EPISODE 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 "Ball Hawks: The Arrival and Departure of the NBA in Iowa."

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 Murray "Wizard" Wier! 

Ball Hawks: The Arrival and Departure of the NBA in Iowa - buy Book Here

EPISODE 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 “F***in’ Hell, It’s Paul Cannell” chant that followed him everywhere, and the unfiltered stories that made his memoir 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 OldSchoolShirts.com (code GOODSEATS)! 

F***in’ Hell, It’s Paul Cannell - buy Book Here

EPISODE 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 "Shattering the Glass: The Remarkable History of Women’s Basketball." 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 OldSchoolShirts.com (WBL & ABL: code GOODSEATS) and Royal Retros (early-years WNBA: code SEATS)!

Shattering the Glass: The Remarkable History of Women's Basketball - buy Book Here

EPISODE 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 "Dangerous Danny Gardella: Baseball's Neglected Trailblazer for Today's Millionaire Athletes," 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".

Dangerous Danny Gardella: Baseball's Neglected Trailblazer for Today's Millionaire Athletes - buy Book Here

EPISODE 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 ("The 1980 Moscow Olympics: A Day-by-Day History").

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!

The 1980 Moscow Olympics: A Day-by-Day History - buy Book Here

EPISODE 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, "Leo Lyons, the Rochester Jeffersons and the Birth of the NFL" - 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!

Leo Lyons, the Rochester Jeffersons and the Birth of the NFL - buy Book Here

EPISODE 404: Petty vs. Pearson: The Rivalry That Shaped NASCAR - With Mike Hembree

It's another pitstop 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, "Petty vs. Pearson: The Rivalry That Shaped NASCAR," 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 Winston Cup Scene weekly magazine!

Petty vs. Pearson: The Rivalry That Shaped NASCAR - Buy Book Here

EPISODE 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 "Cincinnati Soul" 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

Cincinnati Soul - Buy Book Here

EPISODE 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 "Building the Milwaukee Bucks: Kareem Abdul‑Jabbar, Oscar Robertson and the Rapid Rise of an NBA Franchise," 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)!"

Building the Milwaukee Bucks: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson and the Rapid Rise of an NBA Franchise - Buy Book Here

EPISODE 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: An American Hero."

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.

Abner Haynes: An American Hero - Buy Book Here

EPISODE 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 ("A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Broadcast Booth") -- Hall of Fame broadcaster and proud member of the legendary Albert sportscasting family (including nephew/Episode 320 guest 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 20 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.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Broadcast Booth - Buy Book Here

EPISODE 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 "Roll With It: A Trip Back to the '90s - Gen X Style," 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.

Roll With It: A Trip Back to the '90s - Gen X Style - buy here

EPISODE 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 "When It Mattered Most: The Forgotten Story of America's First Stanley Cup Champions, and the War to End All Wars," 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."

When It Mattered Most: The Forgotten Story of America's First Stanley Cup Champions, and the War to End All Wars - buy here

EPISODE 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 "Get Your Tokens Ready: The Late 1990s Road to the Subway Series" 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 — "Doc, Donnie, the Kid, and Billy Brawl: How the 1985 Mets and Yankees Fought for New York's Baseball Soul" and "Road to Nowhere: The Early 1990s Collapse and Rebuild of New York City Baseball" — set the stage.  

But now, with “Tokens,” 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. 

Get Your Tokens Ready: The Late 1990s Road to the Subway Series - buy here

Road to Nowhere: The Early 1990s Collapse and Rebuild of New York City Baseball - buy here

Doc, Donnie, the Kid, and Billy Brawl: How the 1985 Mets and Yankees Fought for New York's Baseball Soul - buy here

EPISODE 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 "Play Harder: The Triumph of Black Baseball in America" 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 National Baseball Hall of Fame’s landmark new exhibit, Souls of the Game: Voices of Black Baseball. 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 integrates their stats 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.

Play Harder: The Triumph of Black Baseball in America - buy here

EPISODE 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 "The American Game: History and Hope in the Country of Lacrosse" — 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.

The American Game: History and Hope in the Country of Lacrosse - buy here

EPISODE 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, "Interstate ’85: The Kansas City Royals, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Show-Me Showdown That Rewrote Baseball History," 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.

Interstate '85: The Royals, The Cardinals, and the Show-Me World Series - buy here

EPISODE 393: The NFL Incorporates AAFC Stats - With Ken Crippen

In a surprise move that instantly reshapes the league’s historical narrative, the National Football League last month announced it will now officially incorporate statistics from the upstart All-America Football Conference (AAFC), the short-lived but impactful rival professional football league that operated from 1946 to 1949. 

The decision brings long-overdue recognition to the achievements of several prominent players from the mid-20th century and results in the revision of several long-standing records in the NFL’s official record books.

Renowned early pro football historian Ken Crippen ("The All-America Football Conference: Players, Coaches, Records, Games and Awards" and "The Original Buffalo Bills: A History of the All-America Football Conference Team") returns to the show (after a seven-year absence) to help us break down the NFL owners' decision to finally recognize the AAFC, as well as the historical significance of the move - which further burnishes the statistical legacies of star players like Y.A. Tittle (Baltimore Colts), Mac Speedie and Otto Graham (Cleveland Browns); Cleveland's iconic Paul Brown; and, most obviously the original Browns franchise - the only league champion the AAFC ever knew.

Plus, the bizarre story of how the original AAFC statistical records were providentially rescued from a New York City dumpster shortly after the announcement of the merger with the NFL in 1949! 

The All-America Football Conference: Players, Coaches, Records, Games and Awards - buy here

The Original Buffalo Bills: A History of the All-America Football Conference Team - buy here

EPISODE 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 ("Taking Flak: Life In The Fast Lane").

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.

Taking Flak: Life In The Fast Lane - buy here

EPISODE 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 Willy Roy. 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.

Chicago Sting NASL T-Shirt (from Old School Shirts) - buy here

Soccer Bowl ‘81 T-Shirt (from Old School Shirts) - buy here