451.5: The 1970s - With Michael MacCambridge [ARCHIVE RE-RELEASE]

451.5: The 1970s - With Michael MacCambridge [ARCHIVE RE-RELEASE]

[While Tim runs up and down the East Coast this week to take in some World Cup knockout matches in person, please enjoy this ARCHIVE RE-RELEASE of our tribute to pro sports' most innovative decade - with award-winning sports history chronicler Michael MacCambridge - from 2023.] + + + After an absence of over six years and more than 300+ episodes, sportswriter extraordinaire Michael MacCambridge ("Lamar Hunt: A Life in Sports [https://amzn.to/3PYUSuV]"; "America's Game: The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation [https://amzn.to/3rXeckg]"; "Chuck Noll: His Life's Work [https://amzn.to/3QinJvK]") makes his triumphant return to the podcast - this time to celebrate the release of his brand new, instant sports history classic, "The Big Time: How the 1970s Transformed Sports in America [https://amzn.to/45xyWwL]." It's just about everything you'd expect from the author of what is arguably the most definitive look yet at the decade that undeniably shaped the modern trajectory of sports in America - including (of course) a bevy of challenger leagues, defunct teams, one-of-a-kind events that only the Seventies could produce! + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: * Buy Us a Coffee [https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable]: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable [https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable] * The "Good Seats" Store [http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY]: http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY [http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY] BUY THE BOOK: * "The Big Time: How the 1970s Transformed Sports in America [https://amzn.to/4f93VHv]": https://amzn.to/4f93VHv SPONSOR THANKS: * Old School Shirts.com [https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats] (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats [https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats] * Royal Retros [https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2] (10% off promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2 [https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2] FIND AND FOLLOW: * Linktree: https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable [https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable] * Web: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ [https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/] * Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com [https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com] * X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill [https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill] * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable [https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable] * Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable [https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ [https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ [https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/]

451: Baseball's History By Design - With Todd Radom

Baseball history is often told through championships, statistics and the tales of legendary players. Todd Radom sees it differently. One of sports' foremost designers, branding experts and visual historians, Radom has spent decades exploring the artifacts that tell baseball's deeper story: logos, uniforms, ballparks, scorecards, mascots and the countless details that connect generations of fans to the game they love. In this episode, we discuss Radom's fascinating career [https://www.toddradom.com/about] and his latest book, "The Ballpark and Beyond [https://amzn.to/4oJLlsO]," a richly illustrated celebration of baseball's people, places and enduring culture. Along the way, we explore forgotten franchises, legendary ballparks, Negro League dynasties, baseball's ties to American history, and the surprising stories hidden in plain sight throughout the sport. Through Radom's unique lens, baseball becomes more than a sport — it becomes a living archive of American culture. The result is a wide-ranging exploration of the people, places and forgotten connections that continue to give the national pastime its remarkable depth and texture. + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: * Buy Us a Coffee [https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable]: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable [https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable] * The "Good Seats" Store [http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY]: http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY [http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY] BUY THE BOOK: * "The Ballpark and Beyond: An Illustrated Celebration of Baseball's Rich History [https://amzn.to/43SZdHB]": https://amzn.to/43SZdHB SPONSOR THANKS: * Old School Shirts.com [https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats] (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats [https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats] * Royal Retros [https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2] (10% off promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2 [https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2] FIND AND FOLLOW: * Linktree: https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable [https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable] * Web: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ [https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/] * Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com [https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com] * X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill [https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill] * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable [https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable] * Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable [https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ [https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ [https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/]

450: NASCAR Champions - With Herb Branham & Holly Cain

From Red Byron's pioneering 1949 title to the modern playoff era, NASCAR's Cup Series championship history is really the story of the sport itself: its birth on the dirt tracks of the South, its rise through the Petty, Earnhardt, Gordon and Johnson dynasties, and its continuing evolution into today's faster, tighter, more unpredictable championship battles. This week, we dig into that legacy with a conversation centered on "NASCAR Champions: Every Cup Series Champion from 1949 to Today [https://amzn.to/4fM6Kza]," the new illustrated book by H.A. Branham and Holly Cain. Built as a chapter-by-chapter tour through every Cup champion, the book blends vivid photography, historical sidebars and insider commentary to show how each title, whether won by a legend or a one-time champion, helped shape the sport's identity. Along the way, we talk about what separates the truly great champions from the merely memorable, how the championship format has changed the meaning of "best driver," and why the Cup title has always carried a weight that extends far beyond the trophy itself. + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: * Buy Us a Coffee [https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable]: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable [https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable] * The "Good Seats" Store [http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY]: http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY [http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY] BUY THE BOOK: * "NASCAR Champions: Every Cup Series Champion from 1949 to Today [https://amzn.to/4fM6Kza]": https://amzn.to/4fM6Kza SPONSOR THANKS: * Old School Shirts.com [https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats] (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats [https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats] * Royal Retros [https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2] (10% off promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2 [https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2] FIND AND FOLLOW: * Linktree: https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable [https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable] * Web: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ [https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/] * Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com [https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com] * X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill [https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill] * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable [https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable] * Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable [https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ [https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ [https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/]

