Épisodes

  • 98. Dave 'The Hammer' Schultz

    98. Dave 'The Hammer' Schultz
    Nov 17 2025
    Professional hockey was a different game in the mid 70’s that it is today. Whether it’s better or more entertaining is up for debate, but what is not up for debate is back then, there was a level of brutality that the sport fully allowed if not encouraged. Fighting was as part of the game as goals and saves, checks and assists. Bobby Clark was the 2nd leading scorer in the NHL’s 1975-76 season with 119 points for the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champion Flyers. But he had help and he had protection. The Broad Street Bullies as the Flyers were affectionately known in Philadelphia would come into an opposing arena, score goals, beat you up, and leave town with a smile on their face. And they used that recipe to hoist the Cup in 1974 and 1975. And nobody embodied that persona more than Dave ‘The Hammer’ Schultz. In 1974 he set a record for penalty minutes in one season with 472, a tally that 50 years later still stands. The Hammer was known to drop the gloves at the drop of a hat… but he had a job to do and he did it well… Protect Captain Clark and high scoring forwards Bill Barber, Reggie Leach, and Rick "The Hawk" MacLeish. This helped lead Philly to a record of 51-13-16 in ’75-76 and a 3rd straight appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals. But after thrilling wins over Boston in ’74 and Buffalo in ’75, the Flyers were swept aside by the Canadiens in ’76 ending their run as the league’s top team. Still, the team was a force on the ice and with a healthy Bernie Parent back in the nets after the disappointing loss to Montreal, the Flyers were still major contenders for the Cup With Clark, Barber and Dave Schultz going into the 1976 season. But on September 29, 1976, a week before the start of the season, The Hammer was sent to Los Angeles for two draft picks. And just like that, the Broad Street Bullies were no more. The end of an era and for Schultz, the beginning of the end of his career. This Flyer was now a King, then a Penguin and finally a Sabre before retiring following the 1980 season. His heart was broken when he left Philly and he and the Flyers were never the same without each other. Philadelphia hasn’t won a Stanley Cup since. Now, 50 years later, Dave has written a book called ‘Hammered’: The Fight of my Life where Schultz talks openly about his lifelong battle with alcohol and how getting sober in his 70’s is the biggest win of his life. He tells us how being sent away to L.A. —“not traded”— was a blow to him that he never fully accepted and how he will always be a Flyer. He recollects how he’d be admonished for fighting by NHL President Clarence Campbell only to never hear from him and that the league said one thing publicly about players fighting and yet did nothing to stop it. His job was to fight, and stand up for his teammates and protect them at all costs… and he did it very well. It’s Hammer time on the Past Our Prime podcast. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 h et 21 min
  • 97. Fran Tarkenton: From QB to CEO

    97. Fran Tarkenton: From QB to CEO
    Nov 10 2025
    In his 15th season in the NFL Fran Tarkenton was having another great year. Maybe his best. The Vikings would start the season 10-0 and finish 12-2 atop the NFL Central in large part to the numbers put up by Tarkenton. He completed 273 of his 425 attempts, 25 of them for touchdowns to lead the league in those 3 categories. And when the season concluded, he would take home the Most Valuable Player Award for the 1975 season. After three more very successful seasons in Minnesota, Tarkenton retired after his 18th year in the NFL. He finished his career with numerous NFL records at the time including completions (3,686), attempts (6,467) yards (47,003). and (342) touchdowns. Known as the 'Mad Scrambler', Tarkenton was the game’s first true dual threat, retiring as the NFL’s all-time leader in rushing yards by a quarterback and he did it all by winning games… the most ever by a QB at the time of him hanging it up. He was named a Pro-Bowler 9 times, and had his #10 retired by the Vikings while being named one of the 50 greatest Vikings and Giants players of all-time. And in 1986, he earned a gold jacket and was enshrined into Canton as a member of the NFL’s Hall of Fame. Unfortunately his success didn’t translate to the postseason. Three times he took his Vikings teams to the Super Bowl and three times they came up short. But Fran tells us on the Past Our Prime podcast there is a reason the Vikings lost 4 of the first 11 Super Bowls. He also tells us about his love and admiration for the coach of those Minnesota teams, Bud Grant, and how if he could prepare for those Super Bowl games from back then differently now the results may have been different. Tarkenton also tells us how the loss to the Cowboys in the playoffs in 1975 was a “monumental day” in his life… one that changed him forever. Minutes after Roger Staubach connected with Drew Pearson on possibly the first ‘Hail Mary’ ever, his life was forever altered. A tragic tale only made worse by how it all unfolded. Once retired, Fran embarked on his 2nd act and 50 years later, he’s still as competitive and active as ever and more often than not… still coming out on top. As the CEO of https://tarkentonfinancial.com/ Fran continues to produce at a high level. His financial company has seen him rise to the top of the business world and he tells us how he stays up to date on the newest business trends like pipIQ which reduces risks associated with misusing AI in small and mid-size businesses at a fraction of the cost. If you’re interested in learning more about this breakthrough technology go to https://pipiq.com/?via=proTV Fran tells us that the similarities between being a QB in a huddle or a CEO in a board room are numerous. That he learned more by his failures than by his successes and that the great leaders all have one thing in common. What is it? Listen and find out as we chat with one of the NFL’s All-Time greats on the Past Our Prime podcast. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 h et 20 min
  • 96. The Big Red Machine

