The Sporting Almanac Podcast

It's a public holiday in much of Victoria, as the eyes of millions fall upon Flemington for three minutes of history.

In this episode, we talk origins and the history of the event, and the stories of Archer, Peter St Albans and Briseis, and the legendary Phar Lap amongst others.

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NEW EPISODE: The Melbourne Cup - the Race That Stops the Nation.

They say when Australia was being built, every new town would before anything else get a church, a pub, and a racetrack. Horse racing is built into the fabric of the country, and the Melbourne Cup is arguably its biggest sporting day.

I thought this was quite a good spin for the logistical nightmare that has been getting an episode out this week!

It's a good one - Aussie sports are fast becoming favourites of ours. Horse racing in Australia is huge, so built into the fabric of the country, and the Melbourne Cup is its showpiece.

On November 7th 1861 the first Melbourne Cup ran at Flemington Racecourse - a Thursday, not yet the first Tuesday of November where the Cup has stood for the past 150 years.

Appropriately our podcast, normally out on a Tuesday will come out Thursday this week!

Ep.30, the Melbourne Cup, out soon 🐎🇦🇺

With Episode 29 on the history of archery and the Archery World Cup out now, I'm celebrating at the NOMA Sculpture Garden with some very apt artwork.

Just about the nicest place in New Orleans so far this, and the beignet's around the corner were pretty great too.

A little late on the announcement as admin is currently slumming it in New Orleans, but EPISODE 29 OUT NOW!

Here at the Almanac we love when sport and history overlap, and there are few sports with a longer history or one so steeped in lore and myth than Archery.

Archery World Cup, Ep.29, out now!

Ep.28 out now, on the Super League Grand Final.

This is the episode intro - we dive into how the two codes of rugby split and, more importantly, why it had to happen.

It's a story of myths of 1823, competing ideology and of how soccer blazed a trail the men who ran rugby didn't want to follow.

Another clip from Episode 27, on the MLB postseason.

Jack tells the story of the Sultan of Swat, the Great Bambino himself, Babe Ruth. Here, the most retold story in all of baseball lore, the Babe calling his shot at Wrigley Field in 1932.

His full story is in the episode, on all good providers.

Clip from Episode 27, on the ongoing Major League Baseball postseason.

Ben telling the story of the infamous Curse of the Billy Goat, that if you believe the tale kept the Chicago Cubs out of the World Series for over 70 years.

For the full story, and more, see all good podcast providers 🎙⚾️

Out Now!

Episode 28, Super League Grand Final.

Ahead of Hull KR v Wigan on Saturday, Jack & Ben talk how Rugby split in two and how the Super League was formed (one explanation quicker than the other), the greatest Grand Finals and whether there's anyone in sport tougher than Rugby League players.

THE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL POSTSEASON STARTS IN TEN MINUTES! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!

Episode 27 of the Sporting Almanac Podcast is out now - talking the history of the MLB, origins, curses, scandals and profiling the greatest of them all: the Sultan of Swat, the Great Bambino himself, Mr Babe Ruth.

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The Ryder Cup never fails to deliver drama. Though tonight we really, really wish it had 🤮

14. Thank f**k 😂

I'll add Sunday/Monday - the rest of the NFL week to that too 🏈

Ryder Cup is the priority, good luck to the boys in blue and gold 🇪🇺 Will be tough, but that's why it's so damn good.

Continued:

🏈 Thu (Fri morning UK time) 0115 BST - NFL, Seahawks @ Cardinals (Episodes 22 and 4)

🏉 Sat 0605 BST and 1610 BST - Rugby Championship, NZL v AUS and SAF v ARG (Episode 20)

⚽️ Sat to Mon - The Premier League (Episode 19) and the EFL/Non League (Episode 18)

Seen worse sporting weekends.

YOUR WEEKEND'S SPORT (and where we've covered it):

🏌‍♂️ Fri to Sun - The Ryder Cup (Episode 26)

🇦🇺 Sat 0530 BST - AFL Grand Final (Episode 25)

🏉 Sat 1600 BST - Canada vs. England, Women's Rugby World Cup Final (Episode 20)

🏐 Sat to Sun - Men's World Volleyball Champs Semis and Final (Episode 24)

It is with profound sadness that The Yorkshire County Cricket Club announces the passing of Harold Dennis “Dickie” Bird MBE OBE, one of cricket’s most beloved figures, who died peacefully at home at the age of 92.

Read more: yorkshireccc.com/news/harold-...

OUT NOW

Ep26 - The Ryder Cup.

Our least impartial episode ever, and that's from the guys who decided they hated Collingwood two minutes into the last episode.

Cut us and we bleed blue and gold. The memory of the Miracle at Medinah still gives us chills. There is simply no golf like the Ryder Cup.

Things you love to see.

History makers, Wigginton Grasshoppers 💚

Ep25 out now, talking Aussie Rules ahead of the AFL Prelim and Grand Finals.

Ben & Jack showing their "diplomatic" side again (content warning: completely unnecessary language).

This one has Australian history, drug scandal, war stories and Jack trying to resist picking St Kilda as his AFL team...

Ben and I have been very busy this weekend doing some batch recording - yesterday, our Volleyball episode was belatedly released, tomorrow will be Aussie Rules (which I enjoyed making particularly), and we've also got our Ryder Cup episode in the bag too for next week. Can't question our work rate 😂

New episode out now!

