PODCAST · sports
How Gear Changed the Game
by How Gear Changed the Game
Discover the untold stories of how sports wouldn’t be what they are today without the gear used to play it. While legendary coaches and players have influenced sports, single innovations and inventions of gear have also had a significant impact on the evolution of games we love. This sports docu-podcast uncovers forgotten pages of history to reveal the ripple effect of change caused by a single piece of gear, and how that change can still be seen in the game today.
Episodes
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Pole Vault - Fiberglass & World Record Pace
How a new material shook up pole vaulting at unprecedented pace, and changed the sport into what it is today. As of August 2024, the world record height is 20ft 6in. It took 40 years for that record to grow by a foot (19ft 5 3/4"in record set in 1984). But from 1960-1963 the world record also…
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Quartz Bunkers at The Masters
What do golf and microchips fueling the AI revolution have in common? The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club….well ok their common ground is a place even more unique than Augusta. This episode talks about sand that is more than just sand. That pure white sand is mostly quartz and comes from a...
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Tom Dempsey's Boot
The boot of Tom Dempsey changed football. In more than one way. Hear how a boot and a big boy named Tom changed the record books, the rulebooks, and the playbooks of the NFL in this episode of How Gear Changed the Game. You can find this boot in the pro football hall of fame and boy is it a sight...
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Bootin’ Ben’s Special Boot
Kicking would be NOTHING like it is today without this special shoe made for a mutilated foot. Ben Agajanian made kicking a specialized role instead of it being an extra duty for players who had other things to do. Thus he completely reimagined how kicking was utilized in football. By the 1960s,...
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Belly Putters
Placebo Effect or True Unfair Advantage? Belly putters met their official demise in 2016 with the rollout of USGA Rule 14.1b (now rule 10.1b). The putters themselves aren’t banned but the way they’re used, anchoring, is. And rule changes aren’t the only effect belly putters have had in the game…
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The Putter That Stole the Show: 1986 Masters
They were saying "The Golden Bear" had entered hibernation, and maybe for good. Jack Nicklaus was at another crossroads of his playing career, and going into the 1986 Masters there were other PGA golfers who questioned whether Jack would be able to win any tournament again, let alone The Masters....
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Curved Hockey Sticks
When the hockey stick changed its shape, it shaped change in the game of hockey. This episode explores all the effects that the curved hockey stick had once it became common in the 1960s. Who were the originators, who fought against them, and how did the hockey world react? You'll be surprised to...
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Bob Romanski, Equipment Manager for the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders
Bob Romanski and John Miranda of the Las Vegas Raiders Equipment Staff join the show to talk about gear, change, and all of the work that goes into preparing their team for practices and games. Mr. Romanski is a 2nd generation equipment manager in the NFL. He's been doing this since he was a kid...
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Football Helmets: Foam, Fame, & new Standards
OJ Simpson walks into a courtroom....no, not THAT courtroom. A different trial. One in 1970. His strange appearance as a surprise witness in a civil suit about a football helmet creates a huge change in the sporting goods industry and the game of football. This episode covers the arms race that...
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Football Helmets: Facemasks
The story of the facemask is one of change brought about by change. Plastic helmets change blocking and tackling, which brings about a need for facial protection. We explore an extreme case of change at Baylor where a small football player is using his team's new helmets to make big hits. This...
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Football Helmets: WWII & the Oklahoma Drill
Just when sales of Riddell's innovative plastic football helmet were about to skyrocket in 1941, America entered the war. Variations of Riddell's helmet would be heading into combat as well. This episode explores the role of the football helmet in the victory of the US and their allies in World…
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Football Helmets: Tenite & the T
The end of the leatherhead era. A new type of plastic leads to a new type of helmet and a new brand of football. This episode explores the beginnings of the plastic helmet, and how this harder helmet enables the emergence of a newer, harder brand of playing football. At the end of the 1930s,...
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Football Helmets: Genesis
Exploring how the role of the football helmet in the evolution of football. Starting with the context of needing helmets in the first place. The humble beginnings of football and how rule changes, a flying wedge, and the threat of "instant insanity" brought about the first models football head...
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Trailer & Primer
Introducing a sports docuseries exploring the role equipment plays in the change, evolution, and outcomes of the sports we love. This episode details what the series will be covering and expands on the concept of "How Gear Changed the Game". It's sports history, stats, science, technology, and…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Discover the untold stories of how sports wouldn’t be what they are today without the gear used to play it. While legendary coaches and players have influenced sports, single innovations and inventions of gear have also had a significant impact on the evolution of games we love. This sports docu-podcast uncovers forgotten pages of history to reveal the ripple effect of change caused by a single piece of gear, and how that change can still be seen in the game today.
HOSTED BY
How Gear Changed the Game
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does How Gear Changed the Game have?
How Gear Changed the Game currently has 14 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is How Gear Changed the Game about?
Discover the untold stories of how sports wouldn’t be what they are today without the gear used to play it. While legendary coaches and players have influenced sports, single innovations and inventions of gear have also had a significant impact on the evolution of games we love. This sports...
How often does How Gear Changed the Game release new episodes?
How Gear Changed the Game has 14 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to How Gear Changed the Game?
You can listen to How Gear Changed the Game on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts How Gear Changed the Game?
How Gear Changed the Game is created and hosted by How Gear Changed the Game.
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