When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of “When Football Was Football” on the Sports History Network, we are delighted to bring back the unique life, and amazing accomplishments, of one Wilfrid Russell Smith. Smith was the son of a wandering minister, enjoyed playing sports, and eventually accepted a starting sports writing job for the lofty pay of $10 per week. All three of those influences (travel, sports, and writing) helped Wilfrid to become not only an exceptional pro athlete, but also one of the most recognized and influential sports authorities in the world…and he was never shy about traveling around the globe to cover the next big story!

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener.

Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

It was December of 1924 when Big Jim Thorpe of the NFL’s Rock Island Independents decided to escape the harsh, frigid weather of northern Illinois for a post-season gridiron tour of several southern states. The idea seemed promising. Most of his Rock Island teammates would join Thorpe for a leisurely trip to Texas (and beyond) for a series of games against the locals in each of many cities. It would be both relaxing and an opportunity to meander through several warm locations, with a grand finale in tropical Havana, Cuba. Most important, it would be a great opportunity for Thorpe and the players to earn some easy money by playing the game they loved before thousands of adoring fans eager to sample the unknown world (at the time) of professional football!

Unfortunately, none of those promising and attractive ideals came to fruition, except the tour itself…

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener.

Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Every so often, we encounter a football story that just screams to be shared. In this episode of “When Football Was Football” we’ll actually discuss a kicker who, believe it or not, boomed 100-yard punts in practice. Sometimes, there are true stories that just cannot be made up…

Such was the case of punter Harry Ghaul, whose startling back story includes the previously mentioned punting skills, but also a hall-of-fame collegiate football career at a major football university. That type of accomplishment is not necessarily unusual in pro football circles where only the best of the best from the college ranks makes it with the NFL big boys. However, the spectacular college career for Harry Ghaul began AFTER his professional time with the Cardinals.

Let’s begin this unique story of Mr. Ghaul who was born on June 4, 1921......

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Was Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Your Favorite Sport's Yesteryear.

To learn more about this episode, you can check out the page here.

This podcast is part of the Sports History Network.

Music from https://www.purple-planet.com/

This podcast is part of the Sports History Network.

Music from https://www.purple-planet.com/

This podcast is part of the Sports History Network.

Music from https://www.purple-planet.com/

This podcast is part of the Sports History Network.

Music from https://www.purple-planet.com/

This podcast is part of the Sports History Network.

Music from https://www.purple-planet.com/

This podcast is part of the Sports History Network.

Music from https://www.purple-planet.com/

This podcast is part of the Sports History Network.

Music from https://www.purple-planet.com/

This podcast is part of the Sports History Network.

In this episode, we talk about a team considered possibly the worst of all-time.  It was tough in 1944 trying to manage rosters, but the Chicago Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers managed to combine forces for a season.

Music from https://www.purple-planet.com/

This podcast is part of the Sports History Network.

In this episode we talk about a man who played professional football BEFORE he played in college, and later went on to become the only person who coached an NFL team as well as managed a major league baseball team.

Music from https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Stories about unknown or undrafted collegiate players making it big in the NFL, are rare, but always entertaining!

One such case occurred in December of 1953 when Chicago Bears’ assistant coach Clark Shaughnessy was scouting the Blue-Gray all-star game in Montgomery, AL.

A local coach shared that “the best end in this part of the country wasn’t chosen to play in this game.” From the hotel lobby gossip, Shaughnessy learned about a rangy, and unstoppable, big end from Florence State Teachers College (now North Alabama) known as Harlon Hill who was not invited to the game simply because he was from a smaller college. The other coaches who had seen this marvel in person considered Hill a better prospect than any one from the bigger state schools such as Alabama or Auburn.

This guy apparently had super-hero powers on the gridiron and could easily demolish any and all opposition. And yet, during his senior season, with his team running the archaic single wing offense, the talented end captured just 12 passes for 246 yards for the year. By that time, he was a marked man on offense due to his speed and exceptional hands........

