Today, we're going to talk about my favorite NBA expansion team ever. A collection of good to not-so-great players, all buying in to launch the Miami Heat franchise in 1988. Except, they sucked. The 1988 Miami Heat couldn't shoot, couldn't pass, couldn't dribble, and they ended up being on the wrong side of NBA history.

Today, we are diving into a story that is maybe my greatest accomplishment as a journalist in my career. It's 1991, and Tupac Shakur has just released his debut album '2pacalypse Now' with his smash hit single 'Brenda's Got A Baby.' It's a song about a young woman who gives birth to a son on the floor of her kitchen, and leaves him in a trash heap. It's a harrowing story that hits deeply for many, and is one of his biggest hits to date. Except, the story was real. It was based on a real woman. And a real baby. And I found them both.

This it it. The team, the story, the one you've all been asking for. However for this, we're going to focus on one specific instance from the most batshit crazy, insane MLB team of all-time: The 1986 New York Mets. Post NLCS, the Mets are coming off a huge win over the Houston Astros, and heading to the World Series. What happens next is the craziest sh*t you've ever heard.

Today, we're going to discuss one of my favorite baseball players of all time. He was a flash in the pan who was set for a much longer career, but like many athletes, injuries derailed his promising future. Today, we discuss the legend of former Detroit Tigers ace Mark "The Bird" Fidrych.

Usually, we do these stories about sports figures past, present and future. But today, we're going to talk about an unsung hero. It's November 2021, and Henry Ruggs III has just got into a terrible car crash, killing Tina Tinter and her dog, Max. But on that night, there was a third person on site: Tony Rodriguez. This is his story.

Today, we're going to explore something that's outside our realm of sports stories. It's a story some of you may have heard before, but not like this. This is the story of how Tupac Shakur almost gave up music before even starting, and how touring with Digital Underground led to both tragedy and triumph. If you pre-order my book 'Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives Of Tupac Shakur' now and email me proof of your order at TupacBook1@gmail.com, you'll receive a specialized package from me as a thanks to you.

Tragedy in sports is not new. We deal with athletes who are gone too soon, far too often - Thurman Munson, Kobe Bryant, Len Bias - the list goes on and on. But today, we're going to talk about one of the forgotten tragedies in sports history, a guy that was Thurman Munson or Kobe Bryant for an earlier generation, and that's Chicago Cubs 2B Ken Hubbs.

*BONUS EPISODE* September 11, 2001 is the worst day of my and many other New Yorkers lives. I've lost my Dad, grandparents, loved ones - it's the worst day. But that day led me to Columbia basketball player Tyler Ugolyn, the Ugolyn family, and a 20+ year friendship that I still hold to this day.

in 2018 I was working on my book Three Ring Circus about the Shaq & Kobe Los Angeles Lakers of the 2000s. In 2001, the Lakers acquired an athletic, scoring shooting guard who was the former No. 5 overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft, but had bounced around the league with multiple teams. This episode is about the enigmatic Isaiah "J.R." Rider.

In 1977, Rick Bell is drafted No. 1 overall out of the University of Southern California by the Tamp Bay Buccaneers. He's a 1,000 yard rusher, with speed, agility, size and strength. By 1984, he was dead. This is one of the most heartbreaking stories I've ever covered.

Today, we're going to talk about former Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Raiders lineman Lyle Alzado. A man who was once so feared by his peers across the league. A man who swore by hard work and dedication. A man whose years of anabolic steroid abuse he says led to his diagnosis of brain cancer, and ultimate death, at the age of 43. This is his story.

It's July 29, 1998, and Hall of Fame Dallas Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin is at training camp in Wichita Falls, TX. All is good between Irvin, the Cowboys and the league. Then, he goes in for a haircut. What followed is one of the biggest cover ups not just in Dallas Cowboys history, but in NFL history.

The 1985 Chicago Bears are one of the greatest NFL teams ever assembled. That year, the Bears went 15-1, and destroyed the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX. Everyone was overjoyed and excited. Except Walter Payton. This is the story.

When Sugar Ray Leonard returned from retirement to face Marvelous Marvin Hagler, the world watched two legends collide. What followed wasn’t just a controversial decision—it was a turning point. One man walked into the sunset. The other walked into the spotlight. Hagler vs. Leonard: the fight that split fans and shaped legacies.

Today, we dive into one of my favorite players of all time: Houston Astros ace J.R. Richard. Richard was a 6'7" pitcher out of Louisiana who was a terror on the mound. Then one day, he had a stroke. And the Astros did nothing. His career - and his life - were never the same.

In 1996, there we two high school phenoms coming out in the NBA Draft - Jermaine O'Neal from South Carolina, and Kobe Bryant from Pennsylvania. The New Jersey Nets were all be sure to pick Kobe Bryant at No, 8 overall. Then, it all changed.