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  • When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

    EPISODE SUMMARY

    On this episode of “When Football Was Football,” we’ll take a break from covering professional football and journey back to 1937 for a celebration of one of Chicago’s most prominent annual sporting events: the Prep Bowl. Each year, the high school season in the city would conclude with the enormously popular clash between the champions of the Chicago Catholic League and the Chicago Public League. Things have changed over the years, of course, but for decades the Prep Bowl easily garnered one of the largest attendances of any sporting competition in the United States.

    Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

    WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

    Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

    Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

    When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

    Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

  • When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

    EPISODE SUMMARY

    And, you may ask, who is Joseph T. Sternaman?

    Sternaman was more commonly known as Joey Sternaman during his professional football playing days from 1922 through 1930. As such, Joey was actually the very first quarterback of the Bears when the team incorporated in Chicago in 1922. He was also the head coach of the Duluth Kelleys in 1923 as well as the player/owner/coach of the short-lived Chicago Bulls in 1926 when that team was a member of the original American Football League. And, for a short time, he was also a part-owner of the Chicago Bears!

    Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

    WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

    Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

    Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

    When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

    Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

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  • When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

    NETWORK SPONSORS

    Row One - the vintage shop for sports history fans!

    EPISODE SUMMARY

    Cardinals’ fans are familiar with the long, sad story concerning the current championship dry spell for the club that has now stretched into its 76th year. That will be 76 years this fall without an NFL title, the longest such streak in the National Football League, as well as in all professional sports! On this episode of “When Football Was Football” here on the Sports History Network, we’ll travel back to 1948 when the Cardinals franchise achieved its most successful regular season. And, what a season it was!

    Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

    WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

    Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

    Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

    When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

    Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

  • NO NONSENSE, OLD SCHOOL WEIGHTLIFTING HISTORY is presented by the Sports History Network, the headquarters for sports yesteryear.

    ABOUT SHOW:

    My name is Mark Morthier, and I host yesterday’s Sports on the Sports History Network. As many of you know from reading my articles and listening to my podcasts, I am not only an avid weightlifter but a fan of the sport as well. I’m excited to share my newest adventure, a show dedicated to promoting weightlifting, while also looking back at some weightlifting history. I’ll share some of my own stories and interview weightlifters from both past and present.

    I competed in Olympic Weightlifting from 1981 to 1989 and powerlifting from 2011 to 2019. Although I wasn’t what one might call “a naturally gifted lifter,” I managed to clean & jerk 140 kilos/308 lbs at 179 lbs body weight. In my later years, I achieved a 600-pound deadlift and a 431-pound front squat in my mid-fifties. Although I was more successful in powerlifting, setting New Jersey and New York State records in Masters Competitions, I’ll always consider myself an Olympic Weightlifter. I’ve also written a book on weight training titled No Nonsense, Old School Weight Training, which is available on Amazon.

    NO NONSENSE, OLD SCHOOL WEIGHTLIFTING (Amazon affiliate link)

    I hope that you will enjoy the show, and please leave a comment or offer a suggestion. And if you’re an Olympic lifter, past or present, let me know if you’d like to set up an interview, and I’ll do my best to have you on the show. Stay strong and God bless!

  • When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

    EPISODE SUMMARY

    Long before we could watch football games on our phones, or talk with our friends using our wrist watch, there was Dick Tracy. On this episode of “When Football Was Football,” we’ll visit the original Dick Tracy, a crime fighting cartoon character whose fame achieved world-wide status thanks to a rather large former lineman from the Chicago Cardinals. We’ll also visit with an enormously successful punt returner for the Cardinals whose brief career, and small stature, in the NFL has been largely forgotten, but whose story remains an inspiration.

    When you encounter an NFL player named “Tiny,” your expectations for the story behind that nickname intensify. Was he a big man, or rather a smaller player? Sometimes, nicknames can often go both ways…

    Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

    WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

    Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

    Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

    When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

    Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

  • When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

    NETWORK SPONSORS

    Row One - the vintage shop for sports history fans!

    HIGHLIGHTED SHOW

    I am Chad Cain your host of One Guy with a Mic Presents: History of Dingers and Dunks. I am going to be bringing the history of baseball and basketball to life. For every one of you that doesn’t know anything about the history of baseball or basketball, this is your place to learn.

