Bizarre with Mick Molloy and Titus O’Reily

History of FIFA: Gianni Infantino Part 2 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 18:30:00 +0000

After surprising everyone by becoming FIFA President, Gianni Infantino had weathered early controversies by neutering the Ethics Committee.

Now he had to deliver two of the most controversial World Cups in history, Russia and Qatar.

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Flying the Drunken Skies - Workplace Bizarre

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 18:30:00 +0000

In a new series, Titus and Adam Rozenbach look at the bizarre things that happen in the workplace.

This week, they look at drunk flight crews and the many and varied ways people get fired.

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FIFA President Gianni Infantino Part One - Sports Bizarre

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:36:14 +0000

When Sepp Blatter stepped down as President of FIFA, talk of reform and a new era was everywhere. To everyone's surprise, the new President was Gianni Infantino, a relative unknown.

We look at his rise and how well he delivered on his promises to reform the organisation.

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The History of FIFA Part 5 - Sports Bizarre

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 18:30:00 +0000

When the end comes, it comes fast. After decades of being one step ahead, events finally catch up with Sepp Blatter, but as always with FIFA, the path is not straightforward.

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Why Isn’t Italy at the World Cup? - Sports Bizarre

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 01:06:48 +0000

Italy has won the World Cup four times, yet it hasn't made the past three tournaments and hasn't gotten out of the group stage since 2006.

But why? Serie A was once the top league in the world, but now it's a shadow of its former self. Bad management, corruption and self-interest have all combined to cause the perfect storm. Can things change?

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The History of FIFA Part 4 - Sports Bizarre

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 18:30:00 +0000

This week, FIFA President Sepp Blatter has his Annus horribilis, as he manages to offend all sorts of people, and faces a serious threat to his position. His answer? Unleash the FIFA Ethics Committee on his rivals.

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The Chaotic First Ever World Cup - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 28 Jun 2026 18:30:00 +0000

FIFA's first-ever World Cup was a hot mess from start to finish. Countries refusing to go, others missing their boat to get there, and that was before the football started.

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The History of FIFA Part 3 - Sports Bizarre

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 18:30:00 +0000

This week, we focus on two of the most corrupt FIFA executives of all time, Chuck Blazer and Jack Warner. Meanwhile, FIFA look to award Russia and Qatar World Cups

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The Battle of Santiago - Sports Bizarre

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:56:18 +0000

The 1962 World Cup was particularly violent and its pinnacle was when the hosts, Chile, took on Italy.

The buildup saw Italian journalists describe Santiago as “a dump where the phones don't work and taxis are as rare as faithful husbands."

Chilean media responded, calling the Italians 'fascists, mafiosos and oversexed.' Things got worse when the game started.

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The History of FIFA: Part 2 - Sports Bizarre

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 18:30:00 +0000

In Part Two, with money flowing in, FIFA look to appoint someone to manage their relationships with sponsors.

That man is Sepp Blatter, a close friend of the show. Let the shenanigans begin!

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George Steinbrenner: Part 6 - Sports Bizarre

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 02:02:31 +0000

In the final of our series on George Steinbrenner, Billy Martin and the Boss spend the 1980s in a toxic love-hate relationship, while controversy once again sees George banned from the game.

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The History of FIFA - Sports Bizarre

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 18:30:00 +0000

With the World Cup underway, we're dusting off our history of FIFA, featuring our favourite Sepp Blatter and corruption on a scale that makes Watergate look like a children's party. Plus, we'll be adding episodes on the recent events at FIFA and the World Cup in North America.

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George Steinbrenner: Part 5 - Sports Bizarre

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 18:30:00 +0000

Billy Martin, George Steinbrenner and Reggie Jackson: three massive personalities, one clubhouse and absolute chaos. In Part 5, Titus and Mick dive into the fights, feuds, power plays and madness that helped turn the Yankees back into champions.

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George Steinbrenner: Part 4 - Sports Bizarre

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 18:30:00 +0000

Mick and Titus unpack the extraordinary rise of George Steinbrenner and the bold moves that transformed the New York Yankees. But just as his influence in sport was growing, an unexpected controversy threatened to pull him into one of America’s biggest political scandals.

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John Victor Aspinall: Part 2 - Aristocracy Bizarre

Sun, 24 May 2026 22:02:38 +0000

Part 2 of the John Victor Aspinall series plunges even further into the controversial world of John Aspinall, the aristocratic casino king who lived with tigers, mixed with gangsters, and was forever linked to the mystery of Lord Lucan. Titus and Rozie unpack the scandals behind one of Britain’s most outrageous characters.

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George Steinbrenner: Part 3 - Sports Bizarre

Wed, 20 May 2026 18:30:00 +0000

Part 3 of the George Steinbrenner series follows the moment he bought the New York Yankees and instantly transformed from absentee owner into the most feared boss in baseball. From flower arrangements triggering meltdowns to the infamous hair policy and nonstop firings, Titus and Mick unpack the chaotic beginning of The Boss era.

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John Victor Aspinall: Part 1 - Aristocracy Bizarre

Sun, 17 May 2026 19:54:23 +0000

In this weeks episode of Aristocracy Bizarre, Titus and Rozie unpack the outrageous rise of John Aspinall - the expelled Oxford playboy who built a secret high stakes gambling empire for Britain’s aristocracy, bribed police, and helped change UK gambling laws forever.

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The Great Bookie Robbery: Part 2 - Crime Bizarre

Wed, 13 May 2026 18:30:00 +0000

Titus and Mick return for Part 2 of the unbelievable story behind Melbourne’s Great Bookie Robbery and the bloody gangland war that followed. From the murders of Les and Brian Kane to the killings that paved the way for the infamous Melbourne gangland era, they trace how one robbery triggered decades of violence, revenge and underworld power struggles.

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George Steinbrenner: Part 2 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 10 May 2026 18:30:00 +0000

Part 2 of the George Steinbrenner series follows his explosive first venture into sport ownership with the Cleveland Pipers - a chaotic ride filled with blow-ups, big gambles and warning signs of what was to come. Before the Yankees, there was debt, drama and one very angry George.

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George Steinbrenner: Part 1 - Sports Bizarre

Mon, 04 May 2026 01:51:28 +0000

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was a man who transcended sports. From being a character in Seinfeld, The Simpsons and hosting Saturday Night Live, Steinbrenner dominated sport and culture.

He also liked firing people, and for 37 years ruled the Yankees with an iron fist.

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Duel to the Death - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 18:30:00 +0000

Titus and Mick step into the dramatic world of Olympic fencing, where honour wasn’t just scored with points, but sometimes settled in real duels. From legendary champions to explosive clashes involving figures like Benito Mussolini, this episode teases a time when sport and real life duels blurred. It’s a gripping glimpse into one of the most bizarre and intense chapters in sporting history.

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The Great Bookie Robbery: Part 1 - Crime Bizarre

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 03:28:14 +0000

Part 1 of Crime Bizarre with Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy unpacks the infamous Great Bookie Robbery, one of Australia’s boldest and most mysterious heists. At the centre is Raymond “Chuck” Bennett, a career criminal with a plan so precise it almost seemed impossible to pull off. But as the story unfolds, cracks begin to show… and not everyone walks away satisfied.

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Aussie Cricketers on a Plane: Part 2 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 17:30:00 +0000

In Part 2, Titus and Mick pick up where things left off, only now the stakes are higher, the stories bigger, and the legend even harder to believe.

As a new era of Australian cricket takes flight, one unlikely figure quietly takes things to another level, turning an already outrageous tale into something truly mythical.

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Death in Poland: Part 2 - Crime Bizarre

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:30:00 +0000

In Part 2, the investigation takes a chilling turn as subtle clues begin to align, drawing police closer to Krystian Bala while his public image tells a very different story. As tensions build and secrets unravel, the case heads to court, where the truth is anything but straightforward.

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Aussie Cricketers on a Plane: Part 1 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 17:30:00 +0000

Titus and Mick chat about the golden era of Australian cricket, when beer flowed as freely as runs, even at 30,000 feet. From economy cabins to cargo holds, they unpack the infamous in-flight drinking contests led by Doug Walters and Rod Marsh, where records were set and memories were promptly forgotten. Somewhere over Bahrain, things got very, very blurry.

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Death in Poland: Part 1 - Crime Bizarre

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 17:30:00 +0000

In this episode of Crime Bizarre, Titus and Rozie dive into a murder mystery that reads like fiction: the 2003 killing of Dariusz Janiszewski in Poland, and the shocking twist that the suspect, Krystian Bala, may have encoded the crime in his own novel Amok. Join them as they unravel a tale of jealousy, philosophy, and the blurred line between art and real-life horror.

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Brazilian Strikers: Part 2 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 17:30:00 +0000

In Part 2 of Brazilian Strikers, Titus O'Reily and Adam Rozenbachs dive into the rollercoaster careers of Ronaldo Nazário and Ronaldinho.

From one of sport’s greatest comebacks in 2002 to a career defined by flair and fleeting peaks, it’s a story of talent that burned bright, but not always long.

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Brazilian Strikers: Part 1 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 17:30:00 +0000

In Part 1 of the Brazilian Strikers series, Titus O'Reily is joined by Adam Rozenbachs to dive into the wild world of Brazilian football (soccer), unpacking the brilliance and chaos of Romário and Ronaldo Nazário - two generational strikers who redefined goalscoring while testing the limits of discipline.

From World Cup heroics to late night escapades, it’s a hilarious and fascinating look at talent, ego, and the question that lingers over both careers: just how great could they have been?

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Fake Pandas and Bizarre Butterfly Biology - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 17:30:00 +0000

Japanese zoo staff go to wild lengths, literally dressing up as pandas and even getting fed by visitors to cope with the departure of their last real bears. Meanwhile, in nature’s weird league, butterflies are rocking eyes on their genitals ... defence or just pure chaos?

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Fangio Kidnapped: Part 2 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 17:30:00 +0000

Kidnapped on the eve of the Havana Grand Prix, Juan Manuel Fangio becomes an unlikely “guest” of Castro’s rebels as they use the world’s greatest driver to send a message to the regime of Fulgencio Batista. As chaos unfolds across Havana, the race goes ahead without him ... with devastating consequences that turn a spectacle into tragedy.

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Titus' Aviary Disasters and Lonely Cats - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 17:30:00 +0000

Adam Rozenbachs teams up with Titus O'Reily as they dive into Sweden’s strict new rules for cat owners, aviary mishaps at Titus’ place and a Sicilian dog helping with illegal rubbish runs.

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Fangio Kidnapped: Part 1 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 17:30:00 +0000

In 1958 Cuba, Formula One legend Juan Manuel Fangio arrived in Havana expecting fast cars, big prize money and glamorous nightlife. Instead, on the eve of the race, rebels fighting the regime of Fulgencio Batista pulled off one of the most audacious kidnappings in sporting history.

In Part 1, we explore the explosive mix of motorsport, mafia money, revolution and how the road to the Havana Grand Prix ran straight through the chaos of the Cuban Revolution.

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Father of the Tour De France: Part 5 - Sports Bizarre

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 17:30:00 +0000

In the explosive final chapter of the series, Titus and Mick unravel murder, mystery and mayhem inside cycling’s greatest race, as tragedy and suspicion threaten to tear the Tour de France apart. As Henri Desgrange fights back with radical reforms that reshape the sport forever, scandal and survival collide in a finale you won’t believe.

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Father of the Tour De France: Part 4 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 17:30:00 +0000

A two minute tyre penalty sparks a full blown war between Henri Pélissier and the Tour’s tyrannical founder. Riders set off at 2am over cratered, post-war roads… and one man finishes the race half-blind with a glass eye. Part 4 dives into rebellion, brutal rules, Belgian domination and the kind of “suffering” that makes modern cycling look comfortable.

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Father of the Tour De France: Part 3 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 17:30:00 +0000

Broken bikes, brutal rules and a race that seems to hate its own riders - Part 3 is peak Tour madness. The line between endurance and punishment completely disappears.

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Father of the Tour De France: Part 2 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 17:30:00 +0000

The Tour de France was born brutal. In Part 2 of this series, Mick and Titus unpack cheating, sabotage, insane mountain stages and the mad rules that turned cycling into pure chaos.

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Father of the Tour De France: Part 1 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 17:30:00 +0000

Titus and Mick dive into the origins of cycling media, power struggles, and the unlikely characters who set the stage for the Tour de France. Politics, grudges, newspapers and bikes collide - and this is only the beginning.

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Disco Demolition Night - Sports Bizarre

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 18:31:57 +0000

A baseball promotion, a radio stunt, and a cultural war collide at Comiskey Park in 1979.

What started as “Disco Sucks Night” turns into one of the most infamous riots in sports history. Records explode, fans storm the field, and a doubleheader dies in chaos.

Titus and Mick unpack the night the disco went up in smoke and baseball lost control.

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Sports Bizarre Hall of Fame: Young Griffo - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 25 Jan 2026 18:30:00 +0000

Albert Griffiths, or ‘Young Griffo’ began life in the slums of Sydney as the leader of a local street gang. This proved to be the perfect training for boxing, and before he was twenty, he was the World Featherweight Champion.

Moving to the United States, Young Griffo would become one of the greatest boxers of all time, despite never training and rarely fighting sober.

In a career spanning 232 fights, Girffo would lose only nine, despite multiple arrests and stints in bot jail and various asylums.

Titus and Mick look at one of the greatest boxers of all time, whose life which was stranger out of the ring than in it.

He more than deserves his spot in the Sports Bizarre Hall of Fame.

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Sports Bizarre Hall of Fame: Jimmy White - Sports Bizarre

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 18:30:00 +0000

By the time Jimmy White was 13, he was skipping school and travelling around England in a black cab to play snooker and hustle adults out of their money.

Turning professional, Jimmy quickly became the most beloved snooker player in the world while living a lifestyle that involved month-long benders with Phil Lynott from Thin Lizzy, UB40, Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy examine the career of one of the greatest snooker players of all time, a man who lost six World Championship Finals and once took his dead brother on a pub crawl.

He is a fitting addition to the Sports Bizarre Hall of Fame.

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Sports Bizarre Hall of Fame: Tim Rossovich - Sports Bizarre

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 18:30:00 +0000

Timothy John Rossovich was a star defensive end and linebacker at the University of Southern California and the Philadelphia Eagles, but it was off the field where his genius shone.

Rossovich was famous for surreal pranks that included chewing glass, setting himself on fire and opening his mouth in a meeting to speak, only for a sparrow to fly out.

After football, Rossovich would go on to be an actor and stuntman, appearing in "MacGyver," "Baywatch," "The Love Boat," "Knight Rider," "Charlie's Angels," "Remington Steele," "Soap," and "The A-Team."

He earns his spot in the Sports Bizarre Hall of Fame.

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Sports Bizarre Hall of Fame: John Daly - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 17:30:00 +0000

Golfer John Daly may be one of the most relatable sportspeople ever, having once said, “I don’t think I’ve ever stepped in the gym – they won’t let me smoke there.”

Daly took the golfing world by storm, winning the 1991 PGA Tournament with his impossibly long drives. Off the course, Daly racked up marriages, scandals and suspensions far faster than he ever won tournaments.

He's a first-round ballot entry into the Sports Bizarre Hall of Fame.

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Sports Bizarre Hall of Fame: Jesse Rodriguez - Sports Bizarre

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 01:59:18 +0000

If you've never heard of Jese Rodruguez, prepare to be entertained.

Jese Rodriguez was a future star in the soccer world, but things like a music career and discovering he was a father via Instagram sent things sideways.

Despite a career that included stints at Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, it was off the field Jese shone, like when he spent €5,000 on text messages to vote an ex-girlfriend off the show Big Brother.

He is a worthy entry to the Sports Bizarre Hall of Fame.

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Sports Bizarre Hall of Fame: Rube Waddell - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 22:22:53 +0000

Our next inductee is an easy entry to the Sports Bizarre Hall of Fame.

No athlete was like Rube Wadell. One of the greatest pitchers of all time, Rube's exploits on the field paled to his off-the-field antics.

From chasing fire tracks, training geese to jump rope or leaving games to go fishing, Rube became the most popular baseballer of his age.

