Sports History 101

The 1960 USA Men's Hockey team was a talented group of amateurs that were completely underrated at the Squaw Valley Winter Olympics and expected to finish close to last in the nine-team field. Completely undeterred, the team set to work taking down every opponent in their path on their way to Olympic glory and what is now known as the "Forgotten Miracle."

The first NBA All-Star game was in 1951 and it has been a spectacle from the beginning. The game has seen multiple iterations from the player selection to the expansion to a full weekend of events and activities. However, at the end of the day, it is still just an exhibition game. An exhibition game that is the most well marketed of any out there.

Eddie The Eagle was the first and most memorable British ski jumper that has ever competed in the Olympics, mostly because Brits don't ski jump. He participated as the only British ski jumper in the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics and through his performance was launched into history as the athlete who "made it look difficult" and had results to show it. Nevertheless, he was the British record holder until 2001 but again, Brits don't ski jump so take that as you will.

The Epic in Miami was an AFC Divisional playoff game played between the San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins on January 2, 1982. It was a hot and muggy day in the Orange Bowl but the 74,000 fans in attendance were treated to one of the best games in the history of the NFL so maybe they didn't mind so much.

The players and owners relationship in MLB has always been rough and it reached its peak in the 1994 season causing the longest labor strike in professional sports history (to that point) that lasted into the 1995 season. The strike happened for so many reasons, much like the lockout that is currently going on in the sport, so listen in for what caused and how the 1994-95 strike resolved(ish).

All-American teams have been around for over 130 years and more teams seem to keep popping up every year. Did you know that Edgar Allan Poe was an college football All-American? Not that Edgar Allan Poe, but he was related to him. Listen in to learn more than you probably need about the history of All-Americans and who can pick them.

The Seattle SuperSonics were a storied NBA franchise but in 2008, they were moved to Oklahoma City when a new ownership group took over. The process was ugly and the city still awaits their basketball teams return. Here's how it happened.

The 2002 Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 team was a dominant force. Drivers Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello drove the F2002 to perfection and ran away with nearly every race on the calendar. Their performance was unparalleled and set many records en route to victory.

In the 1910s it would cost you $585,000 to buy a Major League Baseball franchise. In the 2010s, it would cost you over $1 billion. The value that is placed on entertainment has grown exponentially over time and sports are at their core, entertainment. Regardless of public perception that baseball is a thing of the past, the sport keeps making money, pulling in $10.4 billion in revenue for 2019. How did it get there? We break it down.

The New York Metropolitans were the laughing stock of MLB in the 1960s. In 1962, their first season of play, the team set a modern record with 120 losses and the succeeding six years were not much better. However, among those losing seasons, important pieces were acquired by the team which allowed for the sudden success of the 1969 season. Managed by Gil Hodges and led by pitchers Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman, the Mets fortunes completely changed in 1969, leading to what many refer to as a miracle. Kick up your feet and have a listen.

Brandi Chastain was a member of the U.S. Women's National Team and is responsible for one of the most iconic moments in U.S. sports history. Tied 0-0 with China in the 1999 World Cup Final, down to their last penalty kick, the U.S. hopes rested on Chastain, and the rest is history. Born in San Jose, she set records on the field all across the Bay Area and empowered women everywhere while helping raise women's sport to a new level. Sit down and have a listen.

The promotion and relegation system has been used in English soccer for over 130 years to great success. The English football system has built a pyramid of over 140 leagues, with the Premier League at the top, that are all interconnected. As the best teams moving up to new leagues with their success to play with better competition, called promotion, the worst teams are penalized by being dropped down to lower leagues, called relegation. The system has endured since 1892 and serves as one of the most interesting competitive balance measures in sports. Listen in.

The Hartford Whalers started in Boston before moving to Connecticut and remaining a part of the NHL until 1997. The Whalers had some success on the ice and built a loyal fanbase but what they are most well known for is their iconic whale tale logo that remains one of the most sought after marks of any former franchise in sports to this day. The team played its last game over two decades ago but nonetheless they are far from forgotten.

Slammin' Sam Snead was a country boy from Virginia who had the smoothest swing on the PGA Tour and could hit the ball a mile for decades. Snead not only set course and tournament records left and right, he was so dominant for so long that he amassed over 165 professional wins, including 94 on the PGA Tour (if you dispute that fact, you are mistaken) ranging from 1936-65. Snead is hands down one of the greatest golfers to ever grace the course.

The Continental Basketball Association started in 1946, the same year as the NBA, and brought basketball to small town USA all throughout the country. Introducing brand new rules, league standings systems and providing a springboard for hundreds of players to make it to the NBA. American basketball history cannot be told without mentioning the CBA so sit back and educate yourself on the longest running basketball league in U.S. history not named the NBA.

College football in the 1990s could not be written without the unbelievable success that the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team had during that era. They had multiple great teams but none better than the 1995 team that put up ridiculous numbers against every single opponent in route to cementing their spot as the greatest team in the history of college football by most accounts. Didn't know anything about it? Pull up a chair.

Nancy Lopez took the LPGA by storm as a rookie in 1978 and quickly became the face of women’s golf with her dominant play and fantastic personality. To this day she is one of the most prominent female athletes in the sports landscape, supporting charities and advocating for underserved groups. Listen in.

Jack Buck was the voice of the St. Louis Cardinals for decades and is one of the most recognizable broadcasters in the history of baseball. Hear about his story from Holyoke, Mass. to WWII to the Cardinals radio booth.

The Jack Ramsay led 1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers team played some of the most beautiful basketball that has graced the hardwood. Bill Walton was the focal point of the team and in tandem with Maurice Lucas were a deadly one-two punch. The underdog team was not expected to succeed but that never stopped Portland from proving everyone wrong.

Nolan Ryan or "The Ryan Express" is a hall of fame pitcher and the strikeout king of MLB. His 27-year career is unparalleled on many accounts and the Texas right-hander is one of the best to ever take the mound. Have a listen.

What is the All-America Football Conference? The AAFC was the first competition for the NFL and put up a good fight in the 1940s, bringing new innovations to the sport of football and eventually changing the landscape of the NFL forever. Intrigued? You should be.

The Arizona Diamondbacks were the up and coming team in 2001, just four years into their existence in Major League Baseball. The team had a great one-two punch in their rotation and a number of quality bats in their lineup. Their success and the rest, is history.

Hear about the life and times of one of the greatest athletes to ever step onto a football field, Herschel Walker.