The Untold History of Sports in America

This past weekend, Argentina, led by Messi, in what could have been his final World Cup appearance, lost to Spain 1-0. It was a crushing loss, one that, understandably, left Messi looking more reflective and appreciative than full of joy. Ok, now let’s rewind to 2022. Messi won the World Cup and, in the midst of his elation, the look on his face shifted from unbridled happiness to perplexed discomfort. The kind of face Curb Your Enthusiasm has made famous over the years. That’s because, in Messi’s biggest moment, surrounded by teammates and being watched by millions around the world, he had his moment stolen by an internet celebrity. Salt Bae, the internet’s most infamous social media chef, grabbed the trophy and somehow made Argentina’s, and Messi’s, World Cup win about himself. Welcome to REAL DEAL! I’m Tony Reali, and I’m so happy you’re here. Today we’re diving into a moment that felt like a cross between a Mad Lib and a fever dream. Helping us make sense of it all is The Athletic’s Nick Miller, who has covered Messi and his dealings with Salt Bae extensively. It all boils down to one question: Was Salt Bae inserting himself into Messi’s celebration the most hijacked moment in sports history? Let me know what you think in the comments. Subscribe for new episodes of REAL DEAL every Tuesday. Watch on YouTube or listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On episode #14, Timbo is joined by Bryce Young, Keelon Russel and Kewan Lacy in Oregon at Nike "The Opening".  Follow @timbosliceoflife12 on TikTok. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's Sports Slice, Timbo is joined by NFL players Jamal Adams and Jerry Jeudy in Oregon. Jamal and Jerry discuss what its like to be back on campus, they give one tip they'd share with the next generation, and talk about the players they looked up to when they were in high school. Follow @timbosliceoflife12 on TikTok. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1966, England hosted the FIFA World Cup, an incredible honor and landmark moment for English football. Just one problem: someone made off with the cup itself just weeks before the start of play. How can you have a global tournament with no prize? How can England save face? Enter Pickles, the pooch with a nose for sirloin and purloined goods. Check out Ridiculous Crime wherever you're getting your podcasts these days. Thanks to Zaron, Elizabeth, and Producer Dave for letting us share this one!   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Episode 001 of REAL DEAL! I’m Tony Reali, and I’m so happy you’re here. Every episode starts with one unforgettable sports moment, and together we relive the feeling to figure out why it still matters. For this first episode, Olympic champion and legendary broadcaster Rowdy Gaines joins me to revisit his unforgettable call of the 2008 Olympic 4x100 freestyle relay, where Jason Lezak chased down Alain Bernard and in the process kept Michael Phelps’ dream of eight gold medals in one Olympic Games alive. The moment still cracks me open. But it also raises a bigger question: Was this the greatest teammate moment in sports history? Let me know what you think in the comments. Subscribe for new episodes of REAL DEAL every Tuesday on YouTube. You can also listen on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's Sports Slice, Timbo is joined by TikTok creator and college athlete Paige Putter to break down all things FIFA World Cup. Paige also fills us in on her lifestyle as a creator, athlete, and student.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's Sports Slice, Timbo begins discussing the crazy World Cup finishes and then wonders where the parade would be if the United States won the whole thing. Then he talks about the sad news revolving around the diagnosis of former NFL star Chris Johnson. Timbo wraps weighing in on the Brandon Sorsby situation and the latest controversies in the WNBA.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In June 1970, Dock Ellis of the Pittsburgh Pirates somehow tossed a no-hitter while tripping on acid. The LSD stunt made him a legend, but it overshadowed a much deeper story: a man who spent the second half of his life searching for redemption, purpose, and a way to help others escape the same darkness that once enveloped him.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On episode #9, Timbo begins with his reaction to Brendan Sorsby entering the NFL Supplemental Draft - what does that mean for his future and which teams are likely to take a chance on him? Then he discusses the New York Knicks winning the NBA Championship. Later, he shares his take on Caitlin Clark's new shoe, the World Cup, and as always, THE SLICE OF UNBELIEVABLE.  Listen to Sports Slice wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On episode #8 of Sports Slice, Timbo opens up sharing his take on the Knicks-Spurs series and the electric environment in New York and then he talks about the Patriots-Eagles trade that finally sent AJ Brown to New England. Timbo also weighs in on the drama surrounding Texas Tech and their QB Brendan Sorsby.  