It may be Saturday, but after Jack's sicky we owe you an episode, so here is Ep.24, The Volleyball World Championships.

Reviewing the recent Women's event and semi-previewing the just started Men's, as well as a How to Volleyball for the (probably British) newbies to the game.

And Wigginton Grasshoppers Women winning in their first ever FA Cup match, of course.

Out today, ep.23, The World Athletics Championships.

We talk origins of the IAAF and championships, controversial presidents, Russian doping and IAAF involvement in covering it up.

And we talk Powell vs Lewis, Johnson, Edwards, Fraser-Pryce, Felix & Bolt. Here, the extraordinary is never far away.

Wigginton Grasshoppers Women - Instagram famous!

Congratulations to a fantastic bunch of footballers - only 9 wins from Wembley...

www.instagram.com/p/DOWHV2zDLX...

If you've watched the Super Bowl before and now want to try some Sunday NFL tomorrow, but aren't confident you know your Tight Ends from your Corners or your End-Arounds from your Flea Flickers, have no fear.

Ep.22 of the Sporting Almanac goes through the basics, and some history too. Tune in now.

Pat Summerall and John Madden (Photo by © Wally McNamee/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

John Madden riding in his cruiser during bus trip photo shoot. 9/26/1990 -- 9/30/1990 CREDIT: Bill Frakes (Photo Bill Frakes/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X40357)

John Madden during Super Bowl XXXVII - EA Sports Ninth Annual Football Videogame Tournament at Axiom Nightclub in San Diego, California, United States. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage)

John Madden poses with bust at NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement at Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio on Saturday, August 5, 2006. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images)

The weight of chasing a dream took its toll so Madden retired from coaching in 1979 aged only 42.

But a new career awaited - as a broadcaster, touring the country in the Madden Cruiser, sharing nuclear turkeys and making the nation smile.

He always found joy, and gave it right back to us all.

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PASADENA, CA- JANUARY 9: John Madden, head coach of the Oakland Raiders walking off the field with offensive guard Gene Upshaw #63 holding up a sign "We're No. 1#" behind him after the Raiders beat the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI on January 9, 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.The Raiders won the Super Bowl 32-14. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

PASADENA, CA- JANUARY 9: Head Coach John Madden of the Oakland Raiders gets carried off the field by his players Ted Hendricks #83 and John Matuszak #72 after they defeated the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI on January 9, 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The Raiders won the Super Bowl 32 -14. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

Football: Super Bowl XI: Oakland Raiders coach John Madden victorious, getting carried off field by team after winning game vs Minnesota Vikings at Rose Bowl Stadium. Sequence.Pasadena, CA 1/9/1977CREDIT: Neil Leifer (Photo by Neil Leifer /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X21106 )

Jan 09, 1977; Pasadena, CA, USA; Raiders head coach John Madden. left, and owner Al Davis hold the super bowl trophy after the Oakland Raiders defended the Minnesota Vikings 32-14 in Super Bowl 11 on January 9, 1977 in Pasadena, CA. (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images/Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images)

Under Al Davis with his "Just Win, Baby" mantra, Madden had success but could never quite get over the line, mainly due to Chuck Noll and the dynastic Steelers.

But in Pasadena in January 1977 it all changed, as the Raiders beat the Vikings in Super Bowl XI to give Davis and Madden their ring.

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USA - CIRCA 1970s: John Madden of the Oakland Raiders claps his hands circa 1970s. (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images)

Oakland Raider coach John Madden on sidelines yells encouragement to his team during game against Pittsburgh Steelers, September 25, 1977.

Oakland Raider coach John Madden is exuberant as he talks to reporters 12/24 after his team defeated the Baltimore Colts in overtime to advance to the AFC Championship games against the Denver Broncos in Denver January 1st.

Football: AFC Playoffs: Oakland Raiders coach John Madden upset, yelling at referee during game vs Miami Dolphins. Oakland, CA 12/21/1974 CREDIT: Fred Kaplan (Photo by Fred Kaplan /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images/Getty Images)

Drafted by Philly in 1958, his chances of a playing career were wrecked by a practice camp knee injury.

So instead, he shadowed mentors like Norm Van Brocklin and coached his way up the ranks - impressing enough people along the way that he was an NFL Head Coach at 32 with the Oakland Raiders.

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Oakland, CA February 5, 1969 - New Raiders coach John Madden talks to his team on the sidelines. (Russ Reed / Oakland Tribune Staff Archives); (Photo by MediaNews Group/Oakland Tribune via Getty Images)

Oakland, CA February 5, 1969 - John Madden speaks at a press conference. To his right are Al Davis and Wayne Valley. (Russ Reed / Oakland Tribune Staff Archives); (Photo by MediaNews Group/Oakland Tribune via Getty Images)

Berkeley, CA July 26, 1980 - Former NFL coach John Madden gives advice at UC Berkeley. (Robert Stinnett / Oakland Tribune Staff Archives); (Photo by MediaNews Group/Oakland Tribune via Getty Images)

CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 06: John Madden, head coach of the Oakland Raiders, paces the sidelines during an NFL football game between the Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Municipal Stadium on October 6, 1974. The Raiders defeated the Browns 40 to 24. (Photo by Ross Lewis/Getty Images)

In Ep.22 we give you a bio of one of the most interesting, enviable and wonderful men in NFL history - the great John Madden.

A man who fell in love with football playing with friends in 1940s San Francisco, and who never seemed to lose that feeling - he found joy in the game like no one else.

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