Inside this episode: Kevin and Jeff work through a decade of first-round disappointments, from Charles Rogers' shattered collarbones to Justin Blackmon's suspension-shortened career, Troy Williamson's ill-fated Randy Moss trade pick, and Josh Gordon's what-could-have-been story. They also revisit the 2011 NFL Draft class around Titus Young, naming the Hall of Fame talent (and a very famous sibling) the Lions passed on that year.

Then the episode goes completely off the rails into a WWE tangent, including a legendary Bret Hart story about a drunken hotel-room wrestling session with Vince McMahon that ended in a pink slip, and a preview of two upcoming Halls of Mediocrity profiles: golf legend Bobby Locke and pro wrestler Buck Zumhoff.

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Music Credits:

Intro Music: Music by Marching Music – Guide Right – by John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay

Outro Music: Music by Marching Music – The Thunderer – by John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay

#NFLDraft #DraftBusts #TitusYoung #DetroitLions #NFLTrivia #SportsQuiz #SportsPodcast #SportsHistory #HallsOfMediocrity #RichardSherman #WWE #BretHart

Inside this episode: how a jail guard's joke gave "Bobby" Knievel his legendary name, the elaborate three-phone con he ran to talk Caesars Palace into booking his most famous jump, and the 29-day coma that followed his botched landing — a crash that arguably made him more famous than a clean jump ever could have. Kevin and Jeff break down the Snake River Canyon jump, the staggering modern-day value of his 1970s paydays, and the Ideal Toy Company deal that turned him into a $300 million merchandising empire.

Then the darker side. The brutal, bat-wielding assault on writer Shelley Saltman that ended his endorsement career overnight. The 290-page FBI file connecting Knievel's associates to coordinated beatings of rival daredevils across the country. Decades of dodging the IRS, hiding cash in motorcycle frames and motorhome compartments, and a pattern of domestic violence that spanned both of his marriages. Kevin and Jeff also cover his son Robby's complicated rise in his father's shadow, and debate which wing of the Halls of Mediocrity Evel Knievel really belongs in.

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Music Credits:

Intro Music: Music by Marching Music – Guide Right – by John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay

Outro Music: Music by Marching Music – The Thunderer – by John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay

#EvelKnievel #DaredevilHistory #CaesarsPalace #SnakeRiverCanyon #TrueCrimeSports #SportsPodcast #SportsHistory #HallsOfMediocrity #RobbyKnievel #FBIFile #70sHistory

Inside this episode: why discipline (not talent) is the real issue facing Michigan after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a defensive collapse handed Iowa the win, a Family Feud-style breakdown of the Lions' highest and lowest PFF grades from Sunday's win over the Jets, and why Rakestraw's return to the field has some insiders calling him a better cover corner than DJ Reed. The crew also debates whether Brad Holmes should pursue a trade for Joey Porter Jr. and what it means for pending contract decisions on Brian Branch and Sam LaPorta.

Then it's a full round of NFL Week 4 picks, including the Lions on the road against a reeling Panthers defense, the Jaguars' continued surge, the Monday Night Football Superdome reopening in New Orleans, and a potential trap game between the Rams and Eagles.

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Music Credits:

Intro Music: Music by Marching Music – Guide Right – by John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay

Outro Music: Music by Marching Music – The Thunderer – by John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay

#Michigan #GoBlue #DetroitLions #OnePride #NFL #CollegeFootball #NFLPicks #BigTen #LittleBrownJug #CarolinaPanthers #SportsPodcast #FootballPodcast #HallsOfMediocrity #TomMazawey #drewlaneshow

Inside this episode: Kevin works through the list, from Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods to Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, Gary Player, Ben Hogan, Tom Watson, Arnold Palmer, Gene Sarazen, and Sam Snead, then gets stumped by the one name he's never heard of. The brothers also cover the six-major club with Nick Faldo, Lee Trevino, and Phil Mickelson, and the trivia question of who was the first player to win the Masters on his first try. Along the way they revisit Greg Norman's epic collapse at the 1996 Masters, argue about whether today's power-driven PGA Tour is more or less fun to watch than the senior tour and the LPGA, and take a few detours only these two would take.

Plus, a look back at Michigan's loss to Iowa from the stands at the Big House.

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Music Credits:

Intro Music: Music by Marching Music – Guide Right – by John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay

Outro Music: Music by Marching Music – The Thunderer – by John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay

#GolfQuiz #GolfHistory #MajorChampionships #JackNicklaus #TigerWoods #Masters #TonyLema #GolfPodcast #SportsTrivia #SportsPodcast #SportsHistory #HallsOfMediocrity

Inside this episode: how Stefano Capriati turned his daughter into a commodity almost from the moment she could hold a racket, why her father quit his job to become her full-time manager before she was even a teenager, and the immense pressure that led Jennifer to tell the New York Times she saw a "distorted image" in the mirror. The Hall brothers dig into the 1994 Gables Inn arrest, her 28-day stint in rehab, and the ranking collapse that sent her tumbling to #267 in the world.

