Below you can find all of the episodes for the the Unpopular Essays on Sports History podcast. If you click on the link above the player, it will take you directly to the show notes for that episode.
To listen on your preferred device, the link below takes you to your app of choice. Don’t forget to subscribe or follow for free to be notified of new episodes.
Another unpopular essay on sports history… On this episode of Unpopular Essays on Sports History, host Os Davis looks to answer the question, “What is the greatest sport ever invented?“ Make your guess and run through a thorough process of elimination to arrive at a logical, objective answer. You may be surprised at how easy...
Another Unpopular Essay on Sports History… Question: Who invented baseball? On April 2, 1908, Chicago Cubs president Albert Spalding made an announcement of earth-shattering importance to the game of baseball. Spalding was a huge name in the game, having played for over a decade before helping form the National League, and then player/managed his Chicago...
Question: Who was William Webb Ellis? Answer: William Webb Ellis, were we to rely solely on tradition, is the guy who, in a split-second decision, triggered the creation of not only the organized rugby for which he is credited, but also soccer, American football and all their cousins. Webb Ellis got his early education at...
Another Unpopular Essay on Sports History. Question: Why can’t Major League Baseball players hit .400 anymore? The simplest possible answer: Because Major League baseball players never hit .400 – not in any un-asteriskable sense, anyway. “What?” those protesting may cry. “Since formation of the National League in 1876, 30 players have hit .400 or better...
Another Unpopular Essay on Sports History. Some time before yours truly enters that great podcast production booth in the sky, there is one feat in sports I’d like to see accomplished: Namely, for an offensive lineman to be named Super Bowl Most Valuable Player. Unfortunately, as Super Bowl LVII quickly retreating in the collective metaphorical...
Supposition. We live in a golden age of sports. Not in the sense of athletes becoming stronger, speedier, savvier and smarter than ever before, nor in terms of the amazing access we have to live streams and stat feeds, to instant insights and opinionating, to the quirks and personalities of our celebrity heroes. This, rather,...