Sports History This Week

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Replay: Black Baseball Goes Pro (from History This Week) Feb 15, 2023

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Feb 13, 1920. For over thirty years, Black baseball players have been locked out of the major leagues. So on this day in Kansas City, Rube Foster, a former pitcher and now a team owner, is trying to make his own league just for Black players. He has gathered owners of other Black baseball teams, who currently play each other in one-off matchups or face independent teams in random games around the country. But Foster wants them to get organized, and soon, the Negro National League would be born. But up to this point, how did Black baseball survive after segregation became the unofficial policy of the major leagues? And how did Black players, owners, and managers join together to create something that no baseball fan could ignore?

Diane Crump Rides Into History (feat. Diane Crump & Barbara Jo Rubin) Feb 08, 2023

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February 7, 1969. Diane Crump arrives at Hialeah Racetrack in Miami, Florida, and all eyes are on her. She’s a jockey, someone who races horses, but now she’s hoping to become the first woman in American history to ride in an officially sanctioned, professional pari-mutuel horse race. For decades, women have been barred from the sport. And over the last year, as public pressure for horse racing to become more inclusive has intensified, women hoping to break into the sport have endured insults, threats, and boycotts from their male counterparts.

Today, Diane Crump attempts to make sports history, despite the long odds against her. Why was the horse racing establishment so committed to keeping women out of their sport? And how did a group of dedicated young women help each other to break down the barrier?

Special thanks to our guests: Diane Crump and Barbara Jo Rubin, two of the very first female professional jockeys in the United States.

Super Bowl Special: The First Black QB in the Super Bowl (feat. Doug Williams) Feb 01, 2023

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January 31, 1988. Quarterback Doug Williams steps onto the field in San Diego, California for the biggest game of his life. He's moments away from leading Washington into Super Bowl XXII against the John Elway-led Denver Broncos.

Today, Doug Williams becomes the first Black quarterback to start a Super Bowl. Can he win it, too? His breakthrough has paved the way for Super Bowl LVII, where two Black quarterbacks—Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes—will face off for the first time in championship history in 2023.

We ask a roundtable of experts: why have Black quarterbacks been a rarity throughout the history of pro football? And in a conversation with Doug Williams himself, what does it mean to be a pioneer for so many Black quarterbacks to come?

Special thanks to our guests Kenneth Shropshire, Professor Emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School; Bill Carroll, assistant director at the Family Legacy Foundation; Cyrus Mehri, civil rights attorney and co-founder of the Fritz Pollard Alliance; and Doug Williams, former NFL quarterback and longtime NFL personnel executive.

Björn Borg Shocks The Tennis World Jan 25, 2023

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January 23rd, 1983. Björn Borg, one of the top tennis players in the world, has become a global icon. But Borg hasn’t played in any of the sport’s major tournaments for the last year, and while on vacation in Nepal with his family, rumors in the media circulate about everything from his health to the status of his marriage.

Today, Borg decides that he can’t wait until he returns to New York City to address the reporters. At an impromptu gathering of the press in Kathmandu, Borg makes an announcement that sends shockwaves through the tennis world. How did he become one of the most popular athletes on Earth? And what were the key moments that led to this stunning decision?

Special thanks to our guests: Steve Flink, author of “The Greatest Tennis Matches of the 20th Century” and “The Greatest Tennis Matches of All-Time,” Mark “Scoop” Malinowski, author of “Facing Björn Borg,” and John Lloyd, former professional tennis player and BBC tennis broadcaster.

Gambling Destroys New York City College Basketball Jan 18, 2023

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Under the harsh lights of Madison Square Garden, the Manhattan College basketball team loses to DePaul University. But this loss means that all is going to plan for law enforcement, as they make their next move.

Later that night, police arrest three gamblers and two men affiliated with Manhattan College. These arrests are just the beginning of an enormous scandal.

Today, the gambling phenomenon plaguing college basketball nationwide begins to crumble. How were gamblers able to attract players from the nation’s most prominent programs into their scheme? And when the greed goes too far, how does it all come crashing down?

Special thanks to Matthew Goodman, author of The City Game: Triumph, Scandal, and a Legendary Basketball Team.

The NBA All-Star Boycott Jan 11, 2023

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January 14, 1964. Thousands of basketball fans have braved a massive snowstorm in Boston to watch the biggest names in basketball – from Bill Russell to Oscar Robertson to Elgin Baylor – in the 14th annual NBA All-Star Game.