    If you know some knowledge about baseball and basketball this is your place to know more. If you have more knowledge than others around you this is your safe space. I can always learn from each and every one of you as well.

    Learn more about the show on the Sports History Network.

  • When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

    EPISODE SUMMARY

    Every so often, we encounter a football story that just screams to be shared. In this episode of “When Football Was Football” we’ll actually discuss a kicker who, believe it or not, boomed 100-yard punts in practice. Sometimes, there are true stories that just cannot be made up…

    Such was the case of punter Harry Ghaul, whose startling back story includes the previously mentioned punting skills, but also a hall-of-fame collegiate football career at a major football university. That type of accomplishment is not necessarily unusual in pro football circles where only the best of the best from the college ranks makes it with the NFL big boys. However, the spectacular college career for Harry Ghaul began AFTER his professional time with the Cardinals.

    Let’s begin this unique story of Mr. Ghaul who was born on June 4, 1921......

    Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

    WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

    Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

    Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

    When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

    Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

  • Total Sports Recall is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

    EPISODE SUMMARY

    “Covering Sports from a Different Angle”

    HARV ARONSON (HOST) BACKGROUND

    Harv Aronson was born and raised in Pittsburgh but now lives in Florida with his beautiful wife Melissa. Harv currently writes for Abstract Sports, the Sports History Network, and the magazine Gridiron Greats.

    Harv wrote the published book "Pro Football's Most Passionate Fans" (Amazon link) and as a professional writer has had articles published in an array of sports publications. Harv loves all sports but football, baseball, and MMA are at the top of his interest. His passion is for sports history.

    You can email Harv at [email protected] or reach him via Twitter @TSRHarv59. 

    Listen to the TOTAL SPORTS RECALL podcast on your app of choice.

    Please note, As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

    EPISODE SUMMARY

    Stories about unknown or undrafted collegiate players making it big in the NFL, are rare, but always entertaining!

    One such case occurred in December of 1953 when Chicago Bears’ assistant coach Clark Shaughnessy was scouting the Blue-Gray all-star game in Montgomery, AL.

    A local coach shared that “the best end in this part of the country wasn’t chosen to play in this game.” From the hotel lobby gossip, Shaughnessy learned about a rangy, and unstoppable, big end from Florence State Teachers College (now North Alabama) known as Harlon Hill who was not invited to the game simply because he was from a smaller college. The other coaches who had seen this marvel in person considered Hill a better prospect than any one from the bigger state schools such as Alabama or Auburn.

    This guy apparently had super-hero powers on the gridiron and could easily demolish any and all opposition. And yet, during his senior season, with his team running the archaic single wing offense, the talented end captured just 12 passes for 246 yards for the year. By that time, he was a marked man on offense due to his speed and exceptional hands........

    Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

    WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

    Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

    Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

    When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

    Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

  • When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

    EPISODE SUMMARY

    Who is Art Folz, and why is he one of the most notorious villains in NFL history that you never heard about?

    On this episode of “When Football Was Football” we’ll introduce you to Mr. Folz who was banned from the NFL for his unwitting attempt to be helpful, but then became the godfather of stock car racing in Chicago, and later a successful newspaper publisher. It’s a complicated story, but one that demonstrates the importance of not being in the wrong place at the wrong time! During his NFL career, Mr. Folz, unfortunately, was in the wrong place at the wrong time and was banned for life. What the heck did he do?

    Let’s start at the beginning…

    Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

    WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

    Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

    Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

    When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

    Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

  • The Official Football Learning Podcast is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

    HIGHLIGHTED SHOW - FOOTBALL LEARNING ACADEMY

    Each week, the official Football Learning Academy podcast will take you deep into the history of this great game.

    Through interviews with players, coaches, or administrators in the NFL, as well as interviews with Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors, authors, and historians, you will learn about how the game evolved and important moments that shaped the sport into what it is today.

    You will also get first-hand accounts from the people who have made history in pro football.

    Host: Ken Crippen

    Ken Crippen was in a leadership position within the Professional Football Researchers Association for 15 years and is now the founder and lead instructor at the Football Learning Academy.

    He has been researching and writing about pro football history for over 30 years and has been a sought-after interview for publications like the Wall Street Journal and Rolling Stone magazine, and a sought-after guest on podcasts and radio shows, namely The History Channel, ESPN Radio, and Fox Sports Radio.