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Sports Bizarre Hall of Fame Inductee: James Hunt - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 04 Jan 2026 22:57:18 +0000

Perhaps no other Formula One Driver has captured the imagination of racing fans as much as James Hunt.

For a man who said, “my first priority is to finish above rather than beneath the ground," he spent an enormous amount of his early career crashing.

James Hunt, race car driver, international playboy and keen breeder of budgerigars, is a worthy addition to the Sports Bizarre Hall of Fame.

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Sports Bizarre Hall of Fame: Carlos Kaiser - Sports Bizarre

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 02:40:16 +0000

It's time to induct some of our favourite ever characters to the Sports Bizarre Hall of Fame! There is no great honour in sport.

Our first inductee encapsulates everything you'd want in a Hall of Fame member: pure shenanigans.

Carlos Kaiser had one of the longest careers in Brazilian football, joining all the big four clubs Botafogo, Fluminense, Flamengo, and Vasco da Gama, plus stints in Mexico, Argentina and France.

However, what made Kaiser’s career remarkable was not its length or being part of so many top sides but the fact that he never played a single game.

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Cricket Tales with Adam Collins & Geoff Lemon - Sports Bizarre

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 17:30:00 +0000

Titus sits down with cricket commentators Adam Collins and Geoff Lemon from The Final Word podcast to talk all things cricket and chaos. Fresh off the release of their new book Bedtime Tales for Cricket Tragics, the pair share stories, insights, and plenty of laughs for fans of the game.

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Bodyline: Part 3 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 17:30:00 +0000

In Part 3 of the Bodyline series, Titus and Mick cover the explosive Adelaide Test, where Bodyline peaked in controversy, leaving Woodfull and Oldfield battered and the crowd near riot. They also explore the series’ fallout - political tensions, media scandals, and the MCC’s response that changed cricket laws forever.

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Bodyline: Part 2 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 17:30:00 +0000

The Bodyline saga heats up as England’s short-pitched assault intensifies and Australia reels from controversy on and off the field. This episode explores the moments that pushed players, officials, and nations to breaking point.

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Botoxed Camels on the Catwalk - Animal Bizarre

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 03:58:53 +0000

Mick and Titus tackle the burning issues of our time: camels cheating in beauty pageants with Botox, and investigate if pig milk is actually thing.

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Bodyline: Part 1 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 22:48:49 +0000

In Part 1 of the Bodyline series, Titus and Mick reveal how Bradman’s unstoppable rise and Douglas Jardine’s growing hatred lit the fuse for cricket’s most explosive controversy. By the end, Jardine thinks he’s cracked Bradman - and starts plotting a plan that will shake the sport to its core.

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Sausage Dog Turns Celebrity - Animal Bizarre

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 17:30:00 +0000

Mick and Titus give us an update on Valerie the dachshund, who’s now juggling VIP appearances, book plans and even her own beer. Meanwhile, rodeo bulls run wild through the streets of Pakenham as cowboys on horseback scramble to chase them down.

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The Birth of the Ashes: Part 2 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 23 Nov 2025 17:30:00 +0000

Titus and Mick continue to explore the fiery birth of The Ashes on this episode of Sports Bizarre. Discover how Fred Spofforth’s legendary bowling, a cheeky obituary, and a few unexpected twists sparked a cricket rivalry that still burns today.

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Undie Smuggled Parakeets - Animal Bizarre

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 22:55:54 +0000

It's a canine flavoured chaos fest as Mick and Titus tackle parakeets smuggled in jocks and a dog who accidental pulled the trigger.

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The Birth of the Ashes: Part 1 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 17:30:00 +0000

Titus and Mick take you back to the birth of the Ashes, where beers, betting and angry crowds shaped cricket more than talent ever did.

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Monkeys on the run - Animal Bizarre

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 05:14:56 +0000

This week, lab monkeys go rogue after a truck crash, one’s still on the run, and a bloke with a few pints too many mistakes a tiger for a slightly larger house cat.

Just another normal week in the animal kingdom - and on Animal Bizarre!

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Special Guest Dan Liebke - Sports Bizarre

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 04:56:49 +0000

Titus is joined by special guest Dan Liebke, author of “The 50 Most Ridiculous Ashes Moments.” With the Ashes just around the corner, they dive into cricket’s funniest, weirdest, and downright stupidest moments - from the hilarious to the completely insane.

Because when it comes to the Ashes, the drama isn’t just on the scoreboard.

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How Companies Get You with Chris Kohler - Economics Bizarre

Sun, 09 Nov 2025 17:30:00 +0000

Finance journalist Chris Kohler joins Titus to discuss his new book How They Get You, about how companies get you to part with your money.

They cover the history of Frequent Flyer Points, the real cost of home delivery apps, and why there is an estimated $US27 billion currently sitting on lost gift cards.

Chris' book is out November 11 and can be purchased here.

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Operation Crock of Gold - Sports Bizarre

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 17:30:00 +0000

In the early 1970s, Tony Murphy, a millionaire builder from Cork, Ireland, had an idea of how to fleece the English bookies for millions.

So he gathered some of his mates in a pub, and soon they were executing one of racing's greatest ever stings.

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Archive: The Man Who Invented the Melbourne Cup - Sports Bizarre

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 09:08:06 +0000

Frederick Charles Standish left England in 1852 under a false name and fleeing moneylenders. Landing in Melbourne, he was forced to live on the goldfields and run a sly grog business.

Yet, just six years later, he would be the colony's Chief Commissioner of police, be a pallbearer at Robert O’Hara Burke's funeral, invent the Melbourne Cup, become a key player in the formation of the VRC and lead, very unsuccessfully, the hunt for Ned Kelly.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy examine the life of one of Australia's strangest characters, a man who paused the hunt for Ned Kelly while the weights of the Melbourne Cup were declared.

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Spy Whales and Surfing Otters - Animal Bizarre

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:39:56 +0000

Mick and Titus discuss a Canadian park wanting to send 30 Beluga whales to China, and Otters stealing surfboards.

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Sports Greatest Prank - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 17:30:00 +0000

In this episode of Sports Bizarre, Titus and Mick discuss one of sports greatest pranks, the time Swedish soccer player Anders Limpar was tricked into believing he’d time-travelled two years into the future. From fighter jets to fake news reports, this elaborate hoax has to be heard to be believed.

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Drunk Croatian Snake & Animal Oscars - Animal Bizarre

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 01:20:45 +0000

A Croatian snake learns why alcohol and biting don't mix and animals push for Oscars and hitting the red carpet - Mick and Titus break it all down.

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The Real McCoy Norman Selby: Part 3 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 19 Oct 2025 17:30:00 +0000

In the final part of Norman Selby's story, Titus and Mick cover his fall from Hollywood fame to scandal, prison, and a tragic end. It’s the remarkable conclusion to one of sport’s most unbelievable lives.

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The Real McCoy Norman Selby: Part 2 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 17:30:00 +0000

In part two of The Real McCoy series, Titus and Mick unravel the next chapter of Norman Selby’s life - as a string of marriages and chaos follow him both inside and outside the ring. From fixed fights and failed fortunes to diamond smuggling and Hollywood connections, this episode proves that his life was as unbelievable as his legend. His story only gets wilder from here, so buckle up and stay tuned for part three.

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The Comb Over Lion - Animal Bizarre

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 04:03:39 +0000

Mick and Titus are back and this episode is a ripper! From the shark attack survivor who drove himself to the hospital to the "comb over lion" - the king of the jungle with a slightly dodgy hairline.

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The Real McCoy Norman Selby: Part 1 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 17:30:00 +0000

Titus and Mick kick off the wild story of Norman Selby, the boxer who gave us the phrase “the real McCoy.” From hopping trains to world champion, he invented the corkscrew punch (thanks to a kitten) and mastered trickery inside the ring. Part One sets the stage for a career as bizarre as it gets.

When we come back, Norman Selby is stepping up for the heavyweight title - one of the most corrupt championships in boxing history.

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Reporter vs Bull - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Titus is once again joined by comedian and writer Adam Rozenbachs for a dive into the week’s strangest animal stories. From a Spanish bull taking aim at a reporter live on air to scientists plotting the return of the long-lost dodo, the big question is ... are we witnessing brilliance or the beginnings of Jurassic Park?

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Greatest Australian Racehorses with Andrew Rule - Sports Bizarre

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 00:08:19 +0000

Titus O’Reily is joined by special guest Andrew Rule to dive into the Greatest Australian Horses and his new book The Chosen Few. A perfect episode for anyone starting to get into horse racing, with stories of legends on and off the track.

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Diego Maradona: Part 7 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 18:30:00 +0000

The wild final chapter of Diego Maradona’s life - doping scandals, fistfights, shootouts with reporters, and a World Cup meltdown. Football’s greatest genius went out exactly as he lived: chaotic, controversial, and unforgettable.

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Horny Pet Camel - Animal Bizarre

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 06:51:16 +0000

Mick’s back and joins the chat about Dr Chris Brown’s cheeky cat confession, an iguana pulling off a virgin birth, and a camel that got a little too frisky.

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Diego Maradona: Part 6 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Titus and Mick dive further into the life of Diego Maradona - from World Cup glory to cocaine scandals and Camorra connections. Don't miss the final, jaw-dropping part of this Maradona series next week!

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Testicle Bites & Surfing Pups - Animal Bizarre

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 02:16:43 +0000

Titus O'Reily is joined by Adam Rozenbachs as they explore the lighter side of wildlife - from a man’s painful python encounter to dogs riding surfboards like pros.

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Diego Maradona: Part 5 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 18:30:00 +0000

In Part 5 of the Diego Maradona series, Titus and Mick dive into the chaos of paternity scandals, Napoli’s first-ever title, god-like worship in Naples, and Diego’s legendary “Live is Life” warm-up on the road to European glory. But as the trophies pile up, so do the drugs, the Camorra, and the women. Stay tuned for Part 6 to see if Napoli decide to let him go.

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Elephant Hangovers - Animal Bizarre

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 03:50:41 +0000

Titus and Rozie unpack the story of a tourist pouring beer down an elephant's trunk and break down the unbelievable moment a man fought off a tiger.

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Diego Maradona: Part 4 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Titus and Mick jump into Part 4 of the wild ride that was Diego Maradona’s 1986 World Cup - from battling a busted knee and clashing with teammates to delivering both the infamous Hand of God and the unforgettable Goal of the Century. Plus, stay tuned for what his former partner Claudia has to reveal publicly!

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Masturbating Orcas - Animal Bizarre

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 01:01:03 +0000

This week on Animal Bizarre, Titus is joined by Adam Rozenbachs and they dive into the weirdest corners of the animal kingdom, including zoo staff getting a little too hands-on with an orca, and how 850 turtles were smuggled in socks and declared as toys.

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Diego Maradona : Part 3 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 18:30:00 +0000

In Part 3, Diego Maradona leaves Barcelona in chaos and arrives in Naples, a city as wild as he is. Worshipped like a god, tangled up with the Camorra, and somehow dragging Napoli up the Serie A table, Diego is back on top. But the real drama is about to begin. Stay tuned for the next stop, the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

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Frankenstein Bunnies - Animal Bizarre

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:49:42 +0000

This week Mick and Titus chat about rabbits and squirrels with sprouting horn-like growths thanks to a common virus and the viral story of an unlucky tourist who got dacked by an elephant.

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Diego Maradona: Part 2 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Part 2 covers Maradona’s fiery Barcelona years, from his world-record transfer and dazzling goals to brutal clashes with Athletic Bilbao, including the infamous “Butcher of Bilbao” tackle that broke his ankle, a violent Copa del Rey final brawl, and the off-field chaos that pushed him toward his Napoli move.

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Painted Chooks & Cocaine Shrimp - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Titus and Rozie are back with a buffet of bizarre animal antics - from Rozie’s cockroach-infested house and fancy rats feasting on panettone, to a crafty scammer painting chickens to pass as parrots, and shrimp so high they’re practically hosting the party.

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Diego Maradona: Part 1 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 18:30:00 +0000

In Part 1 of this Diego Maradona series, Titus and Mick discuss the extraordinary early life of Diego Maradona - born into poverty in a Buenos Aires shanty town and juggling oranges before footballs, he was nutmegging pros by the age of15. This is the origin story of football’s most gifted and chaotic genius.

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Pets on the Menu & Monkey Mayhem - Animal Bizarre

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 02:14:31 +0000

Titus O'Reily is joined by Adam Rozenbachs as they chat about a gang of monkey con artists stealing smartphones at a Temple in Bali and a Danish zoo's wild request for people to donate their pets as predator snacks.

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The Philadelphia Eagles Wild Man - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Tim Rossovich was a first-round NFL draft pick, USC All-American, Hollywood actor… and one of the loosest units ever to wear a football helmet. He set himself on fire for fun, ate beer glasses to beat Mike Ditka in a contest, and once leapt out of a sorority window to escape security with a leg injury to prove it. Titus and Mick dive into the unexplainable life of the man who lived every day like a stunt scene.

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Chimpfluencers - Animal Bizarre

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 00:11:58 +0000

On this episode of Animal Bizarre, Mick and Titus unpack Brooklyn Beckham’s baffling elephant photography skills and dive into the wild world of chimp fashion - where grass and sticks shoved up their butts is all the rage.

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The World's Toughest Umpire - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 27 Jul 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Titus and Mick discuss 1890s baseball with the story of Tim Hurst - the umpire who fought players, punched fans, and once ended a game by spitting tobacco at a college kid. It's the lawless, beer-soaked chaos of early pro baseball… and one man who tried to tame it with his fists.

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Party Animals and Prehistoric Price Tags - Animal Bizarre

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 07:59:16 +0000

This week on Animal Bizarre, Mick and Titus chat about the wild world of dolphins and dogs getting high, dinosaurs bones up for grabs, and a parrot that returns speaking fluent Spanish. Plus, they discuss the jaw-dropping stats on blue whale anatomy ... you won’t believe the size!

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Malice at the Palace: Part 2 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 20 Jul 2025 18:30:00 +0000

In Part 2 of Malice at the Palace, Titus and Adam dive deep into the chaotic aftermath of the most infamous brawl in NBA history. From the wild suspensions to the media frenzy and the long-term fallout for players and the league, it’s a jaw-dropping look at how one night changed basketball forever.

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Fruit Flies Hooked On Cocaine - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 18:30:00 +0000

In this episode Titus and Rozie discuss the strange but true tales of fruit flies hooked on cocaine, Vegas pigeons rocking glued on cowboy hats and the baffling law that bans donkeys from sleeping in bathtubs.

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Malice at the Palace: Part 1 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 18:30:00 +0000

In Part 1 of this wild story, Titus and Adam dive into one of the most infamous nights in NBA history, the chaotic 2004 brawl between the Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons, and fans at The Palace of Auburn Hills. From rising tensions on the court to the moment it all erupted, this episode sets the scene for a sporting meltdown like no other.

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Orangutan Vapes and Mongoose Escapes - Animal Bizarre

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 11:00:50 +0000

This week on Animal Bizarre, Titus O’Reily is joined by Adam Rozenbachs as they discuss an orangutan vaping, a panda faking pregnancy for snacks, and a mongoose spotted at the pub.

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Putin's Olympics - Sports Bizarre

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 09:14:16 +0000

Titus and Mick unravel how Vladimir Putin used the Olympics as a stage to showcase power, pride, and political ambition. From outrageous spending to shadowy scandals, this episode explores how sport became a key weapon in Putin’s grand plan.

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Special Guest Trevor Cohen - Sports Bizarre

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Titus and Mick sit down with 87 year old athlete Trevor Cohen to chat about his remarkable sporting journey and the secrets to still competing well into his 80s.

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Royal Stings and Tentacle Flings - Animal Bizarre

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 08:02:25 +0000

In this wildly entertaining episode of Animal Bizarre, a rogue bee brings down a royal billionaire at a polo match, an octopus sends his detachable penis on solo missions, and we uncover the cheetah’s seductive bark that makes the ladies ovulate on demand.

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The Enhanced Games - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 22 Jun 2025 18:30:00 +0000

In this episode of Sports Bizarre, Titus and Mick unpack the wild story behind the Enhanced Games - a proposed Olympics-style event where drugs aren't banned, they're encouraged. Is this the future of sport or a doomed science experiment?

