We Chronicle the Oilers' Rise, Falls, and Enduring Legacy

We present the 1976 Pittsburgh Panthers as national champions and a remarkable, rapid rebuild under coach Johnny Majors, led by Heisman winner Tony Dorsett. I speak with author David Finoli about his book, 1976 National Champion Pitt Panthers: Miracle on Cardiac Hill. We recount the team’s rise from a one‑win program to national prominence and the key games that secured the title. I describe the team’s balanced strengths, including a dominant rushing attack, fast and cohesive defense, and resilient coaching. We reflect on the season’s lasting impact on Pittsburgh and college football. I direct listeners to the show notes for links to the book and additional resources.Don't forget to check out and subscribe to the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel for additional content and the regular Football History Minute Shorts.Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well, don't, because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website. Do you want more football history? Test your Gridiron Knowledge, we feed you Daily with our new FREE activity, The Pigskin Trivia Drive.Grab a copy of our latest book, "Marooned," on the 1925 Pottsville Maroons NFL franchise saga.*OR* Grab a copy of our book on Western Pennsylvania football history, "World's Greatest Gridiron Team" on the 1903 Franklin All-StarsDrop us a line at PigskinDispatch@gmail .com and check out and subscribe to the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel.Contact us directly at [email protected] our football by the day of the year podcasts, well, don't because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website. I recount the arc of the 1976 Pitt Panthers as a deliberate and methodical recovery from institutional neglect to national acclaim. I describe how John Majors arrived to a moribund program and set the cultural and structural groundwork that permitted dramatic recruitment and development. I emphasize Tony Dorsett’s prodigious rushing, the adaptive quarterbacking from Matt Kavanaugh to walk‑on Tommy Usick, and a defense led by Al Romano, Bob Jury and others that neutralized elite opponents. I trace the season through signature victories at Notre Dame and Penn State and conclude with the decisive Sugar Bowl performance against Georgia. I underscore that the championship was not the consequence of transient stars alone but of coaching, institutional investment, local talent cultivation, and sustained discipline. I also note the wider social resonance in Pittsburgh and how the team reanimated local fandom and produced a persistent legacy for the program.

Join us as Scott Perry returns to the podcast for a deep dive into the fascinating history of the Houston Oilers and Tennessee Titans. Scott argues that despite the move from Texas to Tennessee, the franchise possesses an unbroken identity that shapes everything we see on the field today. Scott frames the conversation around his book, NFL Since 1970, which provides a visual record of franchise standings.We trace the journey from the pre-merger roots and early AFL glory days—including the costly release of George Blanda—through the turbulent post-merger decades. From the agonizing late-70s playoff battles against Pittsburgh and the high-flying Warren Moon era to the devastating 1993 Buffalo comeback and the magical run to Super Bowl XXXIV, every era has left its mark.The conversation also covers modern milestones, such as the 2019 playoff upset in Foxborough that signaled the end of Tom Brady's Patriots career, alongside the ongoing evolution of team culture, coaching, and aesthetics (including the beloved "Love You Blue" throwbacks).Key HighlightsFranchise Continuity: Why the Oilers and Titans story is one continuous, connected narrative.Historical Turning Points: Examining the impact of pivotal personnel choices like letting George Blanda go.Heartbreak and Triumph: Revisiting the highs of the Warren Moon years and Super Bowl XXXIV alongside the lows of the 1993 Buffalo collapse.Modern Eras: Breaking down the 2019 New England playoff stunner and recent shifts in team identity.Aesthetic Heritage: How modern uniform updates and helmet designs reconnect fans to the "Love You Blue" era.Featured Book: Scott introduces his comprehensive compendium, NFL Since 1970, which contextualizes these moments within the wider post-merger landscape.Note: Check out the show notes below for links to Scott Perry's book, NFL Since 1970, and archival artifacts mentioned in this episode!Make sure to check out Scott's web pages at https://nflsince1970.com/Don't forget to check out and subscribe to the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel for additional content and the regular Football History Minute Shorts.Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well, don't, because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website. Do you want more football history? Test your Gridiron Knowledge, we feed you Daily with our new FREE activity, The Pigskin Trivia Drive.Grab a copy of our latest book, "Marooned," on the 1925 Pottsville Maroons NFL franchise saga.*OR* Grab a copy of our book on Western Pennsylvania football history, "World's Greatest Gridiron Team" on the 1903 Franklin All-StarsDrop us a line at PigskinDispatch@gmail .com and check out and subscribe to the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel.Contact us directly at [email protected] our football by the day of the year podcasts, well, don't because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website.

