In 1967, the NCAA did something almost unthinkable - it outlawed the dunk. For nearly a decade, one of basketball's most electrifying plays was banned in college hoops, a move widely seen as an attempt to curb the dominance of towering stars like Lew Alcindor.

In this episode, we look back on why the rule was created, the official justifications behind it, the cultural and competitive tensions surrounding it, and how it reshaped the NCAA tournament during one of the sport's most transformative eras. From UCLA's dynasty to the evolution of the skyhook and the eventual reinstatement of the dunk in 1976, this is the story of the rule that tried to change basketball.

#ncaatournament #collegebasketball #ucla #ncaa

On June 4, 1974, the Cleveland Indians attempted to lure fans to their cavernous Municipal Stadium with a well‑meaning yet misguided promotion: Ten‑Cent Beer Night. It wasn't the first time they had tried something like this, but the timing on this summer night was much different.

The cheap suds, the lingering bad blood from a brawl with the Texas Rangers six days earlier, and a full moon combined to create a combustible atmosphere. We're sharing the story of how 25,000 fans—many already intoxicated—turned a baseball game into a surreal carnival of streakers, firecrackers, thrown chairs, and a ninth‑inning riot that forced players to protect one another from their own supporters.

Jack Molinas was once one of basketball's brightest stars — a 6'6" Ivy League prodigy with movie-star charisma and a gambler's soul. From the playgrounds of New York City to an NBA All-Star, he was living live... until the bets caught up with him.

Suspended for wagering on his own team, Molinas reinvented himself as a lawyer — only to become the criminal mastermind behind the 1961 college point-shaving scandal that rocked the sport. After prison, he resurfaced in Los Angeles chasing fame, fortune, and the wrong crowd. In 1975, his story ended like a Hollywood noir — gunned down outside his hillside home.

In this episode, we detial the arc of a man who blurred the line between genius and corruption and brought down dozens of college athletes in the process.

• https://www.espn.com/classic/s/basketball_scandals_molinas.html

• https://fadeawayworld.net/jack-molinas-the-scandalous-life-of-a-former-nba-player

• https://vault.si.com/vault/2002/02/18/the-bad-old-guy-from-the-good-old-days

• https://la.curbed.com/2011/8/16/10450052/house-where-point-shaverpornographer-jack-molinas-was-killed

• https://time.com/archive/6817576/the-nation-fingering-a-22-cal-killer/

• https://fordhamsportslawforum.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/How-the-Morals-Clause-in-Jack-Molinas-Contract-Saved-the-National-Basketball-Association-in-1954.pdf

Richard Meissner had the swing, the talent, and even a spot in the U.S. Open — but behind the sunglasses and sweet tempo was a man robbing banks to keep his golf dream alive.

In this episode, we explore the unbelievable story of the aspring golf pro Richard Meissner, who disguised himself with wigs and mustaches, knocked off 19 savings and loans, and funded his PGA aspirations with stolen cash.

From his childhood in Maryland and stint in Vietnam to his dramatic downfall and prison reflections, Meissner's tale is as gripping as it is bizarre — a jaw-dropping journey into the underworld of one golfer's ambition gone criminal.

As Ohio State and Notre Dame get ready to meet in the first college football national championship game of the 12-team College Football Playoff, you might think these two storied programs have a lot of history. Surprisingly, the Buckeyes and the Fighting Irish have only met eight times ever.

Ohio State holds a 6-2 lead all-time in the series, and you have to go back to 1936 to find the last Notre Dame win between these two teams. That's exactly what we're going in this episode of Distant Replay.

Join us as we tell you about that game 88 years ago that finished 7-2 a year after Ohio State and Notre Dame met for the first time in what people called 'The Game of the Century' in 1935.

If you think back to the NFL in the 80s and 90s and think about the best quarterbacks in the league, Randall Cunningham is probably near the top of your list. The former NFL MVP and mutli-year All-Pro was the face of the Philadelphia Eagles and eventually led one of the greatest offensive seasons with the Vikings in 1998.

But most people wouldn't remember that he was much more than a quarterback. In fact, he might be more decorated as a punter.

Join us as we look back on this wild college football fact, tell a few stories, and share some pretty remarkable stats from this UNLV great.

Cecil 'The Diesel' Collins burst onto the college football scene at LSU in the mid-90s and looked like he would become the next great SEC running back alongside Kevin Fault in Baton Rouge. Despite off-field problems, Collins still got a chance in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins thanks to his incredible size and speed.

Collins' career never materialized due to his issues away from football and he would eventually serve 13 years in jail.

We'll tell you his story today on this True Crime Sports edition of Distant Replay.

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Today we go back to January 18, 1986 for the first game played inside the newly-constructed Dean Smith Student Activity Center on the campus of the University of North Carolina. Opening a new arena 18 games into the season seems odd but having an undefeated matchup between Duke and UNC made this a game every fan wanted to be in attendance for.

This might not be a game everyone talks about in this series but it had a lot going for it, including Dean Smith vs Coach K, Johnny Dawkins and Kenny Smith, and another tight rivalry game.

Here's some of what we will get into:

• Early ESPN College Basketball coverage with Alan Massengale anchoring in studio.
• College starts Tito Horford and Scott Skiles in the news.
• Manual scoreboards
• Johnny Dawkins living up to the hype he still gets to this day from Duke fans.
• Jay Bilas as a 6th man for the Blue Devils.
• The legend of Steve Hale and an unexpected journey post basketball.

Go back and watch the game for yourself here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnM9R3DhAWA