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Sources

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/enhanced-games-olympics-doping-aron-dsouza-b2565593.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/23/style/enhanced-games.html

https://spearswms.com/wealth/enhanced-games-founder-aron-dsouza-on-why-his-project-is-more-than-just-the-doping-olympics/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2023/07/03/drug-enhanced-olympic-games/

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Elephants Don't Pay and Bears Don't Knock - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Mick and Titus discuss animal crimes - an elephant ransacks 7/11, a bear breaks into a retirement home and the story of Titus' short lived postie career that ended with a dog attack.

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History's Biggest Doping Program - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 18:30:00 +0000

In this episode of Sports Bizarre, Titus and Mick discuss the biggest doping program in the history of sport. It was East Germany's State Plan 14.25, a strategy to turn an entire state into one big doping program to achieve sporting glory.

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Research

There's a lot written on this topic, I covered it in my book Cheat, and a lot of the more recent events are covered in the German press.

The best book on it I found was Faust's Gold: inside the east german doping machine by Steven Ungerleider. It's got some great chapters on how the files on the program were discovered.

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Flying Snakes and OnlyFans Guinea Pig - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 18:30:00 +0000

On this episode of Animal Bizarre, Mick and Titus dive into the scandalous saga of the OnlyFans guinea pig who fathered 100 offspring and that snakes can fly.

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The Dirtiest Race of Them All - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Titus and Mick chat about the chaos surrounding the 1988 Seoul Olympics 100m final, diving into Ben Johnson’s steroid scandal, Carl Lewis’ golden opportunity, and all the bizarre twists that made it the dirtiest race in history.

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Kangaroos and Blow Darts - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Mick and Titus dive into the world of kangaroos and uncover the sneaky truth about penguins up to no good.

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Pablo Escobar Goes Racing - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Titus and Mick examine Pablo Escobar's bizarre side hustle - a race car driver with dreams of Formula One glory.

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Dogs at the Dinner Table - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 27 May 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Mick and Titus tackle the antics of a Chinese police dog caught stealing sausages during patrol, a flightless bird than can't walk, and the age old debate of whether dogs deserve a seat at the dinner table.

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Bloodbath: The 1945 VFL Grand Final - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 25 May 2025 18:30:00 +0000

The 1945 VFL Grand Final, occurring just weeks after WWII, saw Carlton and South Melbourne face off in one of the most violent games in the history of sport.

"The Bloodbath" would become remembered more for the mayhem than the football itself.

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Crocodile Selfies Gone Wrong - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 20 May 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Mick and Titus return with another round of unbelievable animal antics from dinosaur leather handbags to crocodile selfies that didn't go quite as planned.

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Bloodgate, Union's Darkest Moment - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 18 May 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Titus unravels the jaw-dropping scandal behind Rugby Union's most infamous moment - Bloodgate.

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Smoking Gorillas and Bilingual Parrots - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 13 May 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Titus O’Reily is joined by stand-up comedian Adam Rozenbachs to chat about elephants unexpected fear of bees, smoking gorillas and bilingual parrots.

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The Wild World Hockey Association Part 3 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 11 May 2025 18:30:00 +0000

In our final episode on the World Hockey Association, the league unearths a superstar, and a beer boycott changes the direction of everything.

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Aside from contemporary newspaper reports and research I’d done for my book The Seven Deadly Sins of Sport, for those interested in this story, there is one great book, Ed Willes’ The Rebel League: The Short and Unruly Life of the World Hockey Association .

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Mick is Bitten by a Wasp - Animal Bizarre

Wed, 07 May 2025 01:49:58 +0000

In an alarming development, Mick has been bitten by a wasp, and Titus doesn't take it as seriously as Mick believes he should.

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The Wild World Hockey Association Part 2 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 04 May 2025 18:30:00 +0000

As the World Hockey Association approached its first season, things were getting tense with the NHL.

Chicago Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz described the battle thus: “The war with the WHA was the third-bloodiest war in history, behind the Civil War and the Peloponnesian War.”

The WHA was more worried about having arenas where the ice didn't have hills.

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Russian Circuses and Chinese Zoos - Animal Bizarre

Sat, 03 May 2025 01:55:45 +0000

Titus is joined by friend of the show Adam Rozenbachs to discuss operating on cats, and the source of the best animal stories.

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The Wild World Hockey Association Part 1 - Sports Bizarre

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 00:25:41 +0000

In the 1970s, with the National Hockey League reigning supreme, two Californians who knew nothing about ice hockey decided to start a rival league.

It would be called the World Hockey Association and would kick off a wild ride that would change the face of ice hockey.

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Philadelphia's Sports Fans - Sports Bizarre

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Some say Philadelphia's sports fans are the worst in the United States, while others say they are the worst in the world.

But is the reputation justified, or are they just misunderstood?

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Octopuses have six legs - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Mick and Titus learn a surprising fact about octopuses and discuss what is the sexiest animal.

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Sport's Greatest Conman - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 13 Apr 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Russell Stephen King managed to own a bank, buy English soccer side Notts County and launch a takeover of Formula One team BMW Sauber.

There was one small problem, he was a complete fraud, but that didn't stop some powerful people from falling for his scams.

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Eddie 'Rube' Waddell Part 5 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 06 Apr 2025 18:30:00 +0000

In the final of our series on Rube Waddell, the great man keeps up the antics, and Connie Mack goes to greater lengths to keep him on track.

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There were numerous sources for Rube’s story, he’s now one of the most written about baseball stars of that era. THe bible on his life however is Rube Waddell: The Zany, Brilliant Life of a Strikeout Artist by Alan H. Levy. It’s well worth a read.

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Anxiety Turtles and Penguin Divorces - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 17:30:00 +0000

Titus is joined again by Adam Rozenbachs and they discuss anxiety turtles at Pilates and an increase in penguin divorce rates.

Grab tickets to Adam’s Melbourne International Comedy show Warm Regards below!

https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1316921

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Eddie 'Rube' Waddell Part 4 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 17:30:00 +0000

There's a strong argument that Rube's season in 1903, is the craziest season an athlete has ever had.

There are animals, theatre, ice cream eating competitions, a marriage, time in jail and so much more.

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Thinning the Herd - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 17:30:00 +0000

Titus is joined by comedian Adam Rozenbachs, and they roam across the animal landscape like a short-armed T-Rexes

They discuss thinning the herd, human evolution and Americans stealing our wombats.

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https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1316921

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Eddie 'Rube' Waddell Part 3 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 23 Mar 2025 17:30:00 +0000

After a brief adventure in California, Rube returns to the Major Leagues.

Rube however hadn't changed, he wrestled opponents before games, refereed boxing matches, stopped a stadium from burning down and was involved in a train derailment.

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There were numerous sources for Rube’s story, he’s now one of the most written about baseball stars of that era. The bible on his life however is Rube Waddell: The Zany, Brilliant Life of a Strikeout Artist by Alan H. Levy. It’s well worth a read.

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Elephants in Cardigans - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 17:30:00 +0000

Mick and Titus discuss why elephants are wearing cardigans and wonder if dogs should have bachelor parties.

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Eddie 'Rube' Waddell Part 2 - Sports Bizarre

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 00:57:06 +0000

Rube began 1900 in Pittsburgh, where he continued to clash with his manager, Fred Clarke, over things like missing a game because he had purchased a new puppy.

Soon he would be off to a new team, but it would be the same old Rube.

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Rats on Cocaine - Animal Bizarre

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 17:30:00 +0000

Mick and Titus discuss the music rats like while on cocaine and Mick gets annoyed with Australian sharks for letting the country down.

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Eddie 'Rube' Waddell: Part 1 - Sports Bizarre

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 17:30:00 +0000

No athlete was like Rube Wadell. One of the greatest pitchers of all time, Rube's exploits on the field paled to his off-the-field antics.

From chasing fire tracks, training geese to jump rope or leaving games to go fishing, Rube became the most popular baseballer of his age.

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Magnificent Whale Antics - Animal Bizarre

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 04:18:28 +0000

Mick and Titus go deep on whale antics, from spying to swallowing kayakers.

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Massaging Camels and Chasing Bigfoot - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 17:30:00 +0000

Mick and Titus discuss the new practice of massaging camels before discovering the greatest cover for an affair they've ever heard.

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Frigid Panadas - Animal Bizarre

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:29:13 +0000

Mick and Titus are back for the year, and they kick off with Mick offering to date Titus, then move on to the frigid pandas in Adelaide.

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Best of sealife stories - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 06:23:50 +0000

Mick and Titus dive underwater to look at some of their favourite animal stories.

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From the archives: Dock Ellis, LSD and other adventures - Sports Bizarre

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 06:26:15 +0000

In an All-Star career, Dock Ellis managed to win a World Series, pitch a no-hitter on LSD, hit every batter that came to the plate in a game and set a clubhouse on fire.

But for every bit of craziness, Ellis was also ahead of his time as a spokesperson on a range of issues from free agency to racism while devoting his life to combating alcohol and drug abuse.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy look at the complex career of one of the most interesting athletes of all time.

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Best of Croc Stories - Animal Bizarre

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 00:22:07 +0000

Mick and Titus look back at some of their favourite crocodile stories, an animal that has almost killed Mick multiple times.

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From the Archives : The Monkey Testicle Doping Scandal - Sports Bizarre

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 01:00:00 +0000

In the 1930s, several English football clubs experimented with a new treatment sweeping the globe, ingesting, injecting or transplanting testicular tissue from monkeys into people.

So widespread was the practice that the 1939 FA Cup final between Wolverhampton and Portsmouth became known as the ‘Monkey Gland Final’.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy, look back at arguably the strangest doping scandal of all time and the coaching career of Major Frank Buckley, who trialled the treatment at Wolverhampton.

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Best of cow stories - Animal Bizarre

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 09:35:14 +0000

Mick and Titus delve into the weird and wonderful world of cows.

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Best of Bird Stories - Animal Bizarre

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 03:51:30 +0000

Titus and Mick look back at some of their favourite bird stories.

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Best of Bear Stories - Animal Bizarre

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 04:15:04 +0000

Titus and Mick bring together some of their favourite bear stories, an animal they both relate to.

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Best of dog stories - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 22:45:59 +0000

In this best of, Mick and Titus dive deep into the world of man's best friend.

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Man attacks Killer Whale - Animal Bizarre

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 09:29:32 +0000

Titus discusses black widow spiders while Mick defames someone before reflecting on the Jackass' involvement with animals.

Titus has a new book out, The Seven Deadly Sins of Sport, you can purchase it here.

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A Butcher Makes a Mistake- Animal Bizarre

Thu, 28 Nov 2024 17:30:00 +0000

Mick and Titus go way off-topic early on before getting things back on track and covering the Asian Giant Hornet and a butcher who had a very bad day at work.

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Venomous or Poisonous? - Animal Bizarre

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 04:15:23 +0000

Mick schools Titus on the difference between venomous and poisonous, and Titus does a deep dive into Robert F. Kennedy Jr's strange relationship with animals.

Sat 16 Nov: The Leadbeater, Melbourne

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Wed 20 Nov: Rosemount, Perth FIRST SHOW SOLD OUT SECOND SHOW ADDED

https://rosemounthotel.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/63cc2642-6733-4511-9362-dff37fe6a685?Event=199073

Wed 27 Nov: The Triffid, Brisbane

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Fri 29 Nov: The Comedy Store, Sydney

https://aucentury.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/138570

Sat 30 Nov: Fun Time Pony, Canberra FIRST SHOW SOLD OUT SECOND SHOW ADDED

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A Robot Whale Shark Disappoints - Animal Bizarre

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 17:30:00 +0000

Mick is certain a snake will bite him, while Titus tells the story of a robot whale shark passed off as a real one at a Chinese zoo.

Titus is touring the country. Tickets are on sale now.

Sat 16 Nov: The Leadbeater, Melbourne

https://theleadbeaterhotel.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/d7d3259b-2256-48b0-be2e-174d62dd917e

Wed 20 Nov: Rosemount, Perth FIRST SHOW SOLD OUT SECOND SHOW ADDED

https://rosemounthotel.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/63cc2642-6733-4511-9362-dff37fe6a685?Event=199073

Wed 27 Nov: The Triffid, Brisbane

https://moshtix.com.au/v2/event/titus-o-reily-sport-the-unauthorised-history/171148

Fri 29 Nov: The Comedy Store, Sydney

https://aucentury.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/138570

Sat 30 Nov: Fun Time Pony, Canberra FIRST SHOW SOLD OUT SECOND SHOW ADDED

https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1285551

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From the Archive: Denis Rodman and Kim Jong-un - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 13 Oct 2024 17:30:00 +0000

Former Chicago Bull Dennis Rodman offered to go to Russia to talk to President Vladimir Putin about the imprisoned WNBA star Brittney Griner.

While Rodman claims somewhat falsely that "I know Putin too well," there’s one dictator he does know well, North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un.

Between 2013 and 2018, Rodman made numerous trips to North Korea, calling Jong-un a ‘friend for life’. At one point, Rodman was one of only two men in the world who had met Kim Jong-un and then President Donald Trump.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy discuss the strangest relationship in international politics and look at claims Rodman was an intelligence officer working for the Central Intelligence Agency or just a useful idiot for the North Koreans.

Titus is touring the country. Tickets are on sale now.

Sat 16 Nov: The Leadbeater, Melbourne

https://theleadbeaterhotel.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/d7d3259b-2256-48b0-be2e-174d62dd917e

Wed 20 Nov: Rosemount, Perth FIRST SHOW SOLD OUT SECOND SHOW ADDED

https://rosemounthotel.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/63cc2642-6733-4511-9362-dff37fe6a685?Event=199073

Wed 27 Nov: The Triffid, Brisbane

https://moshtix.com.au/v2/event/titus-o-reily-sport-the-unauthorised-history/171148

Fri 29 Nov: The Comedy Store, Sydney

https://aucentury.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/138570

Sat 30 Nov: Fun Time Pony, Canberra FIRST SHOW SOLD OUT SECOND SHOW ADDED

https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1285551

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League: Born in Crisis - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 29 Sep 2024 18:30:00 +0000

On 8 August 1907, a secret meeting at Bateman’s Hotel in Sydney established a professional version of rugby in Australia and League was born.

The very next day, details of the secret meeting were in the paper and League had gone less than 24 hours before their first crisis.

Mick and Titus look at the early years of League in Australia as the NRL Grand Final approaches.

Titus is touring the country. Tickets are on sale now.

Sat 16 Nov: The Leadbeater, Melbourne

https://theleadbeaterhotel.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/d7d3259b-2256-48b0-be2e-174d62dd917e

Wed 20 Nov: Rosemount, Perth FIRST SHOW SOLD OUT SECOND SHOW ADDED

https://rosemounthotel.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/63cc2642-6733-4511-9362-dff37fe6a685?Event=199073

Wed 27 Nov: The Triffid, Brisbane

https://moshtix.com.au/v2/event/titus-o-reily-sport-the-unauthorised-history/171148

Fri 29 Nov: The Comedy Store, Sydney

https://aucentury.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/138570

Sat 30 Nov: Fun Time Pony, Canberra FIRST SHOW SOLD OUT SECOND SHOW ADDED

https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1285551

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A Smoking Chimpanzee and Vicious Otters- Animal Bizarre

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 18:30:00 +0000

Mick and Titus discuss the ethics of a chimpanzee who likes to smoke and a group of otters that attacked a jogger.

Titus is touring the country. Tickets are on sale now.

Sat 16 Nov: The Leadbeater, Melbourne

https://theleadbeaterhotel.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/d7d3259b-2256-48b0-be2e-174d62dd917e

Wed 20 Nov: Rosemount, Perth FIRST SHOW SOLD OUT SECOND SHOW ADDED

https://rosemounthotel.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/63cc2642-6733-4511-9362-dff37fe6a685?Event=199073

Wed 27 Nov: The Triffid, Brisbane

https://moshtix.com.au/v2/event/titus-o-reily-sport-the-unauthorised-history/171148

Fri 29 Nov: The Comedy Store, Sydney

https://aucentury.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/138570

Sat 30 Nov: Fun Time Pony, Canberra FIRST SHOW SOLD OUT SECOND SHOW ADDED

https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1285551

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Geoffrey Edelsten and the Sydney Swans - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 18:30:00 +0000

In July 1985, it was announced that Geoffrey Edelsten had purchased the Sydney Swans, the first private owner of a VFL side.