Ed Kleese joins us once again as we present predictions for Week 3 of the 2026 NFL season and provide picks both straight up and against the point spread. I am 21- 11 straight up, and Ed leads 18- 14 against the spread. We proceed game by game and discuss our differing views on several key matchups. Notable disagreements include Bills versus Chargers and Rams versus Broncos. We favor teams such as the 49ers, Chiefs, Saints, and Vikings to cover their spreads. Visit pigskindispatch.com and the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel for the full discussion and our detailed picks.Don't forget to check out and subscribe to the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel for additional content and the regular Football History Minute Shorts.Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well, don't, because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website. Do you want more football history? Test your Gridiron Knowledge, we feed you Daily with our new FREE activity, The Pigskin Trivia Drive.Grab a copy of our latest book, "Marooned," on the 1925 Pottsville Maroons NFL franchise saga.*OR* Grab a copy of our book on Western Pennsylvania football history, "World's Greatest Gridiron Team" on the 1903 Franklin All-StarsDrop us a line at PigskinDispatch@gmail .com and check out and subscribe to the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel.Contact us directly at [email protected] our football by the day of the year podcasts, well, don't because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website.

Week two of the 2026 NFL season was manifestly momentous and historically significant, and we convey that central observation without equivocation. I was joined by Ed Kleese as we cataloged an array of notable milestones, among them Devin Lloyd’s exceedingly rare single-game compilation of a sack, multiple interceptions, and a touchdown; Patrick Mahomes’ ascension to an 8–0 mark in regular-season overtime contests, thereby establishing a new NFL benchmark; and the fact that no new Scorigami was recorded this week, with 41–31 (Buffalo over Detroit) registering as the rarest final score.The origin of the "Scoregasm" comes to life here, in a story from Ed you don't want to miss!We examined franchise-specific anomalies and streaks, including the Panthers’ defensive resurgence, the Steelers’ prolonged difficulties in Foxborough since the Brady era, Dak Prescott’s record-tying dominance in AT&T Stadium against NFC East opponents, and the Browns’ emerging rookie Denzel Boston entering the record books with successive long touchdown receptions. We further observed that the Packers–Jets 20–17 result remains the most prevalent final score in league annals, now occurring for the 303rd time, and that our week-two Scorigami ME index registered a 73.18. I invite the audience to regard these developments as substantive contributions to the evolving ledger of football history, and we will continue to preserve and expound upon such records in subsequent discussions.Don't forget to check out and subscribe to the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel for additional content and the regular Football History Minute Shorts.Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well, don't, because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website. Do you want more football history? Test your Gridiron Knowledge, we feed you Daily with our new FREE activity, The Pigskin Trivia Drive.Grab a copy of our latest book, "Marooned," on the 1925 Pottsville Maroons NFL franchise saga.*OR* Grab a copy of our book on Western Pennsylvania football history, "World's Greatest Gridiron Team" on the 1903 Franklin All-StarsDrop us a line at PigskinDispatch@gmail .com and check out and subscribe to the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel.Contact us directly at [email protected] our football by the day of the year podcasts, well, don't because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website.