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

You can learn even more about the story of Motts Tonelli - From the NFL to Bataan on the episode page from When Football Was Football.

Music: https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

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WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Was Football is part of the Sports History Network, the headquarters for your favorite sport's yesteryear.  Learn more about the Sports History Network and When Football Was Football here.

 Music:https://www.purple-planet.com

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Who is Art Folz, and why is he one of the most notorious villains in NFL history that you never heard about?

On this episode of “When Football Was Football” we’ll introduce you to Mr. Folz who was banned from the NFL for his unwitting attempt to be helpful, but then became the godfather of stock car racing in Chicago, and later a successful newspaper publisher. It’s a complicated story, but one that demonstrates the importance of not being in the wrong place at the wrong time! During his NFL career, Mr. Folz, unfortunately, was in the wrong place at the wrong time and was banned for life. What the heck did he do?

Let’s start at the beginning…

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

The episode recounts the story of World War II hero Edward "Butch" O'Hare and his gangster-affiliated father. Butch O'Hare, an American naval aviator, displayed extraordinary courage and skill by single-handedly taking down five enemy bombers threatening his ship, the USS Lexington, an act that earned him the Medal of Honor in 1942.

His father, Edward O'Hare, despite being a lawyer and one of the directors of the Chicago Cardinals football team in the 1930s, was also a partner of infamous gangster Al Capone. Edward was murdered in what appeared to be a mob hit in 1939, but was later revealed to have secretly helped the government convict Capone on tax evasion charges.

Butch O'Hare's untimely death came in 1943 when he was lost in aerial combat. His heroism and legacy are commemorated in the naming of the O'Hare International Airport in Chicago.

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

From a personal standpoint, I truly love the game of football…and to write about it. At times, it’s easy to slip back in time during my research of pro football topics to be captivated by some obscure player or fact from the history of the game itself. A few minutes searching for verification on a specific topic can quickly turn into hours as the stories and legends seem to spin off and blossom. One of these obscure searches was prompted by my interest in determining the identity of the youngest player to ever play in the National Football League and I’ll share that discovery on this episode of “When Football Was Football” here on the Sports History Network.

EPISODE SUMMARY

This episode covers some of the greatest moments in Chicago Cardinal Christmas history.

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

Historian Joe Ziemba Shares Stories of Some Pieces of his Chicago Cardinals Memorabilia Collection. The History comes to life when you see period pieces from when Chicago had two NFL teams.

Join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website and the Sports Jersey Dispatch to see even more Positive football news! Sign up to get daily football history headlines in your email inbox @ Email-subscriber

Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well don't, because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website.

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

On November 6, 1927, a few thousand of his closest friends gathered to honor Chicago Cardinals’ lineman Willis Brennan. But Willis Brennan was much more than a football player. In fact, if you consider some of the landmark events of Chicago in the 1920s, chances are Willis Brennan was there…such as the birth of the NFL in 1920, Red Grange’s first professional game in 1925, the infamous Leopold-Loeb murder case, and the gang wars on the south side of Chicago. For Brennan was not only a respected gridiron giant, he was also one of Chicago’s finest.....

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Before player drafts, salary caps, and heck, even before the National Football League, we had the Cardinals! On this episode of “When Football Was Football,” we’ll chronicle the very first season of the NFL’s oldest team—the Arizona Cardinals. Along the way, we’ll discover some surprising facts about the early activities of the club.

Back in 1899, things were different in the virtually unknown world of pro football. Rules were different, rosters were unsettled, and player payments were both sparse and irregular.

But it was in 1899 that the team we know today as the Arizona Cardinals emerged as a rag-tag neighborhood club that played its first games with no uniforms, very little padding, and certainly minimal recognition. If we were to boldly state that the players played for the love of the game, that statement would be very, very accurate.....

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

No one knew it existed. But suddenly, there it was: a dusty, withered document, that brought a quick end to a daring rivalry, disrupted an NFL team’s plans for an economic revival, and may have even saved the NFL. That was then, but six decades later, no one knows where this incredibly valuable manuscript is hiding.

