Marshall Goldberg: From the Dream Backfield to First Defensive Specialist

Cardinals’ legend Marshall Goldberg was in the news recently when newly acquired defensive standout J.J. Watt asked to wear #99 for the Cardinals this season. The only problem was that this esteemed jersey number has been “retired” by the team since before the 1951 season in honor of Mr. Goldberg’s playing career. Watt has since … Read more

Did Ivan Abadjiev’s Bulgarian Weightlifting Team Really Beat The Soviets?

The Bulgarian Weightlifting team’s success began with the hiring of Ivan Abadjiev as head coach of the National team. Abadjiev had been an assistant coach for many years but, in 1959, he got into trouble with government authorities by organizing a National Teenage Weightlifting Championship. The thinking at that time was that those under the … Read more

The Chicago Cardinals Move to St. Louis!!! But Why? and When?

Any time a city loses a sports team franchise, it initiates years of debate regarding why such a thing could have possibly occurred. Recent NFL teams have moved from cities such as St. Louis, Oakland, and Los Angeles. Usually, there is an obvious reason for the departure, whether it is low fan attendance or simply … Read more

The Ultimate Recount of Super Bowl IX (Steelers vs. Vikings)

Today we have Super Bowl IX, which was held on January 12, 1975, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans between the first-time AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the three-time NFC champion Minnesota Vikings. As always, we have a pop quiz, and then homework at the end of the episode. The pop quiz question for today … Read more

Was Paddy Driscoll the First Superstar of the NFL?

As kids, we all looked up to our favorite athletic heroes. After all, they were taller than us, so looking up at them, was a realistic requirement as well as a figure of speech. In this episode of “When Football Was Football” we’ll look back at the life and career of a pro football hall … Read more