We highlight Army’s back-to-back Heisman winners, Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis, as the central subject. We explain how their teams dominated college football during World War II and in the immediate postwar years. We note that the 1944 team went 9-0 and won a national title while holding opponents to seven points or fewer, and that the 1945 team produced lopsided wins such as 48-0 over Notre Dame and 61-0 over Penn. We describe their complementary styles, with Davis running a quick sweep and Blanchard using a counter out of a full house T. We credit Colonel Earl H. Blake as their coach and explain how Army’s service academy status helped attract talent during the war. We point listeners to footballarchaeology.com for play diagrams and further detail. We invite readers to visit pigskindispatch.com for more positive football history.Don't forget to check out and subscribe to the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel for additional content and the regular Football History Minute Shorts.Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well, don't, because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website. Do you want more football history? Test your Gridiron Knowledge, we feed you Daily with our new FREE activity, The Pigskin Trivia Drive.Grab a copy of our latest book, "Marooned," on the 1925 Pottsville Maroons NFL franchise saga.*OR* Grab a copy of our book on Western Pennsylvania football history, "World's Greatest Gridiron Team" on the 1903 Franklin All-StarsDrop us a line at PigskinDispatch@gmail .com and check out and subscribe to the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel.Contact us directly at [email protected] our football by the day of the year podcasts, well, don't because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website.

We state the central fact: Army beat Navy 23 to 7 on December 2, 1944, ending Navy’s five‑year streak and cementing Army’s dominance in the wartime years. We describe how Army, led by Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis, outscored opponents 504 to 35 and began a 32‑game unbeaten run. We note the game’s wartime setting in Baltimore, where ticket sales required war bonds and raised over $58.6 million for the war effort. We recall the national weight of the moment and the telegram from General MacArthur that declared the nation paused to celebrate the team’s success. We conclude that the victory showed both an unusually strong roster and a team that rose to the test in a decisive fourth quarter.Don't forget to check out and subscribe to the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel for additional content and the regular Football History Minute Shorts.Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well, don't, because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website. Do you want more football history? Test your Gridiron Knowledge, we feed you Daily with our new FREE activity, The Pigskin Trivia Drive.Grab a copy of our latest book, "Marooned," on the 1925 Pottsville Maroons NFL franchise saga.*OR* Grab a copy of our book on Western Pennsylvania football history, "World's Greatest Gridiron Team" on the 1903 Franklin All-StarsDrop us a line at PigskinDispatch@gmail .com and check out and subscribe to the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel.Contact us directly at [email protected] our football by the day of the year podcasts, well, don't because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website.

Historian Scott Perry joins us and recounts that the Denver Broncos underwent a decisive transformation into a winning franchise. Scott frames the conversation around his book, NFL Since 1970, which provides a visual record of franchise standings.The transformation began in 1976, a pivotal turning point. The team struggled in the 1960s and early 1970s, with frequent losses and few major achievements. I describe how the franchise rose to prominence by winning the AFC Championship in 1977 and later claiming Super Bowl victories, including back-to-back titles under John Elway.He emphasizes the franchise’s sustained success across decades and notes that Denver ranked eighth or better in every completed decade from 1970 through 2019. I place the Broncos’ rise within the larger context of the AFL–NFL merger and the evolving structure of the league. We invite listeners to consult the show notes for a link to my book, which provides the full narrative and the statistics that underpin these conclusions.Make sure to check out Scott's web pages at https://nflsince1970.com/Don't forget to check out and subscribe to the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel for additional content and the regular Football History Minute Shorts.Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well, don't, because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website. Do you want more football history? Test your Gridiron Knowledge, we feed you Daily with our new FREE activity, The Pigskin Trivia Drive.Grab a copy of our latest book, "Marooned," on the 1925 Pottsville Maroons NFL franchise saga.*OR* Grab a copy of our book on Western Pennsylvania football history, "World's Greatest Gridiron Team" on the 1903 Franklin All-StarsDrop us a line at PigskinDispatch@gmail .com and check out and subscribe to the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel.Contact us directly at [email protected] our football by the day of the year podcasts, well, don't because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website.

