Wimbledon's Crazy Gang Part 1 – Sports Bizarre
In the mid-1970s, Wimbledon FC were an amateur football side that couldn't afford training cones, so they stole them from the nearby highway. But the club was going about to go on one of the greatest runs of any team in sport, rising from the bottom to the top, and they did it with a crazy owner, manager and a bunch of players who would become known simply as ‘the crazy gang’. If you’d like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus. Click here to join today As a member, you’ll get: A weekly bonus podcast Access to all past episodes Exclusive behind-the-scenes access A fortnightly newsletter Access to the members-only chatroom Ability to vote on future episodes Early access to any live show tickets This story I had to piece together using a lot of different sources but a good overview is The Crazy Gang by Dave Bassett and Wally Downes which aims to set the record straight from two men who were in the Crazy Gang.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
31 Mars 202443min
The Angriest Man in Baseball – Sports Bizarre
Albert Belle could hit a baseball. He could also hit a range of other objects when he got frustrated, from sinks to buffet tables. Joining the hapless Cleveland Indians, he was a big part of turning them around, but he also lost it at fans, teammates, and trick-or-treaters. Belle’s personality of being a jerk, even affected his chances of entering the Hall of Fame, because most journalists who vote for it, just didn’t like him. If you’d like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus. Click here to join today As a member, you’ll get: A weekly bonus podcast Access to all past episodes Exclusive behind-the-scenes access A fortnightly newsletter Access to the members-only chatroom Ability to vote on future episodes Early access to any live show tickets Follow Sports Bizarre on: Instagram Facebook Twitter TikTok YouTube See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
24 Mars 202444min
The Great Babe Didrikson- Part 2 – Sports Bizarre
In part two, Babe Didrikson turns to golf as her next sport to conquer, becoming one of the greatest of all time. She also meets her husband George Zaharias, a professional wrestler, known as the 'Crying Greek from Cripple Creek.' Together, they propel Babe to great heights, help form the LPGA, before Babe faces her toughest battle. If you’d like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus. Click here to join today As a member, you’ll get: A weekly bonus podcast Access to all past episodes Exclusive behind-the-scenes access A fortnightly newsletter Access to the members-only chatroom Ability to vote on future episodes Early access to any live show tickets Follow Sports Bizarre on: Instagram Facebook Twitter TikTok YouTubeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
17 Mars 202431min
The Great Babe Didrikson- Part 1 – Sports Bizarre
Babe Didrikson might very well be the greatest athlete of the 20th century. As a teenager she led her team to the National Basketball Championship, before moving on to the Olympics and became a two-time gold medallist. Baseball was next, playing against the men in the Major Leagues, and that was just the half of it. To make money, she turned to the stage, becoming a star, before deciding to conquer one more sport, golf. If you’d like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus. Click here to join today As a member, you’ll get: A weekly bonus podcast Access to all past episodes Exclusive behind-the-scenes access A fortnightly newsletter Access to the members-only chatroom Ability to vote on future episodes Early access to any live show tickets Follow Sports Bizarre on: Instagram Facebook Twitter TikTok YouTubeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10 Mars 202447min
The Wild Johnstown Jets – Sports Bizarre
In 1977, the movie Slap Shot starring Paul Newman was released about the crazy exploits of a fictional minor league ice hockey team. The plot was so unbelievable the movie flopped but later became a sports classic, partly because all the crazy stories in it were based on a real team, the Johnstown Jets. All the characters in the movie were based on real people, like the three Hanson Brothers, (not the musicians) and their arch-nemesis Bill “Goldie” Goldthorpe. They fought each other, the referees and the fans. This is the story of the Johnstown Jets, one of the strangest teams of all time. If you’d like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus. Click here to join today As a member, you’ll get: A weekly bonus podcast Access to all past episodes Exclusive behind-the-scenes access A fortnightly newsletter Access to the members-only chatroom Ability to vote on future episodes Early access to any live show tickets Follow Sports Bizarre on: Instagram Facebook Twitter TikTok YouTubeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3 Mars 202449min
Michael Jackson visits Exeter City – Sports Bizarre
In 2002, none other than Michael Jackson came to Exeter City's stadium to deliver a speech to the 7,000 fans in attendance. What followed was a rambling speech about curing AIDS, stopping poverty, and for good measure, ending racism. What made this even stranger was that Exeter City were at the bottom of Division Three at the time. Within weeks of his visit, Jackson would be appointed to their board. If you’d like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus. Click here to join today As a member, you’ll get: A weekly bonus podcast Access to all past episodes Exclusive behind-the-scenes access A fortnightly newsletter Access to the members-only chatroom Ability to vote on future episodes Early access to any live show tickets Follow Sports Bizarre on: Instagram Facebook Twitter TikTok YouTubeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
25 Feb 202458min
Taylor Swift & the NFL – Sports Bizarre
With Taylor Swift in Australia, we look at her impact on the NFL and examine other sport/entertainment relationships, like Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe, Posh and Becks, and Denis Rodman and Madonna. If you’d like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus. Click here to join today As a member, you’ll get: A weekly bonus podcast Access to all past episodes Exclusive behind-the-scenes access A fortnightly newsletter Access to the members-only chatroom Ability to vote on future episodes Early access to any live show tickets Follow Sports Bizarre on: Instagram Facebook Twitter TikTok YouTube See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
20 Feb 202458min
The Fine Cotton Affair - Part 2 – Sports Bizarre
After a few legal checks, we can now bring you part two of Fine Cotton, and we didn't even have to change it! When we left you, the horse was bright red, the race was imminent and it all looked like this slow-moving disaster was going ahead. Find out what happens next in this extraordinary tale. If you’d like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus. Click here to join today As a member, you’ll get: A weekly bonus podcast Access to all past episodes Exclusive behind-the-scenes access A fortnightly newsletter Access to the members-only chatroom Ability to vote on future episodes Early access to any live show tickets Resources There is a heap of newspaper reports from the time, and ever since then there’s been interviews galore with many of the main players. That said, there are still a few who have remained very quiet on this topic. The most recent book and the one worth grabbing if you want to dive deeper is The Fine Cotton Fiasco by Peter Hoysted and Pat Sheil. Chance by Andrew Rule also has a chapter on it which is great as all his work is.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
18 Feb 20241h 3min