    96. The Big Red Machine
    Nov 3 2025
    The Cincinnati Reds won the 1975 World Series in a classic 7-game matchup against the Boston Red Sox. The recent Dodgers victory over the Blue Jays is being argued as maybe the best Fall Classic ever, but that ’75 Series saw the Reds come from behind to win all 4 of their games, including 4-3 in Game 7 at Fenway Park. The Reds had a team littered with Hall of Famers. Tony Perez, Joe Morgan and Johnny Bench as well as *Pete Rose were part of what was known as the Big Red Machine. They could do it all… Power, speed, average,, defense… the one thing they couldn’t do was win the big one. They lost to Baltimore in 5 games in 1970… to the A’s in 7 in 1972… to the Mets in the NLCS in ’73 and didn’t even make the playoffs in ’74. But a bloop single by Joe Morgan in the 9th inning brought in the winning run for the Reds who won their first World Series title since 1940! A year later, they did it again, sweeping the Yankees to make it two straight championships for the Reds. Cincinnati was the toast of baseball and the Big Red Machine was now legendary. 50 years later we’re still talking about that team and how good they were and nobody knows them better than Dr. Daryl Smith who currently serves as a Management professor at Cedarville University in Ohio. Previously, Daryl served as an Air Force office and pilot over a 24 year career. Much of his academic studies and research have centered on leadership and its role in organizational success. He has been trained to find the root causes of organizations’ successes and failures. Daryl has a long association with the Cincinnati Reds. As a boy, he attended several games at Crosley Field, the first game at Riverfront Stadium and the 1970, 1972, and 1975 World Series. Twenty years ago, Daryl met and became acquainted with Bob Howsam, the brains behind the Big Red Machine and the central figure in his book, “Making the Big Red Machine: Bob Howsam and the Cincinnati Reds of the 1970's." Daryl talks to us about the small trade that became a huge deal when Howsam acquired the diminutive Morgan from Houston. He tells us how Cincy thought he was crazy to give up so much for the future 2-time MVP. He recalls how Manager Sparky Anderson moved Rose to 3rd base and how that changed the course of history for the team. And he tells how free agency and one trade prior to the 1977 season put an end to the greatest team in Reds history. November 3rd, 1975 saw Will McEnaney leaping into the arms of Johnny Bench after winning the greatest World Series ever played and Professor Smith helps us replay that Series one last time on the Past Our Prime podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 h et 37 min
  • 95. ABA, NBA and the '75 series with Bob Ryan

