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

Talkin' Two Tone is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.HIGHLIGHTED SHOWPlease join me in welcoming Asher and Tyler to the Sports History Network. They bring to us their podcast, "Talkin' Two Tone: A Titans Podcast," where they talk all things revolving around their beloved Tennessee Titans. You'll of course get some up to date stuff with the current season, but they also take you back in time to reminisce some of the greatest moments in Titan history.Learn more about the show on the Sports History Network.

The Football History Dude is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYThis an interview I had with Ken Riley II back in the summer of 2020 as he was trying to campaign for his father to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Well, 2 1/2 years later, we finally heard the call for Ken Riley (longtime CB for the Cincinnati Bengals).THE FOOTBALL HISTORY DUDE BACKGROUNDThe Football History Dude is a show dedicated to teaching NFL fans about the rich history of the game we all know and love. I’m your host, Arnie Chapman, and I’m just a regular dude that loves football and is a nerd when it comes to learning about history. I created this show to share the gridiron knowledge nuggets I gain from researching various topics about the history of the National Football League. Each episode I welcome you to climb aboard my DeLorean to travel back in time to explore the yesteryear of the gridiron, and yes, that’s a reference to the Back to the Future Movies.

The Football History Dude is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYAuthor Kevin Bryant stops by again (originally on episode 201) to share some stories of espionage leading up to the Super Bowl. AUTHOR BIOKevin Bryant is an Army veteran with over twenty years of experience safeguarding and gathering information for the Department of Defense, including thirteen years as a Special Agent during which he conducted national security investigations and instructed federal agents in training.Kevin graduated from the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) with a B.A. in History, and graduated with top honors from American Military University with an M.A. in Intelligence Studies and an M.S. in Sports Management.During his senior year of high school he was selected onto the East-West Ambassadors National Select soccer team, composed of elite high school players from across the United States, and in college he played NCAA soccer for UCSC.THE FOOTBALL HISTORY DUDE BACKGROUNDThe Football History Dude is a show dedicated to teaching NFL fans about the rich history of the game we all know and love. I’m your host, Arnie Chapman, and I’m just a regular dude that loves football and is a nerd when it comes to learning about history. I created this show to share the gridiron knowledge nuggets I gain from researching various topics about the history of the National Football League. Each episode I welcome you to climb aboard my DeLorean to travel back in time to explore the yesteryear of the gridiron, and yes, that’s a reference to the Back to the Future Movies.

The Football History Dude is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARY****This is an FHD Vault episode (ep. 143), originally aired on 11/18/2020***This week I interview Bill Curry. He has lived an incredible "football life" as both a player and a coach. His life has even been referred to as the "Forrest Gump of the NFL" by some. For instance, he played for both Vince Lombardi, and Don Shula. If that's not enough, he was the center who snapped the ball to both Bart Starr, and then Johnny Unitas. Bill played in the very first Super Bowl. He won a total of 4 NFL championships and Super Bowls. He played in the famous Super Bowl III "Broadway Joe" game. Bill was an early leader with the NFLPA. He was the head coach at Alabama. These are just a few of his "stops" on the Forrest Gump journey, but the number one thing he shares is how he learned about teamwork and how football shaped his views on racism.Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.Check out Bill's book - Ten%20Men%20You%20Meet%20in%20the%20Huddle:%20Lessons%20from%20a%20Football%20Life" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ten Men You Meet in the Huddle: Lessons From a Football LifeTHE FOOTBALL HISTORY DUDE BACKGROUNDThe Football History Dude is a show dedicated to teaching NFL fans about the rich history of the game we all know and love. I’m your host, Arnie Chapman, and I’m just a regular dude that loves football and is a nerd when it comes to learning about history. I created this show to share the gridiron knowledge nuggets I gain from researching various topics about the history of the National Football League. Each episode I welcome you to climb aboard my DeLorean to travel back in time to explore the yesteryear of the gridiron, and yes, that’s a reference to the Back to the Future Movies.