Then comes the comeback. Kevin and Jeff cover Capriati's stunning run to two Australian Open titles and a French Open championship, her ascent to world #1, and the 2002 Australian Open final where she saved four match points to win. They also look at the setbacks that followed retirement — a 2010 hospitalization and a 2013 battery charge — before her ultimate redemption: induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

It's a story about a childhood traded for a tennis racket, a family that saw a payday instead of a daughter, and one of the great comeback stories in sports.

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Intro Music: Music by Marching Music – Guide Right – by John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay

Outro Music: Music by Marching Music – The Thunderer – by John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay

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#JenniferCapriati #TennisHistory #AustralianOpen #FrenchOpen #WTA #TennisPodcast #SportsPodcast #TrueCrimeSports #HallsOfMediocrity #TennisHallOfFame #SportsHistory #ComebackStory

Inside this episode: Tom's blunt take that Bryce Underwood is "just a guy" through three games, why the offensive line needed a full half to gel after an injury shuffle, and the case that Tommy Carr could eventually be the safer (if less explosive) option at quarterback. The crew previews Saturday's showdown with Iowa, breaking down why Kirk Ferentz's defense makes this the toughest test of the season so far and settling on a final score prediction.

Then it's Lions and Jets. Kevin, Jeff, and Tom dig into a secondary that's given up the second-most first downs through two games in NFL history, discuss Kirby Joseph's likely retirement and what it means for the cap, debate whether Brad Holmes should be more aggressive in free agency, and preview Aaron Glenn's return to Detroit as a head coach.

Plus: a full round of NFL Week 3 picks against the spread across the entire schedule, Tom's "Mazawey Rule" for betting underdogs, and some vintage Detroit sports radio stories from Tom's decades in the business.

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Music Credits:

Intro Music: Music by Marching Music – Guide Right – by John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay

Outro Music: Music by Marching Music – The Thunderer – by John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay

#Michigan #GoBlue #DetroitLions #OnePride #NFL #CollegeFootball #NFLPicks #AaronGlenn #BigTen #IowaHawkeyes #SportsPodcast #FootballPodcast #HallsOfMediocrity #TomMazawey

Inside this episode: the Lions fall behind 21-0 in the first quarter and never recover, losing 41-31 to the Bills. Kevin and Jeff dig into Devin White's foolish decision, Kelvin Sheppard's "we're gonna do what we do" comments, and why the real blame belongs on Brad Holmes and a 2024 draft class that's failed to produce healthy, reliable secondary depth. They also make the case that Jared Goff deserves more credit than he's getting — four touchdown passes under constant pressure — and debate whether Detroit's Super Bowl window is already closing.

Then it's on to Michigan, who trailed UTEP 14-7 midway through the second quarter before a quick close to the first half and dominant third-quarter defensive stand flipped the game. Kevin and Jeff break down Bryce Underwood's efficient 19-of-25 passing day (fumbles aside), the ongoing question of whether Tommy Carr could eventually take the starting job, and why the run game still isn't clicking behind Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter. They preview a tough defensive matchup against Iowa and look ahead to a loaded Big Ten schedule.

Plus: a Jets preview for Sunday, a Big Ten sleeper watch on Northwestern and Minnesota, and the never-ending Ben Johnson vs. Dan Campbell debate.

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Music Credits:

Intro Music: Music by Marching Music – Guide Right – by John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay

Outro Music: Music by Marching Music – The Thunderer – by John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay

#DetroitLions #OnePride #Michigan #GoBlue #NFL #CollegeFootball #JaredGoff #BryceUnderwood #BradHolmes #BigTen #SportsPodcast #FootballPodcast #HallsOfMediocrity

In 1987-88, he won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award while averaging 13.5 points and 11.8 rebounds on 50% shooting across 81 games. Then in the Western Conference Finals, he had a 20-point, 20-rebound, 11-offensive-rebound performance against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and the Showtime Lakers — and nearly knocked them out. Brad Davis said it plainly: if Roy had stayed healthy in every sense of the word, he could have been a top-50 player all time.

He never got the chance to find out.

The DWI in 1989. The missed drug test in 1990. The knee in 1990. The DWI in 1991 — acquitted at trial despite driving 63 in a 35 with a beer in his hand. The domestic violence arrest in April 1991. The lifetime ban in October 1991 for refusing his third drug test. The years in Europe. The $20 million reinstatement in 1994. The second lifetime ban in December 1995.

The ADA lawsuit. The undisclosed settlement. January 9, 2015: liver failure at 50 years old.