    95. ABA, NBA and the '75 series with Bob Ryan
    Oct 27 2025
    The 1975 Basketball season was the last one in which the NBA was competing with the ABA. It wasn’t much of a competition. At least not off the court. The NBA was doing well and had just signed one of the ABA’s top players, George McGinnis, to a lucrative deal to join the 76ers while the Baltimore Claws were folding up shop before ever playing a regular season game in the ABA. The tide was certainly turning in just the NBAS’s favor. Still, the talent in the ABA couldn’t be ignored. Despite McGinnis, the man on the cover of the 10/27/75 issue of Sports Illustrated, leaving the Indiana Pacers, the league still had Dr. J, Juliue Erving, arguably the most electrifying player in all of basketball. The Atlanta Hawks drafted David Thompson out of college, but couldn’t come to terms on a deal. So the ABA’s Denver Nuggets swooped in and signed the prolific scorer out of North Carolina State. Armed with that Red, White and Blue ball and the 3-point shot, the ABA was still a league for the fans. Except, the fans had a hard time watching because there was no real TV deal. 19-year old Moses Malone was doing his thing in Utah before they too couldn’t make payroll and called it quits on the season just a few weeks in. Eventually, the ABA would have 4 teams (Denver, San Antonio, Indiana and the New York Nets) merge with the NBA while two others (Kentuck & St. Louis) would stop operations. All eyes would then focus on the NBA… Kareem in Los Angeles, Rick Barry and the Warriors, the Blazers and Bill Walton, and those banner-hanging Celtics in Boston. Bob Ryan had a front row seat for much of that time period and saw it all first hand and he joins us to look ahead to that 1975 season of hoops which turned out to be a great one for the NBA… and a last hurrah for the ABA. The Boston Globe’s NBA expert tells us how McGinnis came to the NBA and was still a force, but not quite the same player as he was in Indiana… and for good reason. Ryan recalls how Charlie Scott was acquired by the Celtics from Phoenix for Paul Westphal in a deal that helped both teams and how Scott came up big in the playoffs. He tells us why the 3-point shot is the worst thing to ever happen to basketball and he tells us about one of the ABA teams that didn’t merge with the NBA, instead making one of the best business deals in the history of sports to do nothing. It’s a show about nothing… and everything… and all things basketball. And that’s a perfect topic for Bob Ryan… but so is baseball. And Ryan tells us all about his experience covering the ’75 World Series between the Sox and the Reds and how he almost missed the Fisk HR in Game 6! Just when you think we’re talking just dunks and jumpers with one of the most renowned basketball writers of all-time, we throw you a curveball and get Ryan to talk about his other passion. ABA? Check! NBA? Check! MLB? Check! Bob Ryan and he Past Our Prime podcast has you covered. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 h et 33 min
  • 93. The Thrilla in Manila

    93. The Thrilla in Manila
    Oct 13 2025
    Four words. That’s all you need to take you back in time to a fight that to this day resonates with a generation of boxing fans. Ali and Frazier for a 3rd and final time. I’m talking about… The Thrilla in Manila. The two great heavyweights despised each other. Muhammad Ali famously said “It will be a killa and a thrilla and a chilla, when I get the gorilla in Manila.” His constant verbal abuse of Joe Frazier made Joe’s blood boil, to the point where he didn’t want to knock Ali out in their 3rd clash. He made it clear, “ I want to hurt Ali”. And he did. Ali said this fight was the "closest thing to dyin' that I know of”. By the end of the 14th round both men had been brutally punished. Frazier could no longer see, both his eyes swollen shut by the constant barrage of jabs to the face by his counterpart. When the bell rang for the 15th, neither man wanted to give in or give up… but Frazier’s trainer Eddie Fuchs knew his man couldn’t defend himself any longer… and much to the chagrin of Frazier, threw in the towel, ending one of the most brutal fights in boxing history. The fight was covered by senior writer Mark Kram, Sr. of Sports Illustrated who writes of it in the October 13, 1975 issue of SI. It’s one of the best pieces of sports writing you will ever come across, beautifully combined with the photos from Neil Leifer. It is Sports Illustrated at its absolute best and 50 years later, it is a lesson in sports journalism that holds up to this day. When it comes to Joe Frazier, Mark Kram, Jr. wrote the book on him… literally. Smokin’ Joe: The Life of Joe Frazier is a biography that goes into depth on the life of the former heavyweight champion and the three fights against his nemesis, Muhammad Ali, culminating in the ‘Thrilla’. Kram, Jr. tells us how Frazier tried fighting Ali in the later rounds by listening to him breathe since he could no longer see. He tells of the incredible heat that day in Manila with the arena reaching temps over 115 degrees. Kram also tells us that both Ali and Frazier wanted to go one more time — ‘Ali-Frazier IV!’— before their handlers put that idea to bed. And he tells us how they both grew to respect each other later in life despite the animosity that surrounded them during their fighting days. It’s a great conversation about possibly the last truly great heavyweight fight. Two warriors fighting for a championship… fighting for respect… fighting for their lives. The Thrilla in Manila… 50 years later… on the Past Our Prime podcast. Download and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 h et 24 min
  • 92. Billy North and the Swinging A's