We commence with our Week Two 2026 NFL selections, in which we undertake the task of picking every game and adjudicating outcomes both straight-up and against the spread. I, Darren Hayes, and my colleague Ed Cleese articulate rapid, sixty-second appraisals for each of the sixteen contests and embrace a disciplined method of record-keeping. We recapitulate that in Week One I achieved an 11–5 straight-up ledger while Ed recorded a 9–7 mark, although Ed fared superior against the spread, thereby underscoring the distinction between prognostication and wagering outcomes. Among the salient choices we proffer are the Bills to prevail over the Lions in the stadium opener, the Bears to outmatch the Vikings, and a New England triumph over Pittsburgh, while multiple games remain projected as close affairs with covers favored by underdogs in several instances. We deliberate on the authenticity of Week One performances, identifying Denver’s deficiencies and the Bears’ emergent offense as focal points that may presage substantive trends. We invite listeners to consult pigskindispatch.com for supplementary history and analysis, and we shall reconvene next week to render further selections and retrospective commentary.Don't forget to check out and subscribe to the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel for additional content and the regular Football History Minute Shorts.Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well, don't, because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website. Do you want more football history? Test your Gridiron Knowledge, we feed you Daily with our new FREE activity, The Pigskin Trivia Drive.Grab a copy of our latest book, "Marooned," on the 1925 Pottsville Maroons NFL franchise saga.*OR* Grab a copy of our book on Western Pennsylvania football history, "World's Greatest Gridiron Team" on the 1903 Franklin All-StarsDrop us a line at PigskinDispatch@gmail .com and check out and subscribe to the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel.Contact us directly at [email protected] our football by the day of the year podcasts, well, don't because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website. We present our Week Two selections with clear statements and lucid reasoning. I recount our method: we pick every game straight up and against the spread. We keep a running record. Last week I finished 11–5 straight up and 7–9 against the spread, while my colleague Ed finished 9–7 straight up and 9–7 against the spread. We opened with the Thursday game and moved through all sixteen contests. We chose the Bills to win the Lions game while acknowledging the Lions as a cover. We split several picks where we agreed on winners but differed on covering the spread. Our choices balanced recent performance with matchup context and venue effects, such as the Bills’ new stadium and home-field dynamics.We supply compact rationales for each selection. We favored certain home teams where preparation time and schematic fit were decisive, notably New England and Houston. We expressed skepticism toward teams that looked like week one anomalies, such as the Cardinals, while we identified units that appear consistent, such as the Bears’ offense. We highlighted several situational concerns for teams like Denver and Cleveland. The summary captures our procedure, our record, and the principal reasons behind each pick, presented plainly for readers who seek direct, actionable insight.

We open by noting that Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season produced 791 points, tying the league record set in 2012. My co-host and I examine the many record-setting performances and notable statistics from the weekend. We detail high scoring affairs, rare final scores, and individual milestones, including the Bears’ 59-37 victory and Kenneth Walker’s 173-yard debut following his Super Bowl MVP season. I outline historical comparisons, including unusually low kickoff-game totals and long-running team week-one records. We introduce a new Scoragami index to quantify score rarity and report a Week 1 value of 53.75. We encourage listeners to follow our continued analysis and daily football history at pigskindispatch.com.Don't forget to check out and subscribe to the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel for additional content and the regular Football History Minute Shorts.Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well, don't, because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website. Do you want more football history? Test your Gridiron Knowledge, we feed you Daily with our new FREE activity, The Pigskin Trivia Drive.Grab a copy of our latest book, "Marooned," on the 1925 Pottsville Maroons NFL franchise saga.*OR* Grab a copy of our book on Western Pennsylvania football history, "World's Greatest Gridiron Team" on the 1903 Franklin All-StarsDrop us a line at PigskinDispatch@gmail .com and check out and subscribe to the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel.Contact us directly at [email protected] our football by the day of the year podcasts, well, don't because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website. We open with the scale of Week 1 and the volume of offense that reshaped expectations. I describe the league tying total of 791 points and how that contrast with the kickoff game that finished 13-10. We note high-scoring affairs such as the Bears’ 59-37 win and Kansas City’s late contributions on Monday night. We explain how many teams produced explosive starts — the Ravens, Bears and others — and how defenses that had been expected to control games were frequently outmatched. We emphasize the most striking team trends: the 49ers’ unblemished record in international play, the Browns’ prolonged week-one struggles across three decades, and the Packers surrendering 39 points in the opener for the first time since 1971. I close with the practical takeaway: Week 1 demands fresh assessment of offenses and forces a recalibration of preseason assumptions. This summary communicates the episode’s primary narrative and the statistical backdrop that shaped our analysis.

