Jim Thorpe – “The World’s Greatest Athlete” – Part 1 (Olympic Gold)

Upton Bell Interview - Part 2 Note - This is part 2 of a 3-part series, diving into Upton's place in Baltimore Colts history.  If you did not listen to part 1, I highly suggest you listen to last week's episode about how it was for Upton growing up with Bert Bell first. This episode we fire up the DeLorean and head back to October 11, 1959, the day Bert Bell passed away in front of his 2 teams at Franklin Field.  We talked about this during the Bert Bell episode, and we left last week's episode off with this untimely death, forcing Upton Bell to make a decision about his future.  In this episode, we find out what Upton did next, and how that decision ended up shaping the rest of his life.  The story is told through the experiences of Upton Bell. Here you can find the dedicated Upton Bell page. Upton is the son of the First Great Commissioner of the NFL - Bert Bell.  He joins us to share stories from his book: Present at the Creation - My Life in the NFL and the Rise of America's Game.  Upton's book walks you through a journey in the history of the NFL unlike anyone else can. He had a first-hand glimpse of the beginning of the NFL when he was the son of Bert Bell, the first Great Commissioner.  Upton was at a crossroads when his father passed away and ended up working for the Baltimore Colts and the Great Don Shula.  He was the youngest GM in the NFL at the time when he took over for the then, Boston Patriots.  He later owned the Charlotte Hornets, a World Football League organization.  And as if that wasn’t enough of a diverse background, he worked his way into the media as a sportscaster. Oh, by the way, he interviewed some of the greatest people in the nation at the time.  Some include George HW Bush, Bill Clinton, and Stephen Hawking.  This is the 10,000 Eagle Eye View of Upton’s life, and there’s no way I could do it justice, so let’s get down to the nitty-gritty.  So without further ado, I present to you, Upton Bell.  So, strap on your seat belt, and let’s get ready to take this baby up to 88mph. Upton Bell Book - Present At The Creation Note - As an affiliate, I earn a commission on qualifying purchases. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.  There was never a dull moment, and I highly suggest you pick it up.  The interview is a 3-part series, but it would take triple that to cover everything in this book (maybe more).  It's mostly a chronology of Upton's life.  The book starts at the beginning, giving you an inside look into why Bert Bell was considered the First Great Commissioner.  Then it walks you through his days with the Baltimore Colts, on to the craziness of the disorganized "Boston" Patriots, up to his time as an owner in the WFL, and then as a broadcaster.  Of course, there's plenty more in between. This is the movie Upton talked about during this episode that gives you an idea of Baltimore Colts history and what the team meant to the city.  He said it gives you a good...

12 Kesä 201936min

Upton Bell Interview - Part 1 This episode we fire up the DeLorean and head back to April 15, 1904, the birthdate of Frances Upton.  Frances is the mother of this week's guest, Upton Bell.  The Football History Dude podcast happened to release on April 15, 2018, so there's a premonition going on here.  You will find out in the episode how Frances Upton and the podcast are linked in the upcoming 100th season of the NFL.  The story is told through the experiences of Upton Bell. Here you can find the dedicated Upton Bell page. Upton is the son of the First Great Commissioner of the NFL - Bert Bell.  He joins us to share stories from his book: Present at the Creation - My Life in the NFL and the Rise of America's Game.  Upton's book walks you through a journey in the history of the NFL unlike anyone else can. He had a first-hand glimpse of the beginning of the NFL when he was the son of Bert Bell, the first Great Commissioner.  Upton was at a crossroads when his father passed away and ended up working for the Baltimore Colts and the Great Don Shula.  He was the youngest GM in the NFL at the time when he took over for the then, Boston Patriots.  He later owned the Charlotte Hornets, a World Football League organization.  And as if that wasn’t enough of a diverse background, he worked his way into the media as a sportscaster. Oh, by the way, he interviewed some of the greatest people in the nation at the time.  Some include George HW Bush, Bill Clinton, and Stephen Hawking.  This is the 10,000 foot Eagle Eye View of Upton’s life, and there’s no way I could do it justice, so let’s get down to the nitty-gritty.  So without further ado, I present to you, Upton Bell.  So, strap on your seat belt, and let’s get ready to take this baby up to 88mph. Upton Bell Book - Present At The Creation Note - As an affiliate, I earn a commission on qualifying purchases. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.  There was never a dull moment, and I highly suggest you pick it up.  The interview is a 3-part series, but it would take triple that to cover everything in this book (maybe more).  It's mostly a chronology of Upton's life.  The book starts at the beginning, giving you an inside look into why Bert Bell was considered the First Great Commissioner.  Then it walks you through his days with the Baltimore Colts, on to the craziness of the disorganized "Boston" Patriots, up to his time as an owner in the WFL, and then as a broadcaster.  Of course, there's plenty more in between. Tweet Connect with the show: Visit the show notes for this episode Visit me on the web - my about page Contact the show Follow me on Twitter <a...