    He has written two books, been the managing editor of two other books, and a contributor to yet two more books. He has also written hundreds of articles on pro football history, has won the Dick Connor Writing Award for Feature Writing (which is now called the Lesley Visser Enterprise News/Features Award) from the Pro Football Writers of America, as well as the Professional Football Researchers Association’s Ralph Hay Award for lifetime achievement in pro football research.

    Learn more about the show on the Sports History Network.

  • When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

    EPISODE SUMMARY

    The episode recounts the story of World War II hero Edward "Butch" O'Hare and his gangster-affiliated father. Butch O'Hare, an American naval aviator, displayed extraordinary courage and skill by single-handedly taking down five enemy bombers threatening his ship, the USS Lexington, an act that earned him the Medal of Honor in 1942.

    His father, Edward O'Hare, despite being a lawyer and one of the directors of the Chicago Cardinals football team in the 1930s, was also a partner of infamous gangster Al Capone. Edward was murdered in what appeared to be a mob hit in 1939, but was later revealed to have secretly helped the government convict Capone on tax evasion charges.

    Butch O'Hare's untimely death came in 1943 when he was lost in aerial combat. His heroism and legacy are commemorated in the naming of the O'Hare International Airport in Chicago.

    Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

    WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

    Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

    Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

    When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

    Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

  • When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

    From a personal standpoint, I truly love the game of football…and to write about it. At times, it’s easy to slip back in time during my research of pro football topics to be captivated by some obscure player or fact from the history of the game itself. A few minutes searching for verification on a specific topic can quickly turn into hours as the stories and legends seem to spin off and blossom. One of these obscure searches was prompted by my interest in determining the identity of the youngest player to ever play in the National Football League and I’ll share that discovery on this episode of “When Football Was Football” here on the Sports History Network.

    EPISODE SUMMARY

    This episode covers some of the greatest moments in Chicago Cardinal Christmas history.

    Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

    WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

    Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

    Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

    When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

    Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

  • Historian Joe Ziemba Shares Stories of Some Pieces of his Chicago Cardinals Memorabilia Collection. The History comes to life when you see period pieces from when Chicago had two NFL teams.

    Historian, author, podcaster...you get it he is the Superman of Football history! Chicago sports is his main area of expertise, especially the Cardinals

    Join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website and the Sports Jersey Dispatch to see even more Positive football news! Sign up to get daily football history headlines in your email inbox @ Email-subscriber

    Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well don't, because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website.

  • When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

    EPISODE SUMMARY

    On November 6, 1927, a few thousand of his closest friends gathered to honor Chicago Cardinals’ lineman Willis Brennan. But Willis Brennan was much more than a football player. In fact, if you consider some of the landmark events of Chicago in the 1920s, chances are Willis Brennan was there…such as the birth of the NFL in 1920, Red Grange’s first professional game in 1925, the infamous Leopold-Loeb murder case, and the gang wars on the south side of Chicago. For Brennan was not only a respected gridiron giant, he was also one of Chicago’s finest.....

    Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

    WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

    Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

    Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

    When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

    Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

  • When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

    EPISODE SUMMARY

    Before player drafts, salary caps, and heck, even before the National Football League, we had the Cardinals! On this episode of “When Football Was Football,” we’ll chronicle the very first season of the NFL’s oldest team—the Arizona Cardinals. Along the way, we’ll discover some surprising facts about the early activities of the club.

    Back in 1899, things were different in the virtually unknown world of pro football. Rules were different, rosters were unsettled, and player payments were both sparse and irregular.

    But it was in 1899 that the team we know today as the Arizona Cardinals emerged as a rag-tag neighborhood club that played its first games with no uniforms, very little padding, and certainly minimal recognition. If we were to boldly state that the players played for the love of the game, that statement would be very, very accurate.....

    Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

    WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

    Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

    Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

    When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

    Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

  • When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

    HIGHLIGHTED SHOW

    Welcome to Fantasy Football Origin Stories, a weekly show here on the Sports History Network, where each episode is a journey back in time to explore some unique experiences from some of the coolest and most influential people in the fantasy football industry.

    My name is Arnie Chapman, also known as The Football History Dude, and fantasy football is one of my greatest passions. I want you to come along with me each Wednesday to explore the yesteryear of this game of skill we all love so much. Yeah, that’s right, it’s a game of skill, all you wannabe champs out there.