What followed were cheerleaders, Warrick Capper, a liaison with Hitman Mr Rent-a-Kill, Christopher Dale Flannery and possibly a pink helicopter.

In AFL Grand Final week, Mick and Titus remember one of the early episodes as the AFL pushed North.

Titus is touring the country. Tickets are on sale now.

Sat 16 Nov: The Leadbeater, Melbourne

https://theleadbeaterhotel.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/d7d3259b-2256-48b0-be2e-174d62dd917e

Wed 20 Nov: Rosemount, Perth SOLD OUT Second Show added

https://rosemounthotel.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/63cc2642-6733-4511-9362-dff37fe6a685?Event=199073

Wed 27 Nov: The Triffid, Brisbane

https://moshtix.com.au/v2/event/titus-o-reily-sport-the-unauthorised-history/171148

Fri 29 Nov: The Comedy Store, Sydney

https://aucentury.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/138570

Sat 30 Nov: Fun Time Pony, Canberra SOLD OUT Second Show Added

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The Saga of the Swearing Parrots - Animal Bizarre

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 01:24:16 +0000

Titus and Mick discuss the saga of the swearing parrots, and learn something about sloths that they can't unlearn.

Titus is touring the country. Tickets are on sale now.

Sat 16 Nov: The Leadbeater, Melbourne

https://theleadbeaterhotel.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/d7d3259b-2256-48b0-be2e-174d62dd917e

Wed 20 Nov: Rosemount, Perth 2nd Show

https://rosemounthotel.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/63cc2642-6733-4511-9362-dff37fe6a685?Event=199073

Wed 27 Nov: The Triffid, Brisbane

https://moshtix.com.au/v2/event/titus-o-reily-sport-the-unauthorised-history/171148

Fri 29 Nov: The Comedy Store, Sydney

https://aucentury.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/138570

Sat 30 Nov: Fun Time Pony, Canberra 2nd Show

https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1285551

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A Charismatic Filthy Bastard - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 18:30:00 +0000

When multi-millionaire Bernard Tapie purchased French football club Olympique de Marseille the fans were thrilled, here was a man who would do anything to win.

'Anything' turned out to be doping and the bribing of almost anyone thought to be able to help them out.

The result was the tainting of the first ever Champions League.

Titus is touring the country. Tickets are on sale now.

Sat 16 Nov: The Leadbeater, Melbourne

https://theleadbeaterhotel.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/d7d3259b-2256-48b0-be2e-174d62dd917e

Wed 20 Nov: Rosemount, Perth SOLD OUT

Wed 27 Nov: The Triffid, Brisbane

https://moshtix.com.au/v2/event/titus-o-reily-sport-the-unauthorised-history/171148

Fri 29 Nov: The Comedy Store, Sydney

https://aucentury.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/138570

Sat 30 Nov: Fun Time Pony, Canberra

https://comedyact.com.au/event/titus-oreily-sport-the-unauthorised-history/

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Beware the Twerking Wombat - Animal Bizarre

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 02:38:04 +0000

Titus and Mick discuss the Tiger attack a Dreamworld, before Titus reveals the dangerous threat twerking wombats present to us all.

Titus is touring the country. Tickets are on sale now.

Sat 16 Nov: The Leadbeater, Melbourne

https://theleadbeaterhotel.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/d7d3259b-2256-48b0-be2e-174d62dd917e

Wed 20 Nov: Rosemount, Perth

https://rosemounthotel.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/ed9737fd-1489-4fd4-998d-e34c429daa02?preview=1ba6d0ef-997f-4881-b462-13c400f7086e

Wed 27 Nov: The Triffid, Brisbane

https://moshtix.com.au/v2/event/titus-o-reily-sport-the-unauthorised-history/171148

Fri 29 Nov: The Comedy Store, Sydney

https://aucentury.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/138570

Sat 30 Nov: Fun Time Pony, Canberra

https://comedyact.com.au/event/titus-oreily-sport-the-unauthorised-history/

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The Real Life Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Part 2 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 08 Sep 2024 18:30:00 +0000

When Louis Zborowski's parents died he became the fourth richest teenager in the world. So he did what any incredibly rich teenager would, put jet engines in cars.

The result was Chitty Bang Bang, one of the fastest cars of its time, creating a legend that lives to this day.

Titus is touring the country. Tickets are on sale now.

Sat 16 Nov: The Leadbeater, Melbourne

https://theleadbeaterhotel.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/d7d3259b-2256-48b0-be2e-174d62dd917e

Wed 20 Nov: Rosemount, Perth

https://rosemounthotel.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/ed9737fd-1489-4fd4-998d-e34c429daa02?preview=1ba6d0ef-997f-4881-b462-13c400f7086e

Wed 27 Nov: The Triffid, Brisbane

https://moshtix.com.au/v2/event/titus-o-reily-sport-the-unauthorised-history/171148

Fri 29 Nov: The Comedy Store, Sydney

https://aucentury.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/138570

Sat 30 Nov: Fun Time Pony, Canberra

https://comedyact.com.au/event/titus-oreily-sport-the-unauthorised-history/

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Ancient Sharks, Fat Eagles and an Eclipse - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 22:38:12 +0000

Mick and Titus discuss a bald eagle that is too fat to fly, sharks' long history, and animals' reactions to an eclipse.

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The Real Life Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Part 1 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 18:30:00 +0000

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the 1968 family musical about a flying car, hardly leaps to mind when you think of sport.

But the film and the book were inspired by one of the most amazing families of early motorsport, the Zborowskis. It's a tale spanning the richest families in the world, James Bond, divorce and some of the most absurd cars ever built.

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Are Crocodiles Dinosaurs? - Animal Bizarre

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 18:30:00 +0000

Titus returns from a trip to Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo leading to Mick revealing his multiple run-ins with crocodiles, and a debate breaks out over whether crocodiles are dinosaurs.

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The History of the Paralympics with Louise Sauvage - Sports Bizarre

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 18:30:00 +0000

Titus is joined by one of the greatest Paralympians of all time and wheelchair racing legend Louise Sauvage to look back at the history of the Paralympics.

They also discuss Louise's career and look at the upcoming 2024 Paralympics.

Louise also has a new podcast that tells the history of the Paralympics and Australia's involvement. You can listen to it on the link below.

The paralympic journey | From rehab to elite - ABC listen

Titus has a live show in Adelaide on September 1. Tickets are available here.

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The Cheapest Owner in Sports - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 25 Aug 2024 18:30:00 +0000

When Marge Schott purchased the Cincinnati Reds, fans welcomed her and her St Bernard with open arms.

Yet despite a World Series, soon a run-in with professional wrestler Randy 'Macho Man' Savage made fans wonder if Marge was a difficult person.

This was soon confirmed with a world-record string of PR disasters.

Titus has a live show in Adelaide on September 1. Tickets are available here.

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Don't be the Person with the Peacock - Animal Bizarre

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 06:39:15 +0000

Mick and Titus discuss the etiquette surrounding emotional support animals, and if a kangaroos can be considered one.

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The Olympic Boxing Mess - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 18 Aug 2024 18:30:00 +0000

While women's boxing exploded in controversy at the Paris Olympics, the real story was hiding in plain sight, boxing is on the verge of being finished as an Olympic sport.

The real story involves decades of corruption, fixed fights, financial mismanagement, the U.S. Treasury Department, Vladimir Putin and Russian bikies.

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Everyone Should get a Duck - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 21:15:05 +0000

In this week's episode, Titus tells Mick about his trip to the Darwin Cup and they discuss all the ways animals get high.

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Hitler's Olympics Part 4 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 11 Aug 2024 18:30:00 +0000

The games have begun, but African American Jesse Owens shatters Hitler's dreams of Aryan supremacy, or did he? The Berlin Olympics were strange, but partly they are strange because the story we tell of them now is not the story told at the time.

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I went through a mountain of stuff on this topic, but books that stand out an are worth reading if you want to know more are Hitler's Olympics: The 1936 Berlin Olympic Games by Christopher Hilton, Berlin 1936: Sixteen Days in August by Oliver Hilmes and Power Games: A Political History of the Olympics by Jules Boykoff.

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From the Archive- Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding - Sports Bizarre

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 18:30:00 +0000

When it comes to Olympic controversies, Winter or Summer, none matches the weirdness of the Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding saga.

Days out from the 1994 US Figure Skating Championships, Nancy Kerrigan had just finished training at the Cobo Arena in Detroit when a man approached and hit her with a metal object just above her knee.

Almost immediately, the FBI would identify four men as behind the attack, all linked to Kerrigan’s main rival, Tonya Harding.

Titus and Mick look back on the motley crew that carried out the attack, how they managed to botch almost every part of their plan and left a trail of clues so wide that anyone on the planet could have solved the case.

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For Dogs, Every Day is Leg Day - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 18:30:00 +0000

Mick and Titus discuss a man who tried to sneak 100 snakes past customs in his trousers, treadmill workouts for dogs and how elephants use names for each other.

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From the Archive - The Voyage of the 1932 Brazilian Olympic Team - Sports Bizarre

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 02:09:42 +0000

As the Olympics continue. we visit the ill-fated voyage of the 1932 Brazillian Olympic team.

In 1932, with the world going through the Great Depression, Brazil had no money to send its Olympic team to Los Angeles.

Then a government official had an idea—load a ship with 50,000 bags of coffee, and have the Olympic team sell the cargo to fund the entire trip.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy look at a strange trip which included pretending the ship was a warship, and civil war breaking out.

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Hitler's Olympics Part 3 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 04 Aug 2024 18:30:00 +0000

With the United States on board, the Berlin Olympics commenced, and first, there was the Opening Ceremony. A ceremony so grandiose that every single Olympics since has copied what the Nazis did.

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Drunk Monkeys, Unfaithful Partners - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 18:30:00 +0000

Mick and Titus discover a dog who inadvertently exposed some infidelity, enjoy the antics of a drunk monkey and wonder what flying ants do to seagulls. It's get them drunk. There's a theme.

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From the Archive: The Worst Event in Olympic History - Sports Bizarre

Mon, 29 Jul 2024 18:30:00 +0000

With Paris now underway, we look back at the worst event the Olympics have ever held.

The 1904 Olympics in St Louis, Missouri, were a disaster in every way possible. Held over six months alongside the World’s Fair, it had a human zoo and a ‘savage Olympics’ pitting various indigenous groups against each other.

But the marathon would be the biggest mess; competitors were refused water, runners were chased off course by dogs, there was cheating, several near deaths, and the first recorded case of doping in Olympic history.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy look back at the worst event ever held at an Olympics and find their favourite Olympic competitor, a Cuban named Félix de la Caridad Carvajal y Soto.

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Hitler's Olympics Part 2 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 28 Jul 2024 18:30:00 +0000

Less than a year out from the 1936 Olympics it appeared likely the United States and many other countries would not attend.

Hitler was furious, would the Americans humiliate him on the world stage? Or would the International Olympic Committee and the American Olympic Association find a way to turn a blind eye to what was happening in Germany?

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A Shark and a Stingray in Love - Animal Bizarre

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 18:30:00 +0000

Can a shark and a stingray fall in love? Mick and Titus set out to answer this age-old question. Mick brings new evidence about Bigfoot, and Titus argues it might not be an accurate story.

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From the Archive: The 1900 Paris Olympics - Sports Bizarre

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 18:30:00 +0000

Before the 2024 Paris Olympics, we look at the first time Paris held an Olympics.

The 1900 Paris Olympics were a disaster of planning and execution, to the point many athletes never even knew they’d participated in an Olympics.

So poorly organised were the games that the discus field was too narrow and throws went into the crowd, while the long jumpers turned up to discover they had to dig their own pit.

As well as standard Olympic fare, there was cannon shooting, hot air ballooning, pigeon shooting, kite flying, driving a mail carriage and fishing.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy look at the most shambolic Olympics ever, an event that saw kids press-ganged into competing and the marathon ended in a twelve-year legal battle.

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Hitler's Olympics Part 1 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 21 Jul 2024 18:30:00 +0000

In 1931, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) awarded Berlin the 1936 Olympics, a sign Germany was returning to normal international relations after World War One.

Yet Adolf Hitler's rise to power presented the IOC with more than a few problems, one being that Hitler hated the Olympics, and another was many countries wanted to boycott the games.

Titus and Mick look at how Hitler came to embrace the Olympics, and how international opposition to them crumbled.

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From the Archives: Doping in the Tour de France - Sports Bizarre

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 22:12:35 +0000

With just a few days to go, we look back at the history of doping in the Tour De France.

From the first Tour De France, riders were putting all kinds of things in their bodies, caffeine, strychnine, cocaine and alcohol.

Drugs were so much part of the sport that the 1930 rulebook, given to all riders, reminded them that drugs would not be provided by the organisers.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy look at the use of doping in the Tour De France from 1903 until the Festina Affair in 1998, the year before Lance Armstrong ‘won’ his seven consecutive yellow jackets.

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The New Age, Touchy Feely Crocodile - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 18:30:00 +0000

In this episode, a man bites a snake, crocodiles start saving dogs and DNA testing is being used to catch people who don't clean up after their dog.

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From the Archive: Tour de France, the Early Years - Sports Bizarre

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 18:30:00 +0000

With LeTour entering its final week, we revisit one of our first episodes, looking at the early years of the Tour De France.

The early years of the Tour De France were a hot mess, with a spiked bottle of lemonade, itching powder put in cyclists’ shorts, riders taking rides in cars and trains, attempted murder and pitched battles between cyclists and spectators.

Beginning in 1903 as a marketing exercise to boost the circulation of the newspaper L’Auto, the first was won by Maurice-François Garin, who knocked an opponent off their bike, and then jumped on the wheels so they couldn’t ride it anymore.

The second Tour would result in the top four finishers all being disqualified, with the reasons never made public.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy look at the early years of the Tour De France, and how those bizarre early races would set the tone for one of the most popular sporting events in the world.

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How Moonshine Created NASCAR Part 6 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 14 Jul 2024 23:29:30 +0000

In the final episode on the beginnings of NASCAR, Bill France seizes control of the new organisation but a new challenge immediately presents itself.

Again, he relies on the bootleggers and moonshiners, and finds a new hero in a bootlegger by the name of Junior Johnson.

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There is a lot on the web about NASCAR’s early days, including a heap of contemporary sources. Rising above all that and a lot more accessible if you want to learn more are two key books, Real NASCAR: White Lightning, Red Clay, and Big Bill France by Daniel S. Pierce and Driving with the Devil: Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels, and the Birth of NASCAR by Neal Thompson.

For more on how the moonshine industry worked, North Carolina Moonshine: An Illicit History by Frank Stephenson Jr. and Barbara Nichols Mulder is fascinating.

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A Pet Snake Is A Red Flag - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 18:30:00 +0000

Mick begins by critiquing the very logo he approved before the guys move on to pressing animal matters, such as people harassing bisons and then regretting it.

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How Moonshine Created NASCAR Part 5 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 07 Jul 2024 18:30:00 +0000

With NASCAR formed, Bill France set out to crush the competition, but he needed stars to bring the crowds.

Enter a family from Fort Payne, Alabama, 'The Sock Capitol of the World', the Flocks.

Dubbed the 'Mad Flocks', Bob, Fonty, Tim and their sister Ethel Flock, became huge attractions throughout the South through their charisma and risky driving.

Tim even started racing with a rhesus monkey—named “Jocko Flocko”, just to add to the entertainment.

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For more on how the moonshine industry worked, North Carolina Moonshine: An Illicit History by Frank Stephenson Jr. and Barbara Nichols Mulder is fascinating.

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A $300,000 Fish and Minimum Chips - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 18:30:00 +0000

Mick provides an update on a fat bear champion, cows are now being toilet trained, and otters start attacking children.

