Sports History This Week

Latest Episodes:

Rosie Ruiz Scams the Boston Marathon Apr 19, 2023

Show notes

April 21, 1980. The Boston Marathon, the oldest and arguably most prestigious marathon in the world, attracts the sport’s top professional runners. So, when a completely unknown woman named Rosie Ruiz, with barely any marathoning experience, crosses the finish line first, many in the media and racing community are shocked… and more than a little suspicious.

Over the next seven days, a massive investigation is launched, and eventually a story filled with some genuinely bizarre twists and turns is uncovered.

Today, Rosie Ruiz becomes the most infamous cheater in marathon history. How did the race organizers eventually catch her in the act? And at a fundamental level, why did she do it?

Special thanks to our guests: Chris Chavez, founder of CitiusMag.com and host of the Citius Mag podcast; Paul Clerici, author of several books on long-distance running, including “Boston Marathon: History by the Mile” and “Images of Modern America: the Boston Marathon”; and Bill Rodgers, four-time winner of both the Boston Marathon and the New York Marathon.

Tiger Woods & Jack Nicklaus Defy Age at the Masters Apr 12, 2023

Show notes

April 13, 1986. In honor of the Masters Invitational Tournament, we revisit two of its most famous finishes. First, an aging Jack Nicklaus attempts to become the Masters' oldest champion. Then, 11 years later to the day, Tiger Woods seeks to become the youngest ever to win the Masters' coveted green jacket.

Today, two of the greatest golfers ever aim to overcome expectations in their sport's most prestigious event. Can either pull off a victory? And how do two players a generation apart cope with the pressure?

Special thanks to our guests: Tom Clavin, writer and author of "One for the Ages, Jack Nicklaus in the 1986 Masters"; Armen Keteyian, co-author of the biography "Tiger Woods"; Tom Kite, former professional golfer and one-time U.S. Open champion; and Sean Zak, senior writer with Golf.com and Golf Magazine.

Ping Pong Diplomacy Apr 05, 2023

Show notes

April 10, 1971. A team of ping pong players leaves Hong Kong to step across a border and become the first group of Americans welcomed to China in over 20 years. These competitors find themselves becoming unlikely diplomats at the center of a media frenzy, and at the heart of one of the 20th century’s major geopolitical shifts. How did table tennis turn into a powerful tool of foreign policy? And how did these athletes leave an impact that went far beyond the ping pong table?

Special thanks to our guests: professional table tennis athletes Judy Hoarfrost, Olga Soltesz, and Connie Sweeris; Yafeng Xia, senior professor of social science at Long Island University Brooklyn, and author of Negotiating with the Enemy: U.S.-China Talks during the Cold War, 1949-1972; and Nicholas Griffin, author of Ping Pong Diplomacy: The Secret History Behind the Game That Changed the World.

Baseball's Newest (and Oldest) Rule Changes Mar 29, 2023

Show notes

March 27, 1986. Decades before pitch clocks and bigger bases, Peter Ueberroth, the Commissioner of Major League Baseball, has to make a decision. He knows he’s going to upset players and fans, but something has to change. The World Series, the biggest baseball stage, should be fair for both sides. They need to play by the same rules.

With all the MLB rule changes coming this year, we’re taking a look back at the constant adjustments the game has made to be more competitive, more popular, and more fun. If baseball is always changing, why is everyone annoyed when changes happen? And how do the rule changes in 2023 fit into the history of America’s pastime?

Special thanks to our guests: Anthony Castrovince, MLB.com columnist and MLB Network contributor; Steven Goldman, consulting editor of Baseball Prospectus and host of "The Infinite Inning," a baseball history podcast; and Gary Thorne, longtime MLB broadcaster.

Magic & Bird Take Over March Madness (feat. Jackie MacMullan & Howard Bryant) Mar 22, 2023

Show notes

March 26, 1979. Magic Johnson. Larry Bird. The pair of basketball superstars have reached the biggest moment in their young careers: the NCAA Tournament championship. Magic goes to greet Bird with a pre-game hug… but he’s not having it. “It’s on now,” says Johnson.

Today, two of the greatest basketball players ever face off for college hoops’ crown. Who wins this legendary matchup? And with their own distinct paths to stardom, how do Magic and Bird come together to reshape the game?

Special thanks to our guests: Howard Bryant, senior writer at ESPN; Len DeLuca, former executive at CBS Sports and ESPN; Jackie MacMullan, co-author of “When the Game Was Ours,” alongside Larry Bird and Magic Johnson; and Doug Merlino, author of “The Crossover: A Brief History of Basketball and Race.”

