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Alternate Routes — Sports
Alternate Routes

What if the NBA never vetoed the Chris Paul trade to the Lakers? What if the Seahawks ran the ball on the one yard line in the Super Bowl? Could a coin flip have landed Magic in Chicago, Michael in LA and made Charles Barkley the first Black President? Wait, what?!! Questions like these have broken the brains of sports fans since the beginning of time.

Enter Wondery’s newest sports show, Alternate Routes, a weekly leap into the sports multiverse where former SportsCenter anchors, Trey Wingo and Kevin Frazier pry open the sliding doors of a different “what if’’ moment from the world of sports. In these alternate sports realities, dynasties will fall! Legacies will change forever! New GOATs will emerge! Join Trey and Kevin every week as they travel every path, go down every rabbit hole and follow every alternate route, no matter how far-flung or far-fetched.

Listen to Alternate Routes on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to episodes early and ad-free on Wondery+ now. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/alternate-routes now.

Copyright: © 2024 Wondery LLC. All rights reserved.

Latest Episodes:

What If the Pistons Drafted Carmelo Anthony? | 38 Nov 19, 2024

Show notes

Is there anything that destroys the fortunes of a franchise more than a premium draft pick going bust? Even worse, when the next player…or two…or three…go on to have Hall of Fame careers. That’s exactly the scenario for the 2003 Detroit Pistons. Eighteen-year-old LeBron James went to the Cavs with the first pick and Detroit was on the clock at no. 2. The reigning king of college basketball, Carmelo Anthony, was there for the taking (so were Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade). But instead, Detroit’s braintrust chose a different 18-year old, 7-foot Serbian Darko Milicic who, despite lasting 10 seasons in the league, became the epitome of an NBA draft bust. But what if the Pistons, who won the 2003-04 NBA title despite the pick, chose Carmelo instead? Would playing with veterans like Chauncey Billups, Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace have silenced Melo’s critics and led to multiple Motor City rings? How would LeBron’s career have been altered with a young rival in the division? Would Darko have benefitted from being in a different locale? And what does all of this have to do with MTV and Eminem? Find out on Alternate Routes.

Listen to Alternate Routes on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to episodes early and ad-free on Wondery+ now. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/alternate-routes now.

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Listen Now - REDACTED: Declassified Mysteries with Luke Lamana Nov 13, 2024

Show notes

Behind the closed doors of government offices and military compounds, are hidden stories and buried secrets from the darkest corners of history. Each week, Luke Lamana, a Marine Corp Reconnaissance Veteran, pulls back the curtain on what once was classified information exposing the secrets and lies behind the world’s most powerful institutions. From the hitmakers at Wondery and Ballen Studios, we bring you REDACTED: Declassified Mysteries with Luke Lamana. The stories are real, and the secrets are shocking.

Listen Now: http://wondery.fm/REDACTED

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Hot Routes: The Biggest Missed Field Goals of All Time | 37 Nov 12, 2024

Show notes

How many football games have you watched where the difference between winning and losing boils down to a made or missed field goal? The football kicker is the most outsized position in all sports where success leads to instant hero status while missing makes them a total goat. It’s those misses that are the focus of today’s episode. How many teams would’ve gone onto win championships had the ball just gone through the uprights? How would an idiot have stopped Pittsburgh's Bus before he got to the depot? How did something so right repeatedly go so wrong for one of the power programs in the Sunshine State? Who went from perfect in purple to the biggest punchline in Vikings franchise history? And would Buffalo have derailed the career of Bill (Belichick) if the most infamous miss in football history had been good? Find out on Alternate Routes.

Listen to Alternate Routes on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to episodes early and ad-free on Wondery+ now. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/alternate-routes now.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What If Mike Tyson Beat Buster Douglas? | 36 Nov 05, 2024

Show notes

The boxing and social media worlds will collide on Nov. 15 when 58-year-old former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, takes on 27-year-old influencer-turned-boxer Logan Paul in one of the most highly anticipated fights in recent memory. A large portion of the audience will be YouTubers who have only heard about Tyson because he bit off part of Evander Holyfield’s ear…or maybe they saw him in The Hangover. But “Iron Mike” was once the baddest man on the planet, an undisputed undefeated fighting machine. But that all changed in 1990 when he faced journeyman James “Buster” Douglas in what was supposed to be a tune up before Tyson faced Evander Holyfield. Douglas, a 42-to-1 underdog, shocked the world and took away the title, and Tyson’s world spiraled out of control. But what would’ve happened if Tyson had defeated Douglas and faced Holyfield in the Fight of the Century? Would Tyson’s status as champ have helped him through his legal troubles? Would the UFC still have gone mainstream? And how would the careers of Schwartzenegger, Stallone and The Rock have been different? Find out on Alternate Routes.

Listen to Alternate Routes on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to episodes early and ad-free on Wondery+ now. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/alternate-routes now.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hot Routes Halloween Special: Sports’ Scariest “What Ifs” | 35 Oct 29, 2024

Show notes

On today’s special Hot Routes episode, we’re getting into the Halloween spirit by looking at some of the scariest events, moments and people in sports. What happens if a Palace doesn't erupt in a melee that torches the title hopes of one of the NBA’s best teams and an all-time great? What if the NBA’s all-time worst owner isn’t unmasked? Which NFL trick looked like a treat but ultimately led to a Titanically horrifying Super Bowl result? Plus, who’s scarier? Philly fans, Raider Nation or soccer hooligans? Find out on Alternate Routes.