Kevin and Jeff cover all of it — including the Michigan years under Bill Frieder, the 1986 draft class, the Showtime Lakers series, the John Lucas Wellness Program, and what the Mavericks organization maybe should have done differently. Recorded live on Labor Day.

Intro Music:
Music by Marching Music -Guide Right -By John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay

Outro Music:
Music by Marching Music -The Thunderer By John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay

#nba #nbahighlights #dallasmavs #markcuban #RoyTarpley

Inside this episode: Tom's take on Michigan's defense looking faster than a year ago, the back-to-back personal foul penalties that nearly cost them against Oklahoma, and why the run game still isn't showing up outside of Bryce Underwood. The crew previews UTEP and debates whether Michigan can finally get Jordan Marshall and Savion Hiter going on the ground.

Then it's Lions and Bills. Tom, Kevin, and Jeff break down the controversial Jared Goff non-fumble, the blown 21-point lead, and why Jameson Williams could be the x-factor in Buffalo. They also dig into the Isaac TeSlaa situation, make the case for Tom Kennedy getting real reps, and debate whether Ben Johnson's Bears (fresh off a 59-point outburst) prove he was the real brains behind Detroit's offense.

Plus: a full round of NFL Week 2 picks against the spread across every game on the board, and a chaotic "Top 5 Jets Quarterbacks of All Time" debate that goes about how you'd expect.

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Intro Music: Music by Marching Music – Guide Right – by John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay

Outro Music: Music by Marching Music – The Thunderer – by John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay

#Michigan #GoBlue #DetroitLions #OnePride #NFL #CollegeFootball #NFLPicks #BuffaloBills #BigTen #SportsPodcast #FootballPodcast #HallsOfMediocrity #TomMazawey

Inside this episode: Michigan's defense completely shuts down Oklahoma's offense, while Bryce Underwood shows real growth despite still-shaky passing numbers. The Hall brothers debate whether Underwood has an NFL future, break down Kyle Whittingham's turnaround after the Western Michigan debacle, and preview a get-right game against UTEP.

Then it's on to the Detroit Lions, who blew a 21-point lead before escaping at home against New Orleans in overtime. Kevin and Jeff dig into the secondary problems that could define the season, why Jahmyr Gibbs is the best running back in football, the Isaac TeSlaa mystery at wide receiver, and whether Detroit has any shot heading into a Thursday night showdown at Buffalo.

Plus: takes on the NFC South chaos, the Chicago Bears' 59-point explosion, and why "Lionized" fans have to stop measuring every season against a Super Bowl trip they've never made.

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Music Credits:

Intro Music: Music by Marching Music – Guide Right – by John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay

Outro Music: Music by Marching Music – The Thunderer – by John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music – Pixabay

#Michigan #GoBlue #DetroitLions #OnePride #CollegeFootball #NFL #BryceUnderwood #JahmyrGibbs #JaredGoff #BigTen #MichiganFootball #NFCNorth #SportsPodcast #FootballPodcast #HallsOfMediocrity

Intro Music:
Music by Marching Music -Guide Right -By John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay

Outro Music:
Music by Marching Music -The Thunderer By John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay

#PeteRose #MLB #MLBHallofFame #HallofFame #Gambling

The rule: everyday players only, no pitchers, minimum 3,000 games played.

The list is not what most people would guess. Hank Aaron is #2 at 1,735 - surprising, because a lot of those Braves teams weren't great. Willie Mays is #6. Ty Cobb is #7, the only pre-1940 player besides Rose. Stan Musial is #5. Cal Ripken Jr. is #10 despite playing in 3,001 career games, because a lot of those Orioles teams were bad. Eddie Murray edges him at #8 with a much better winning percentage. Rickey Henderson is #9. Albert Pujols is #4 - not in the Hall of Fame yet, but he will be. And the last one Kevin gets, after a hint about a grandson currently playing in the majors, is Carl Yastrzemski at #3 with 1,718 wins.

Every name on that list is either in the Hall of Fame or will be. Every name except Pete Rose.

A second bonus quiz episode spinning directly out of HoM's Pete Rose episode.

#peterose #mlbb #mlb #mlbbshorts #hankaaron #williemays #tycobb 

Kevin, Jeff, and Tom open with the Michigan football debrief — Hot Takes: Bryce Underwood hasn't shown him anything, Whittingham looked clueless, and if the Oklahoma game goes the way the Western Michigan game did, you're looking at Tommy Carr under center against UTEP. They also get into the Lane Kiffin story: Ole Miss was prepared to sign former NFL players to their college roster under a fifth-year eligibility loophole. The SEC threatened expulsion. Kiffin backed down. Kevin traces the whole NIL mess back to the O'Bannon lawsuit and the unintended consequences nobody saw coming — including Ed O'Bannon himself.

Then: fifteen NFL Week 1 picks across the board.

