Sports History This Week

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Three Boxers Take on the Cold War (A Partnership With Eclipsed) Jul 20, 2022

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July 19, 1980. Three young boxers are circling a track in front of thousands of people in downtown Moscow. Alberto Mercado, Jose Molina, and Luis Pizarro have found themselves as the sole representatives of Puerto Rico in this year’s controversial Summer Olympic Games. The young men are here in defiance of their own nation’s government and the government of the United States.

The U.S. and 64 other countries are boycotting the Summer Olympics this year. The decision is meant to disavow the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan the year before. Puerto Rico is initially expected to boycott too, as an American territory. But they don’t.

Today, why do these three boxers make the controversial choice to go compete behind the Iron Curtain? And is it worth the risk to defy the United States?

Special thanks to Bijan Stephen and the Eclipsed podcast team.

The Land Speed Wars Reignite Jul 13, 2022

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July 17, 1964. Donald Campbell climbs into the cockpit of the Bluebird CN7 in the Australian desert with one goal in mind: breaking the world land speed record. In doing so, he sets off two incredible years of drama and heart-stopping competition between rivals, families, and even corporations, thousands of miles away in the United States.

What incredible lengths did these competitors go to in order to win the never-ending arms race for the record? What propelled these men and women to such achievements? And what major innovation in the 1960s changed the world of speed forever?

Special thanks to our guests, Louise Ann Noeth, author of Bonneville Salt Flats, and Tim Arfons, professional racer and son of former world land speed record holder Arthur Arfons.

Lou Gehrig Says Goodbye Jul 06, 2022

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July 4, 1939. In front of more than 60,000 fans, Lou Gehrig steps up to the microphone. The “Iron Horse” had played in 2,130 consecutive games for the New York Yankees, manning first base in the Bronx for 17 seasons. But because of a debilitating yet little-known illness, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (or ALS), Gehrig’s career is forced to come to an end. So on this day, “Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day,” he’s asked to give an impromptu speech to thank Yankee fans for their years of support. Gehrig was legendarily shy—he never sought the spotlight—but what followed became one of the most famous speeches in American history. Today, how did Lou Gehrig become a legend in his own time? And what did it mean to have an athlete suffering from ALS consider himself “the luckiest man on the face of the earth”?

Special thanks to Jonathan Eig, journalist and author of Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig.

The Dream Team Debuts Against the World Jun 29, 2022

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June 28, 1992. Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, and more step onto the court in public for the very first time as teammates. They take center stage against Cuba, in their first tune-up before they would become a truly global phenomenon at the ’92 Olympics in Barcelona. This is the world’s introduction to the Dream Team.

Anyone who knew basketball had a pretty good idea that this team of future Hall-of-Famers would romp to a gold medal. But what they might not have known was the behind-the-scenes drama involved in putting together this legendary roster.

How did this team change the way international basketball was played forever? What led to the sudden rule change that allowed pro basketball players in the Olympics after decades of America sending only amateurs? And just who was on the only team that did (privately) beat the Dream Team?

Special thanks to our guests: Jack McCallum, senior writer for Sports Illustrated and author of the bestseller Dream Team, and Ken Rosenthal, senior writer for The Athletic who covered the Dream Team for the Baltimore Sun in 1992.

Title IX at 50 with Billie Jean King Jun 22, 2022

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June 23, 1972. President Richard Nixon’s men broke into the Watergate complex just six days earlier. He’s attempting some damage control, but in between meetings with his staff, Nixon signs a new bill into law – the Educational Amendments of 1972. He isn’t aware of it at the time, but Title IX of this law will change women’s sports forever. The bill’s passage comes after years of campaigning, and the most prominent face of this movement is one of the great athletes of her era: Billie Jean King. Today, Billie Jean King sits down with Sports History This Week to unpack her role in this monumental legislation. How did she use her platform to fight for gender equality in athletics? And after the passage of Title IX, how did she literally battle for women everywhere?

Special thanks to our guests: Billie Jean King, a champion of tennis and of equality, and Susan Ware, historian and author of Game, Set, Match: Billie Jean King and the Revolution in Women's Sports.

Introducing: Sports History This Week Jun 08, 2022

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Sports History This Week, hosted by Kaelen Jones, brings to life moments in competition that redefined sports and our culture through gripping narratives, sounds from the archives, discussions with experts, and interviews with athletes who were there.

For stories like this that go beyond the world of sports, check out History This Week wherever you get your podcasts.

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