Sports History Network

Episode 297 - What Position Should Magic Johnson Play?

Back in 1979, Magic Johnson defied basketball convention. Analysts at the time could not figure out which position he would play when coming to the NBA. Would he play point guard? His dribble wasn’t strong enough. What about power forward? His post game wasn’t strong enough. He was a conundrum that broke the mold of what an NBA point guard should be. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "Take Care" by Julian Avila "Horizons" by Roa SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK sportshistorynetwork.com [https://sportshistorynetwork.com/] sportshistorynetwork.com/podcasts/basketball-history-101/ [https://sportshistorynetwork.com/podcasts/basketball-history-101/] FACEBOOK m.facebook.com/Basketball-History-101-103801581493027/ [https://m.facebook.com/Basketball-History-101-103801581493027/] BUSINESS CONTACT bballhistory101@gmail.com [bballhistory101@gmail.com]

1972 Los Angeles Lakers

Yesterday's Sports is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear [https://sportshistorynetwork.com/]. YESTERDAY'S SPORTS HOME PAGE [https://sportshistorynetwork.com/podcasts/yesterdays-sports-podcast/] EPISODE SUMMARY From 1949 to 1954, the Minneapolis Lakers won five NBA titles. They reached the Finals again in 1959 but lost to the Celtics. The Lakers moved to LA before the start of the 1960-1961 season. They reached the NBA Finals again in 1962 and 1963, but lost to the Celtics both times. They also lost to Boston in 1965, 66, 68, and 69. In 1970, they lost to the New York Knicks. From 1955 to 1971, the Lakers made the postseason every year except in 1958, but they did not win an NBA title. Would 1972 finally be the year? Many doubted it. For starters, forward Elgin Baylor, widely regarded as one of the NBA's best players, retired nine games into the season. Center Wilt Chamberlain was 35 and, while still dominant, was showing signs of slowing down. Guard Jerry West was 33 and returning from a torn knee ligament. Before the start of the season, Bill Sharman, a former Celtics player, was named head coach. The starting lineup featured Chamberlain at center, West and Gale Goodrich at guard, and Jim McMillian and Happy Hairston at forward..... You can read the full blog post here [https://sportshistorynetwork.com/weightlifting/bulgarian-weightlifting]. YESTERDAY'S SPORTS BACKGROUND Host Mark Morthier grew up in New Jersey just across the river from New York City during the 1970s, a great time for sports in the area. He relives great moments from this time and beyond, focusing on football, baseball, basketball, and boxing. You may even see a little Olympic Weightlifting in the mix, as Mark competed for eight years. See Mark's book below. No Nonsense, Old School Weight Training: A Guide For People With Limited Time [https://amzn.to/3kf5MuO] Running Wild: (Growing Up In The 1970s) [https://amzn.to/3snjccy]

Harvey Haddix Perfect for 12 ... and lost, 'Bird steals the ball,' and the NFL and ABC agreed to Monday Night Football - This DiSH for May 26

In 1959, Harvey Haddix pitched 12 innings of perfect baseball but lost it and the game in the 13th. In 1987, Larry Bird stole an Isaiah Thomas inbound pass, found a cutting Dennis Johnson to the basket in a Boston Celtics win in the playoffs. In 1969, the NFL and ABC agreed to put a professional football game on Monday night beginning in 1970.

Ali's Phantom Punch, Babe's Final Homers, and the Worst Soccer Stadium Disaster - This DiSH for May 25

In 1965, Muhammad Ali knocked out Sonny Liston in the first round of their rematch with what many thought was a 'phantom punch.' In 1935, Babe Ruth hit the final home runs of his career when he hit three in a loss at Pittsburgh. His final career homer was belted completely out of Forbes Field, the first time that had happened since it opened in 1909. In 1964, 328 people died in Lima, Peru in the world's worst soccer stadium disaster.

Chuck Bednarik: The Legacy of the NFL's Last Two-Way Player

The Pro Football Time Machine is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear [https://sportshistorynetwork.com/]. EPISODE SUMMARY *********** THE PRO FOOTBALL TIME MACHINE BACKGROUND PRO FOOTBALL TIME MACHINE WEB PAGE [https://sportshistorynetwork.com/podcasts/the-pro-football-time-machine/] Every two weeks, you’ll take a trip with me and Zo-Zo the cat to discover events and people who contributed, each in their own way, to building a league that has become the king of professional sports. Sometimes we will visit an event or star player, but to hopefully bring to light something that has always flown under the radar that is an important part of their story. More often though, we’ll find events and people who’ve been missed by documentaries and books but have stories that need telling. Those are the destinations that are the most fun to discover. Join me, Tom Pollin, and Zo-Zo the cat as we have fun on our journeys. HOST - TOM POLLIN BIO I grew up in the Chicagoland area, Waukegan to be specific and now make my home in Chicago. I’ve been a fan of football, and the Chicago Bears, since I first became aware of the existence of both. Of course, in those years the Bears dwelled at the bottom of the NFL standings but I grew to love the team more as I began to read everything about their storied history that I could get my hands on. The diving into the Bears history spread into a need to know more about the NFL from the times before its birth, through its formation and growing pains, to the present day. Writing and talking about pro football history is a labor of love for me. Since I began writing about the NFL in 2011, I’ve written hundreds of articles on teams, games and opinion pieces but the pieces I’ve written about teams, games and players gone by have been the most satisfying of the work I’ve published.