Kevin, Jeff, and Tom go game by game — New England at Seattle, the San Francisco-Rams game in Australia, Buffalo at Houston, Chicago at Carolina, Cleveland at Jacksonville, Pittsburgh and Atlanta, the Jets in Tennessee, Baltimore at Indianapolis, Washington at Philadelphia, Green Bay at Minnesota, Miami in Las Vegas, Arizona at the Chargers, the Sunday night game in New Jersey, Denver in Kansas City, and the Lions hosting New Orleans.

Lions fans will know where they land on that last one.

A Tom Mazawey special edition of the Halls of Mediocrity.

Intro Music:
Music by Marching Music -Guide Right -By John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay

Outro Music:
Music by Marching Music -The Thunderer By John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay

#michigan #michiganfootball #nfl #lsu #lanekiffin #bryceunderwood

Bryce Underwood had a performance that raised more questions than answers: a fumble, a hideous interception right before halftime, a read-option decision that left the entire left side of the field open while he handed the ball off, and too many throws that looked like he was auditioning for an NFL scout instead of running a football team. Michigan paid $12 million to bring him in. Kevin's checking the return policy.

Beyond Underwood — head coach Kyle Whittingham, in his debut at Michigan, coached a game that was flat, undisciplined, and somehow got worse in the second half against a MAC school. Offensive coordinator Jason Beck gets called out. The controversial clock ruling gets dissected. The students who stormed the field get the reading they deserve.

Also: comparisons to App State 2007, the JT Barrett fourth-down controversy, Spartan Bob, Desmond Howard, Nick Saban, Sherrone Moore, Jim Harbaugh, and — if things continue down this road — what a Tommy Carr era might look like. Kevin says Bryce is done at Michigan if Oklahoma goes the way he thinks it will.

A special Michigan football mini episode of the Halls of Mediocrity.

Intro Music:
Music by Marching Music -Guide Right -By John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay

Outro Music:
Music by Marching Music -The Thunderer By John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay

#michiganfootball #michiganwolverines #bigtenfootball #ncaafootball

Liston was born sometime around 1932 in rural Arkansas — no birth certificate was ever filed, so nobody, including Liston himself, ever knew his exact age. He was the 24th of 25 children. His father beat him so severely that scars were visible on his back when he fought. He never went to school. He ran away to St. Louis at 13, turned to armed robbery, and became known to police as the Yellow Shirt Bandit. He was arrested in 1950, sent to the Missouri State Penitentiary, and there, a prison chaplain told him to try boxing. He had never trained a day in his life. He destroyed a professional boxer his first time in the ring.

He was paroled early because of his boxing potential. And almost immediately, the mob was waiting for him.

John Vitale in St. Louis, then Frankie Carbo and Blinky Palermo in Philadelphia owned him — literally. A 1960 Senate investigation into organized crime revealed that Liston owned zero percent of his own boxing contract. The mob took everything. He received a weekly allowance while his managers pocketed the overwhelming majority of every purse.

On September 25, 1962, he knocked out Floyd Patterson in 2 minutes and 6 seconds to become heavyweight champion — the first time a reigning champion had ever been counted out in the first round of a title fight. Floyd Patterson couldn't last a round the second time either.

Then came Cassius Clay. Two fights, both of them controversial. In the first, a chemical substance on Liston's gloves got into Clay's eyes in round four — Clay's trainer Angelo Dundee told him just to run and survive. When it cleared, Clay destroyed him. Liston didn't answer the bell for round seven. Second fight: Lewiston, Maine, 2,434 fans — the smallest crowd ever at a heavyweight championship. The Phantom Punch. First round. Liston goes down. Jersey Joe Walcott gives a slow count. Nat Fleischer shouts from ringside that the count was past ten. Fight's over. Two thousand people immediately scream that it was fixed.

He moved to Las Vegas. Worked as mob muscle. Did security for mob-owned bars and strip clubs. On January 5, 1971, his wife Geraldine came home from a trip to find newspapers piled outside and spoiled milk in the kitchen. Sonny Liston was dead in his bedroom. He had been there for days.

The official cause: lung congestion and heart failure. The coroner found only small traces of morphine and codeine — heroin byproducts — and said directly that the evidence did not indicate an overdose-type death. But there were needle marks on his arm. And Sonny Liston was terrified of needles. His trainer, his wife, his friends — all of them said the same thing. He would refuse injections from doctors. He would not get shots for anything.

In 1982, a police informant alleged a former Las Vegas cop named Larry Gandy had killed Liston with a hot shot of heroin over a money dispute involving Ash Resnick. The informant was later found dead in his garage in 1987, car engine running.

No charges. No conviction. Official record: natural causes. Almost nobody who knew him believes it.

Intro Music:
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Outro Music:
Music by Marching Music -The Thunderer By John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay

#SonnyListon #muhammadali  #cassiusclay #truecrimecommunity #true crime

Kevin and Jeff try to name them.