Listen to Alternate Routes on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to episodes early and ad-free on Wondery+ now. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/alternate-routes now.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What If Kobe Bryant Played College Basketball? | 34 Oct 22, 2024

Show notes

There wasn’t much that Kobe Bryant didn’t achieve on the basketball court. National High School Player of the Year. NBA Most Valuable Player. Five-time NBA Champion. Two-time Finals MVP. 18-time NBA All-Star. Olympic gold medalist. Hall of Famer. He even won an Oscar! But the one thing Kobe didn’t accomplish - by his own choice- was to play college basketball. Under former draft eligibility rules, Bryant was one of a few dozen U.S. players who skipped college to declare for the NBA Draft straight out of high school. At 17, Bryant was selected with the 13th pick by the Charlotte Hornets but soon after was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. The rest is history. But what would have happened if Kobe had gone to college instead? Would he have ended up on Tobacco Road? What dynasty would get an unexpected reboot by drafting him? What legendary college coach would have an unexpected homecoming? And how does J. Cole fit into all of this? Find out on Alternate Routes.

Listen to Alternate Routes on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to episodes early and ad-free on Wondery+ now. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/alternate-routes now.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What If The ‘94 Baseball Season Wasn’t Cut Short? | 33 Oct 15, 2024

Show notes

The World Series is the most enduring team championship in North America. Not even, World War I, World War II or even the events of September 11 could postpone it. But in 1994 the World Series was canceled because of a labor dispute and players’ strike that prematurely ended what was well on its way to being an historic major league season. But what if baseball’s union and owners came to an agreement to save the season? Which franchise would never have said “bon voyage” to their longtime home? Which Hall of Famer would’ve reached heights not seen in over a half century? Which Giant (not named Barry Bonds) would’ve been the new home run king? And why would a meaningless September game on Chicago’s South Side be the toughest ticket in baseball history? Find out on Alternate Routes.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What If Wayne Gretzky Never Went To L.A? | 32 Oct 08, 2024

Show notes

Compared to other hockey players Wayne Gretzky wasn’t especially big, strong or fast. But nobody ever dominated a sport the way “The Great One” dominated the NHL. Before his 28th birthday the captain of the Edmonton Oilers had shattered every NHL single-season scoring record en route to leading his team to four Stanley Cups championships in five years. And that’s why the entire sports world was stunned when in the summer of 1988 the Oilers traded Gretzky to the NHL’s most remote locale, Los Angeles, sparking other NHL franchises to set their sights on the U.S. Sunbelt. But what would’ve happened if No. 99 was never traded to Southern California? How long would the Oilers dynasty have lasted? Could Gretzky have rolled into the Motor City instead? Which classic movies would never have gotten greenlit? And what does this all have to do with art smuggling? Find out on Alternate Routes.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What If Bo Jackson Stayed Healthy? | 31 Oct 01, 2024

Show notes

Whether it’s MJ or LeBron, Tiger, Serena, Brady or Biles, there are scores of athletes who can lay claim to being the GOAT. But when it comes to unicorns - mythical athletes whose abilities defy belief - there are at best a handful. For all who saw him play, Vincent “Bo” Jackson was a unicorn. A threat to score from anywhere on the football field, with elite power and arm strength on the baseball diamond, Jackson is the only person to play both in the NFL’s Pro Bowl and baseball’s All-Star game. But, in the prime of his career during his first postseason game, Jackson suffered an injury that abruptly ended his football career and was the beginning of the end for his baseball career. But what would’ve happened if Jackson had avoided injury? Would the “Bo Knows” phenomenon have eclipsed all other athletes? How much would a talent of his magnitude be worth in free agency? Could he have ended up in Cooperstown? Or Canton? Or both?! And how else would this all disrupt The Matrix? Find out on Alternate Routes.

Listen to Alternate Routes on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to episodes early and ad-free on Wondery+ now. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/alternate-routes now.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What If Eli Manning Played For The Chargers? | 30 Sep 24, 2024

Show notes

The Eli Manning Hall of Fame debate is about to achieve critical mass as Peyton’s little brother headlines the latest class of Canton hopefuls. Manning is one of the most beloved players in Giants history after leading Big Blue to two Super Bowl titles, both against Tom Brady and the Patriots. However, Eli wasn’t drafted by the Giants. Instead he was taken - against his wishes - by the San Diego Chargers and traded to the Giants for Philip Rivers and a pick. But what would’ve happened had Manning agreed to play for the Chargers? Would he have led the long-suffering Chargers to the promised land? Who would the Giants have taken instead with the fourth pick? Where would Rivers have ended up playing? And why does this all affect [Joaquin] Phoenix? Find out on Alternate Routes.

Listen to Alternate Routes on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to episodes early and ad-free on Wondery+ now. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/alternate-routes now.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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