This podcast is part of the Sports History Network - the headquarters of sports' yesteryear.

SHOW DESCRIPTION:

These days, the New England Patriots are often thought of as one of the elite teams in the NFL. However, that hasn’t always been the case, especially during the team’s infancy, when they were a charter member of the upstart AFL and chaos and confusion often reigned. The Patriots of the 60s and early 70s were a transient team and played its home games in no less than 5 different stadiums. The Pats also cycled thru its head coaches quite frequently back then and one coach in particular is often remembered as the one who best epitomized the team’s failings during this time.

In this 4-part series, we will take a look at the team’s humble beginnings in Boston in 1960 to their first years in Foxboro. We will also do a deep dive into the timeline between 1969 – 1972 to relive some of the most shocking and bizarre events to ever impact a professional sports franchise. The Patriots: From Boston to Foxboro.

HOST - JOE SANTOS:

Joe Santos grew up in Massachusetts and is an avid football fan, with a special fondness for the NFL in the early 70s. This Week in Pro Football and NFL Game of the Week were must-see TV back in the day. And living in Massachusetts meant you saw all of the NY Giants games on tv, both home and away, as they were the de facto home team for the NFC. Due to the blackout rules at the time, only the Patriots away games were shown. Being a huge sports history fan, Joe will continue to tell the unusual stories from an era that's considered to be the golden age of pro football.

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/