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How Moonshine Created NASCAR Part 4 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 30 Jun 2024 18:30:00 +0000

After the war, Atlanta would launch a campaign against the moonshine drivers, opening the pathway for Bill France to create a new organisation, The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing or NASCAR.

As its first president, they appointed the man who created the Cannonball Run, the event that inspired the films.

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Is a Penguin a Dinosaur? - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 22:29:33 +0000

Titus informs Mick that birds are actually dinosaurs, a woman feeds a monkey spicy Cheetos and Mick argues the pelican should be bird of the year.

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How Moonshine Created NASCAR Part 3 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 23 Jun 2024 18:30:00 +0000

As Atlanta took control of the stock car racing scene, it would seem Bill France's dream of Daytona being the centre of the sport was lost.

But a tragedy and the outbreak of the Second World War would see the sport shaken up again, and pave the way for the emergence of NASCAR.

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Don't Call it a Capybara - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 18:30:00 +0000

Mick returns from Columbia and shares his experiences with the animals there including an emotional support animal biting his colleague.

Titus has a live show in Melbourne on 21 June. You can get tickets here.

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How Moonshine Created NASCAR Part 2 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 16 Jun 2024 18:30:00 +0000

Running illegal moonshine created great drivers and cars, and stock car racing started to gain some traction as a sport.

So much so that the community of Daytona Beach would host their first-ever stock car race. Soon a driver named Bill France would be organising regular races there.

It wouldn't be long though until Atlanta challenged Daytona as the centre of the stock car racing world, producing drivers, and bootleggers such as Lloyd “Lighting Seay and "Reckless Roy" Hall.

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A Bovine Shawshank Redemption - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 18:30:00 +0000

Mick and Titus celebrate a mass cow escape, a brawl at a dog show and shenanigans at greyhound racing.

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How Moonshine Created NASCAR Part 1 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 09 Jun 2024 18:30:00 +0000

There have been times when NASCAR has not wanted people to know their early history.

That’s because the people who built NASCAR, drove the cars, built the cars and financed it, were deeply involved in one illegal industry. Moonshine.

To avoid law enforcement and tax collectors, moonshiner makers employed bootleggers, young men who could outrun those trying to stop them.

Soon, a thought occurred, what if we get these great drivers to race against each other?

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Octopuses Punch Fish, Sometimes for no Apparent Reason - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 23:32:04 +0000

Mick and Titus discuss their favourite river systems, and marvel at the fact Octopuses punch fish for no reason.

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Crossing the English Channel Part 4: Chloë McCardel - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 02 Jun 2024 18:30:00 +0000

Titus interviews Chloë McCardel, the Queen of the Channel, to cap off our English Channel series.

Chloë has swam the channel a record 44 times, as well as holding the record for the longest uninterrupted, unassisted ocean swim ever.

They talk about the pain of jellyfish stings, the terror of swimming at night and how Chloe came to marathon swimming in the first place.

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The Overweight, Arthritic Alligator has Escaped - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 28 May 2024 18:30:00 +0000

Mick and Titus discuss the cat born with no anus and the tale of an Alaskan woman attacked by a black bear while sitting on the toilet.

Plus, they marvel at the unathletic alligator who escaped and a plan hatched by ibises on the Gold Coast to evade animal control.

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Swimming the English Channel Part 3 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 26 May 2024 18:30:00 +0000

With the Channel finally crossed, the arms race for who could cross it the fastest kicked off, and in a shock for the media at the time, it would be the woman who would set the standard.

Gertrude Ederle would set the pace, although her coach worked work against her.

As time went on, the records became harder to set, until an eleven-year-old stepped up to the plate.

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When Animals Strike Back - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 21 May 2024 18:30:00 +0000

A lot is happening in this week's episode, from a Walrus who ruined New Year's Eve, lobsters getting high and animals getting revenge on humans.

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Swimming the English Channel Part 2- Sports Bizarre

Sun, 19 May 2024 18:30:00 +0000

On 12 August 1872, Captain Matthew Webb stood on the English shore and covered himself with porpoise oil before setting off to attempt to be the first person to swim the English Channel.

Webb swam breaststroke as no Englishman would be caught dead swimming the new 'freestyle' stroke. It was considered “violent and grotesque.”

When Webb was just over halfway, a storm hit the Channel. It appeared once again the Channel would never be conquered.

Titus has a live show in Melbourne on 7 June. You can get tickets here.

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The Crypto-Trading Hamster - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 14 May 2024 18:30:00 +0000

Titus and Mick cross the animal kingdom in this episode from a two-foot-tall cow to raccoons who ruin a gender reveal party.

They then pay a classy tribute to Mr Gox, the crypto-trading hamster who passed away unexpectedly.

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Swimming the English Channel Part 1 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 12 May 2024 18:30:00 +0000

One of the most challenging athletic feats in human history is to swim the English Channel.

It’s 34 kilometres of open sea between England and France, which also happens to be the busiest sea lane in the world, with water temperatures hovering between 14 to 18 degrees Celsius in summer.

For your swim to be officially recognised, wet suits or any thermal protection are not allowed. It’s just you against the ocean.

Tides will also sweep you kilometres off course, you’ll almost certainly be stung by jellyfish, and even while swimming, the churning waves can make you seasick.

So why does anyone do it? Who was the first? And just how dangerous is it? Mick and Titus look at the history of swimming the English Channel.

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The Seagulls Too Fat to Fly - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 07 May 2024 18:30:00 +0000

Mick and Titus pay their respects to Magawa the rat who dedicated his life to detecting landmines. Plus, they discuss the Bahraini seagulls that are too fat to fly; loud cicada sex parties and the monotreme with four penises.

Titus has three live shows coming up in May in Melbourne. You can get tickets here.

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The Rise of the SP Bookie Part 2 - Sports Bizarre

Sun, 05 May 2024 18:30:00 +0000

By the 1930s, SP bookies were everywhere, with investigations discovering that every pub had an SP bookie, and the rare one that didn’t wasn’t economically viable.

After the radio had changed everything, the next bit of technology was about to change the life of the SP bookie in ways they couldn’t begin to imagine, the telephone.

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A Bear Walks into a Military Base - Animal Bizarre

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 18:30:00 +0000

In their first episode of Animal Bizarre, Mick and Titus discuss a bear that invaded a Japanese military base, penguins that get too cold and a woman breastfeeding a cat on an aeroplane.

They then cover a man who while fleeing a swarm of bees jumps into a lake, only to be eaten by piranhas.

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The Rise of the SP Bookie Part 1 – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 28 Apr 2024 18:30:00 +0000

At the beginning of the 20th century, Australia decided to do something against its nature, ban gambling.

The result was the rise of the SP Bookie, illegal bookmakers based in pubs, barber shops, pool halls and anywhere people wanted them.

The result was a cat-and-mouse game between the police and the bookies; if the cats weren’t interested in capturing the mice and were willing to take bribes.

Titus has three live shows coming up in May in Melbourne. You can get tickets here.

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New Show Animal Bizarre Launches this Wednesday

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 03:11:23 +0000

Mick and Titus are thrilled to announce a new show, Animal Bizarre, which will be released each Wednesday, starting next week. Sports Bizarre will remain the same, out every Monday.

“From seagulls who are too fat to fly, drunk echidnas, a crypto-investing hamster, racoons hell-bent on disrupting a ‘gender reveal party’, and a bear who invaded a military base, every week we will be looking at the most bizarre stories from the animal kingdom,” said Mick.

“We’ve been thrilled with the ongoing success of Sports Bizarre – and we will continue to find the weird stories from the sports world, but we’ve always wanted to branch out with other topics. When it comes to the stories we tell about animals, we are like David Attenborough, if he didn’t fact check and had an incredibly poor understanding of wildlife,” said Titus.

Animal Bizarre and Sports Bizarre will both be released on this feed so there's no need to change anything. The feed will be renamed 'Bizarre with Mick Molloy and Titus O'Reily'.

If you have any questions, please email us at info@sportsbizarre.com

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Wimbledon's Crazy Gang Part 3 – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 21 Apr 2024 18:30:00 +0000

With their first season at the top level in the bag, the Crazy Gang set their eyes higher, but not before a key member announces he is leaving.

Before the season is over, the team will achieve something special, but it will also contain the seeds of their destruction.

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This story I had to piece together using a lot of different sources but a good overview is The Crazy Gang by Dave Bassett and Wally Downes which aims to set the record straight from two men who were in the Crazy Gang.

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From the archives - Ten Cent Beer Night – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 14 Apr 2024 18:30:00 +0000

Unfortunately Mick was unwell last week, so we bring you one of our most popular episodes. Wimbledon will be back next week.

On 4 June 1974, the Cleveland Indians decided to host a ten-cent beer night to attract fans; beer at the stadium normally cost 65 cents, so ten cents was a real incentive.

The Indians were in a 30-year slump at the time, as was the city, their river would catch fire with alarming regularity, so the scene was set for trouble. Oh, and it was a full moon.

The result was pure, unbridled chaos. There were streakers, firecrackers, a woman trying to kiss the home plate umpire and eventually, a full-scale riot.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy examine a night that started badly and then got worse.

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Wimbledon's Crazy Gang Part 2 – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 07 Apr 2024 18:30:00 +0000

In part two, Wimbledon’s Crazy Gang unlock their on field persona, tough, hard, and hated by opponents.

As they push up the Football League divisions, a new young player joins the team, named Vinnie Jones, and the club begins their assault on the top division.

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Wimbledon's Crazy Gang Part 1 – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 31 Mar 2024 17:30:00 +0000

In the mid-1970s, Wimbledon FC were an amateur football side that couldn't afford training cones, so they stole them from the nearby highway.

But the club was going about to go on one of the greatest runs of any team in sport, rising from the bottom to the top, and they did it with a crazy owner, manager and a bunch of players who would become known simply as ‘the crazy gang’.

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The Angriest Man in Baseball – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 24 Mar 2024 17:30:00 +0000

Albert Belle could hit a baseball. He could also hit a range of other objects when he got frustrated, from sinks to buffet tables.

Joining the hapless Cleveland Indians, he was a big part of turning them around, but he also lost it at fans, teammates, and trick-or-treaters.

Belle’s personality of being a jerk, even affected his chances of entering the Hall of Fame, because most journalists who vote for it, just didn’t like him.

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The Great Babe Didrikson- Part 2 – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 17 Mar 2024 17:30:00 +0000

In part two, Babe Didrikson turns to golf as her next sport to conquer, becoming one of the greatest of all time.

She also meets her husband George Zaharias, a professional wrestler, known as the 'Crying Greek from Cripple Creek.'

Together, they propel Babe to great heights, help form the LPGA, before Babe faces her toughest battle.

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The Great Babe Didrikson- Part 1 – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 10 Mar 2024 17:30:00 +0000

Babe Didrikson might very well be the greatest athlete of the 20th century. As a teenager she led her team to the National Basketball Championship, before moving on to the Olympics and became a two-time gold medallist.

Baseball was next, playing against the men in the Major Leagues, and that was just the half of it.

To make money, she turned to the stage, becoming a star, before deciding to conquer one more sport, golf.

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The Wild Johnstown Jets – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 03 Mar 2024 17:30:00 +0000

In 1977, the movie Slap Shot starring Paul Newman was released about the crazy exploits of a fictional minor league ice hockey team.

The plot was so unbelievable the movie flopped but later became a sports classic, partly because all the crazy stories in it were based on a real team, the Johnstown Jets.

All the characters in the movie were based on real people, like the three Hanson Brothers, (not the musicians) and their arch-nemesis Bill “Goldie” Goldthorpe.

They fought each other, the referees and the fans.

This is the story of the Johnstown Jets, one of the strangest teams of all time.

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Michael Jackson visits Exeter City – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 25 Feb 2024 17:30:00 +0000

In 2002, none other than Michael Jackson came to Exeter City's stadium to deliver a speech to the 7,000 fans in attendance.

What followed was a rambling speech about curing AIDS, stopping poverty, and for good measure, ending racism.

What made this even stranger was that Exeter City were at the bottom of Division Three at the time. Within weeks of his visit, Jackson would be appointed to their board.

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Taylor Swift & the NFL – Sports Bizarre

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 17:30:00 +0000

With Taylor Swift in Australia, we look at her impact on the NFL and examine other sport/entertainment relationships, like Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe, Posh and Becks, and Denis Rodman and Madonna.

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The Fine Cotton Affair - Part 2 – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 18 Feb 2024 17:30:00 +0000

After a few legal checks, we can now bring you part two of Fine Cotton, and we didn't even have to change it!

When we left you, the horse was bright red, the race was imminent and it all looked like this slow-moving disaster was going ahead.

Find out what happens next in this extraordinary tale.

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Resources

There is a heap of newspaper reports from the time, and ever since then there’s been interviews galore with many of the main players. That said, there are still a few who have remained very quiet on this topic.

The most recent book and the one worth grabbing if you want to dive deeper is The Fine Cotton Fiasco by Peter Hoysted and Pat Sheil.

Chance by Andrew Rule also has a chapter on it which is great as all his work is.

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The Fabulous Frank Worthington – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 11 Feb 2024 23:37:29 +0000

Unfortunately, we can't bring you Fine Cotton Part Two today, we explain why in this pod, but it will be arriving soon.

Instead, we present Frank Worthington, one of the wild men of English Football in the 1970s.

A friend of George Best, he once famously failed a medical at Liverpool because he went on a bender the week before.

What follows is a wild ride of women, booze, gambling and some amazing football.

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The Fine Cotton Affair - Part 1 – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 04 Feb 2024 17:30:00 +0000

We are back, and with the most requested topic we've ever had.

In Australia, the two most famous racehorses are Fine Cotton and Phar Lap but for opposite reasons.

When a handful of colourful racing types attempted to swap the poor horse Fine Cotton, for the much faster Dashing Solitaire, it all seemed so easy.

What followed was an inept, sometimes tragic, sometimes hilarious slow-moving disaster, with a mystery still at the heart of it.

We are doing two live Sports Bizarre shows on in Melbourne in February at the Corner Hotel. The first show is sold out and there’s only a few left for the second night. You can buy tickets here:

Tuesday 27th February

We are kicking off at the Corner Hotel because it’s a two minute walk from Mick’s house, but don’t worry if you’re not in Victoria, we will be announcing more dates in the near future.

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The most recent book and the one worth grabbing if you want to dive deeper is The Fine Cotton Fiasco by Peter Hoysted and Pat Sheil.

Chance by Andrew Rule also has a chapter on it which is great as all his work is.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Texas Football with The Ringer’s Bryan Curtis – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 28 Jan 2024 17:30:00 +0000

Titus sits down with The Ringer’s Editor-at-Large Bryan Curtis to discuss the wonderful world of Texas football.

They look at high school football, the rituals and rivalries of college football and the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans.

Bryan discusses his beloved Texas Longhorns and how millions of dollars are poured into high school teams.

They also look at the Houston Oilers, the USFL’s San Antonio Gunslingers and why in Texas, the three Fs, Faith, Family and Football are so big.

We are doing two live Sports Bizarre shows on in Melbourne in February at the Corner Hotel. The first show is sold out and there’s only a few left for the second night. You can buy tickets here:

Tuesday 27th February

We are kicking off at the Corner Hotel because it’s a two minute walk from Mick’s house, but don’t worry if you’re not in Victoria, we will be announcing more dates in the near future.

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Yankees and Jets fans with Paul Nardizzi & David Barend – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 21 Jan 2024 17:30:00 +0000

Titus sits down with comedians and authors Paul Nardizzi & David Barend who literally wrote the books on how to annoy Jets and Yankees fans.

They discuss the Jets disastrous season and why non-Yankees fans hate Yankees fans.

We are doing two live Sports Bizarre shows in Melbourne in February at the Corner Hotel. You can buy tickets here:

Tuesday 20th February

Tuesday 27th February

We are kicking off at the Corner Hotel because it’s a two-minute walk from Mick’s house, but don’t worry if you’re not in Victoria, we will be announcing more dates in the near future.

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The Pain of Being a Mets Fan with Devin Gordon – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 14 Jan 2024 17:30:00 +0000

Titus sits down with Devin Gordon, author of So Many Ways to Lose: The Amazin' True Story of the New York Mets.