The outfielders alone tell the story: Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron, Tris Speaker, Ted Williams, Stan Musial — and then Mike Trout, still active, already at 91.1. Rickey Henderson at 111.2. Al Kaline at 92.8. Mel Ott. Ken Griffey Jr. Carl Yastrzemski. Reggie Jackson.

Then 26 pitchers. Walter Johnson leads at 164.8. Cy Young at 163.6. Roger Clemens at 139.2. Christy Mathewson, Warren Spahn, Greg Maddux, Tom Seaver, Bert Blyleven, Phil Niekro — and on down through Tom Glavine, Mike Mussina, Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander, and Nolan Ryan.

Then the infielders: Rogers Hornsby, Alex Rodriguez, Lou Gehrig, Mike Schmidt, Joe Morgan, Cal Ripken Jr., Adrian Beltré, Jimmie Foxx, Charlie Gehringer, Nap Lajoie, Albert Pujols, Eddie Mathews, Wade Boggs, and Jeff Bagwell — plus two names you almost certainly don't know: Roger Connor and Dan Brouthers, both born before 1860, both above Pete Rose by the numbers.

One notable absence: Derek Jeter. Not on the list. His WAR is below Rose's.

A one-off quiz episode spinning directly into out upcoming Pete Rose episode.

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Before any of that: the career. Snuka debuted in Hawaii in 1969 under the name Jimmy Kaloha, part of the legendary Anoaʻi wrestling family that would produce The Rock, Roman Reigns, the Usos, Yokozuna, and more. He ran through the Portland territory, won the Pacific Northwest Heavyweight and tag titles a combined twelve times, and hit it big in Mid-Atlantic tagging with Ray "The Crippler" Stevens, Paul Orndorff, and Kevin Von Erich. By the summer of 1982, he was in the WWF, and he was the guy. His steel cage match against Bob Backlund at MSG — flying off the top of the cage — made the crowd go insane. Vince Jr. had found his man. The plan was to build around Snuka. When Vince started thinking about going national, there were three backup options after Snuka fell through: Hulk Hogan (who he ultimately went with), Kerry Von Erich, and Dusty Rhodes.

He fell through because on May 10, 1983, Nancy Argentino — his girlfriend, his road companion, his de facto manager — was found dying in room 427 of the George Washington Motor Lodge in Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania. The Lehigh County coroner suspected foul play immediately. The autopsy found over two dozen cuts and bruises and injuries consistent with blunt force trauma; with evidence she'd been hurt 12 to 24 hours before help arrived — while Snuka was at a TV taping. This was not the first time. In January 1983, police had responded to a Howard Johnson's in New York state and found Snuka naked, screaming, and actively assaulting Nancy. It took several officers and a police dog to restrain him.

On June 1, 1983, Jimmy Snuka walked into the Lehigh County DA's office. He did not walk in alone. Vince McMahon Jr. walked in with him, carrying a briefcase. McMahon did all the talking. No charges were filed. The case went cold.

Snuka told at least six different versions of what happened that night. He told two of them in real time in the emergency room. He published a seventh in his 2012 autobiography — and it was that book that prompted the Morning Call of Allentown to run an investigative piece in 2013, which prompted Nancy Argentino's sisters to contact the DA, which prompted a grand jury, which in 2015 formally recommended charges. Snuka was indicted for third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. His defense argued CTE, substance abuse, and cognitive impairment made him incompetent to stand trial. A judge agreed. In January 2017, all charges were dismissed. Snuka died twelve days later in Pompano Beach, Florida. The Argentino family won a $500,000 civil judgment. They never collected a dollar.

Kevin's verdict: Jimmy Snuka is a murderer, a complete piece of shit, and good riddance. Vince McMahon is complicit. And the Rock should have kept his mouth shut.

Intro Music:
Music by Marching Music -Guide Right -By John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay

Outro Music:
Music by Marching Music -The Thunderer By John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay

#wwe #JimmySnuka #wwehalloffame #truecrimecommunity #true crime

They all agree: if the Lions are healthy, they can win the division and make noise in the playoffs. LA is the only team that scares them. You only have to beat them once.

Intro Music:
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Outro Music:
Music by Marching Music -The Thunderer By John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay

Intro Music:
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Outro Music:
Music by Marching Music -The Thunderer By John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay

Next episode: The Superfly, Jimmy Snuka.

Intro Music:
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Outro Music:
Music by Marching Music -The Thunderer By John Philip Sousa | Royalty-free Music - Pixabay

The list: Al Michaels at #1 (Jeff disagrees immediately), Vin Scully at #2, Howard Cosell at #3, Keith Jackson at #4, Bob Costas at #5, John Madden at #6, Jim McKay at #7, Dick Enberg at #8, Marv Albert at #9, and Pat Summerall at #10. Tom gets eight of ten — he misses Bob Costas and Jim McKay. Tom's own top three: Pat Summerall, Keith Jackson, Howard Cosell. His biggest complaint about the list: Jack Buck isn't on it.