5 Kesä 201936min

Matthew Algeo Interview - Part 2 This episode we fire up the DeLorean and head back to December 26, 1943, and we are at Wrigley Field to watch the 1943 NFL Championship game between the Washington Redskins and the Chicago Bears.  We learned a little about this game back in the episode about Bronko Nagurski.  The reason this moment is so important is that Bronko was called back to the NFL after the league was decimated from players leaving for the war. We also left off at this point in the story with our guest riding shotgun with us in the DeLorean on last week's episode.  His name is Matthew Algeo.  If you did not listen to Part 1 of the interview, I highly suggest you do that first.  Matthew is an award-winning journalist that has reported from four continents.  His stories have appeared on public radio’s All Things Considered, Marketplace, and Morning Edition. Here you can find the dedicated Matthew Algeo page. He is the author of five books, and the topic of this episode is Last Team Standing - How the Steelers and the Eagles - The STEAGLES - Saved Pro Football During World War II.  This book won the 2006 Nelson Ross Award from the Pro Football Researchers Association, which recognizes his outstanding achievement in pro football research and historiography.  In this episode, we get to learn about the creation of the STEAGLES up through the end of the season, and the next episode will be the remainder of the Matthew Algeo interview. You can pick up any of Matthew's books through the following Amazon links.  Note - As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.  Let’s just say these books are obscurely intriguing, and if you have an inquisitive mind that gets sucked into thought-provoking stories, then I suggest you check out his work.  But without further ado, I present to you, Matthew Algeo. So, strap on your seat belt, and let’s get ready to take this baby up to 88mph. Matthew Algeo Books Last Team Standing: How the Steelers and the Eagles—"The Steagles"—Saved Pro Football During World War II Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America's Favorite Spectator Sport The President Is a Sick Man: Wherein the Supposedly Virtuous Grover Cleveland Survives a Secret Surgery at Sea and Vilifies the Courageous Newspaperman Who Dared Expose the Truth <a...

29 Touko 201945min

Matthew Algeo Interview - Part 1 This episode we fire up the DeLorean and head back to December 7, 1941, and we are in the parking lot of New York Giant’s Polo Ground.  We also have a passenger riding shotgun with us.  His name is Matthew Algeo.  Matthew is an award-winning journalist that has reported from four continents.  His stories have appeared on public radio’s All Things Considered, Marketplace, and Morning Edition. Here you can find the dedicated Matthew Algeo page. He is the author of five books, and the topic of this episode is Last Team Standing - How the Steelers and the Eagles - The STEAGLES - Saved Pro Football During World War II.  This book won the 2006 Nelson Ross Award from the Pro Football Researchers Association, which recognizes his outstanding achievement in pro football research and historiography.  In this episode, we get to learn about the creation of the STEAGLES up through the end of the season, and the next episode will be the remainder of the Matthew Algeo interview. You can pick up any of Matthew's books through the following Amazon links.  Note - As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.  Let’s just say these books are obscurely intriguing, and if you have an inquisitive mind that gets sucked into thought-provoking stories, then I suggest you check out his work.  But without further ado, I present to you, Matthew Algeo. So, strap on your seat belt, and let’s get ready to take this baby up to 88mph. Matthew Algeo Books Last Team Standing: How the Steelers and the Eagles—"The Steagles"—Saved Pro Football During World War II Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America's Favorite Spectator Sport The President Is a Sick Man: Wherein the Supposedly Virtuous Grover Cleveland Survives a Secret Surgery at Sea and Vilifies the Courageous Newspaperman Who Dared Expose the Truth Abe & Fido: Lincoln's Love of Animals and the Touching Story of His Favorite Canine Companion Connect with the show: Visit the show notes for this episode Visit me on the web - my about page Contact the show <a...

22 Touko 201937min

Tweet This episode we fire up the DeLorean and head back to a time when Americans were just trying to survive on the homefront while troops were fighting overseas against the Axis.  Supporting the war effort can take a toll on people, including owners of NFL teams.  League rosters were decimated.  The Cleveland Rams folded operations.  The Eagles and Steelers were close.  It took a marriage between 2 inter-state rivals for a season back in 1943 to help save the NFL from going extinct.  This team was unofficially called THE STEAGLES.  So, strap on your seat belt, and let’s get ready to take this baby up to 88mph.   GET YOUR FOOTBALL HISTORY DUDE MERCHANDISE HERE!!!!   Connect with the show: Visit the show notes for this episode Visit me on the web - my about page Contact the show Follow me on Twitter Subscribe on YouTube Promotions: FREE ENTRY TO DRAFTKINGS AMAZON MUSIC UNLIMITED FREE TRIAL AMAZON PRIME FREE TRIAL FREE AUDIOBOOKS FROM AUDIOBOOKS   Read Full Transcript   Are you interested in sharing your favorite football moment on the show?  This is your chance to share your story with all my listener’s. Click here to share your favorite football moment LINKS FROM THE SHOW NFL Films - The Story of the Steagles The Steagles - An Unforgettable 1943 Season Remember When - Philly and Pittsburgh Merged to Form Steagles ESPN - World War II STEAGLES to be Honored         Please enter your name. Please enter a valid email address. Mash This Button to Subscribe to the Newsletter Something went wrong. Please check your entries and...

