Sports Americana

Where sports history still matters

When Monday Night Football Stood Alone

There was a time when Monday Night Football wasn’t simply a football game. It was an…
The Day the Rose Bowl Left California: College Football’s Forgotten World War II Classic

Imagine preparing all season for the Rose Bowl, only to discover that the game you’ve dreamed…
John Facenda: The Voice That Made Football Feel Like a Hollywood Movie

There are certain voices that you hear once and never forget. For generations of football fans,…
The 1904 Olympic Marathon: Rat Poison, Wild Dogs, and a Runner Who Took a Car

If you think today’s Olympic Games occasionally produce a little controversy, you should probably take a…
The World Series at War Time: Baseball Played on While the World Went to War

Imagine it’s October 1943. Somewhere in Europe, American soldiers are preparing for another day of war.…
Big Mondays, Bad Blood, and the Glory Days of Big East Basketball

There was a time when turning on ESPN on a cold January night meant one thing.…
You Probably Forgot About…When NFL Goalposts Were on the Goal Line

Before the NFL worried about player safety, there was apparently nothing wrong with putting a giant…
The NFL Trade That Built a Dynasty

October 12, 1989: The day the Dallas Cowboys traded away their best player and somehow won…
October 26, 1984: The Night the NBA Changed Forever (And Nobody Knew It Yet)

Imagine opening your morning newspaper on October 27, 1984. You grab the sports section, check the…
You Probably Forgot About…The NFL’s Replacement Players

In 1987, the NFL went on strike. Then came the guys who weren’t supposed to be…