    This is an ode to the spreadsheet warriors, the game tape gurus, team name savants, and everyone in between. I’ll take you behind the scenes to explore the origin stories of your favorite fantasy football analysts, but I won’t stop there, because this show will include all roles in the industry.

    You’ll get to know the game behind the game that’s behind the game like you’ve never heard it before, and I can't wait for you to ride shotgun with me back in time, to learn about some of these armchair gridiron knowledge nuggets.

    And remember, you got to tell all of your fantasy football-loving friends that this show is available to listen to for free in any app that supports podcasts. It’ll be the one fantasy football show you’re ok with sharing. Because even though there might be a fantasy tip here and there, this show is all about getting to know the people in the industry, not a weekly list-building show.

    This show is also a proud member of the Sports History Network, the Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear. So grab your friends, and hop aboard my DeLorean, because we’re about to get this baby up to 88mph.

    Learn more about the show on the Sports History Network.

  • When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

    EPISODE SUMMARY

    No one knew it existed. But suddenly, there it was: a dusty, withered document, that brought a quick end to a daring rivalry, disrupted an NFL team’s plans for an economic revival, and may have even saved the NFL. That was then, but six decades later, no one knows where this incredibly valuable manuscript is hiding.

    Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

    WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

    Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

    Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

    When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

    Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

  • When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

    EPISODE SUMMARY

    Bidwill was the founder of the Chicago Bluebirds professional softball team and was also the co-founder of the National Girls Baseball League (NGBL) which began in 1944 with all teams based in Chicago. Many of the games were played at Charley’s own Bidwill Stadium, located at 1975 East 75th Street on the south side of Chicago.

    Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

    WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

    Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

    Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

    When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

    Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

  • Unpopular Essays on Sports History is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

    HIGHLIGHTED SHOW

    Unpopular Essays on Sports History

    Supposition. We live in a golden age of sports.

    I mean this not in the sense of athletes becoming stronger, speedier, savvier and smarter than ever before, nor in terms of the amazing access we have to live streams and stat feeds, instant insights and opinionating, the quirks and personalities of our celebrity heroes.

    This, rather, is a golden age of sports in humanistic, historical terms. The truth is that the great majority of people today, willingly or not, have a direct and regular connection to organized and/or participatory sports in their everyday lives than anyone born before the 20th century.

    In the United States, not a person alive can recall a time when sports was not a staple of the daily newspaper. For four generations, the notion that nightly news programs should devote up to one-quarter of their airtime to sports is taken for granted. Why do we take this for granted?

    At Unpopular Essays on Sports History, everything is questionable.

    Supposition: Those who play the games have ascended in the public eye to heights unimaginable in times past. Playing top-level sports can get today’s athlete into business, TV production, national politics – and just how did this happen?

    At Unpopular Essays on Sports History, everything is up for examination.

    Supposition: Sports – wherever they are played but particularly in these places where they are invented – effect culture, even pace it. One could argue that sports are more important than ever.

    Corollary: Sports history, too, should be more important, yet is probably more disrespected and disavowed than ever.

    At Unpopular Essays on Sports History, we love the past while marveling at the present, and wondering about the future.  

    The “unpopular essays” of the title is a nod to Bertrand Russell, the logical positivist and my favorite philosopher. (Plus it’s a great excuse to get my BA degree to finally pay off.) And as we’re taught in philosophy, It’s not about answering the questions; it’s about making them clearer.

    Three days a week, Unpopular Essays on Sports History will examine a moment in sports history, probe some modern ethos of our games, or speculate on what the past can teach the future – and all in 500 words or less – though probably occasionally throwing in the occasional longer interview. We’ll tour the spaces and times of the whole wide world of sports history about as quickly as Secretariat ran the Belmont Stakes.

    Supposition: Sports history is fascinating, illuminating and fun. Join me, Os Davis, in making the questions of sports history clearer right here an Unpopular Essays on Sports History, an SHN production. 

    Os Davis, host of Unpopular Essays on Sports History 

    Os never played the games but has enjoyed a nearly 30-year career in sports writing, reporting, blogging, and podcasting. He has hosted/co-hosted and produced/co-produced podcasts on NFL football, CFL football, European basketball and sports movie review. For the Sports History Network, he currently writes and co-produces the historical fiction audiodrama Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer and will return soon with more episodes of Truly the GOATs (promise).

    Learn more about the show on the...