    92. Billy North and the Swinging A's
    Oct 6 2025
    The Oakland A’s of the 70’s were at their absolute best when it came to October baseball. They beat the Big Red Machine to win the 1972 World Series. They beat the Miracle Mets in ’73 to win it again. And in 1974, they made it back-to-back-to-back when they disposed of the Dodgers in 5 games. Flooded with names like Catfish & Reggie, Blue Moon & Vida, Campy and Geno, they had talent and swagger and were the team to beat heading into the 1975 postseason. Playing centerfield for those World Series winning teams in ’73 & ’74 was speedster Billy North. Acquired by Charlie Finley from the Cubs prior to the 1973 season, North immediately fit in with the defending champs and his style of play was exactly what manager Dick Williams loved… speed and defense. North would lead the AL in stolen bases in 1974 and 1976 when he stole a career high 75 bags while playing a sterling centerfield. After missing the entire postseason in ’73 when the Athletics repeated as Champs by beating Tom Seaver and the Mets in 7 games, North was looking forward to the ’74 season and a chance to play in the playoffs. But on June 5th in Detroit, he and Reggie Jackson had an altercation that ended up with both of them injured as well as catcher Ray Fosse. It wasn’t the first time the Swinging A’s brawled with each other and it had very little effect on the team’s play. Three months later they were back in the World Series for the 3rd straight year, with Fosse, Jackson and North all in the starting lineup. Despite having won the last two World Series titles, the A’s were underdogs against the Dodgers who won 102 games in the National League and they didn’t give the A’s much respect going into their matchup. On the POP podcast, North tells us how he was called the “Paperboy” because he read all the newspapers and he told his teammates on the flight back from Baltimore after winning the ALCS that a Dodger player was quoted as saying that there were only two players on the A’s that could play for the Dodgers… the champs didn’t need more than that… 5 games later… they were champs again for the 3rd straight year. North tells us how he and Reggie put that incident behind them and remain friends to this day… and how that team 50 years later still gathers together. He talks of how Dusty Baker influenced his life and remains one of his best friends and how Dusty honored him at an All-Star game a couple of years ago… and he talks about the NorthLegacyProject.com that he helped start in honor of his mom to help kids with special needs. For a man who made a living stealing bags in his 20’s, he now lives to give back in his 70’s. A 2-time champion of the only team in baseball history other than the Yankees to win 3 straight World Series Championships. The Fighting A’s… The Swinging A’s… The Winning A’s… Billy North on the Past Our Prime podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 h et 22 min
  • 91. Ken MacAfee: Notre Dame All American

