Episode #195 | 09.03.24
The NFL: A Dead Owner, A Dead Gangster, A League Founded on Gambling
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In this episode
The image of the National Football League is one of integrity. It’s a squeaky clean brand that NFL commissioners have gone to great lengths to protect. This episode tells the story of a different NFL; the mystery of a dead team owner, gambling, mob-adjacent hall of fame league founders, and murdered bagmen are all part of the history of America’s pastime.
Sources
Raiders Want Eternal Flame for Al Davis by Don Bauder
All Bets Are Off on Gambling’s Impact on Football by Michael Olesker
The $3 Million Bet on 1958 NFL Championship by Tom Bartsch
Allen Glick and Killing Tamara Rand by Matt Potter
For Years NFL Has Been Concerned About A Federal Agency on Gambling, NBC Sports
County Supervisor Asked for a Federal Investigation by Aurelo Rojas
Sports Betting History, NBC Sports
Raiders Owner Involved in Lucrative Teamsters Deal, United Press International
Credits
Hosted and written by Jake Brennan.
Copy edited by James Sullivan.
Scored and mixed by Matt Beaudoin.
Additional music and score elements by Ryan Spraker.
DISGRACELAND theme song, “Crenshaw Space Boogie,” written and produced by Jake Brennan. Performed by Jake Brennan, Bryce Kanzer, Jay Cannava, and Evan Kenney. Mixed and engineered by Adam Taylor.
*illustrations by Avi Spivak @avispivak