We state that the first clearly documented use of numbers on the fronts of football jerseys occurred on September 15, 1928, when the Presidio team in San Francisco wore front numbers. I explain that teams had used numbers on their backs since the early 1900s, but front numbering did not become common until that Presidio game. We say that adding numbers to the front helped stadium announcers, radio broadcasters, and fans identify players more easily. I note that several colleges adopted front numbers soon after and that the NCAA required numbers on both front and back by 1937. We credit Timothy P. Brown and Football Archaeology for researching and publishing this history and for bringing attention to this important development in the sport.The conversation is based on Tim's recent article titled: Football’s First Numbers on Jersey Fronts - https://www.footballarchaeology.com/p/footballs-first-numbers-on-jersey⏰ Timecodes ⏰00:10 Guest Introduction: Football Archaeology's Timothy P. Brown00:39 Football's First Jersey Numbers — Origins on the Field04:17 The Presidio: First Recorded Team to Wear Jersey Numbers08:05 The History and Significance of Jersey Numbers09:42 Show Closing and AnnouncementsDo you want more football history? Grab a copy of our Award-Winning book, "The World's Greatest Pro Gridiron Team: The 1903 Franklin All-Stars" at https://amzn.to/4rG6uVeDon't forget to check out and subscribe to the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel for additional content and the regular Football History Minute Shorts.Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well, don't, because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website. Do you want more football history? Test your Gridiron Knowledge, we feed you Daily with our new FREE activity, The Pigskin Trivia Drive.Grab a copy of our latest book, "Marooned," on the 1925 Pottsville Maroons NFL franchise saga.*OR* Grab a copy of our book on Western Pennsylvania football history, "World's Greatest Gridiron Team" on the 1903 Franklin All-StarsDrop us a line at PigskinDispatch@gmail .com and check out and subscribe to the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel.Contact us directly at [email protected] our football by the day of the year podcasts, well, don't because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website. I recount a specific act of innovation on the football field and its wider consequences. I describe how the military team at the Presidio in San Francisco adopted numbers on the front of jerseys on September 15, 1928. I explain that the practice of numbering players on the back had existed for decades, with examples such as a 1905 Iowa State–Drake game and Pitt adopting numbers consistently from about 1907. I then show how the Presidio’s front-number experiment attracted attention when Stanford, under Pop Warner, adopted front numbers for the remainder of that season and how other programs soon followed. The narrative traces a clear arc from isolated trials to broad adoption, concluding with the NCAA mandate in 1937 that required numbers on both front and back. I assert that what now seems inevitable was once controversial, resisted by coaches who feared individualism and competitive exposure, and that the change ultimately reflected a shift toward accommodating fans and emerging media. I emphasize the historical importance of that date and place. I note that front numbers solved practical problems for press boxes, stadium announcers, and early radio broadcasts. I close by insisting that the humble jersey number reveals much about the interplay of technology, media, and sport. I position the event as less than a century old yet foundational to how we watch and report the game.