Along the way: Jeff's Howard Cosell story from 1982 Monday Night Baseball — calling Richie Hebner "the grave digger" during the Tigers game. The Randall Tex Cobb fight that made Cosell quit boxing commentary. How Kevin and Jeff's Uncle Don got Marv Albert his first job with the New York Knicks. Dick Enberg's childhood best friend from Marysville. The Monday Night Football booth that had Gifford, Meredith, and Cosell — must-see TV you could not miss. And Chris Berman's mysterious disappearing rear end.

Intro Music:
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Outro Music:
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Intro Music:
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Follow Halls of Mediocrity: wherever you get your podcasts | X | Facebook Group

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Intro Music:
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She became Sunny: the most downloaded woman on the internet in 1996, the Pro Wrestling Illustrated Manager of the Year, and the woman Jim Cornette said was better on the microphone than any of the men he had. When the WWF came calling in 1995, Vince McMahon reportedly didn't want Chris Candido without her. She was the act. He came with her.

Kevin argues she was the beta test for the Attitude Era - the experiment that proved to Vince McMahon he could push the envelope, because audiences didn't flinch when he hypersexualized her. She became AOL's most downloaded woman. She refused a Playboy offer. And for a brief window, she was the most recognizable woman in sports entertainment.

Then it all came apart.

The painkiller addiction. The nine-month affair with Shawn Michaels while committed to Candido, which nearly everyone knew about except Candido himself. The backstage war with Sable, who took the Playboy cover Sunny had turned down. The July 1998 release from WWE. ECW - what Kevin calls "the trailer park version of both WWF and WCW" - and an arrest for violating a restraining order filed by her own mother. WCW, where Eric Bischoff later said the drug use was so bad that people had to sweep the locker room for used needles before events.

Chris Candido broke both bones in his leg at TNA Lockdown on April 24th, 2005. Four days later, he was gone. He was 33. The one stable relationship she had in her adult life, the man who stayed with her through every collapse, was suddenly not there.

She was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011 and appeared to have finally turned a corner. Two years later, she publicly trashed the WWE wellness program that had funded her rehabilitation multiple times and became the first and only talent in company history to be formally cut off from it.

On March 25th, 2022, Tammy Sytch drove through the Ormond Beach area of Florida with a blood alcohol content roughly four times the legal limit and ran into a car stopped at a traffic light. She killed 75-year-old Julian Lassiter. There was an open vodka bottle in the car.

In November 2023, she was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison and 8 years of probation. She will be in her sixties before she sees the outside.

Jim Cornette, the man who discovered her, said he didn't want to pile on. He wanted to remember her when she wasn't a complete disaster. But then she killed a man sitting at a traffic light. He couldn't defend her anymore.

Kevin and Jeff cover the full arc: Smoky Mountain Wrestling, the Body Donnas, WrestleMania, the Shawn Michaels affair, ECW, Chris Candido's death, the Hall of Fame, and five arrests in 32 days, and what the culture of professional wrestling did to people who had no business being in it.

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He also told Rod Carew, Hall of Famer, career .328 hitter, one of the most respected men in baseball, that he wasn't going to listen to him. He said the entire team had decided not to speak to Jim Gray after the Pete Rose interview, a claim every other Yankee immediately denied. He picked a fight in the Texas Rangers' weight room over a teammate's music. He used a Derek Jeter bench-clearing brawl as an opportunity to publicly lecture about teammate conduct. Every team he played for found the same thing: once Curtis got comfortable, the preaching started, the moral superiority came out, and his act wore out its welcome. He played for six teams in ten years.

After retiring in 2001, Curtis returned to West Michigan and began volunteering at Lakewood High School in Barry County, Michigan as a strength and conditioning trainer — with direct, unsupervised access to student athletes.

Between 2011 and 2012, prosecutors alleged Curtis used that access to sexually abuse multiple underage female students. He was arraigned in Barry County District Court on five counts of criminal sexual conduct. A sixth count was added in August 2012. At trial in August 2013, three of his victims testified. The jury convicted him on all six counts.

At sentencing, Curtis used his statement to blame his victims, profess his Christian faith, and suggest he and one of the victims could write a book together. Barry County Circuit Court Judge Amy McDowell sentenced him and stated from the bench that he was "a threat to any community you get into." Prosecutor Julie Pratt called his statement "the most selfish, self-serving, victim-blaming statement I've heard in my entire career as a prosecutor."

Curtis was sentenced to seven to fifteen years. He served the minimum, released September 22, 2020 at age 52. In the civil litigation that followed, four victims sued Lakewood Public Schools and settled for $575,000. A federal judge ordered Curtis to pay one victim $1.8 million in damages, a judgment he and his ex-wife Candace immediately began working to evade by transferring assets and filing for bankruptcy. The bankruptcy was denied.