They chat about how Mets fans experience more pain than almost any other fans, and how whenever things look good, they go bad in the funniest way possible.

We are doing two live Sports Bizarre shows on in Melbourne in February at the Corner Hotel. You can buy tickets here:

Tuesday 20th February

Tuesday 27th February

We are kicking off at the Corner Hotel because it’s a two minute walk from Mick’s house, but don’t worry if you’re not in Victoria, we will be announcing more dates in the near future.

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Best of - General Mayhem – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 07 Jan 2024 17:30:00 +0000

This week we look at people creating mayhem just for the joy of creating mayhem.

First, we look at snooker legend Jimmy White, particularly when he teams up with fellow madman Alex Higgins.

Next, we look at the total mayhem of mob football at the Atherstone Ball game.

Lastly, we look at the player who never played, Carlos Kaiser and his brush with organised crime.

We are doing two live Sports Bizarre shows in Melbourne in February at the Corner Hotel. You can buy tickets here:

Tuesday 20th February

Tuesday 27th February

We are kicking off at the Corner Hotel because it’s a two minute walk from Mick’s house, but don’t worry if you’re not in Victoria, we will be announcing more dates in the near future.

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Best of - Too Much Money – Sports Bizarre

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:04:45 +0000

This week we look at people who had too much money.

Starting with F1 racer James Hunt, and his relationship with Lord Alexander Hesketh, a man who had money, and knew how to have fun with it.

Then there’s J. William Oldenburg, who owned the USFL team, the Los Angeles Express, and got into a spending war with Donald Trump.

Lastly, we look at James Gordon Bennett Jr, the youngest ever Commodore of the New York Yacht Club, who had a cow on his yacht so he could get fresh milk.

We are doing two live Sports Bizarre shows in Melbourne in February at the Corner Hotel. You can buy tickets here:

Tuesday 20th February

Tuesday 27th February

We are kicking off at the Corner Hotel because it’s a two-minute walk from Mick’s house, but don’t worry if you’re not in Victoria, we will be announcing more dates in the near future.

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From the archives - Young Griffo – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 24 Dec 2023 17:30:00 +0000

This week we look back at one of our favourite characters ever.

Albert Griffiths, or ‘Young Griffo’ began life in the slums of Sydney, as leader of a local gang. This proved to be the perfect training for boxing, and before he was twenty he was the World Featherweight Champion.

Moving to the United States, Young Griffo would go on to be one of the greatest boxers of all time, despite never training and almost never fighting sober.

In a career spanning 232 fights, Girffo would only lose nine, despite multiple arrests, stints in jail and various asylums.

We're doing two live Sports Bizarre podcasts in Melbourne this February. Tickets on sale now.

February 20th Tickets

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The Bookies Missing Millions with Andrew Rule – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 17 Dec 2023 17:30:00 +0000

While Melbourne’s Spring Racing Carnival was in full swing, news emerged of what could be Australia’s biggest Ponzi scheme.

High on the list of victims were bookmakers who invested millions with an unassuming suburban lawyer named John Adams.

Titus sits down with crime writer Andrew Rule to discuss the emerging story.

Tickets to Titus’ five Melbourne shows are selling fast with three already sold out and the others selling fast. For tickets to Sport: The Unauthorised History click here.

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Funniest moments in cricket with Dan Liebke – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 10 Dec 2023 17:30:00 +0000

Titus sits down with author Dan Liebke to discuss his new book, The 100 Funniest Moments in Australian Cricket.

They discuss Rob Quiney's resurrection of a dead seagull, Shane Watson's LBW appeals, Dennis Lillee asking the Queen for an autograph and Jeff Thomson's speech at the Allan Border Medal.

For tickets to Titus' new live show; Sport: The Unauthorised History click here.

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Best of - Unlucky in Love – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 03 Dec 2023 17:30:00 +0000

In 2023, we found plenty of athletes who were unlucky in love. In this best of, we look at John Daly's interesting marriages, Jese Rodriguez interesting way of gaining revenge on an ex, and James Hunt's creative end to a marriage.

For tickets to Titus' new Show; Sport: The Unauthorised History click here.

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Keith Miller- Part 2 – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 26 Nov 2023 17:30:00 +0000

Following the war, Keith Miller dazzled England in the Victory Test and returned to Australia a star.

Debuting for Australia, Miller would dazzle crowds around the world, while also clashing with Don Bradman on a regular basis.

Miller’s on-field antics were matched by the intense interest in what he did off-field. He was rumoured to have had an affair with Princess Margaret, and once while hungover, used a bike to switch fielding positions.

For tickets to Titus' new Show; Sport: The Unauthorised History click here.

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Resources

Aside from lots of contemporary newspaper accounts, there ate quite a few books on Miller.

An older book and out of print that I found useful was Keith Miller; The Golden Nugget by R S Whitington and can be tracked down online.

Miller himself wrote quite extensively, such as in Cricket Crossfire be Keith Miller, again a second hand book these days but available online.

For a more contemporary version and ultimately the most authoritative account, is Miller's Luck: The Life and Loves of Keith Miller, Australia's Greatest All-Rounder by Roland Perry

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Keith Miller - Part 1 – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 19 Nov 2023 17:30:00 +0000

When it comes to cricketers, there have been many as exciting on and off the pitch as Keith Ross Miller.

Miller played VFL, flew fighter planes in the war, and was one of, if not the greatest, all-rounder of all time.

Miller combined movie star looks and incredible charm off the field, with a dark side few got to see.

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Resources

Aside from lots of contemporary newspaper accounts, there ate quite a few books on Miller.

An older book and out of print that I found useful was Keith Miller; The Golden Nugget by R S Whitington and can be tracked down online.

Miller himself wrote quite extensively, such as in Cricket Crossfire be Keith Miller, again a second hand book these days but available online.

For a more contemporary version and ultimately the most authoritative account, is Miller's Luck: The Life and Loves of Keith Miller, Australia's Greatest All-Rounder by Roland Perry

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elias ' Lucky Baldwin' - Part 2 – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 12 Nov 2023 17:30:00 +0000

In the second part of our Lucky Baldwin series, Lucky had just escaped death after being shot by a jilted lover.

He followed that up by being shot by another lover almost immediately, which is careless.

Lucky also managed to create a new town, which the Los Angeles Times described as a “gambling hell and booze pleasure park.”

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Elias ‘Lucky’ Baldwin Part 1 – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 05 Nov 2023 17:30:00 +0000

The Santa Anita Park is one of the most famous racetracks in America, a regular host of the Breeders' Cup, but its founder is little known.

Elias 'Lucky' Baldwin was a self-made millionaire, who left behind him a trail of wives, mistresses and unhappy business partners.

In business, he was lucky and shrewd, and his biography starts with the line, 'immoral, unmoral, amoral, Lucky Baldwin was all of them.'

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Reg Spiers comes home – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 29 Oct 2023 17:30:00 +0000

In 1964, one of Australia’s leading javelin throwers, Reg Spiers, was training in England when he failed to make the Australian Olympic team.

Things got worse when his wallet was stolen, leaving him completely broke.

He was stuck in England with no way to get home. Reg, however, was an out-of-the-box thinker. Perhaps there was a way to get home that would cost him nothing, it just had never been done before.

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Reg attracted a lot of attention back in the day, and has given countless interviews since which I drew on. The most definitive account is the book Out of the Box: The crazy true story of the Australian champion athlete who posted himself by Julie McSorley and Marcus McSorley and is worth checking out if you want the whole story.

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A Real-Life Wacky Races: Part 2 – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 22 Oct 2023 17:30:00 +0000

The MacRobertson Air Race got underway in spectacular fashion, with a pilot trying to take off but forgetting to release the brake.

Once in the air, things got only more confused, with emergency landings, crashes, and pilots getting arrested by Benito Mussolini’s men.

Soon the first planes would arrive in Australia, and the people of Albury would play a major role in saving one plane from disaster.

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Research

To research this I went through more aviation materials than I had ever thought possible. There are a heap of contemporary reports online and I had to dig deep to flesh out a lot of minor details, not all the reports line up.

The best book on the race is On a Wing and a Prayer: The Race that Stopped the World by Di Websdale-Morrissey and is a great account.

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A Real-Life Wacky Races: Part 1 – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 15 Oct 2023 17:30:00 +0000

In 1934, the 100th anniversary of the founding of Melbourne was celebrated by what was at the time, the most dangerous and ambitious race in world history, flying from England to Melbourne.

The race would see wooden biplanes go up against the first metal airliners and was funded by an Australian Willy Wonka, Sir Macpherson Robertson, inventor of Freddo Frog and Cherry Ripe.

The finest pilots of the age gathered in England, a man who flew with a lion cub, a married couple who argued over directions, and a man who once ‘bombed’ the English flagship, HMAS Queen Elizabeth, with toilet paper during a naval exercise.

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Research

The best book on the race is On a Wing and a Prayer: The Race that Stopped the World by Di Websdale-Morrissey and is a great account.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The invention of rugby: Part 2 – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 08 Oct 2023 17:30:00 +0000

On October 26, 1863, at the Freemason’s Tavern in Great Queen Street, London, representatives of various football clubs from across England met to try and figure out a universal set of rules for football.

This optimistic project fell apart over differences over whether you could run while holding the ball, and if you could kick an opponent in the shins.

The group split, one would form the Football Association, and the rest would go off an create Rugby.

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The Invention of Rugby: Part 1 – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 01 Oct 2023 17:30:00 +0000

In 1823, William Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran with it during a school match creating the "rugby" style of play.

Except he didn’t, and the true story of how rugby emerged involved school uprisings, broken shins, and the invention of an origin story.

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The America's Cup: Special Guest John Bertrand – Sports Bizarre

Mon, 25 Sep 2023 18:30:00 +0000

On the 26th of September 1983, forty years ago, Australia II crossed the line to end the New York Yacht Club's 132-year-long winning streak.

To celebrate the anniversary, Mick and Titus sat down with winning skipper John Bertrand to learn more about what it took to win the America’s Cup.

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Research

There is no limit to the writings on the America’s Cup, and this was one of the biggest research jobs I’ve had.

Some of the key sources included:

A Full Cup: Sir Thomas Lipton's Extraordinary Life and His Quest for the America's Cup by Michael D'Antonio

The Quest for the America's Cup: Sailing to Victory by Richard V. Simpson

Exposed: The Dark Side of the America’s Cup by Alan Sefton and Larry Keating

Of course, the great man joined us and his book is Born To Win: The Power Of A Vision by John Bertrand.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The America’s Cup: Part Six – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 24 Sep 2023 18:30:00 +0000

In 1983, Alan Bond would go all in for the Cup, bringing together John Bertrand and Ben Lexcen in an all-out assault on the New York Yacht Club.

The Australians would bring their winged keel, and perhaps more importantly, their mind tricks, as they fought the Americans in court and out on the water.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy recount the year the Australians challenged for the cup and for the first time in 132 years, prised it from the New York Yacht Club’s iron grip.

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Research

There is no limit to the writings on the America’s Cup, and this was one of the biggest research jobs I’ve had.

Some of the key sources included:

A Full Cup: Sir Thomas Lipton's Extraordinary Life and His Quest for the America's Cup by Michael D'Antonio

The Quest for the America's Cup: Sailing to Victory by Richard V. Simpson

Exposed: The Dark Side of the America’s Cup by Alan Sefton and Larry Keating

Of course, the great man joined us and his book is Born To Win: The Power Of A Vision by John Bertrand.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The America’s Cup: Part Five – Sports Bizarre

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 18:30:00 +0000

With the British trying and failing for 100 years, the Australians now entered the fray, with Sir Frank Packer launching a challenge.

When Sir Frank was asked why he decided to challenge, he replied, "Alcohol and delusions of grandeur."

With the passing of Frank Packer, another Australian would pick up the mantle. He was from Western Australia, and his name was Alan Bond.

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Research

There is no limit to the writings on the America’s Cup, and this was one of the biggest research jobs I’ve had.

Some of the key sources included:

A Full Cup: Sir Thomas Lipton's Extraordinary Life and His Quest for the America's Cup by Michael D'Antonio

The Quest for the America's Cup: Sailing to Victory by Richard V. Simpson

Exposed: The Dark Side of the America’s Cup by Alan Sefton and Larry Keating

Of course, the great man joined us and his book is Born To Win: The Power Of A Vision by John Bertrand.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The America’s Cup: Part Four – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 17 Sep 2023 21:34:15 +0000

By the end of the 19th Century, the America’s Cup had become a plaything for the rich, with men like J.P.Morgan and William K Vanderbilt controlling the New York Yacht Club.

Challenging them from Britain was Sir Thomas Johnstone Lipton, founder of Lipton’s tea, who would challenge five times for the Cup.

In one practice, no less than King Edward II was on board when the mast collapsed, almost killing him. The King had his cigar knocked out of his hand, and calmly lighted a fresh one before asking if anyone was hurt.

This week, there will be two episodes; the second will be out on Wednesday, except for Bizarre Plus members, who will receive both immediately.

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A weekly bonus podcast
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Research

There is no limit to the writings on the America’s Cup, and this was one of the biggest research jobs I’ve had.

Some of the key sources included:

A Full Cup: Sir Thomas Lipton's Extraordinary Life and His Quest for the America's Cup by Michael D'Antonio

The Quest for the America's Cup: Sailing to Victory by Richard V. Simpson

Exposed: The Dark Side of the America’s Cup by Alan Sefton and Larry Keating

Of course, the great man joined us and his book is Born To Win: The Power Of A Vision by John Bertrand.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The America’s Cup: Part Three – Sports Bizarre

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 18:30:00 +0000

With the English accusing the New York Yacht Club of ‘unfair and unsportsmanlike proceedings’ it fell to the Canadians to launch the next challenges.

The Canadians were so unprepared that the crew were still nailing down her deck as their ship set sail.

The English would pick up the mantle again, with the challenge of William Henn, who raced with five dogs, a cat, a lemur, a raccoon and an official mascot of the ship, a monkey named Peggy, who wore a pullover and a hat and could pull in the sails.

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Click here to join today

Research

There is no limit to the writings on the America’s Cup, and this was one of the biggest research jobs I’ve had.

Some of the key sources included:

A Full Cup: Sir Thomas Lipton's Extraordinary Life and His Quest for the America's Cup by Michael D'Antonio

The Quest for the America's Cup: Sailing to Victory by Richard V. Simpson

Exposed: The Dark Side of the America’s Cup by Alan Sefton and Larry Keating

Of course, the great man joined us and his book is Born To Win: The Power Of A Vision by John Bertrand.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Americas Cup: Part Two – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 10 Sep 2023 18:30:00 +0000

With the America’s Cup donated to the New York Yacht Club (NYYC), Civil War would intervene before anyone could challenge for it.

After the war, it would be the new NYYC Commodore James Gordon Bennett Jr, who would kick start the challenges.

Nicknamed “The Mad Commodore”, Bennett Jr was known for riding his personal horse carriage about the streets of New York city at break-neck speeds in the middle of the night while completely nude.

This week, there will be two episodes; the second will be out on Wednesday, except for Bizarre Plus members, who will receive both immediately.

If you’d like to become a member of Bizarre Plus Click here to join today

Research

There is no limit to the writings on the America’s Cup, and this was one of the biggest research jobs I’ve had.

Some of the key sources included:

A Full Cup: Sir Thomas Lipton's Extraordinary Life and His Quest for the America's Cup by Michael D'Antonio

The Quest for the America's Cup: Sailing to Victory by Richard V. Simpson

Exposed: The Dark Side of the America’s Cup by Alan Sefton and Larry Keating

Of course, the great man joined us and his book is Born To Win: The Power Of A Vision by John Bertrand.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The America’s Cup: Part One – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 03 Sep 2023 18:30:00 +0000

In 1851, the yacht America, headed to England to take on the best of the British, stopping to pick up the finest French wines along the way.

After defeating the English, the owners decided to entrust the trophy to the New York Yacht Club, as an international trophy to be competed for. They named it after their yacht, America and the America’s Cup was born.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy begin their series on the America’s Cup, the 132-year winning streak, and its end, 40 years ago when Australia II won a famous victory.

If you’d like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus.