The Football History Dude is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.AUTHOR BIORuss Crawford is Professor of History at Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio. His latest book, Women’s American Football: Breaking Barriers On and Off the Field will be published by the University of Nebraska Press in November of 2022. Along with several chapters on sport history, he has also published two earlier books. Le Football: The History of American Football in France was published by the University of Nebraska Press in 2016. His first book, The Use of Sport to Promote the American Way of Life During the Cold War: Cultural Propaganda, 1946-1963, was published by the Edwin Mellen Press in 2008.THE FOOTBALL HISTORY DUDE BACKGROUNDThe Football History Dude is a show dedicated to teaching NFL fans about the rich history of the game we all know and love. I’m your host, Arnie Chapman, and I’m just a regular dude that loves football and is a nerd when it comes to learning about history. I created this show to share the gridiron knowledge nuggets I gain from researching various topics about the history of the National Football League. Each episode I welcome you to climb aboard my DeLorean to travel back in time to explore the yesteryear of the gridiron, and yes, that’s a reference to the Back to the Future Movies.

The Official PFRA Podcast is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.HIGHLIGHTED SHOWThe Professional Football Researchers Association (PFRA) was founded in Canton, Ohio in 1979 to foster the study of professional football as a significant and athletic institution; to establish an accurate historical account of professional football; and to disseminate research information. In each episode of The Official PFRA Podcast, co-hosts George Bozeka and Jon Bozeka will discuss the storied history of pro football, including interviews with prominent pro football historians and authors, and former players.Born in Canton within walking distance of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, George is the current President of the PFRA. He has had a number of articles published in the PFRA’s official magazine The Coffin Corner and he is the lead editor for the PFRA’s Great Teams in Pro Football History book series.Jon has been a radio broadcaster in the Canton area since 2014. He has been involved in every facet of radio sports coverage including play-by-play and color commentary for local high school and college football broadcasts. He is also a stringer for CBS Radio’s Eye on Sports show covering all Cleveland Browns Sunday home games.Learn more about the show on the Sports History Network.

The Football History Dude is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.NETWORK SPONSORSRow One - the vintage shop for sports history fans!EPISODE SUMMARYThis week we head back to learn about the first-ever NFL playoff game. (This episode was originally aired in 2019).THE FOOTBALL HISTORY DUDE BACKGROUNDThe Football History Dude is a show dedicated to teaching NFL fans about the rich history of the game we all know and love. I’m your host, Arnie Chapman, and I’m just a regular dude that loves football and is a nerd when it comes to learning about history. I created this show to share the gridiron knowledge nuggets I gain from researching various topics about the history of the National Football League. Each episode I welcome you to climb aboard my DeLorean to travel back in time to explore the yesteryear of the gridiron, and yes, that’s a reference to the Back to the Future Movies.

The Football History Dude is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYThis week's guest is Andy Billman, a former ESPN Producer. Andy has worked on many different film projects covering sports, and now he works on mostly sports history projects. We mostly get into some history about the Cleveland Browns, including his fandom for the team.AUTHOR BIOFrom University of New Haven Faculty Bio:Andy Billman is an award winning producer with a passion for sports and storytelling. Billman started at ESPN in July 2002, and he has worked on SportsCenter, The ESPYs, Playmakers, Tilt and Dream Job. Since 30 for 30’s inception in 2009 he has been with the group working as a producer and director of documentaries for ESPN Films. He has worked on “The Two Escobars”, “Winning Time”, “Youngstown Boys” “Playing for the Mob” and “Bad Boys”. Additionally, he’s produced other ESPN Films projects such as “The Announcement”, “Unguarded” and “The Book of Manning”. Andy has directed two documentaries for ESPN Films including “Believeland”.Andy Billman work as a producer has led to two Emmy winner awards, a Peabody Award and an NAACP award.THE FOOTBALL HISTORY DUDE BACKGROUNDThe Football History Dude is a show dedicated to teaching NFL fans about the rich history of the game we all know and love. I’m your host, Arnie Chapman, and I’m just a regular dude that loves football and is a nerd when it comes to learning about history. I created this show to share the gridiron knowledge nuggets I gain from researching various topics about the history of the National Football League. Each episode I welcome you to climb aboard my DeLorean to travel back in time to explore the yesteryear of the gridiron, and yes, that’s a reference to the Back to the Future Movies.