    91. Ken MacAfee: Notre Dame All American
    Sep 29 2025
    The 1975 Notre Dame football season was one for the books… and later for the big screen. Ara Parseghian had retired as the head coach, replaced by Dan Devine. And on the cover of SI was Quarterback Rick Slager, guiding the Irish to an 8-3 season. But Slager was more than just a QB… he played just as much tennis in South Bend as he did football and would go on to get his law degree from ND… but when he was throwing the pigskin, there was a sophomore tight end often on the receiving end of it. Ken MacAfee is one of the greatest college tight ends of all-time. A 2-time All-American for Notre Dame, he would break out in ’75 and follow it up with two sensational seasons as a junior and senior. In 1977, Joe Montana was now the quarterback and MacAfee was his top target. He caught 54 passes, and finished 3rd in the Heisman Voting while taking home the Walter Camp Award for the nations top player. All this led the Irish to a New Years Day win over Heisman winner Earl Campbell and the Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl, 38-10… MacAfee would close his college career with a National Championship…the 10th in the programs storied history. Drafted by the 49ers, MacAfee played two seasons in the NFL in San Francisco but in his 3rd season, new head coach Bill Walsh asked the 6’4, 250 lb tight end to switch to guard. That didn’t sound like a good idea to Ken, and despite being reunited with Montana by the Bay, after a few pre-season games playing nothing but O-Line, MacAfee abruptly retired from the NFL. Ya see, MacAfee didn’t just play football at Notre Dame… he got an education and after graduating with a degree in pre-professional studies he went to Penn and earned his DMD—-Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry… He would later become an oral surgeon and an expert in the field. That’s what it means to be a student athlete. MacAfee joins us to tell us about the difference between Parsegian and Devine… who was behind helping get a walk-on by the name of Rudy Ruettiger into that now famous game… what was real and what wasn’t from the iconic movie, “Rudy” and if he ever thinks about what if he had stayed and played with Montana in San Francisco. Ken loved his time at Notre Dame and we loved our time with him on the Past Our Prime podcast. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 h et 18 min
  • 90. Mean Joe Greene and the Steel Curtain

    90. Mean Joe Greene and the Steel Curtain
    Sep 22 2025
    They were the defending champs… and they were just getting started. After a draft in 1974 that would eventually produce 5 Hall of Famers… names like Lambert, Swann, Stallworth, Shell and Webster… the Steelers were ready to repeat as champions… and while the 2nd year players began to come into their own in ’75, the team was led by Quarterback Terry Bradshaw, who 5 years after being the #1 overall pick out of Louisiana Tech, was finally ready to claim the role as QB1 without having to look over his shoulder. And on the defensive side of things… the Steel Curtain was ready to wreak havoc on the opposing quarterbacks throughout the NFL. LC Greenwood, Ernie Holmes, Dwight White and the man on the cover of the September 22, 1975 issue of Sports Illustrated, Mean Joe Greene were laying the foundation for a Steelers dynasty… 4 Super Bowl wins in 6 years! The NFL’s first two-time Defensive Player of the Year winner, Joe Greene was everything you wanted in a leader… tough, driven, disciplined, and in this case, yes, a little mean. His years in Pittsburgh would end with a gold jacket in Canton and a legacy that is second to none in the Steel City, or anywhere for that matter. Alex Kozora is someone who appreciates Mean Joe and the Steelers and has been covering the team for over a decade as one of the hosts on The Terrible Podcast, a Steelers podcast for Pittsburgh Steelers fans where he and Dave Bryan discuss the goings on of one of the most successful franchises in the NFL. But that wasn’t always the case. Prior to Chuck Noll’s and Mean Joe’s arrival in 1969, the Steelers had been to one playoff game in their 37 years in the NFL. But in 1972, that all changed… David Orochena is a writer for www.steelersdepot.com and contributor to The Terrible Podcast and he tells us that the “Immaculate Reception” was much more than just the Steelers winning their first ever playoff game. It was a defining moment for the sports structure of Pittsburgh. A week after Franco Harris caught the ball out of midair off a deflection, Roberto Clemente was tragically killed in a plane crash helping bring aid to an earthquake-ravaged Nicaragua. The death of a man who symbolized Pittsburgh and the Pirates completely devastated the city and according to Orochena, it was the Steelers that helped fill that void going forward. It’s much more than just the X’s & O’s of professional football. It’s a chat with two guys who know the ins and outs of a franchise that were the laughing stock of the NFL for decades… and turned it around in the mid 70’s to become the envy of every organization in the league. Alex and David tell us about how Terry Bradshaw finally won the QB job for good in ’75, how the Terrible Towel came to be and inspired a couple of guys years later to start a Terrible Podcast… and how one play changed the course of the Steelers franchise and how the Steel Curtain came to symbolize a team on it’s way glory. They dominated and kicked tail and didn’t care who got in their way… Was it nice? No… it was mean… Mean Joe Greene and the 1975 Steelers on the Past Our Prime podcast… Listen to both Past Our Prime and The Terrible Podcast wherever you get your podcasts and please leave a review and a 5-star rating if you desire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 h et 32 min