Pigskin Dispatch

About Pigskin Dispatch

The host of the podcast is Darin Hayes who hails from Northwest Pennsylvania. The area is in the center of an NFL triangle approximately 100 miles away from Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Buffalo.

This dynamic helped to ingrain football into the fabric of the region. Darin played football as a youth and then officiated on the high school gridiron for almost 3 decades!

His love of the game has spurned him to promote the positive aspects of football and preserve the game’s history with this podcast and his websites PigskinDispatch.com and CleteMarxComics.com.

Darin Hayes - Pigskin Dispatch Host

I grew up in North Western PA (still live there) and my earliest memories are in the early 70’s watching Steeler’s games with my Dad and Grandfather. The ’70’s Steelers had finally given some redemption for my Dad and Gramps after the longevity of suffering through some pretty terrible Steelers seasons in an area of the country that is filled with Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills fans along with those of the Steelers, and that was my hook for football.

I loved watching High School, college and Pro football and even played a bit as a youngster. After college I still had the bug so I got involved in officiating HS football for 27 years. While still officiating I wrote for a couple of officiating websites and really got enamoured in the history of the game and it’s rules. This led me to May of 2020 starting PigskinDispatch.com to help give recognition to the good folks of football and also to preserve the history of the game.

What This Podcast Brings to the Table

The Pigskin Daily History Dispatch Podcast takes the listener through the historical events, people, inventions and plays that had some significance to the game of football on the date discussed.

We try to cover every angle, and look in every nook and cranny to bring these yester-year gridiron nuggets from all levels of American football all over the globe to help tell the story of American football. Check out our websites PigskinDispatch.com & CleteMarxComics.com for more positive football entertainment. So hold on as we are going to go no-huddle and throw quick slants to bring you the Pigskin Daily History Dispatch Podcast!

Tracing How Knute Rockne Changed College Football

I was astonished by Andy Nickle’s extraordinary collection of Knute Rockne artifacts and by how clearly those items show Rockne’s decisive impact on college football. I spoke with Andy Nickle, a Notre Dame alum and collector, who described Rockne’s innovations such as the forward pass, the shift, and his promotion of the game. We recount...

We Predict Winners and Covers for Week 8

We are deadlocked straight up through seven weeks at 60-46-1, and I hold a clear advantage against the spread. We present our weekly prediction show for week eight and lay out picks for the slate. I state that Green Bay will handle Carolina and that Buffalo should win while Baltimore covers the points. We split...

We Reveal Week 7 Scoragami Results and Rare Final Scores

We emphasize the primary development: Week 7 featured the first NFL game played in France, a lively matchup between the Steelers and the Saints. We recount several historic moments, including major upsets, significant comeback wins, and new rushing records. I describe the Ravens’ collapse after a large halftime lead and the Bengals’ 35‑point second half....

We Trace the Origins of Presidential Attendance at College Football

We state that William McKinley was the first president-elect to attend a college football game, which he did at the Wisconsin versus Carlisle contest on December 19, 1896 at the Chicago Coliseum. I explain that he traveled to Chicago to join family and that the game drew an estimated eight to sixteen thousand spectators. I...

We Connect a 100-Year Football Story to Today

I recount a centennial episode from October 1926 in which thirteen East High players, led by their captain known as “Blubber” Sullivan, boycotted a scheduled contest over the appointment of local officials, were summarily suspended from all athletics by school authorities, and were subsequently reinstated after parental and administrative arbitration, a sequence that reveals the...

He Pivoted Senior Trivia Into Comprehensive Football Guides

I introduced Steve Vernon, author of the Fan Edge IQ Football books, which teach football terms and strategy through trivia questions, clear answers, and IQ notes. We discussed that volumes 1A and 1B contain about 500 questions each and are organized as multiple choice quizzes with explanations. Steve explained that he used AI to help...

We Pick 49ers, Browns, and Key Covers for Week Seven

We present our Week Seven NFL predictions and picks and lead with the main point that we are issuing game-by-game forecasts and tracking both straight-up and against-the-spread results. I state that Ed holds a one-game lead in straight-up picks and that our against-the-spread tracking shows Ed would be up $920 while I would be down...

We Recap Week Six: Upsets, Records, and Injuries

We report that Week Six featured significant upsets, multiple record-setting performances, and a wave of injuries, and notably the Buffalo Bills became the first team ever to win four of their first six games while conceding 30 or more points in four separate contests. I emphasize that this anomaly underscores Josh Allen’s extraordinary influence on...

Revealing the Forgotten Origins of the Cal–Stanford “Big Game”

I spoke with Timothy Brown of FootballArchaeology.com and we trace the Cal–Stanford rivalry to 1892, which produced the first intercollegiate game west of the Rockies. I explain that Cal played clubs and schools in winter and spring until Stanford’s arrival shifted the season, and that early contests sometimes used rugby rules. I recount striking details,...

We Unpack the True Origins of the Redskins and Commanders

I welcome author Mike Richman to unpack his Washington Pro Football Encyclopedia, Redskins and Commanders, the definitive history that traces the team name origins, helmet logo evolution, and the recent return of Native American imagery. Mike explains that the Redskins name arose from three factors: a move to Fenway and a link to the Red...

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About Pigskin Dispatch

Darin Hayes - Pigskin Dispatch Host

What This Podcast Brings to the Table

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