But just ten minutes before the game is supposed to start, the players are nowhere to be found. The court is empty. Fans stomp their feet in frustration. Little do they know that all 20 NBA All-Stars have crammed into one locker room and barricaded the door, refusing to leave until the team owners agree to their demands.

Today, the 1963-64 All-Stars take an important – but extremely risky – stand against the rich and powerful men who run the National Basketball Association. What were these players fighting for? And why was the 1964 All-Star Game the perfect setting to stage one of the most important protests in sports history?

Special thanks to our guests: Dave Zarum, author of NBA 75: The Definitive History,Rich Kraetsch and Jason Mann, co-hosts of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast, and NBA legend Wayne Embry, a Hall of Famer and NBA All-Star from 1961 to 1965.

The Flying Finn Burns Out Jan 04, 2023

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January 6, 1925. Cigar smoke thickens the air inside Madison Square Garden. The New York City arena is packed to the brim, ready to watch the greatest runner in the world.

27-year-old Paavo Nurmi exploded onto the scene at the 1920 Olympics, winning three gold medals for Finland. In 1924, he did even better, winning five more. In the process, he became one of the world’s most famous athletes.

Today, Paavo Nurmi’s accomplishments have offered him the unique opportunity to go on a massive running tour of the United States. How does someone once considered a “slow trudger” outrun the world? And how does this grueling American tour change the course of his career?

Special thanks to our guests: Chris Turner, director of the heritage department of World Athletics; Roger Robinson, writer and author on the subject of long-distance running; Jari Salonen, CEO of the non-profit Paavo Nurmi Turku Oy; and Kalle Virtapohja, expert on Paavo Nurmi and sports history author.

Green Bay’s First Lambeau Leap Dec 28, 2022

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December 26th, 1993. It feels like 20 below zero on the “Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field”. The Packers stand on the verge of making the playoffs for the first time in years. Though it might surprise fans now, back in the early 90s, this team and its loyal fans are desperate for even a taste of the postseason. But after decades of mishaps, bad luck, and, according to the team’s historian, “terrible personnel decisions,” all of that is about to change.

Today, two Packers legends—Reggie White and LeRoy Butler—team up to create one of the most iconic plays, and iconic celebrations, in NFL history. For the Packers, this marks the beginning of a new attitude, direction, and era for one of the league’s oldest teams.How, after unprecedented success in the 1960s, did this team become the NFL’s laughingstock? And how did the Lambeau Leap become the definitive end to a chapter the Packers would like to forget?

Special thanks to our guests: Edgar Bennett, former Packers running back and current coach for the Las Vegas Raiders, Pete Dougherty, columnist for the Green Bay Press Gazette, and Cliff Christl, team historian for the Green Bay Packers, and author of “The Greatest Story In Sports: Green Bay Packers 1919 to 2019.”

WWI Soldiers Find Peace in Football Dec 21, 2022

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December 24, 1914. Soldiers are stuck in cold, wet trenches on either side of the conflict across the Western Front. The Great War has just begun and it’s their first Christmas away from home.

On the holiday’s eve, one man sees a light coming from the German’s side. A British soldier recalled, “With ears strained, I listened, and then all down our line of trenches, there came to our ears a greeting unique in war: ‘English soldier, English soldier, a merry Christmas!’”

Today, World War I comes to a halt as an unofficial ceasefire breaks out across the northeastern border of France. Why do opposing nations choose to lay down their arms? And when they cross the battlefield, how do sports help them meet as friends?

Special thanks to our guest, Mike Hill, author of The Christmas Truce By The Men Who Took Part: Letters From The 1914 Ceasefire On The Western Front.

The Man Who Saved Man U Dec 14, 2022

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December 19, 1931. Walter Crickmer, the team secretary for a struggling Manchester United, is making the lonely walk up a long driveway to meet with a local businessman by the name of James W. Gibson. Though Gibson has no affiliation with the team and isn't even a fan of the sport, he's been targeted as the man to save Manchester United. But Gibson is not offering the club a simple loan; he's got big plans for the future that will come to be known as "The Gibson Guarantee."

Why was Manchester United in such a dire financial position? And how did Gibson manage to not only become the team's primary investor, but also steward the team into unparalleled success that continues nearly a century later?

Specials thanks to our guests. Dr. Gary James, organizer of the International Football History conference and author of "Manchester: A Football History," Jim White, author of "Manchester United: The Biography," Jon Reeves, author of "The Battle for Manchester", and Alan Embling, the great-nephew of James W. Gibson.

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