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Bidwill was the founder of the Chicago Bluebirds professional softball team and was also the co-founder of the National Girls Baseball League (NGBL) which began in 1944 with all teams based in Chicago. Many of the games were played at Charley’s own Bidwill Stadium, located at 1975 East 75th Street on the south side of Chicago.

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL HOME PAGE

EPISODE SUMMARY

Throughout the history of professional football, every so often you might notice a club roster that is so strong, so impressive, and so very talented, that you just could not anticipate anything less than total success for that specific team.

This may have been the case with the 1931 Chicago Bears, a squad that featured no less than four future Hall of Famers in Red Grange, Bronko Nagurski, Link Lyman, and George Trafton. Despite this wealth of talent, the Bears stumbled to a good, but not great, 8-5 record, finishing in just third place in the final standings of the National Football League. This was before the league was divided into two divisions and there was no playoff system in effect, so that last game was indeed the end of the season......

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener.

Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Remember the infamous “Spygate” scandal from a few years ago? As a reminder, one prominent NFL team was severely penalized for allegedly, and illegally, filming another team’s defensive signals from an on-field camera during a game, thus offering the offending club a significant offensive advantage.

On this episode of “When Football Was Football” we’ll dance around the “Spygate” scandal from 2007-2008 and zoom back to one of the original NFL spying controversies in 1934. Back in 1934, this particular scandal involved the Chicago Bears and the Chicago Cardinals, the only two remaining original league members.

Things could certainly be tough when two NFL teams who really didn’t like each other were not only in the same town, but also for a time, shared the same field! Such was the case for the Bears and the Cardinals during the 1930s.

Although the teams traditionally operated out of the north side (Bears) and the south side (Cardinals), both clubs counted Wrigley Field as their home base beginning in 1931. During this program of “When Football Was Football,” we’ll examine not only the unusual scheduling procedures that were in place when two NFL teams shared the same field, but also how the close-knit atmosphere contributed to growing suspicions of “spying” between the two local squads.

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of “When Football Was Football” we’ll look back at a battle between the two rivals that has largely been erased from the record books despite the game being played under the lights on Wednesday, October 17, 1934 at State Fair Park in Milwaukee, WI.

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of “When Football Was Football,” we’ll look closely at the arrival of the original Chicago Bulls back in 1926. Unlike the NBA champions of almost 70 years later, these Bulls were formed to participate as members of the newly formed American Football League. And the creation of that team sent shock waves through the existing pro football establishment in Chicago.

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Something didn’t look right…

It was the morning of December 28, 1947, 75 years ago today, and both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Chicago Cardinals were preparing for their eagerly awaited NFL title game at Comiskey Park in Chicago.

Despite the presence of 18 tons of hay being used to cover the field in the week before the game, the turf had quickly become frozen overnight once the hay was removed the day before. After surveying the scene prior to the game, Cardinals coach Jimmy Conzelman ordered his players to wear gym shoes, to hopefully secure better traction on the field. Would that work on the frozen tundra more commonly known as the south side of Chicago?

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

Author and historian Joe Ziemba of the When Football was Football Podcast joins us to discuss the 1996 Rose Bowl game between USC and Northwestern. The people, plays, and great stories associated with the 70th Rose Bowl Game. Joe has a fantastic book on Chicago area pro football titled Bears versus Cardinals, that is an excellent piece of reading for any fan of football history!

Join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website and the Sports Jersey Dispatch to see even more Positive football news! Sign up to get daily football history headlines in your email inbox @ Email-subscriber

Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well don't, because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website.

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

As we continue our tribute to the 1947 Chicago Cardinals NFL championship, we head back to December 27, 1947, the day before the title game with the Philadelphia Eagles at Comiskey Park in Chicago.

Absolutely no one gave the Eagles a chance in this game, except, perhaps Cardinals’ coach Jimmy Conzelman who was overly cautious in his approach to the title contest: “We keep hearing that we’re two-touchdowns better. That’s all out of line.

