In season 3 of The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast the theme is "If You're Not First, You're Last!" In this episode, I tell the story of the WWII era merger between the NFL's Steelers and Eagles, a team affectionally called "The Steagles." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 02, 2025•11 min•Season 3Ep. 11
In season 3 of The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast the theme is "If You're Not First, You're Last!" In this episode, I tell the story of Ron LeFlore, the first person to go from jail to becoming a Major League Baseball player, even making the All-Star Team. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 25, 2025•8 min•Season 3Ep. 10
In season 3 of The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast the theme is "If You're Not First, You're Last!" In this episode, I tell the story Hungarian-born Pete Gogolak, the first American football kicker to use the "soccer-style" approach, changing the kicking game forever. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 18, 2025•8 min•Season 6Ep. 9
In season 3 of The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast the theme is "If You're Not First, You're Last!" In this episode, I tell the story of Libby Riddles, the first woman to win the arduous Iditarod sled dog race. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 11, 2025•7 min•Season 3Ep. 8
In season 3 of The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast the theme is "If You're Not First, You're Last!" In this episode, I tell the story of the dawn of professional sports in the United States, exemplified by one Pudge Heffelfinger. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 04, 2025•15 min•Season 3Ep. 7
In season 3 of The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast the theme is "If You're Not First, You're Last!" In this episode, I tell the story of Errol Tobias, the first black to represent South Africa in the face of apartheid playing the sport they value most as a nation: rugby. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 28, 2025•12 min•Season 3Ep. 6
In season 3 of The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast the theme is "If You're Not First, You're Last!" In this episode, I tell the story of Emlen Tunnell, the first African-American to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but that was only after becoming a war hero. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 21, 2025•10 min•Season 3Ep. 5
In season 3 of The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast the theme is "If You're Not First, You're Last!" In this episode, I tell the story of American-born Chad Rowan, who would join the ancient world of sumo wrestling as Akebono and become the first foreign born grand champion, a yokozuna! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 14, 2025•11 min•Season 3Ep. 4
In season 3 of The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast the theme is "If You're Not First, You're Last!" In this episode, I tell the story of Jay Berwanger, the first winner of the Heisman Trophy and the first player taken in the first NFL Draft. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 07, 2025•8 min•Season 3Ep. 3
In season 3 of The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast the theme is "If You're Not First, You're Last!" In this episode, I tell the story of Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon...even though women were not allowed to run. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 28, 2025•12 min•Season 3Ep. 2
In season 3 of The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast the theme is "If You're Not First, You're Last!" In this episode, I tell the story of Moses Malone, the first basketball player in the modern era to go straight from high school to professional basketball. More than a trivia answer, he became a legend! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 21, 2025•13 min•Season 3Ep. 1
In season 2 of The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast the theme is "Unknown Legends" of sport. In this episode, I tell the story of the "Springbok Minyan," the ten Jewish players who have represented the South African national rugby team, one of the best in the history of international rugby. There was an Afrikaner myth that a Jewish player was good luck to have on the team, but is it true? Listen to the last episode of the season and find out! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in...
Mar 22, 2024•27 min•Season 2Ep. 12
In season 2 of The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast the theme is "Unknown Legends" of sport. In this episode, I tell the story of Urban Shocker, a little-known Major League pitcher who had an awesome name, great success but who sadly died too young. One of the last legal spitball pitchers, he toiled in obscurity for the poor St. Louis Browns before finishing his career with the team that cast him away for no good reason at the start of his career. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mo...
Mar 15, 2024•11 min•Season 2Ep. 11
In season 2 of The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast the theme is "Unknown Legends" of sport. In this episode, I tell the story of the first lacrosse team at a historically black college/university: the Morgan State University Bears. This team began with a shoestring budget in1970, but would go on to upset several NCAA powerhouse teams before the team was dissolved in 1981 because of inadequate funding brought on by Title IX mandates. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information...
Mar 08, 2024•18 min•Season 2Ep. 10
In season 2 of The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast the theme is "Unknown Legends" of sport. In this episode, I tell the story of the Herbert "Hurricane" Washington, a track star at Michigan State who became the only designated runner in Major League Baseball History for the dominant Oakland A's. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 01, 2024•8 min•Season 2Ep. 9
In season 2 of The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast the theme is "Unknown Legends" of sport. In this episode, I tell the story of the Pittsburgh Pipers, the first champions of the American Basketball Association who did everything possible to not become a dynasty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 23, 2024•14 min•Season 2Ep. 8
In season 2 of The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast the theme is "Unknown Legends" of sport. In this episode, I tell the story of two amateur goalies who get to play in NHL games as emergency goalies and have their moment in the sun (on the ice, really). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 16, 2024•7 min•Season 2Ep. 7
In season 2 of The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast the theme is "Unknown Legends" of sport. In this episode, I tell the story of Nate Colbert, the first star of the expansion Padres in the late 60's and early 70s who had the best hitting day ever, even besting his childhood idol for a day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 09, 2024•11 min•Season 2Ep. 6
In season 2 of The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast the theme is "Unknown Legends" of sport. In this episode, I tell the story of the English fanatical soccer (football) fan who gets put into a match for his favorite professional club, West Ham United. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 02, 2024•10 min•Season 2Ep. 5
In season 2 of The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast the theme is "Unknown Legends" of sport. In this episode, I tell the story of the Plainfield (NJ) Teachers College, their star running back and their unprecedented 1941 season. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 26, 2024•10 min•Season 2Ep. 4
In season 2 of The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast the theme is "Unknown Legends" of sport. In this episode, I tell the story of Prince Alexander Obolensky, the Russian prince who starred for Oxford University and the English national rugby team during an amazing, but all-too-brief career. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 19, 2024•7 min•Season 2Ep. 3
In season 2 of The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast the theme is "Unknown Legends" of sport. In this episode, I tell the story of Joseph Gaetjens, the Haitian who may have scored the most important goal in United States soccer history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 12, 2024•13 min•Season 2Ep. 2
In season 2 of The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast the theme is "Unknown Legends" of sport. In this episode, I tell the story of Randy Bass, an Oklahoman who became a Japanese baseball legend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 04, 2024•14 min•Season 2Ep. 1
In this episode of the "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast we discuss the 1968-1978 Minnesota Vikings. My co-host this week is Bruce Stone, Minnesota native who comes from a long lineage of suffering Vikings fans. Part 3 of 3. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 04, 2021•49 min•Season 1Ep. 12
In this episode of the "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast we discuss the 1968-1978 Minnesota Vikings. My co-host this week is Bruce Stone, Minnesota native who comes from a long lineage of suffering Vikings fans. Part 2 of 3. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 31, 2021•54 min•Season 1Ep. 11
In this episode of the "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast we discuss the 1968-1978 Minnesota Vikings. My co-host this week is Bruce Stone, Minnesota native who comes from a long lineage of suffering Vikings fans. Part 1 of 3. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 28, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 10
In this episode of the "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast we discuss the 1985-1989 Cleveland Browns. My co-host this week is Jeff Gordon, the labor lawyer, not the NASCAR driver. Part 2 of 2. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 21, 2021•53 min•Season 1Ep. 9
In this episode of the "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast we discuss the 1985-1989 Cleveland Browns. My co-host this week is Jeff Gordon, the labor lawyer, not the NASCAR driver. Part 1 of 2. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 14, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 8
In this episode of the "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast we discuss the 1988-1998 Utah Jazz, a great team who had the bad timing of peaking at the same time as Michael Jordan's Bulls. There is no co-host because I know no Jazz fans. Part 2 of 2. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 07, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 7
In this episode of the "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast we discuss the 1988-1998 Utah Jazz, a great team who had the bad timing of peaking at the same time as Michael Jordan's Bulls. There is no co-host because I know no Jazz fans. Part 1 of 2. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 28, 2021•25 min•Season 1Ep. 6