449: Nine World Cups, One Changing World - With Simon Kuper

For billions of people around the globe, the FIFA World Cup is the ultimate sporting event. But what does the tournament reveal about the world beyond the pitch? This week, we welcome Financial Times journalist and New York Times bestselling author Simon Kuper to discuss his latest book, "World Cup Fever: A Soccer Journey in Nine Tournaments [https://amzn.to/3QcEsmO]." Drawing on more than three decades of firsthand reporting from World Cups spanning Italy 1990 to Qatar 2022, Kuper reflects on how football's greatest spectacle has evolved — and what that evolution says about politics, culture, globalization, nationalism, media, money, and power. Far more than memorable matches and legendary players, we explore the World Cup as a unique lens through which to view modern history itself. Kuper recounts his experiences covering tournaments staged amid political upheaval, examines FIFA's transformation from a relatively modest governing body into a global commercial powerhouse, and reflects on the growing tensions between football's grassroots appeal and the immense corporate and geopolitical forces that now surround the game. Along the way, we discuss how World Cups have served as stages for dictators and democracies alike, why the tournament remains one of the few truly shared global cultural experiences, and whether the event has become more accessible — or more distant — from the ordinary fans whose passion fuels it. + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: * Buy Us a Coffee [https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable]: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable [https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable] * The "Good Seats" Store [http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY]: http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY [http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY] BUY THE BOOK: * "World Cup Fever: A Soccer Journey in Nine Tournaments [https://amzn.to/3QcEsmO]": https://amzn.to/4dV2SKN SPONSOR THANKS: * Old School Shirts.com [https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats] (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats [https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats] * Royal Retros [https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2] (10% off promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2 [https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2] FIND AND FOLLOW: * Linktree: https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable [https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable] * Web: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ [https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/] * Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com [https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com] * X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill [https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill] * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable [https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable] * Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable [https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ [https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ [https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/]

448: "A Life's Calling" - With Horse Racing Track Announcer Tom Durkin

For more than four decades, Tom Durkin's voice was synonymous with the biggest moments in horse racing. From the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes to the Breeders' Cup and Saratoga, his soaring calls helped transform great races into unforgettable theater. But as Durkin reveals in his new memoir, "A Life's Calling: The Voice Behind the World's Greatest Horse Races [https://amzn.to/435AJus]," the story behind the microphone is every bit as compelling as the action on the track. In this wide-ranging conversation, Durkin reflects on an extraordinary journey that began as a horse-racing-obsessed kid riding Chicago's "L" train to Arlington Park and eventually led him to become the most recognizable race caller of his generation. Along the way, he recounts the unlikely lie that launched his career, the grind of the minor-league fair circuit, and the national breakthrough that put him on racing's biggest stages. But this episode goes beyond just racing history. Durkin offers a fascinating look inside the craft of live sports broadcasting, discussing the college theater training that shaped his style, the famous "Mayor Daley" notebook where he collected thousands of descriptive phrases, and the relentless preparation that fueled his success. He also speaks candidly about the fear of failure, self-doubt, and anxiety that shadowed his career — even at its highest peaks — and how those challenges ultimately became part of what drove him. Replete with stories about iconic races, vanished racetracks, broadcasting innovation, and a lifetime spent pursuing excellence, this conversation is both a celebration of one of sports' great voices and a revealing examination of the work, passion, and perseverance required to become one. + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: * Buy Us a Coffee [https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable]: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable [https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable] * The "Good Seats" Store [http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY]: http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY [http://tee.pub/lic/RdiDZzQeHSY] BUY THE BOOK: * "A Life's Calling: The Voice Behind the World's Greatest Horse Races [https://amzn.to/435AJus],": https://amzn.to/435AJus SPONSOR THANKS: * Royal Retros [https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2] (10% off promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2 [https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2] * Old School Shirts.com [https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats] (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats [https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats] FIND AND FOLLOW: * Linktree: https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable [https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable] * Web: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ [https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/] * Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com [https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com] * X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill [https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill] * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable [https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable] * Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable [https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ [https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ [https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/]