Anybody who saw the Eagles beat Pittsburgh last Sunday knows that they should not be a two-touchdown underdog to any team. That Steve Van Buren is a terrific runner, give him an inch and he’ll go all the way.

And their passer, Tommy Thompson, has a better percentage of completions than our Paul Christman. How can people say those things, that we’re so much better?”

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

The 74th Rose Bowl between USC and Michigan State was a fun game. Joe Ziemba of the When Football was Football Podcast joins us to discuss the game played in early January of 1988.

Join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website and the Sports Jersey Dispatch to see even more Positive football news! Sign up to get daily football history headlines in your email inbox @ Email-subscriber

Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well don't, because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website.

Author and historian Joe Ziemba of the When Football was Football Podcast joins us to discuss the 1984 Rose Bowl game between UCLA and Illinois. The people, plays, and great stories associated with the 70th Rose Bowl Game. Joe has a fantastic book on Chicago area pro football titled Bears versus Cardinals; that is an excellent piece of reading for any fan of football history!

Join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website and the Sports Jersey Dispatch to see even more Positive football news! Sign up to get daily football history headlines in your email inbox @ Email-subscriber

Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well don't, because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website.

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

They called them “Cinderellas”—a couple of previously woebegone National Football League teams that had never been to the big ball-- more commonly known as the NFL Championship game. Since the NFL staged its first “playoff” in 1932—due to a tie in the standings—neither the Philadelphia Eagles nor the Chicago Cardinals had ventured into the annual battle for pro football’s top prize. By 1933, the separation of league clubs by division led to the natural creation of a yearly skirmish for the overall NFL title.....

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

It was a long week—and a long wait—for the Chicago Cardinals as the club waited for an Eastern Division playoff result to determine which team would play the Cardinals for the 1947 NFL championship.

And now, 75 years ago to the day, we continue our mini-series on the 1947 Chicago Cardinals championship quest here on the Sports History Network. After handily defeating the Chicago Bears 30-21 on December 14 to grab the Western Division title, the Cardinals learned that Pittsburgh and Philadelphia were deadlocked atop the Eastern Division and the aforementioned playoff would be held in Pittsburgh on December 21......

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

GET A 7-DAY FREE TRIAL TO NEWSPAPERS.COM TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS TOPIC AND MANY MORE SPORTS HISTORY MOMENTS FROM THE TIMEFRAME OF WHEN THEY OCCURRED.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Since the Arizona Cardinals are the NFL’s oldest team, with roots extending back to 1899, there are many examples of unusual plays, strange accomplishments, and perhaps odd statistics! Most of this stuff has been relegated to history, and remains hidden on yellowed newspapers or dusty microfilm. In other words, once the game or experience is over, we’re likely never to hear about these occurrences again.

As the months and years pass, the information becomes buried, if not simply forgotten. And many of these brief situations that were once in the spotlight soon completely fade, and probably deserve that fate!

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener.

Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

How does a team adequately prepare for an NFL title game? Even more, so, how does a club prepare itself for the biggest game of the season when the name of the opposition is not yet known?

Such was the case for the Chicago Cardinals 75 years ago today on December 18, 1947. As the winners of the Western Division of the National Football League after a stirring 30-21 win over the Chicago Bears, the Cardinals were forced into an idle period of two weeks prior to the title game due to the Eastern Division winner of the NFL still needing to be determined.....

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

With all of the hype now delivered and the big day finally arriving, we’ll take you back to December 14, 1947 when the Bears and the Cardinals met in Chicago to determine the NFL’s Western Division championship. It had already been an unusual decade for both teams. Each organization survived the horrors of World War II and moved forward to this glorious day. For the Bears, another appearance in a championship game was expected. After all, the team under George Halas had already captured four NFL titles during the 1940s.....

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

With the NFL Western Division title on the line, both the Bears and the Cardinals continued their pre-game preparations for that upcoming contest 75 years ago today. By Saturday, December 13, 1947, both teams were confident in their game plans and overall preparation for the battle to be held on December 14 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. With both clubs checking in with 8-3 records, only the winner would move forward to the upcoming NFL championship clash against the still-unknown Eastern Division champ......

