William A. Richardson and U.S.S. Connecticut Football
Detective work reveals the location and likely date of several U.S.S. Connecticut football team images.
Football Archaeology
Digging into gridiron history to examine how football's evolution shapes today's game.
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Pigskin Dispatch Podcast... The 22-Team Continental Football League
On the Pigskin Dispatch Podcast, Darin Hayes and I discuss the Continental Football League of the 1960s, which was similar to the UFL and other minor leagues that have popped up from time to time.
Giving Voice to Football: Crying “Down” and “Held”
Voice commands are verbalizations that tell football players what to do during games or what they cannot do. Here's the history of two.
Today’s Tidbit... When Football Became A Contact Sport
The story of Princeton's William Thacher Longstreth, the first football player to wear contact lenses.
Pigskin Dispatch Podcast... Losing Yardage for a First Down
Pigskin Dispatch Podcast’s Darin Hayes and I discuss the pre-1900 rule that awarded teams a first down when they lost 10 yards, and a few years laters when losing 20 yards.
Joe Lipp, Walter Eckersall, and Innovations in Football’s Chains and Down Markers
Although many tried, there have been few improvements on football’s chains since they debuted in 1894.
Football’s First Numbers on Jersey Fronts
The first teams to wear numbers on their football jerseys during a game were Drake and Iowa State, in their 1905 season-ender, when both teams wore numbers only on the back of the jersey.
Pigskin Dispatch Podcast... 1943 Tulsa Football
Pigskin Dispatch Podcast’s Darin Hayes and I discuss Tulsa’s 1943 football team and its assortment of freshmen and 4-F players who were good enough to reach the Sugar Bowl.
Non-Football Gear in the 1910 Spalding Catalog
A look at the 1910 Spalding catalog, focusing on interesting non-football items.
Today's Tidbit... U.S.S. Oklahoma Football Between the Wars
A story about the U.S.S. Oklahoma football team from WWI to WWII.
Pigskin Dispatch Podcast... NCAA Sanctions, Sooner or Later
Pigskin Dispatch Podcast’s Darin Hayes and I discuss Oklahoma’s 1970 football staff, as talented a crew as you will find, but many were ethically challenged.