Kevin and Jeff cover the full arc - the 45th round, the World Series rings, the clubhouse feuds, and everything that followed, and what the pattern running through all of it says about who Chad Curtis really was.

Note: The specific details of the crimes are a matter of public record but are not described in this episode out of respect for the victims, who were minors.

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It started in early February: over $250,000 in cash and personal belongings stolen from an Airbnb Arnold was renting in Largo, Florida. Instead of letting law enforcement handle it, prosecutors allege Arnold decided to become the general manager of his own vigilante justice operation.

The problem: the men he targeted were later confirmed by police to be completely innocent. They had nothing to do with the original theft.

That didn't stop what prosecutors describe as a highly calculated honeypot scheme. Two women were allegedly directed by Arnold to lure the targets to a Tampa apartment. When three teenagers arrived, they weren't met with a party. They were met by multiple armed associates. They were trapped, held at gunpoint, beaten, pistol whipped, and had a firearm shoved in their mouth. Their jewelry and electronics were stolen.

Then the modern twist: prosecutors allege the entire assault was live streamed via FaceTime directly to Arnold while he was driving to the location.

The defense - the "general manager defense" - is that Arnold was never physically inside the apartment. Detectives admit they can't place him at the immediate scene. But Florida's principal theory of law states that if you plan, direct, or facilitate a crime, you are as legally guilty as the person pulling the trigger. Prosecutor Kevin Riley told the court: it doesn't get off the ground without Terrion Arnold.

Two co-defendants, Jasmine Randazzo and Ariana Delval, have already flipped, providing sworn testimony that Arnold was the mastermind, gave the orders, and drove the getaway vehicle.

On June 29th, Arnold appeared in Hillsborough County in a red jumpsuit. Judge Christopher Sabella set bond at $1 million, no ankle monitor, with a note that sports media would serve as his paparazzi monitor. Nick Saban sent a formal character reference. Arnold posted $100,000 and was out by Tuesday morning. Hours later, the Detroit Lions released him.

Dead cap hit: $8.475 million. The forfeitable breach clause. The NFLPA fight. What the FaceTime evidence likely means. Kevin and Jeff break down everything that's known so far - as Lions fans who watched this unfold in real time.

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Total fines from Hennepin County: $5,000. Daunte Culpepper paid zero. The head coach was fined more for scalping his Super Bowl tickets the year before than the players were fined for any of this.

Kevin and Jeff cover the full story of the 2005 Minnesota Vikings Love Boat Scandal - from the rookie money that bankrolled it, to the attorney's courtroom description of what happened on those boats, to the fines, to Fred Smoot asking, "why was that ever a story?" on Reddit ten years later.

The organization: Fred Smoot and Bryant McKinney didn't want "local talent" because local talent would start rumors. So, they brought in workers from out of state, which nearly added a trafficking charge on top of everything else.

The execution: Al and Alma's Charter Cruises. Two boats. The captains turned around after 45 minutes. Some of the crew were high school kids. The attorney's description of what occurred in the common areas is entered into the record.

The legal aftermath: Smoot and McKinney each fined $1,000 by Hennepin County. Culpepper's charges dismissed entirely, a judge ruled there was insufficient evidence crew members were directly offended by his specific actions. NFL fines were higher, but Mike Tice was still fined more for scalping Super Bowl tickets than any of his players were fined for this.

The quotes: Mewelde Moore's "Sex? Come on, I'm engaged" defense. Fred Smoot's "please don't turn on the black light." Smoot on Roger Goodell: "I'd have been banished from the league."

The footnotes: Darren Sharper - free safety on that 2005 roster, later agreed to an 18-year federal sentence for rape and sex trafficking across multiple states. Zygi Wilf bought the team instead of Vince McMahon. Brock Lesnar tried out for the Vikings the year before. And one of the boats was eventually sold, refurbished, and operated as a tour boat — complete with framed Culpepper and McKinney jerseys on the walls.

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Welcome to training camp. Kevin and Jeff work through the top ten Detroit sports busts of all time — all sports, all eras, and a few honorable mentions that will genuinely hurt if you lived through them.

The list covers:

 Darko Miličić: The #2 pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, selected one spot after LeBron James. The most famous bust in modern draft history, and somehow not even the most painful entry on this list.

Charles Rogers: Detroit Lions receiver. Three seasons. Broken collarbone twice. Off-field problems. Gone before 25.

Jeff Okudah: #3 overall to the Detroit Lions out of Ohio State. Injury-shortened tenure. Kevin doesn't think he belongs this high.

Matt Anderson: A rare #1 overall pick in MLB — a closer with a legendary 100 mph fastball. The arm didn't hold.