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Research

There is no limit to the writings on the America’s Cup, and this was one of the biggest research jobs I’ve had.

Some of the key sources included:

A Full Cup: Sir Thomas Lipton's Extraordinary Life and His Quest for the America's Cup by Michael D'Antonio

The Quest for the America's Cup: Sailing to Victory by Richard V. Simpson

Exposed: The Dark Side of the America’s Cup by Alan Sefton and Larry Keating

Of course, the great man joined us and his book is Born To Win: The Power Of A Vision by John Bertrand.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Preview: 1983 America's Cup 40th Anniversary Edition

Thu, 31 Aug 2023 07:50:52 +0000

Forty years ago, on the 26th of September 1983, Australia II crossed the finish line in the deciding race of the America’s Cup, ending the longest winning streak in the history of sport, 132 years.

Sports Bizarre with Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the victory with a special series exploring the history and rare facts of the America’s Cup.

The series begins Monday 4 September and will run right up to the 40th anniversary on the 26 September with a special episode.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Drunken Le Mans: Part Two – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 27 Aug 2023 18:30:00 +0000

In part two of our series, Duncan Hamilton and Tony Rolt begin their assault on the Le Mans 24-hour race.

Signing with Jaguar, the 1953 seemed full of promise, only for them to be disqualified during qualifying on a technicality. Not to waste the evening, Rolt and Hamilton have a huge night out, only to find out they might not be disqualified after all.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy discuss the wildest 24-hour Le Mans race in history, and the two men at the centre of it.

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Resources

The ultimate source is Touch Wood: The Autobiography of the 1953 Le Mans Winner by Duncan Hamilton the man himself.

Of course, I had to research a lot of other things as Duncan never minded telling a good story, with the truth sometimes being bent a little.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Drunken Le Mans: Part One – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 20 Aug 2023 18:30:00 +0000

As a baby, Duncan Hamilton crashed his pram down 38 steps. This proved to be just a precursor to him crashing cars and planes.

Despite the crashes, he was fast, incredibly fast, becoming one of the great race car drivers of his era. Then he met Tony Rolt, a war hero who had escaped from seven German prisoner-of-war camps, and the two formed one of the great racing partnerships of all time.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy discuss a friendship that led to one of the greatest Le Mans races in history.

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Resources

The ultimate source is Touch Wood: The Autobiography of the 1953 Le Mans Winner by Duncan Hamilton the man himself.

Of course, I had to research a lot of other things as Duncan never minded telling a good story, with the truth sometimes being bent a little.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bunker Spreckels – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 13 Aug 2023 18:30:00 +0000

Bunker Spreckels became famous as a surfer, but he was born into the wealthy Spreckles family, a dynasty built on the sugar trade that gave us the term ‘sugar daddy.’

At five, Bunker’s mother remarried, and he suddenly had a new stepfather, Hollywood icon Clark Gable, who treated him as his own son. When Clark died, Bunker fled to Hawaii, where surfing took over his life.

At 21 years old, Bunker unexpectedly inherited $50 million, leading to his life becoming an ongoing international surfing trip, with a coterie of writers, artists, photographers and filmmakers documenting his every move.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy examine the man who made popular the idea of the surfer as a rock and roll star and look at the family that produced him.

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Mob Football – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 06 Aug 2023 18:30:00 +0000

Before organised sport, there was mob football, where entire villages played against each other for days, with no rules, and the kings of England banning it, then legalising it and then banning it again.

Like one of those prehistoric fish in the depths of the ocean, some forms of medieval football have survived to this day, still without rules. Organisers do say, ‘Unnecessary violence is frowned on.’ There is a lot of frowning.

Titus O’Reily and Mick examine how modern-day medieval football games, such as the Ashbourne Royal Shrovetide game and the Atherstone Ball Game have survived.

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Tex Rickard: Sports Greatest Promoter Part Two – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 18:30:00 +0000

In part two, Tex Rickard moves to Argentina to raise cattle. Instead, he ends up in the middle of a war between Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil, with Argentina asking him to lead their army.

Declining this, Tex returns to the United States, where he begins promoting a boxer by the name of Jack Dempsey, buys Madison Square Garden, and creates the New York Rangers.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy wrap up their series on the greatest promoter of all time and how the mafia tried to end him.

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Research

There’s been a lot written about Tex, given his range across all kinds of sports and endeavours. The book I found most helpful was Tex Rickard: Boxing’s Greatest Promoter by Colleen Aycock and Mark Scott.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tex Rickard: Sports Greatest Promoter Part One – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 18:30:00 +0000

By his mid-twenties, Tex Rickard had been a cowboy, a Marshal, was friends with Wyatt Earp and had followed the gold rushes to Alaska.

In Alaska he became friends with people with names like Swiftwater Bill, Deep Hole Johnson, Ham-Grease Jimmy, and the Chills and Fever Kid. He also discovered his true genius, promoting sport.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy examine the life of Tex Rickard, the greatest promoter in the history of sport.

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Research

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Footballer Who Wasn't – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 18:30:00 +0000

Carlos Kaiser had one of the longest careers in Brazilian football, joining all the big four clubs Botafogo, Fluminense, Flamengo, and Vasco da Gama, plus stints in Mexico, Argentina and France.

However, what made Kaiser’s career remarkable was not its length or being part of so many top sides but the fact that he never played a single game.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy look at the greatest footballer to never play football and examine how he got away with it for so long.

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Research

Kaiser was a hard one to pin down as every source I found seemed to have either differing accounts or outright myths.

Kaiser: The Greatest Footballer Never To Play Football by Rob Smyth was incredibly helpful and is the best book to get on the topic.

Otherwise, there’s a treasure trove online about him.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sports Biggest Family Feud Part Two – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 09 Jul 2023 18:30:00 +0000

Last week we left off with the two Dassler brothers splitting apart their shoe company after a vicious falling out.

With the Second World War now over, the two brothers start building their new companies, Puma and Adidas, with the rivalry only getting hotter.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy look at how the two feuding companies took sports apparel, footwear and marketing to new heights, and how the focus on each other meant they missed a new company emerging, Nike.

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Resources

There are too many resources to name for this one as it’s been a favourite for both business and sports reporters for years.

The person who has covered it the most however is Barbara Smit. She's written a few books on the topic. I’ve put the link below and highly recommend it as not just a great sports book but a great read for anyone.

Sneaker Wars: The Enemy Brothers Who Founded Adidas and Puma and the Family Feud That Forever Changed the Business of Sports by Barbara Smit

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Sports Biggest Family Feud Part One – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 02 Jul 2023 18:30:00 +0000

In 1923, two brothers formed a new shoe company, Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik, or Geda.

The company grew quickly against the backdrop of the rising Nazi party, and by the 1936 Berlin Olympics, top athletes, including Jesse Owens, wore the brothers' shoes.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy look at how the Second World War tore the two brothers apart, leading to the biggest feud in sports history.

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Resources

There are too many resources to name for this one as it’s been a favourite for both business and sports reporters for years.

Sneaker Wars: The Enemy Brothers Who Founded Adidas and Puma and the Family Feud That Forever Changed the Business of Sports by Barbara Smit

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The LIV Golf-PGA Merger Part Two – Sports Bizarre

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 18:30:00 +0000

In part two of our look at the LIV Golf-PGA Tour merger, Greg Norman is now CEO of LIV Golf, unleashing a civil war in the sport.

Money is thrown around like a loose bucks night, as golfers make hundreds of millions of dollars by swapping sides.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy then ask they question, after all the unpleasantness, why the sudden change of heart?

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Resources

Jane Cadzow, ‘We need to talk about Greg Norman’, Sydney Morning Herald, 10 December 2022.

Greg Norman, Way of the Shark: Lessons on golf, business, and life, Atria Books, 2007.

Thomas Boswell, ‘Norman Golfing for Greed in Plans for World Tour’, Washington Post, 18 November 1994.

Dave Seanor, ‘A man and an idea ahead of their time’, Sports Illustrated, 14 November 2019.

Bob Harig, ‘A Disruptor to the PGA Tour Is Here, and Professional Golf May Never Be the Same’, Sports Illustrated, 10 June 2022.

Cydney Henderson, ‘“We’ve all made mistakes”: Greg Norman downplays the killing of journalist while promoting Saudi backed golf league’, USA Today, 11 May 2022.

David Rowe, ‘How Saudi Arabia came to be at the centre of a global golf merger’, The Conversation, 7 June 2023.

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The LIV Golf-PGA Merger Part One – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 18:30:00 +0000

We have a treat, two episodes this week, on the LIV Golf-PGA Tour merger. The second episode will be out Wednesday unless you’re a Bizarre Plus member, then you’ll have both today.

In this episode, we trace the history of breakaway leagues in golf. The first being the PGA Tour splitting from the PGA of America, caused by a dispute between Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope.

Then look at an attempted breakaway league in 1994, the World Golf Tour, led by none other than Greg Norman.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy then look at how Greg Norman launched his revenge on the PGA Tour thirty years later.

If you’d like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus.

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Resources

Jane Cadzow, ‘We need to talk about Greg Norman’, Sydney Morning Herald, 10 December 2022.

Greg Norman, Way of the Shark: Lessons on golf, business, and life, Atria Books, 2007.

Thomas Boswell, ‘Norman Golfing for Greed in Plans for World Tour’, Washington Post, 18 November 1994.

Dave Seanor, ‘A man and an idea ahead of their time’, Sports Illustrated, 14 November 2019.

Bob Harig, ‘A Disruptor to the PGA Tour Is Here, and Professional Golf May Never Be the Same’, Sports Illustrated, 10 June 2022.

Cydney Henderson, ‘“We’ve all made mistakes”: Greg Norman downplays the killing of journalist while promoting Saudi backed golf league’, USA Today, 11 May 2022.

David Rowe, ‘How Saudi Arabia came to be at the centre of a global golf merger’, The Conversation, 7 June 2023.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trump v USFL Part Three – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 18 Jun 2023 18:30:00 +0000

In our final episode on the USFL, the league’s final season is overshadowed by the showdown court case between the USFL and the NFL.

In one of the strangest cases of all time, Donald Trump takes the stand, the jury doesn’t understand how their job works and the court's decision makes no real sense to anyone.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy watch the sun set on the beautiful chaos of the USFL.

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Research

I went wide researching this, but I kept coming back to Football for a Buck: The Crazy Rise and Crazier Demise of the USFL by Jeff Pearlman.

If you don’t know his work, Jeff Pearlman is one of, if not the best sports writer of his generation and I’d recommend any of his books to you.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trump vs USFL: Part Two – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 11 Jun 2023 18:30:00 +0000

Following the first season of the USFL, the most incredible offseason in sports history commenced.

New teams were created, teams traded their entire playing lists, Donald Trump purchased a team, Andy Warhol selected cheerleaders, and a new honour set a high bar for erratic behaviour.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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Research

I went wide researching this, but I kept coming back to Football for a Buck: The Crazy Rise and Crazier Demise of the USFL by Jeff Pearlman.

If you don’t know his work, Jeff Pearlman is one of, if not the best sports writer of his generation and I’d recommend any of his books to you.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trump VS USFL: Part One – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 04 Jun 2023 18:30:00 +0000

On March 6 1983, the new United States Football League (USFL) season kicked off with a plan to bring American football to springtime.

What unfolded was a wild tale of early success, crazy players and crazier owners, and the undoing of the entire league by a little-known property developer from New York, Donald J Trump.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy begin their three-part look at one of the wildest leagues in history, a league that featured ex-criminals, a defensive end who gained fame for trapping his head in the sunroof of a car, and the bodyguard of Rick James.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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Click here to join today

Research

I went wide researching this, but I kept coming back to Football for a Buck: The Crazy Rise and Crazier Demise of the USFL by Jeff Pearlman.

If you don’t know his work, Jeff Pearlman is one of, if not the best sports writer of his generation and I’d recommend any of his books to you.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dodgy Denny McLain – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 28 May 2023 18:30:00 +0000

Few players have burned so bright and fallen so far as Detroit Tigers Denny McLain.

In 1968, 'The Year of the Pitcher', Denny would win 30 games, a World Series, release a record through Capitol Records, Denny McLain at the Organ and drink 24 bottles of Pepsi daily.

The fall was fast; it involved fraud, the mafia, his house burning down, and jail time.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy looked at an athlete as brilliant as he was dodgy.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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Weirdest Sport Injuries Ever – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 21 May 2023 18:30:00 +0000

Athletes get injured; it comes with the territory, but a lot of them get injured in weird ways.

From damaging a tooth eating a microwaved chocolate doughnut, having your own dentures bite you, to falling asleep in a sunbed.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy look at the weirdest sport injuries of all time, and wonder how exactly you injure yourself by running into a moose.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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James Hunt vs Niki Lauda – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 14 May 2023 18:30:00 +0000

In the final of our series on James Hunt, we look at his 1976 battle with close friend Niki Lauda for the World Championship, the greatest season of F1 ever.

We then look at his commentary career, where he once said French driver Jean-Pierre Jarier had “a mental age of 10” and should be given a short suspension for poor driving before adding: “for being himself, he should receive a permanent suspension.”

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy finish off their tribute to the most entertaining F1 driver of all time.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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James Hunt and Hesketh Racing – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 07 May 2023 21:46:38 +0000

When Lord Hesketh started Hesketh Racing team, he needed a driver, and he found the perfect one, James Hunt.

Everything about Hesketh Racing was fun. “We had failed in both Formula 2 and Formula 3, so Formula 1 was the only logical place to go, said Lord Hesketh on entering the big leagues.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molly continue their series on James Hunt, covering his time at Hesketh and his interesting marriage.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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Superstar James Hunt – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 30 Apr 2023 18:30:00 +0000

Perhaps no other Formula One Driver has captured the imagination of racing fans as much as James Hunt.

For a man who said, “my first priority is to finish above rather than beneath the ground," he spent an enormous amount of his early career crashing.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy begin looking into the life of James Hunt, race car driver, international playboy and keen breed of budgerigars.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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The World's Greatest Pedestrian – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 23 Apr 2023 18:30:00 +0000

In the late 19th century, one sport stood above all others in terms of popularity, pedestrianism. That's right, walking.

Tens of thousands of people would come to watch the top pedestrians walk for five days. Arguably the greatest was Edward Payson Weston, a man who walked wearing a costume of 'black velvet, white silk hat, blue sash, white kid gloves, top boots reaching to the knees on the outside of the pantaloons, and a gold-mounted riding-whip.'

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy examine the career of arguably the greatest pedestrian of all time and the rise of his great rival, Daniel O’Leary.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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Shadow Games – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 18:30:00 +0000

Sport is fun, but it's a lot of effort to organise, run a whole competition, and then fix the result so you can win a lot of money through betting.

The simple solution is to run your own event, or even better, just convince people you ran one and take their money.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy look at some of the greatest sporting events that never happened. From one of the great scams of all time the Trodmore Race Day to the IPL match that was played on a farm.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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The Voyage of the 1932 Brazilian Olympic team – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 09 Apr 2023 18:30:00 +0000

In 1932, with the world going through the Great Depression, Brazil had no money to send its Olympic team to Los Angeles.

Then a government official had an idea—load a ship with 50,000 bags of coffee, and have the Olympic team sell the cargo to fund the entire trip.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy look at a strange trip which included pretending the ship was a warship, and civil war breaking out.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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Jese Rodriguez – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 02 Apr 2023 18:30:00 +0000

Jese Rodriguez was a future star in the soccer world, but things like a music career and discovering he was a father via Instagram sent things sideways.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy examine the life and loves of Jese Rodriguez, a man who could resist anything except temptation.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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The Dangerous World of Speed Gluing – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 26 Mar 2023 17:30:00 +0000

In the final of our series on Table Tennis, we look at the use of glue to cheat in table tennis.

When Hungarian player Tibor Klampár discovered volatile glues gave the rubber on bats 30 per cent more spin and speed, it led to an arms race for the most toxic glues.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy look at the dangerous trick that led to players passing out and police raiding table tennis shops.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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Mao and Nixon play Ping Pong – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 19 Mar 2023 17:30:00 +0000

In the early 1970s, with China and the United States locked in a Cold War struggle, it took Ping Pong to save the world.