The Football History Dude is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYWith the tragic news of Damar Hamlin's injury this week, I thought it best to play the upbeat interview of Mike Utley, a player that suffered a catastrophic injury in 1991. Mike exemplifies positivity, tenacity in life, and someone that will fight for every inch no matter the circumstance. I felt his words can help us, help Damar, fight through. We will return to the originally scheduled episode next week.THE FOOTBALL HISTORY DUDE BACKGROUNDThe Football History Dude is a show dedicated to teaching NFL fans about the rich history of the game we all know and love. I’m your host, Arnie Chapman, and I’m just a regular dude that loves football and is a nerd when it comes to learning about history. I created this show to share the gridiron knowledge nuggets I gain from researching various topics about the history of the National Football League. Each episode I welcome you to climb aboard my DeLorean to travel back in time to explore the yesteryear of the gridiron, and yes, that’s a reference to the Back to the Future Movies.

The Football History Dude is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYTimothy J. Brown is the author of How Football Became Football and his newly released book, Hut! Hut! Hike!: A History of Pro Football Terminology. Tim is also the author over at his substack - footballarchaeology.com.This is an FHD VAULT episode, and the reason I bring back the interview with Timothy is that he's graciously offered to donate his latest book to some lucky fans of the Sports History Network. Enjoy!THE FOOTBALL HISTORY DUDE BACKGROUNDThe Football History Dude is a show dedicated to teaching NFL fans about the rich history of the game we all know and love. I’m your host, Arnie Chapman, and I’m just a regular dude that loves football and is a nerd when it comes to learning about history. I created this show to share the gridiron knowledge nuggets I gain from researching various topics about the history of the National Football League. Each episode I welcome you to climb aboard my DeLorean to travel back in time to explore the yesteryear of the gridiron, and yes, that’s a reference to the Back to the Future Movies.

The Football History Dude is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYTimothy J. Brown is the author of How Football Became Football and his newly released book, Hut! Hut! Hike!: A History of Pro Football Terminology. Tim is also the author over at his substack - footballarchaeology.com.This is an FHD VAULT episode, and the reason I bring back the interview with Timothy is that he's graciously offered to donate his latest book to some lucky fans of the Sports History Network. Enjoy!THE FOOTBALL HISTORY DUDE BACKGROUNDThe Football History Dude is a show dedicated to teaching NFL fans about the rich history of the game we all know and love. I’m your host, Arnie Chapman, and I’m just a regular dude that loves football and is a nerd when it comes to learning about history. I created this show to share the gridiron knowledge nuggets I gain from researching various topics about the history of the National Football League. Each episode I welcome you to climb aboard my DeLorean to travel back in time to explore the yesteryear of the gridiron, and yes, that’s a reference to the Back to the Future Movies.

The Football History Dude is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.NETWORK SPONSORSRow One - the vintage shop for sports history fans!EPISODE SUMMARYThis week I talk to Jon Bozeka, co-host of the latest show on the Sports History Network - The Official PFRA Podcast. You saw that right. We're now hooked up with The Professional Football Researchers Association.AUTHOR BIOJon has been a radio broadcaster in the Canton area since 2014. He has been involved in every facet of radio sports coverage including play-by-play and color commentary for local high school and college football broadcasts. He is also a stringer for CBS Radio’s Eye on Sports show covering all Cleveland Browns Sunday home games.THE FOOTBALL HISTORY DUDE BACKGROUNDThe Football History Dude is a show dedicated to teaching NFL fans about the rich history of the game we all know and love. I’m your host, Arnie Chapman, and I’m just a regular dude that loves football and is a nerd when it comes to learning about history. I created this show to share the gridiron knowledge nuggets I gain from researching various topics about the history of the National Football League. Each episode I welcome you to climb aboard my DeLorean to travel back in time to explore the yesteryear of the gridiron, and yes, that’s a reference to the Back to the Future Movies.

