What If? The Alternative Sports History Show

This podcast is part of the Sports History Network - the headquarters of sports' yesteryear.
SHOW DESCRIPTION:
These days, the New England Patriots are often thought of as one of the elite teams in the NFL. However, that hasn’t always been the case, especially during the team’s infancy, when they were a charter member of the upstart AFL and chaos and confusion often reigned. The Patriots of the 60s and early 70s were a transient team and played its home games in no less than 5 different stadiums. The Pats also cycled thru its head coaches quite frequently back then and one coach in particular is often remembered as the one who best epitomized the team’s failings during this time.
In this 4-part series, we will take a look at the team’s humble beginnings in Boston in 1960 to their first years in Foxboro. We will also do a deep dive into the timeline between 1969 – 1972 to relive some of the most shocking and bizarre events to ever impact a professional sports franchise. The Patriots: From Boston to Foxboro.
HOST - JOE SANTOS:
Joe Santos grew up in Massachusetts and is an avid football fan, with a special fondness for the NFL in the early 70s. This Week in Pro Football and NFL Game of the Week were must-see TV back in the day. And living in Massachusetts meant you saw all of the NY Giants games on tv, both home and away, as they were the de facto home team for the NFC. Due to the blackout rules at the time, only the Patriots away games were shown. Being a huge sports history fan, Joe will continue to tell the unusual stories from an era that's considered to be the golden age of pro football.

Gridiron Japan Radio is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.
EPISODE SUMMARY
For our 51st episode at our sister station Gridiron America Radio, simulcasting always on Gridiron Japan Radio, we begin a new weekly show, Gridiron America Today, where we talk about, well, all things football. In this episode, in which we are still very much trying to get our sea legs, we take a look at where the UFL is at after four weeks and see where it stands ratings and attendance wise, talk about the upcoming NFL draft, and lastly about Greg's new proposed project for the Sports History Network, the "What if?" project. Specifically, beginning with his simulation of a trade in 1978 by the Oilers and Cowboys, in which Earl Campbell is sent to Dallas in exchange for a massive amount of high first and second round picks, Greg attempts to see if he can start a butterfly effect. In this case, the hypothesis is that the addition of Earl Campbell to the Cowboy backfield will create a thunder and lightening effect with Tony Dorsett and result in Dallas winning Super Bowl XIII and thus become the Team of the '70s. For the results of this simulation check out our website at www.gridironamerica.net.
GRIDIRON AMERICA RADIO BACKGROUND
Gridiron America Radio (formerly, the From the 55 Yardline podcast), is anchored by former sports executive David Cieslinski, former international professional football player Mike Tackett, and football nerd Greg St. James, from Gridiron Japan Radio.
All three are avid armchair sports historians and sports simulation enthusiasts, who, despite the vastness of geography, have found a way to leverage technology to help keep the games they love truly alive, both on the screen or tabletop.
Gridiron America Radio is dedicated to both current and historical American football talk, including the “what if” questions that all sports fans ask and try to answer with the help of statistics, math and computer modeling provided by Sportsmaster Simulation Games www.SportsMaster-Simulation.games. In addition to the gridiron game, the team will on occasion look at other sports through the same eyes of that of grown men who still remember their childhood and the thrill of rolling the dice or picking up a joystick.
The show was previously co-hosted by retired sports journalist Scott Adamson, whose continued writings. sports coverage and articles can be found at www.Adamsonmedia.com.
David, Mike and Greg, can be contacted directly via the podcast’s website at www.GridironAmerica.net, as well as:
On X at https://x.com/GridironAMRadio
On Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GridironAmerica/
On Threads at https://www.threads.com/@gridironamerica
On Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/gridironamerica

Simulcasting again on Gridiron Japan and Gridiron America, Greg St. James sits down with with noted Chicago football historian Joe Ziemba, author of the books- When Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFL, Cadets, Cannons and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military Academy, and Bears vs. Cardinals: The NFL's Oldest Rivalry. They talk about the rerelease of his first book, When Football Was Football, with new chapters and new information, and the various "what if's" of Chicago football history. In addition they talk about the inspiring World War II story of Motts Tonelli, whom he profiles in his new upcoming book, From the NFL to Bataan and Back: The Heroic Journey of Notre Dame's Motts Tonelli, and much more.
You can purchase all of Joe's books on Amazon via his author page at - https://www.amazon.com/stores/Joe-Ziemba/
His Chicago Cardinals page at- https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoCards
Gridiron Japan livestreams over at Gridiron Japan Television on YouTube at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.gridironjapantv.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, on Facebook at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/GridironJapan.jp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and on Twitch at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.twitch.tv/gridironjapan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

To inaugurate Gridiron Japan's new affiliation with the Sports History Network, and also to celebrate the rebirth and rebranding of SHN's From the 55 Yardline podcast to that of Gridiron America Radio, we sit down with a true witness to sports history- the legendary Upton Bell!
Upton is not only the son of Philadelphia Eagles founder and former NFL commissioner, Bert Bell, but is also a former NFL executive with the Baltimore Colts and the New England Patriots. Upton is also a pioneer in professional football, as he helped bring pro ball to the Carolinas in the 1970s with the WFL's Charlotte Hornets. Additionally to being a living link to pro football's past, he is a well known Boston area commentator. talk show host and author of the book, "Present at the Creation."
You can listen more to Upton on the podcast Unvarnished Football, and also learn more about his life and witness to pro football history at UptonBell.com and also the UMass Amherst Collection at http://exhibits.library.umass.edu/scua/s/upton-bell. As for Gridiron America, check out their new website at www.gridironamerica.net.
Gridiron Japan livestreams over at Gridiron Japan Television on YouTube at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.gridironjapantv.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, on Facebook at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/GridironJapan.jp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and on Twitch at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.twitch.tv/gridironjapan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

The American bureau of Gridiron Japan sits down to review the week 2 and preview week 3 of the UFL, as well as talk about the big news- UFL expansion to Oklahoma City and how the UFL seems to be trending up.
Gridiron Japan livestreams over at Gridiron Japan Television on YouTube at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.gridironjapantv.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, on Facebook at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/GridironJapan.jp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and on Twitch at ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.twitch.tv/gridironjapan⁠⁠⁠⁠.