Listen to Sports Slice wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On episode 3 of Sports Slice, Timbo is joined by Aida Bakhos, an international pro, who talks about what it takes to build a career across borders, and what it actually means to chase the game across the world. Timbo is then joined by Val Whiting, a former WNBA Star turned mental performance coach, opening up on the pressures athletes face, the mental side of the game, and what it takes to last at the highest level. Listen to Sports Slice wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What really happens when a college QB enters the transfer portal? Akron quarterback Ben Finley pulls back the curtain, sharing the pressure, the uncertainty, and the moments that defined his journey. Finley gets real about life inside modern college football, including what it was like lining up alongside rising talent Fernando Mendoza. Timbo also jumps in with reactions to a wild NFL Draft, where the Rams stunned everyone by taking Ty Simpson, while Garrett Nussmeier slipped all the way to the Chiefs in the 7th round. Plus: We serve up the Slice of Unbelievable moment of the week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our final episode, Matt Andrews explores how athletes have protested in the modern era, from Craig Hodges' direct plea to President Bush to Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem. Those protests, just like similar ones before it, were criticized by some Americans who told those athletes to "shut up and dribble." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why do we sing the National Anthem at sporting events? Is patriotism part of sports? Matt Andrews explains how American sports have been intertwined with national tragedies over the last century, including September 11th.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Baseball, Cycling, Golf....why are we so obsessed with athletes cheating? Matt explores this question through the stories of Lance Armstrong and Tiger Woods.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Women's soccer began to take off in the U.S. in the 1990s, culminating in the frenzy surrounding the 1999 World Cup and one of the greatest female athletes, Mia Hamm. Matt tells that story and explains how a sports bra created a controversy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Andrews tells the story of one of the greatest athletes of all time, Michael Jordan, and how his relationship with Nike changed the world of sports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 1980s, white athletes for some Americans came to represent white excellence in a sports world dominated by black athletes. Matt Andrews illustrates this through the stories of three white sports legends-NBA player Larry Bird, boxer Gerry Cooney...and fictional fighter Rocky Balboa.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Soviets and Americans both hosted the Olympics in the 1980s.  Matt Andrews explains that the fraught political situation of the time spilled into the Games, including boycott threats and fallout from a shot-down commercial airplane. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before the 1970s, the average American stopped exercising after their high school days in gym class. But with modern technology came sedentary lifestyles and rising health issues. Matt Andrews breaks down the beginnings of the American fitness boom and how the jogging craze was partly about the need to feel in control.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We won't spoil which movie Matt Andrews declares the "greatest," but he feels pretty strongly about it. And that's because it's the first of its kind to be brutally honest. Hint: It's not Hoosiers.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When President Nixon signed Title IX into law in 1972, the goal was achieving gender equality and fairness in education. But it led to a women's revolution in sports, with high school and collegiate participation for women soaring in the 1970s-1990s. Matt Andrews explains the complicated story of Title IX, including a famous naked protest and the debate over its impact.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's the age of women's athletic revolution, with female athletes battling on the field for equality and respect. Nothing encapsulates that more than the 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs.  Matt Andrews tells the story of the "Battle of the Sexes." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Andrews tracks the evolution of professional football in America, from the origins of the Super Bowl to the celebrity of the New York Jets' Joe Namath. He rejected norms and challenged how a professional athlete can act off the field  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists on the podium of the 1968 Olympic Games, it reverberated across both the political and sports worlds. Matt Andrews delves into the unrest that led black athletes to take a stand at the Olympics, including the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During the Cold War, black athletes were touted on the world stage by the U.S. as proof that the American system was superior. But soon, some of them chose to speak out politically against their country, and they were led by Muhammad Ali. Matt Andrews explains Cassius Clay's journey to  "The Louisville Lip" and The People's Champ.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Olympic Games served as a theater for the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, competing to answer the question, who has the better system for maximizing human potential? Matt Andrews delves into these Games, and how they helped to propel black female American athletes and the Presidential Fitness Test.         See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier as a Brooklyn Dodger. He and his family received death threats, teammates signed a petition refusing to play with him, and he was trained to ignore racist taunts from the crowd. Matt Andrews explores Robinson's career, his impact on American history, and the hidden cost of integration in sports.