Serena and Venus Williams Boycott Indian Wells Mar 15, 2023

Show notes

March 17, 2001. Serena Williams is getting booed. She’s trying to prepare to face Kim Clijsters in the finals of the prestigious annual tennis tournament at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, but when her name is announced before the match, 14,000-plus audience members begin loudly jeering her every move. This angry mob mentality continues throughout the match, while her older sister, Venus, and father, Richard, can only watch from the stands.

Today, an all-time great, at just 19 years old, faces the most hostile playing environment of her career. Why did this American crowd turn on Serena Williams and her family? And was she able to rise above the noise and win?

Special thanks to our guests: Merlisa Lawrence Corbett, longtime sports journalist and author of “Serena Williams: Tennis Champion, Sports Legend, and Cultural Heroine,” and John Thrasher, A+E senior producer and owner of @SerenaNews.

An NBA Star Pays the Price for Speaking Out (feat. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf) Mar 08, 2023

Show notes

March 12, 1996. The Denver Nugget's leading scorer,Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, is shooting around before the big game tonight. Strangely, a large crowd of reporters is gathering. It turns out, they’re here to ask himone big question: what do you think about the American Flag?

Today, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf faces consequences for not standing during the national anthem. Twenty years before Colin Kaepernick, why does Abdul-Rauf make this controversial choice? And how does he fit into the long line of athletes who have chosen to take a stand?

Special thanks to our guests: Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, former NBA player, writer and activist; Jesse Washington, senior writer at ESPN’s Andscape; Gotham Chopra, director of the SHOWTIME documentary series “Shut Up and Dribble”; Chris Herring, senior NBA writer at Sports Illustrated and author of “Blood in the Garden: The Flagrant History of the 1990s New York Knicks”; and Dave Zirin, the sports editor at the Nation Magazine and host of the “Edge of Sports” podcast.

Introducing: American Football (Episode 1: Canton, Ohio) Mar 07, 2023

Show notes

A new History Channel podcast, American Football is the untold tale of the rough-and-tumble origins of the National Football League. Produced and presented by Michael Strahan and narrated by actress and pro football enthusiast Kate Mara, this podcast reaches back into the past to explain the dirty, bloody, and tumultuous beginnings of America's most popular sport.

In this first episode, the sport of American football begins as a stand-in for war – a place where young men at elite colleges could prove their mettle fighting on the gridiron.

Wilt Chamberlain Breaks Basketball Mar 01, 2023

Show notes

March 2, 1962. Wilt Chamberlain, the NBA’s biggest star, makes the long drive out to Hershey, PA. There’s no pro basketball team in Hershey, but tonight, the town made famous for its chocolate is hosting a matchup between the Philadelphia Warriors and the New York Knicks. Chamberlain is Philly’s biggest star and he’s having a great season, but he partied hard the night before. Which makes what happens next all the more incredible.

Today, Wilt Chamberlain leads the Warriors against the Knicks in one of the most unforgettable individual performances in the history of team sports. How did the unique combination of circumstances set the stage for his truly unique achievement? And how does the NBA fundamentally change basketball to all but ensure that it will never happen again?

Special thanks to our guests: Ron Pollack, head statistician for the Philadelphia 76ers, Frank Fitzpatrick, former sportswriter for the Philadelphia Inquirer and author of “And the Walls Came Tumbling Down: The Basketball Game That Changed American Sports,” and Gary Pomerantz, author of “Wilt, 1962,” and “The Last Pass: Cousy, Russell, the Celtics, and What Matters In The End.”

A Baseball Pioneer Finds His Way Behind Home Plate Feb 22, 2023

Show notes

February 20, 1951 (or July 1951). Emmett Ashford is waiting inside the ballpark of the Mexicali Eagles. At 36 years old, he's toiled around the United States, working toward his goal of becoming a professional umpire. Finally, he lands a tryout just south of the borderto make it happen. But there's a problem: the other umpires needed to play the game are white— they won't take the field with a Black man.

Today, Emmett Ashford attempts to become the first Black umpire in organized baseball. Can he make it happen? And if so, can he overcome barriers to make it all the way to the majors?

Special thanks to our guests: Raymond Bell, the executive producer of “Called Up: The Emmett Ashford Story” and Doug Harris, the producer, director and editor of the same film; Adrienne Bratton, the daughter of Emmett Ashford; and Mark Armour, a baseball historian.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected