Revisiting Disco Demolition Night on its 40th Anniversary (Podcast)

July 12, 2019 By Leave a Comment

“Disco Stu does not advertise,” but I do. The Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast is back with episode number three, centering on Disco Demolition night. Part of the Hammer & Rails Podcast Network, which is under the SB Nation umbrella, the latest edition of LGWS is the most popular episode yet, with 4,150+ listens and counting!

And why not? It is a classic tale of a baseball promotion that worked “too well.” The Chicago White Sox drew too many people, and the event got too much “notoriety” as it was an absolutely cataclysmic night at the old ballpark back in 1979.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Entertainment/Media, History, MLB

Most Memorable Merica and MAGA T-Shirts Seen at Indianapolis 500

May 27, 2019 By 1 Comment

american-flag-star spangled banner

As has been well documented, especially so on this site, the patriotism gets ramped up to jingoism and then some at the Indianapolis 500 every year. Actually take that jingoism and square it, no wait- take it to the tenth power.  On one hand, we get it- this site’s colors are red, white and blue for a reason.

It is the nation’s biggest Memorial Day weekend gathering, as it draws over 300,000 people each year. On the other hand, come on- spare us the native advertising for the armed services; sponsored by Chevrolet. People showed up for an auto race, not a recruiting pitch, and certainly not for more Chevy ads.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Entertainment/Media, History, News and Current Events, Politics, Social Issues

Purdue Football’s First Coach, Albert Berg, Coached One Game and Made $1

May 21, 2019 By Leave a Comment

albert berg

The first head football coach in Purdue history was a man named Albert Berg, who coached the team to an 0-1 record in the inaugural 1887 season. He was paid $1, which is about $25 in today’s money to do so. The result was not good for Purdue, as they lost to Butler 48-6.

Still Albert Berg was an incredibly talented and unique man who overcame the obstacle of deafness. Yes, he was able to become Purdue’s first ever football coach despite being deaf.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: College Football, History, Purdue Boilermakers

Danny Rose: Tottenham Star Makes Comments About Race We Must All Hear

April 6, 2019 By Leave a Comment

danny rose

Tottenham Hotspur and England star Danny Rose has given some candid commentary on the issue of race in contemporary world football that we all need to pay attention to. Rose has said that the ugly racism ever present in the beautiful game is so abominable that it makes him look forward to the days when his playing career is behind him.

Danny Rose also said the fines levied against teams when their supporters engage in racist behavior is so low that it’s on par with what he spends for a night on the town in London. Rose’s comments are making waves in media outlets all over the world, but the question is- will anything change?

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Football/Soccer, History, News and Current Events, Politics, Social Issues, Tottenham Hotspur

World Series of Poker Celebrates Golden Anniversary in 2019

March 6, 2019 By Leave a Comment
poker

The World Series of Poker, which commences on May 29th and runs until July 16th, turns 50 this year. Yes, the ultimate pinnacle and pantheon for poker players everywhere on Earth celebrates its golden anniversary at the Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas; where it’s been staged every year since 2005.

It’s all capped off by the 2019 World Series of Poker main event- the poker’s world championship, which runs from July 3rd until the final day on July 16th. For those who can’t make it to Vegas, the ESPN family of networks will televise portions of it, every single night of the event’s duration.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Entertainment/Media, History

Help Free the New York Knicks: The Declaration of Knickdependence

February 27, 2019 By 1 Comment

 

By Nick Coker

Occasionally turning points occur in human history that will permanently alter the course of the future. Whether these occurrences are improbable weather events, technological advancements, conflict or diseases that incur untold casualties  – things that once were considered impossible or non-existent occur or come to life and have such an impact that our very understanding of the way the world works and what is possible, changes forever.

Nicholas Taleb coined these moments ‘Black Swans’ for the black swans discovered on the west coast of Australia. Prior to their discovery the prevailing thought was that only white swans existed.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, History, NBA

Revisiting “Let’s Ram It,” the L.A. Rams Sexually Suggestive 1986 Music Video

January 30, 2019 By Leave a Comment

With the Los Angeles Rams now back in the Super Bowl, it’s the perfect time to revisit their 1986 music video “Let’s Ram It,” which didn’t exactly specialize in the art of subtlety.

Remember, when the L.A. Rams recorded this monstrosity it was a very different time and political climate. When the Rams moved back to L.A. a couple of years ago, the internet’s virtual time capsule was dug up and “Let’s Ram it” was written about in several different publications.  [Read more…]

Filed Under: Entertainment/Media, Fashion, History, NFL, Social Issues Tagged With: , , , ,

How Notre Dame Became the “Fighting Irish,” 1924 Beatdown of the KKK Largely Contributed

December 29, 2018 By 2 Comments

notre-dame-football

In just 12 days time, the #3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish will play in the Cotton Bowl, one of this season’s two national semifinal contests, against the #2 Clemson Tigers. If the Fighting Irish, double digit underdogs, manage to pull off the massive upset they will play the winner of Alabama-Oklahoma for the national title.

It’s a historic moment for Notre Dame, their first College Football Playoff appearance. “Oh, it’s going to decide a true national champion, there’s no doubt about that,” Notre Dame Coach Brian Kelly said at the on-campus Playoff Media Day this past Saturday.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: College Football, History, Notre Dame, Politics, Social Issues, The Fight Games

In Die Hard, What Christmas Eve Bowl Game has Notre Dame vs USC?

December 23, 2018 By Leave a Comment

die hard christmas movie

This weekend begins the bowl season, and with it the crappy bowl games that very few of us care about. Saturday brings us a cadre of bowl games that are just as awful as whatever bowl game hosted Notre Dame and USC in the classic Christmas film “Die Hard.”

The total number of bowl games has multiplied at an absurd rate these past few decades, but one truth still remains- real bowl games don’t start until after Christmas, and for the most part well after Christmas. Genuinely desirable bowl games still adhere to tradition, and take place on New Year’s. (For a preview of #14 Notre Dame vs #17 LSU go to this link)

[Read more…]

Filed Under: College Football, Entertainment/Media, History, Notre Dame

Rube Waddell: Story of the Most Heroic, Egregious Idiot in Cubs History

December 21, 2018 By Leave a Comment

rube waddell

George Edward Waddell, or as history as called him Rube Waddell, was born on a Friday the 13th and passed away on an April Fool’s Day. In between he lived a life that was well, covered just about everything one could hope to do. Like so many great American heroes he was taken from us too young; passing at the age of 37.

As my co-host on “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” Travis Miller said- we like to think that the reason he died so young was because he really had nothing else left to do. Here at this link, as well as in the embedded file below, we recap the highlights of Rube Waddell’s life in LGWS 7, on the Hammer & Rails podcast network.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Chicago Cubs, History, MLB

Ryan Leaf EXCLUSIVE: Former QB Opens Up About His Addiction and Recovery

November 29, 2018 By Leave a Comment

In the first college football game I attended as a student, the visiting team scored an 80-yard touchdown pass on the very first play from scrimmage. The visitors, Washington State, would go on to win and play in the Rose Bowl against that year’s eventual national champions, Michigan. The home team, my alma mater of Illinois, wouldn’t even win a single game that year.

More than 20 years later, I’m sitting in a Cadillac Escalade, rolling down Chicago’s Michigan Avenue and the quarterback who threw that 80-yard TD pass, Ryan Leaf, is now granting me an exclusive interview; and the topic of football is ancillary to the purpose of our discourse.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: College Football, History, News and Current Events, NFL, NFL Draft, Social Issues

Michigan and Ohio’s Toledo War of 1835, and the Frostbitten Convention

November 19, 2018 By 11 Comments

toldeo-war

This week is rivalry week in college football. Which conjures up memories of the Toledo War and the Frostbitten Convention.

This weekend brings awesome games with cool names like “The Iron Bowl” (Alabama-Auburn) and “The Holy War” (BYU-Utah). But only one of these rivalry games can claim an actual war in the history of its geographic region. That’s the Michigan Wolverines vs. the Ohio State Buckeyes, or “The Game,” as it’s called.

The Toledo War is one of the many reasons ESPN Classic is running a marathon of past tOSU-UM games today.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: College Football, History, Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State Buckeyes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Next Page »