With diplomatic ties severed between Richard Nixon and Chairman Mao, the US Table Tennis team were sent to China to mend relations. Things got off to a rough start when one member of the US team converted to Communism and two others played an imaginary game of table tennis in the street, almost starting a riot.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy examine the rise of Table Tennis in China and how the US Table Tennis Championships were once kicked out of a venue by El Mongol, a not-so-famous wrestler.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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Stalin, Hitchcock and table tennis – Sports Bizarre

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 05:16:53 +0000

The sport of table tennis or ping pong, or as it was once known, Whiff Waff, has arguably had a more significant impact on world history than any other sport.

In this episode, we look at the life of Ivor Montagu, the man who built table tennis into an international sport while also making films with Alfred Hitchcock, hanging out with Charlie Chaplin and spying for the Soviets during the War.

Mick Molloy and Titus O'Reily examine a sport that connects Leon Trotsky, Joseph Stalin, Chairman Mao, King Charles, HG Wells, George Bernard Shaw and General Douglas MacArthur.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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Jimmy "The Whirlwind" White – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 05 Mar 2023 17:30:00 +0000

By the time Jimmy White was 13, he was skipping school and travelling around England in a black cab to play snooker and hustle adults out of their money.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy examine the career of one of the greatest snooker players of all time, a man who lost six World Championship Finals and once took his dead brother on a pub crawl.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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The very odd Marquis of Queensbury – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 17:40:00 +0000

Completing our look at the early days of boxing, we pick up where the sport moves from having no rules whatsoever to having at least three of them. It's the nanny state gone mad.

We meet the man who lends his name to these new rules, the 9th Marquess of Queensberry, whose main claim to fame, apart from his rules, is a high-profile dispute with Oscar Wilde which leads to Wilde's imprisonment.

Titus and Mick examine the civilisation of boxing, the invention of boxing gloves and Hezekiah Moscow, a boxer/bear tamer who quit boxing to tour England as a comedy sketch artist in 1892.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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The unruly early days of boxing – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 17:30:00 +0000

In the seventeenth century in England, the earliest form of modern boxing emerged, a wild free for all style of fighting that included eye gouging, hair pulling, spitting, head-butting, shin-kicking, stomping and kicking downed opponents.

Out of this world emerged the first heavyweight champion, James Figg who fought a total of 270 fights and lost only once.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy look at the early days of boxing, the first ever rules, the invention of boxing gloves and the first championship "belt"—made of lionskin and sterling silver.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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Chaos Agent John Daly- Part Two – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 12 Feb 2023 17:30:00 +0000

If you thought Part One was crazy, Part Two is looser than a night out with John Daly.

We pick up just after Daly had signed a sponsorship contract with a 'no alcohol or gambling' clause. What follows is an awful lot of drinking and gambling.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy finish off the series on John Daly, or as he is more commonly known 'Mick's Spirit Animal'.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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Chaos Agent John Daly- Part One – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 05 Feb 2023 17:30:00 +0000

Golfer John Daly may be one of the most relatable sportspeople ever, having once said, “I don’t think I’ve ever stepped in the gym – they won’t let me smoke there.”

In part one, Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy examine a man who once got into a fight on a golf course with another golfer and that golfer's entire family.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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Somewhat important announcement

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 17:30:00 +0000

Despite a valiant effort to stay on holiday forever, Mick and Titus will return in 2023, with the first episode going out on the 6th of February.

Titus gives a brief overview of the year ahead and reveals the focus of episode one.

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The dodgy road to the Qatar World Cup: Part 6 – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 11 Dec 2022 17:30:00 +0000

It’s the final episode in our dodgy road to the Qatar World Cup series and our final show of 2022. Don’t worry, we’re back early in the new year.

This episode looks at the fall of Sepp Blatter, features more arrests than an episode of The Wire and proves that when it comes to corruption, FIFA is on another planet.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy put the bow on this tale of money, football and people behaving like the emotion shame had never been invented.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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The dodgy road to the Qatar World Cup: Part 5 – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 04 Dec 2022 17:30:00 +0000

It's part of five of our look at the beautiful corruption that is FIFA; we pick up with Sepp Blatter still ascendant, but the cracks are starting to appear.

Facing challenges for the FIFA presidency and numerous legal problems, Sepp tries to stay one step ahead, but unbeknownst to him, one member of the FIFA committee has begun working for the FBI and is wearing a wire. And yes, that is true, not a made-up bit.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy look at how Sepp stays one step ahead, executing an escape that would have had Harry Houdini say, 'how did he do that?'

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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The dodgy road to the Qatar World Cup: Part 4 – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 27 Nov 2022 17:30:00 +0000

It’s part four of our look at the history of FIFA, which means it's time to introduce two new fun characters to our story, Chuck Blazer and Fred Warner, two men so corrupt even other FIFA delegates were shocked by them, which is saying something.

We then cover the awarding of the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 Cup to Qatar and the delightful mess that was.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy then discuss how even Vladimir Putin went out of his way to suck up to FIFA executives, even providing content to one executive's travel blog.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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The dodgy road to the Qatar World Cup: Part 3 – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 20 Nov 2022 17:30:00 +0000

It’s part three of our look at the history of FIFA, and in this episode, we introduce a young man with a sparkle in his eye, Sepp Blatter.

Part Bond villain, part, well actually, all Bond villain; under Blatter, FIFA made the final step towards adopting corruption as the sole reason for its existence.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy examine the rise of Blatter, from President of a pressure group encouraging women to wear suspenders, the World Society of Friends of Suspenders, to President of FIFA.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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The dodgy road to the Qatar World Cup Part 2 – Sports Bizarre

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 17:30:00 +0000

It’s part two of our look at the history of FIFA, and its somewhat eccentric accounting practices.

In this episode, we look at João Havelange, President of FIFA from 1974 to 1998, who brought in the money and bought the votes to be President.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy examine the career of João Havelange, the man who taught Sepp Blatter everything.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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The dodgy road to the Qatar World Cup Part 1 – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 13 Nov 2022 17:30:00 +0000

With the FIFA World Cup in Qatar fast approaching, we begin a multi-episode dive into the corruption that led to FIFA thinking a country the size of the Falkland Islands, with no infrastructure and temperatures hovering around the 'too hot to play football' mark, could host arguably the biggest sporting event in the world.

To kick off, Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy examine the problems with Qatar and look back at the formation of FIFA.

The next episode will be out later this week, so get ready for a festival of football and corruption.

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Beer Plus Fans Equals Chaos – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 06 Nov 2022 17:30:00 +0000

On 4 June 1974, the Cleveland Indians decided to host a ten-cent beer night to attract fans; beer at the stadium normally cost 65 cents, so ten cents was a real incentive.

The Indians were in a 30-year slump at the time, as was the city, their river would catch fire with alarming regularity, so the scene was set for trouble. Oh, and it was a full moon.

The result was pure, unbridled chaos. There were streakers, firecrackers, a woman trying to kiss the home plate umpire and eventually, a full-scale riot.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy examine a night that started badly and then got worse.

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The man who invented the Melbourne Cup – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 30 Oct 2022 17:30:00 +0000

Frederick Charles Standish left England in 1852 under a false name and fleeing moneylenders. Landing in Melbourne, he was forced to live on the goldfields and run a sly grog business.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy examine the life of one of Australia's strangest characters, a man who paused the hunt for Ned Kelly while the weights of the Melbourne Cup were declared.

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The Philadelphia Eagles wild man – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 23 Oct 2022 17:30:00 +0000

Timothy John Rossovich was a star defensive end and linebacker at the University of Southern California and the Philadelphia Eagles, but it was off the field where his genius shone.

Rossovich was famous for surreal pranks that included chewing glass, setting himself on fire and opening his mouth in a meeting to speak, only for a sparrow to fly out.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy look at the life of a man who was once bored at a party, took all his clothes off, proceeded to pretend to hop like a frog and jumped into the birthday cake.

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Good Old Bob – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 16 Oct 2022 17:30:00 +0000

Robert Standish Sievier was one of the most colourful personalities of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, a man who revolutionised bookmaking in Australia before returning to England, where his horse Sceptre won four of the five English classics.

Joining the army and fighting in South Africa at 16, Sievier would go bankrupt countless times, father seventeen illegitimate progeny and be involved in some of the highest profile cases of the times.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy examine the life of a man who once brought a libel charge against someone for calling him a thief, a card cheat, and a murderer, only for the jury to find these were probably all true.

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The Weirdest Contracts in Sport – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 09 Oct 2022 17:30:00 +0000

Contracts in sports contain clauses so weird they are scarcely believable.

There are clauses banning players from going to nightclubs, but there's also been a clause insisting a player got drunk after every game.

Contracts have included clauses for free sushi at all times, a demand a player ate sheep's testicles, a ban on extravagant haircuts and a bonus for growing a moustache.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy examine the weirdest contracts in sports, from the ones that saw enormous financial windfalls to the clauses that saw players demand everything from bulldozers to horses.

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Dock Ellis, LSD and other adventures – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 02 Oct 2022 22:25:00 +0000

In an All-Star career, Dock Ellis managed to win a World Series, pitch a no-hitter on LSD, hit every batter that came to the plate in a game and set a clubhouse on fire.

But for every bit of craziness, Ellis was also ahead of his time as a spokesperson on a range of issues from free agency to racism while devoting his life to combating alcohol and drug abuse.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy look at the complex career of one of the most interesting athletes of all time.

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The 2000 Spanish Paralympic team – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 25 Sep 2022 18:30:37 +0000

At the 2000 Paralympic games, a new category, Basketball for the Intellectually Disabled, was to be included in the games.

It got the head of the Spanish Paralympics Fernando Martin Vicente thinking, what if you could get people who weren’t intellectually disabled but who could act like they were?

Surely that would make it easier to win?

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy look at one of the most outrageous cheating scams in history and how a massive twist undid it all.

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The 1900 Paris Olympics – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 18 Sep 2022 18:30:16 +0000

The 1900 Paris Olympics were a disaster of planning and execution, to the point many athletes never even knew they’d participated in an Olympics.

So poorly organised were the games that the discus field was too narrow and throws went into the crowd, while the long jumpers turned up to discover they had to dig their own pit.

As well as standard Olympic fare, there was cannon shooting, hot air ballooning, pigeon shooting, kite flying, driving a mail carriage and fishing.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy look at the most shambolic Olympics ever, an event that saw kids press-ganged into competing and the marathon ended in a twelve-year legal battle.

This episode refers to another episode, The Worst Event in Olympic History, which is another bonkers story.

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The Monkey Testicle Doping Scandal – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 11 Sep 2022 18:30:00 +0000

In the 1930s, several English football clubs experimented with a new treatment sweeping the globe, ingesting, injecting or transplanting testicular tissue from monkeys into people.

So widespread was the practice that the 1939 FA Cup final between Wolverhampton and Portsmouth became known as the ‘Monkey Gland Final’.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy, look back at arguably the strangest doping scandal of all time and the coaching career of Major Frank Buckley, who trialled the treatment at Wolverhampton.

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Dennis Rodman and Kim Jong-un – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 04 Sep 2022 18:30:00 +0000

Former Chicago Bull Dennis Rodman has recently offered to go to Russia to talk to President Vladimir Putin about the imprisoned WNBA star Brittney Griner.

While Rodman claims somewhat falsely that "I know Putin too well," there’s one dictator he does know well, North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un.

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The Curse of Colonel Sanders – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 28 Aug 2022 18:30:00 +0000

Sporting curses are always strange, but perhaps none is stranger than the Curse of Colonel Sanders, which has seen the Japanese baseball team, the Hanshin Tigers, suffer decades of poor performances after offending the spirit of the KFC founder.

Attempts to lift the curse have included fans apologizing to KFC store managers and making offerings to the statues of the Colonel outside of restaurants.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy look at the Curse of the Colonel and another curse that set back Birmingham City decades, with the Nazis bombing their stadium, only for the National Fire Service to then accidentally burn the stand down a year later.

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The Rise of John Wren – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 21 Aug 2022 22:27:40 +0000

In 1893, John Wren, unemployed and from a poor family, set up the Collingwood Tote, an illegal betting shop that would achieve mythical status, depending on who you asked, as either a den of vice ruining the lives of many or as a symbol of the working class fighting back against discriminatory laws.

In its twenty years of operating, the police attempted to raid the tote so many times and failed to the point they gave up completely.

Instead, the establishment banned Wren’s horses from racing in the Spring Racing Carnival.

In response, Wren set up multiple alternative racecourses and significantly hurt their finances.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy look at the rise of John Wren, a man who took on the establishment and built up a sporting empire that crossed horse racing, cycling and boxing.

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The Battle of Montevideo – Sports Bizarre

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 00:03:36 +0000

The 1967 Intercontinental Cup saw Scottish club Celtic and Argentinian side Racing Club face off across three brutal matches.

In one match, the Celtic goalkeeper was knocked unconscious by a bottle thrown from the crowd before the game; despite this, the game still went ahead with a very nervous backup keeper.

Reuters described another match as "a bar-room brawl with soccer skills abandoned for swinging fists, flying boots and blatant body checking".

The series would result in the ‘Curse of El Cilindro’, when opposition fans buried the bodies of seven black cats at Racing’s home ground, Estadio Juan Domingo Perón. Decades of bad luck followed, leading to even the Catholic Church getting involved in an attempt to end it.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy look back at the ‘Battle of Montevideo’, one of the most hostile sporting encounters of all time.

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Young Griffo – Sports Bizarre

Mon, 08 Aug 2022 01:09:19 +0000

Moving to the United States, Young Griffo would become one of the greatest boxers of all time, despite never training and rarely fighting sober.

In a career spanning 232 fights, Girffo would lose only nine, despite multiple arrests and stints in bot jail and various asylums.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy look at one of the greatest boxers of all time, whose life which was stranger out of the ring than in it.

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The Worst Event in Olympic History – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 31 Jul 2022 23:45:14 +0000

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy look back at the worst event ever held at an Olympics and find their favourite Olympic competitor, a Cuban named Félix de la Caridad Carvajal y Soto.

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Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 24 Jul 2022 23:36:39 +0000

Almost immediately, the FBI would identify four men as behind the attack, all linked to Kerrigan’s main rival, Tonya Harding.

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Doping in the Tour De France – Sports Bizarre

Sun, 17 Jul 2022 23:54:40 +0000

From the first Tour De France, riders were putting all kinds of things in their bodies, caffeine, strychnine, cocaine and alcohol.

Drugs were so much part of the sport that the 1930 rulebook, given to all riders, reminded them that drugs would not be provided by the organisers.

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Tour De France, the Early Years – Sports Bizarre

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 00:52:21 +0000

The second Tour would result in the top four finishers all being disqualified, with the reasons never made public.

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy look at the early years of the Tour De France, and how those bizarre early races would set the tone for one of the most popular sporting events in the world.

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The Strangest Trade in the History of Sport – Sports Bizarre

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 01:52:29 +0000

On March 4, 1973, it was announced New York Yankees pitchers Mike Kekich and Fritz Peterson would be holding separate press conferences that day.

Both men would be announcing a trade, nothing unusual in baseball where players move around more than children in the back seat of a car.

The assembled media got ready to learn where each of them was being traded.

Mike Kekich explained the trade to the media. The two pitchers were not trading teams, they were trading wives. Not just wives, their entire families, even their dogs.

Former teammate Jim Bouton, would later remark, “I can see trading your wife, but the dog?”

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy look back at one of the most bizarre sports stories of all time and discuss how it all worked out for the couples involved, plus a detour onto Yankees owner George Steinbrenner’s haircut policy.

Titus O'Reily and Mick Molloy are excited to announce the launch of Bizarre Plus, the new Membership program for even more Sports Bizarre.

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Sports Bizarre Coming Soon

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 05:42:16 +0000

Titus O’Reily and Mick Molloy are on the hunt for the most bizarre stories to ever occur in the world of sport.

Sports Bizarre delves into the history of sport to find the stories that you wouldn’t believe if they hadn’t happened.

No sport is off-limits, athletics, swimming, rugby, American Football, cricket, baseball, badminton, motorsports, tennis and even that sport on the ice with brooms

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