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Andrews explores the legacy of professional boxer Joe Louis, one of the first black athletes that many white Americans supported. Andrews also talks about the 1936 Olympic Games, where Hitler's racist goals were refuted by the performances of American black athletes like Jesse Owens. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Briskly performed housework was considered an acceptable form of exercise for women in the 19th century.  Matt Andrews lays out the journey for women in sports, including the bicycle craze of the 1890s, the mother of women's basketball, and the other Babe in American sport history: Mildred "Babe" Didrikson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 1920s, sports writers and agents sold Americans on larger-than-life heroes, athletes that people could live through vicariously while celebrating their "rags to riches" backgrounds. Matt Andrews tells the story of two men that embodied the American dream and became sports legends: Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the last episode, Matt Andrews covered the disaster that was the first U.S.-held Olympics. Today, he discusses one of the most famous American Olympic athletes, Jim Thorpe. Andrews explains how Thorpe redefined what an American athlete looked like and embodied the fight against amateur sports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Olympic Games were revived for the modern era in the late 1800s, setting the stage for the U.S. to host for the first time in 1904. Matt Andrews details how those Games are responsible for several fiascos-including a human zoo, the death of four water polo players from bacteria-filled water, and the grim origins of the hot dog.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sports are a presence in Americans' daily lives. But it wasn't always that way. Today, Matt Andrews explains how basketball was invented at the YMCA, why gym class is called Physical Education, and how sports were used to Americanize immigrants. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Andrews tells the story of legendary boxer Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight champion, and how he triumphed in arguably the most significant sporting event in American history.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For 100 years, if you wanted to gauge the access Black Americans had to the American Dream, you could look to how black athletes were treated in sports. In our seventh episode, Matt Andrews explores how successful black jockeys and black cyclists were pushed out by their white competitors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our last few episodes, Matt Andrews covered horse racing, baseball, and boxing. Are you ready for some football? Let's talk about the current great American pastime. Understanding how football got so popular takes us into some real American history. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Love it or hate it, boxing is competition in one of its purest forms. In our fifth episode, Matt Andrews details the rise of the sweet science in 19th century America.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Episode 4, where Matt talks baseball. How did baseball become our national pastime? How did a relatively simple game become such a massive business? And what can the rise of baseball teach us about the evolution of America?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our third episode, Professor Matt Andrews brings us into the 19th century. He explores the changes that allowed for a truly national sports culture. He chronicles the rise of the first great spectator sport in the United States. And he ends with a new justification for sports that emerged in this era — an idea that still holds sway today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Episode 2 Matt compares the contrasting sports cultures found in the New England and Southern colonies. Lots of interesting insights spin out from there, including how the gentry classes used sports to separate themselves from the common folk. Also covered: horse racing, fox hunting, bull and bear fighting .. and .. gander pulling?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Episode 1 host Matt Andrews introduces The Untold History of Sports and provides a road map of topics covered. He covers how the emotions, vocabulary, and rituals surrounding sports are closely linked with America's religious heritage.  Also covered: the history of lacrosse, English festive culture in the 1600’s, and Puritan opposition to sport. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosted by celebrated history professor Matthew Andrews (University of North Carolina), this podcast explores sports from their earliest days as outlets for rowdy colonists all the way to their present status as culture-defining billion dollar industries. Sports are more than a game, much more. America's stadiums are melting pots where people from all walks of life gather to cheer, protest, and arbitrate complex questions about our national identity and purpose. From Jackie Robinson to the 1968 Olympics to Mia Hamm, Andrews explores how sports - in every generation - have set the stage for critical discussions about class, race, and gender. Available on the Curiosity Audio Network, the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.