Kyle Sleeth: #3 overall in the 2003 MLB Draft out of Wake Forest. Projected to anchor Detroit's rotation. Underwent Tommy John surgery. Never pitched a single inning in the majors.

Andre Ware: The Heisman Trophy winner from the University of Houston. Joe Theismann said it would be a travesty if the Lions passed on him. They didn't. It was anyway.

Reggie Rogers: #7 overall to the Detroit Lions in 1987. Two sacks in 11 games. Convicted of negligent homicide after a motor vehicle accident at the end of his rookie year.

Filip Zadina: Detroit Red Wings. #6 overall in 2018. Never became what he was supposed to be.

Mike Williams: Detroit Lions receiver. Kevin thinks he should be higher.

Honorable mentions: Eric Ebron (the tight end Detroit could have used on Aaron Donald or Mike Evans), Chuck Long (the Iowa quarterback who never translated), Jahvid Best (injuries, not failure — Kevin pushes back on this one), and Terrion Arnold, who didn't make this list yet — but give it a year.

Four episodes in the can. July 14th is coming.

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The Halls of Mediocrity launches July 14th, the second show from the Archive Podcast Network. In this preview clip, Kevin and his brother Jeff run a training camp drill: five clues, a running clock, and Jeff doing his best to identify the perp before time runs out.

Clue #1 - NFL Running Back: A career backup who never started more than four games in a season, arrested at Barry University for breaking into a dorm room and using a woman's laundry basket as a toilet.

Clue #2 - NHL, Three-Time Stanley Cup Champion: One of the most recognizable names in the sport, arrested in Buffalo at 5am for punching a cab driver in the face over a 20-cent fare dispute.

Clue #3 - MLB Gold Glove Second Baseman: A .254 career hitter pulled over in Tampa with seven cans of beer, a gram of cocaine, and leaving the scene of an accident. Police could not administer a field sobriety test at the side of the road. You'll understand why when you hear the clue.

Clue #4 - NBA Backup Point Guard: Played for six teams in ten years. Never averaged more than eight points a game. Arrested over one hundred times in his life. Best known as a Phoenix Sun.

Clue #5 - NFL Punter: Found shirtless, soaking wet, at 2am, trying to break into a car that wasn't his. Told police he thought it was. Now one of the most prominent media personalities in sports.

Jeff gets four out of five. Kevin gives him a solid B. July 14th is coming.

THE HALLS OF MEDIOCRITY - LAUNCHING JULY 14TH
Sports. True crime. Athletes who had everything and threw it away.
Find it wherever you get your podcasts.

ECHO 1953 - THE HOLLIS FILES, BOOK ONE
Launching July 27, 2026. Pre-order on Amazon now.

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The Halls of Mediocrity is a new show from the Archive Podcast Network covering the athletes whose careers ranged from average to genuinely great — and whose lives off the field ranged from embarrassing to criminal to legitimately unforgivable. Hosted by brothers Kevin and Jeff Hall, the show takes a hard look at the falls from grace that sports fans never quite got over, and some they probably forgot about entirely.

In this trailer, Kevin and Jeff work through a quiz: the top 10 falls from grace in professional sports history, according to one article they found on the internet. A few are obvious. A few are genuinely surprising. And at least two of them belong higher on the list. The conversation covers OJ Simpson (#1), Joe Paterno (#2), Pete Rose (#3), Lance Armstrong (#4), Ben Johnson (#5), Marion Jones (#6), Tiger Woods (#7), Tonya Harding (#8), Michael Vick (#9), and Roger Clemens (#10) — plus a dishonorable mentions list featuring Aaron Hernandez, Oscar Pistorius, Chris Benoit, Jerry Sandusky, Gilbert Arenas, Lenny Dykstra, Ben Roethlisberger, and a notable omission that both of them find genuinely baffling.

(How is Mike Tyson not in the top ten?)

This is the show. Sports, crime, and the athletes who had everything and lit it ablaze!

The Halls of Mediocrity — part of the Archive Podcast Network
Midnight Mystery Archive

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Brothers Kevin and Jeff Hall launch the newest show on the Archive Podcast Network with a conversation that goes exactly where you'd expect. From the 1984 Detroit Tigers' unsung heroes to the Bad Boy Pistons, from Dennis Rodman's loaded shotguns in the Palace parking lot to the traveling circus of 1980s professional wrestling, this trailer is a taste of what's coming.

The Hall brothers aren't just here to talk stats. A .252 average isn't going to blow anybody's socks off — but a couple of DUIs and a crack cocaine conviction? Now you've got a show.

Every episode profiles a professional athlete whose career, post-career, or both went spectacularly sideways. The mediocre, the overhyped, the forgotten, and the ones who somehow found their way back. It's going to be fun. It's going to be serious. And some of it is going to be genuinely hard to hear.

But rest assured — it will never be boring.

Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Part of the Archive Podcast Network.

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