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

Author, historian, and football history podcaster Joe Ziemba joins us to discuss the history surrounding the 1942 Rose Bowl Game. A contest not played in Pasadena.

Join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website and the Sports Jersey Dispatch to see even more Positive football news! Sign up to get daily football history headlines in your email inbox @ Email-subscriber

Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well don't, because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website.

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

As you may recall from our previous episode in this new mini-series that chronicles the 1947 Chicago Cardinals championship run, the Cards had nearly blown their opportunity to contend for the 1947 NFL title.

After compiling a 7-1 record and facing two dreary opponents, the Cardinals shocked the NFL world by dropping two straight to fall behind the Chicago Bears in the western division race. But then, the Cards managed to dispatch the Eagles 45-21 on December 7, 1947, while the Bears were surprised by the Rams. We now move to December 10, 1947 with both teams deadlocked with 8-3 records and with just one game remaining on the schedule…against each other!

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

As we kick off our bonus coverage of the 1947 Chicago Cardinals championship run, we begin with a mid-season stumble that nearly cost the Cards any shot at the championship.

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of “When Football Was Football’” Joe Ziemba previews his latest book, “Bears vs. Cardinals: The NFL’s Oldest Rivalry,” and shares some of the stories that are included within the book.

The recent release of the book by McFarland Publishing coincides with the 75th anniversary of the last NFL championship won by the Cardinals in 1947. As such, Ziemba will also launch of series of podcasts on the Sports History Network looking back at key games and events from December of 1947 to honor that last Cardinals’ title.

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

Our friend historian, podcaster, and author Joe Ziemba joins us to tell the tale of a Rose Bowl game that Chicago legends George Halas and Paddy Driscoll played in in 1919. 

Join us at the Pigskin Dispatch website and the Sports Jersey Dispatch to see even more Positive football news! Sign up to get daily football history headlines in your email inbox @ Email-subscriber

Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well don't because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website.

Thanksgiving Day, 1924. The recently-established tradition of the University of Pittsburgh Panthers football team hosting the Pennsylvania State Nittany Lions on the afternoon of the national autumnal holiday continues.

Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer is sent to cover the Pitt-Penn State “Keystone Classic” of 1924; in so doing, he discovers a throughline of the football-on-Thanksgiving tradition going back to 1621 (okay, actually, that’s going back to 1869) and reminds us that high-level football games on Thanksgiving are nearly as old as the official Thanksgiving holiday itself.  

Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer is an audio drama podcast from Number 80 Productions and the Sports History Network.

Thanksgiving and Football (or maybe Vice Versa) script & story by Os Davis.

Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer stars Doug Fye, Ilona Fye, and Eric Bodwell. Thanksgiving and Football (or maybe Vice Versa) co-stars, in order of appearance, Caedmon Holland, Forrest Hartl and Wayne Brett.

Additional direction by Eric Bodwell. Sound recording and primary editing by Don McIver.

The theme song of Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer is “the Dayton Triangles Rag” and was arranged and performed by Bruce Smith. 

Other tracks in this episode include

•  “Jazz Club” by Kriss (available through fair-use agreement via FreeMusicArchive.org);

•  “Litany of the Street” by Silverman Sound Studios;

•  “Bimini Bay” (1921) by the Benson Orchestra of Chicago; and

•  “Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer (Outro)” by David Liso of Dynamo Stairs.

Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer is produced by Os Davis and Darin Hayes. Series concept by Darrin Hayes.

Stay tuned for more episodes of Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer – coming soon!

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Some may claim that Chicago has a bad reputation…and not necessarily just in football! Much of this aura stems from the glorified gangster days of the 1920s and 1930s when Al Capone and his cohorts ruled the Chicago area underworld. These were not nice people, but Capone attempted to position the reality of his local status by claiming to be just another businessman. He offered help to the needy and opened soup kitchens to help feed the hungry during the early days of the Great Depression......