15 Touko 201920min

Tweet This episode we fire up the DeLorean and head back to a time when watching the NFL on television sets would have been considered Voodoo magic.  That all started to change on October 22, 1939.  On this day, the Philadelphia Eagles would square off with the Brooklyn Dodgers in what may have seemed like a typical NFL game. This was not the case, though.  NBC struck a deal with the NFL to broadcast the first televised NFL game on this day.  So, strap on your seat belt, and let’s get ready to take this baby up to 88mph.   GET YOUR FOOTBALL HISTORY DUDE MERCHANDISE HERE!!!!   Connect with the show: Visit the show notes for this episode Visit me on the web - my about page Contact the show Follow me on Twitter Subscribe on YouTube Promotions: FREE ENTRY TO DRAFTKINGS AMAZON MUSIC UNLIMITED FREE TRIAL AMAZON PRIME FREE TRIAL FREE AUDIOBOOKS FROM AUDIOBOOKS   Read Full Transcript   Are you interested in sharing your favorite football moment on the show?  This is your chance to share your story with all my listener’s. Click here to share your favorite football moment LINKS FROM THE SHOW NFL Operations - Impact of Television Pro Football Hall of Fame - The 1930s and the First Televised Game Ballparks of Baseball - Ebbets Field YouTube - Inside the Control Room YouTube - The Greatest Game Ever Played - Top Overtime Finish       Please enter your name. Please enter a valid email address. Mash This Button to Subscribe to the Newsletter Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

8 Touko 201921min

Tweet This episode we fire up the DeLorean and head back to a time when ESPN was not a juggernaut.  The network had just launched a few months prior, and the President of the newly minted network devised a brilliant plan with then-Commissioner Pete Rozelle to televise the NFL Draft.  Lem Barney was given the honor of being the first ever player drafted on live television.  As we know, the NFL Draft and ESPN would have a very fruitful future, but we have to go back to that first one to understand how we got to where we are today.  So, strap on your seat belt, and let’s get ready to take this baby up to 88mph.   GET YOUR FOOTBALL HISTORY DUDE MERCHANDISE HERE!!!!   Connect with the show: Visit the show notes for this episode Visit me on the web - my about page Contact the show Follow me on Twitter Subscribe on YouTube Promotions: FREE ENTRY TO DRAFTKINGS AMAZON MUSIC UNLIMITED FREE TRIAL AMAZON PRIME FREE TRIAL FREE AUDIOBOOKS FROM AUDIOBOOKS   Read Full Transcript   Are you interested in sharing your favorite football moment on the show?  This is your chance to share your story with all my listener’s. Click here to share your favorite football moment LINKS FROM THE SHOW The Fantasy Football Wire - My Favorite Moment Owen Canfield Article - NFL Draft Telecast A Neat Experiment NFL Operations - Impact of Television NFL - Draft Picks That Have Been Stripped Away NFL - 1980 Draft Selections   Please enter your name. Please enter a valid email address. Mash This Button to Subscribe to the Newsletter Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1 Touko 201924min

Tweet This episode we fire up the DeLorean and head back to 1936 to witness the first NFL draft.  Times were different for the players and owners pre-draft era.  Some say the NFL draft saved professional sports because it helped balance the leagues.  Others say the birth of the NFL draft was a major turning point in the explosion of the NFL.  The draft was the brainchild of the first great NFL Commissioner and former owner of the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers.  You can learn more about him in the Bert Bell episode.  For now, it's time to take you back to that first NFL draft, and I'll clue you into a secret.  There's a major twist at the end.  So, strap on your seat belt, and let’s get ready to take this baby up to 88mph.   GET YOUR FOOTBALL HISTORY DUDE MERCHANDISE HERE!!!!   Connect with the show: Visit the show notes for this episode Visit me on the web - my about page Contact the show Follow me on Twitter Subscribe on YouTube Promotions: FREE ENTRY TO DRAFTKINGS AMAZON MUSIC UNLIMITED FREE TRIAL AMAZON PRIME FREE TRIAL FREE AUDIOBOOKS FROM AUDIOBOOKS   Read Full Transcript   Are you interested in sharing your favorite football moment on the show?  This is your chance to share your story with all my listener’s. Click here to share your favorite football moment LINKS FROM THE SHOW Florida Focus Podcast - Favorite Football Moment Pro Football Hall of Fame Timeline - The NFL Draft NFL Operations - The Rules of the Draft SB Nation - 1st Ever NFL Draft Chicago Tribune - First NFL Draft in 1936 The Atlantic - The History of the NFL Draft <a...

24 Huhti 201924min