michael Husain 02/17/2025

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