The Football History Dude is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.NETWORK SPONSORSRow One - the vintage shop for sports history fans!EPISODE SUMMARYDiscussing NFL's All-Time Best Player's Lists (Offense, Part 3)THE FOOTBALL HISTORY DUDE BACKGROUNDThe Football History Dude is a show dedicated to teaching NFL fans about the rich history of the game we all know and love. I’m your host, Arnie Chapman, and I’m just a regular dude that loves football and is a nerd when it comes to learning about history. I created this show to share the gridiron knowledge nuggets I gain from researching various topics about the history of the National Football League. Each episode I welcome you to climb aboard my DeLorean to travel back in time to explore the yesteryear of the gridiron, and yes, that’s a reference to the Back to the Future Movies.

The Football History Dude is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYDiscussing NFL's All-Time Best Player's Lists (Offense, Part 2)THE FOOTBALL HISTORY DUDE BACKGROUNDThe Football History Dude is a show dedicated to teaching NFL fans about the rich history of the game we all know and love. I’m your host, Arnie Chapman, and I’m just a regular dude that loves football and is a nerd when it comes to learning about history. I created this show to share the gridiron knowledge nuggets I gain from researching various topics about the history of the National Football League. Each episode I welcome you to climb aboard my DeLorean to travel back in time to explore the yesteryear of the gridiron, and yes, that’s a reference to the Back to the Future Movies.

The Football History Dude is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYMark, Dave, and Arnie discuss various NFL Top 100 lists over the years as a celebration of the 100th episode of Yesterday's Sports. This episode covers offense.THE FOOTBALL HISTORY DUDE BACKGROUNDThe Football History Dude is a show dedicated to teaching NFL fans about the rich history of the game we all know and love. I’m your host, Arnie Chapman, and I’m just a regular dude that loves football and is a nerd when it comes to learning about history. I created this show to share the gridiron knowledge nuggets I gain from researching various topics about the history of the National Football League. Each episode I welcome you to climb aboard my DeLorean to travel back in time to explore the yesteryear of the gridiron, and yes, that’s a reference to the Back to the Future Movies.

Thanksgiving Day, 1924. The recently-established tradition of the University of Pittsburgh Panthers football team hosting the Pennsylvania State Nittany Lions on the afternoon of the national autumnal holiday continues. Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer is sent to cover the Pitt-Penn State “Keystone Classic” of 1924; in so doing, he discovers a throughline of the football-on-Thanksgiving tradition going back to 1621 (okay, actually, that’s going back to 1869) and reminds us that high-level football games on Thanksgiving are nearly as old as the official Thanksgiving holiday itself.  Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer is an audio drama podcast from Number 80 Productions and the Sports History Network.Thanksgiving and Football (or maybe Vice Versa) script & story by Os Davis. Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer stars Doug Fye, Ilona Fye, and Eric Bodwell. Thanksgiving and Football (or maybe Vice Versa) co-stars, in order of appearance, Caedmon Holland, Forrest Hartl and Wayne Brett.Additional direction by Eric Bodwell. Sound recording and primary editing by Don McIver.The theme song of Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer is “the Dayton Triangles Rag” and was arranged and performed by Bruce Smith. Other tracks in this episode include•  “Jazz Club” by Kriss (available through fair-use agreement via FreeMusicArchive.org);•  “Litany of the Street” by Silverman Sound Studios;•  “Bimini Bay” (1921) by the Benson Orchestra of Chicago; and•  “Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer (Outro)” by David Liso of Dynamo Stairs.Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer is produced by Os Davis and Darin Hayes. Series concept by Darrin Hayes.Stay tuned for more episodes of Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer – coming soon!