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

As usual during the staging of the Summer Olympics, numerous stars are born, discovered, and revered forever based on their gold-medal winning performances. World-wide coverage of the numerous events is eagerly followed by millions and many of the champions quickly become household names. Recognition, riches, and honor quickly follow, although not necessarily in that order!

But did you know that a member of the Chicago Cardinals football team was once an Olympic gold medal winner?

Of course, you might think that this would certainly be the great Jim Thorpe, a Cardinal for just one game in 1928, since he won the gold medal in both the decathlon and the pentathlon at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. But that would be too obvious…

Later, halfback/sprinter Ollie Matson of the Cardinals grabbed both bronze and silver medals while representing the United States during the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. Lots of well-deserved medals for Ollie, but no gold…

Yet there was one other Cardinal who achieved Olympic fame when he was the gold medalist in the decathlon at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. Thousands cheered him, Knute Rockne once called him “the greatest,” but very few today have ever heard his name.......

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener.

Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Most NFL football games played almost 100 years ago, where two teams with losing records opposed against each other would all but be forgotten by our current generation. Especially when no one famous made a debut or set some kind of long-standing record. A game at Chicago’s Comiskey Park on November 9, 1924, where the Chicago Cardinals hosted the Dayton Triangles is one of those games in this forgotten genre. We at the Sports History Network, just like you, our faithful listeners and readers, love the history of athletics no matter what the case. Hey, this is the Headquarters of Sports Yesteryear, after all!

We found it to be an interesting game because with having SHN partners who are among the top historians of the Triangles (Bruce Smith) and the Cardinals (Joe Ziemba), along with the talented writing and acting crew of Orville Mulligan: Sportswriter, that we can bring back to life this seemingly lost contest of so long ago. Join us in this presentation of NFL history as Darin Hayes of Pigskin Dispatch hosts experts Bruce, Joe, and the Orville Mulligan ensemble to creatively tell the tale of the Dayton at Chicago game of 1924.

Thanks to:

Joe Ziemba of Sports History Network’s, “ When Football was Football Podcast”

Bruce Smith of Sports History Network’s “ “Triangles: The Life and Times of an NFL Original Team”

As well as some of the fine music “Dayton Piano Rag” which was created and performed by Bruce Smith

Special recognition to our actors from Orville Mulligan: Sportswriter audio drama segments are:

FREDDIE CARSON (radio announcer) - Caedmon Holland

ORVILLE - Doug Fye

Also, the great writing and producing of Mr. Os Davis are evident. Find more episodes on SportsHistoryNetwork.com, at OrvilleMulligan.com, or your favorite podcast provider.

Special Thanks to the Football History Dude, Arnie Chapman for allowing us to hijack his feed!

For feedback on this episode contact Darin Hayes at PigskinDispatch@gmail.com

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Tuesday, October 18, 1938, was one of the most unique days in the history of Hammond, IN.

Nestled in the northeast corner of the state, the solidly blue-collar metropolis of Hammond is actually closer to downtown Chicago than many of the windy city’s far-flung suburbs. Yet as close as it resides to Chicago, the two cities are worlds apart.

On this episode of “When Football Was Football,” here on the Sports History Network, we’ll return to that night in Hammond when both George Halas and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt visited at the same time and both were competing for the attention of the local residents!

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Perhaps the best recollection, in my humble opinion, was a run that Trippi of the Chicago Cardinals made in the 1947 NFL championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Working on a frozen field at Chicago’s Comiskey Park, the Cardinals switched to gym shoes before the game in an effort to secure better traction on the unforgiving turf.

Trippi scored twice that day to lead the Cardinals to a 28-21 victory over the Eagles, but it was his dazzling performance on a punt return that left the Philadelphia defenders in a shambles. How bad was the field you may ask? Reporter Art Daley of the Green Bay Gazette wrote: “They [the players] staggered around like 22 drunken men in a dark alley!”

Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.

WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUND

Each episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener. Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.

Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy

When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL

Music for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/