The Football History Dude is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.NETWORK SPONSORSRow One - the vintage shop for sports history fans!EPISODE SUMMARYMark, Dave, and Arnie discuss various NFL Top 100 lists over the years as a celebration of the 100th episode of Yesterday's Sports. This is Part 2.THE FOOTBALL HISTORY DUDE BACKGROUNDThe Football History Dude is a show dedicated to teaching NFL fans about the rich history of the game we all know and love. I’m your host, Arnie Chapman, and I’m just a regular dude that loves football and is a nerd when it comes to learning about history. I created this show to share the gridiron knowledge nuggets I gain from researching various topics about the history of the National Football League. Each episode I welcome you to climb aboard my DeLorean to travel back in time to explore the yesteryear of the gridiron, and yes, that’s a reference to the Back to the Future Movies.

The Football History Dude is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYMost NFL football games played almost 100 years ago, where two teams with losing records opposed against each other would all but be forgotten by our current generation. Especially when no one famous made a debut or set some kind of long-standing record. A game at Chicago’s Comiskey Park on November 9, 1924, where the Chicago Cardinals hosted the Dayton Triangles is one of those games in this forgotten genre. We at the Sports History Network, just like you, our faithful listeners and readers, love the history of athletics no matter what the case. Hey, this is the Headquarters of Sports Yesteryear, after all! We found it to be an interesting game because with having SHN partners who are among the top historians of the Triangles (Bruce Smith) and the Cardinals (Joe Ziemba), along with the talented writing and acting crew of Orville Mulligan: Sportswriter, that we can bring back to life this seemingly lost contest of so long ago. Join us in this presentation of NFL history as Darin Hayes of Pigskin Dispatch hosts experts Bruce, Joe, and the Orville Mulligan ensemble to creatively tell the tale of the Dayton at Chicago game of 1924.Thanks to:Joe Ziemba of Sports History Network’s, “ When Football was Football Podcast”Bruce Smith of Sports History Network’s “ “Triangles: The Life and Times of an NFL Original Team” As well as some of the fine music “Dayton Piano Rag” which was created and performed by Bruce SmithSpecial recognition to our actors from Orville Mulligan: Sportswriter audio drama segments are:FREDDIE CARSON (radio announcer) - Caedmon HollandORVILLE - Doug FyeAlso, the great writing and producing of Mr. Os Davis are evident. Find more episodes on SportsHistoryNetwork.com, at OrvilleMulligan.com, or your favorite podcast provider.Special Thanks to the Football History Dude, Arnie Chapman for allowing us to hijack his feed!For feedback on this episode contact Darin Hayes at PigskinDispatch@gmail.comTHE FOOTBALL HISTORY DUDE BACKGROUNDThe Football History Dude is a show dedicated to teaching NFL fans about the rich history of the game we all know and love. I’m your host, Arnie Chapman, and I’m just a regular dude that loves football and is a nerd when it comes to learning about history. I created this show to share the gridiron knowledge nuggets I gain from researching various topics about the history of the National Football League. Each episode I welcome you to climb aboard my DeLorean to travel back in time to explore the yesteryear of the gridiron, and yes, that’s a reference to the Back to the Future Movies.

The Football History Dude is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYMark, Dave, and Arnie discuss NFL top 100 lists over the years as a celebration for the 100th episode of Yesterday's Sports.THE FOOTBALL HISTORY DUDE BACKGROUNDThe Football History Dude is a show dedicated to teaching NFL fans about the rich history of the game we all know and love. I’m your host, Arnie Chapman, and I’m just a regular dude that loves football and is a nerd when it comes to learning about history. I created this show to share the gridiron knowledge nuggets I gain from researching various topics about the history of the National Football League. Each episode I welcome you to climb aboard my DeLorean to travel back in time to explore the yesteryear of the gridiron, and yes, that’s a reference to the Back to the Future Movies.