Good Seats Still Available

• 424: Baseball's Most Outrageous Promotions - With Joseph Natalicchio

  Baseball has long been America's pastime — and the stage for some of the wildest, most outrageous marketing stunts in sports history. From the postwar era through the 1970s, team owners and promoters pushed the limits of spectacle to fill seats, generate buzz, and entertain fans, often blurring the line between creativity and chaos. This week, "Baseball's Most Outrageous Promotions" author Joe Natalicchio joins for a wild ride across some of the sport's most infamous attempts to spice things up at the ol' ballpark - where good marketing intentions went mightily awry. Natalicchio takes us behind the scenes of the Chicago White Sox's notorious "Disco Demolition Night," where exploding records sparked a full-blown riot; the St. Louis Browns' "Grandstand Managers' Night, which turned fans into on-field decision-makers; the Cleveland Indians' infamous "Ten-Cent Beer Night," a drunken frenzy that ended with fans storming the field; and the legendary story of 3-foot, 7-inch tall Browns pinch-hitter Eddie Gadel, who flummoxed the Detroit Tigers with a one-plate appearance/walk in a 1951 game forever enshrined in the MLB record book.  Beyond the laughs and jaw-dropping stories, Natalicchio explains why baseball became synonymous with over-the-top promotions, how these events reflect broader cultural shifts, and what they reveal about the delicate balance between fan engagement, entertainment, and safety. Whether you're a die-hard fan, a student of sports history, or fascinated by the intersection of marketing and mischief, this episode offers a revealing, entertaining, and sometimes shocking look at baseball at its most outrageous — and unforgettable. + + +    SUPPORT THE SHOW: Buy Us a Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable The "Good Seats" Store: https://www.teepublic.com/?ref_id=35106 BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "Baseball's Most Outrageous Promotions: From Wedlock and Headlock Day to Disco Demolition Night": https://amzn.to/44cZW72   SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!):  Royal Retros (10% off promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2 Old School Shirts.com (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable Web: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/

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• 423: Philadelphia's "Broad Street Bullies" - With Sam Carchidi & Jeff Hare

  The Philadelphia Flyers didn't just win hockey games in the 1970s — they changed the sport, the city, and the culture around them. In this episode, we dig into the rise, reign, and mythology of the "Broad Street Bullies," the decade-long era (1971–1981) when the Flyers transformed themselves from an NHL expansion afterthought into the toughest, most polarizing, and most beloved champions in league history. To unpack how a group of gritty, bruising, blue-collar players became civic folk heroes, we sit down with long-time Philadelphia Inquirer sportswriter Sam Carchidi and screenwriter/film director Jeff Hare — whose new book "Bullies: Catching Up with the Hound, the Hammer, and the Stanley Cup Champion Philadelphia Flyers," moves beyond the highlight reels and historic penalty minutes to reveal the human stories inside the chaos — the humor, the fearlessness, the insecurities, and the emotional glue that bound this unlikely team together. Carchidi and Hare take us behind the curtain of the Flyers' rise: Bobby Clarke's galvanizing leadership, Bernie Parent's brilliance, and the intimidating presence of Dave "The Hammer" Schultz and the enforcer corps that made Philadelphia both feared and admired. But they also illuminate something deeper — why these players resonated so intensely with a city hungry for identity and pride, and how the team's swagger helped reshape the NHL itself. From untold anecdotes to new reflections on how the Bullies view their legacy today, this conversation reframes one of hockey's most iconic eras. Whether you grew up worshipping the orange and black or are discovering the Bullies for the first time, this episode uncovers the heart behind the havoc — and why the legend still looms so large. PLUS: Your chance to win a copy of "Bullies" via our Flyers trivia contest! + + +    SUPPORT THE SHOW:  Buy Us a Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable The "Good Seats" Store: https://www.teepublic.com/?ref_id=35106 BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "Bullies: Catching Up with the Hound, the Hammer, and the Stanley Cup Champion Philadelphia Flyers": https://amzn.to/4amC9Fw SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!):  Royal Retros (10% off promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2 Old School Shirts.com (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable Web: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/

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• 422: The "Super Bowl Shuffle" - With Jeff Cameron

  Few sports moments have left as lasting a mark on pop culture as the 1985 Chicago Bears' recording of the "Super Bowl Shuffle." This week, we go behind the music, the madness, and the myth with NFL Films Senior Producer Jeff Cameron  — director of HBO's new documentary short "The Shuffle" — who takes us inside the making of the iconic rap video that transformed a championship football team into cultural icons. "The Shuffle" reveals never-before-seen, behind-the-scenes footage and fresh interviews with Bears legends Mike Singletary, Jim McMahon, Willie Gault, and Gary Fencik, who recount their experiences recording the track and performing in the video. Cameron shares the story of how Chicago record executive Dick Meyer conceived the idea and how the project unfolded in late 1985 — weeks before the Bears had even officially secured a playoff spot, let alone a Super Bowl berth. What began as a fun, irreverent recording session quickly became a lightning rod for debate: Was it playful confidence, brash hubris, or simply a team having fun in the middle of a historic season? Cameron walks us through the challenges of capturing that spirit on film: reluctant players, chaotic studio sessions, and the creative energy that turned a one-off novelty idea into both a Billboard pop chart hit and a Grammy nomination.  We also explore how the song and video raised thousands of dollars for Chicago-area food banks, and how it became a blueprint for athletes crossing over into mainstream entertainment — decades before social media made such moves commonplace.  "The Shuffle" debuts November 25th on HBO and HBO Max at 9pm ET/8pm CT  + + +    SUPPORT THE SHOW: Buy Us a Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable The "Good Seats" Store: https://www.teepublic.com/?ref_id=35106 BUY THE ORIGINAL DVD (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "Chicago Bears: The Super Bowl Shuffle (20th Anniversary Collector's Edition)": https://amzn.to/3LXXn2m SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!):  Old School Shirts.com (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats Royal Retros (10% off promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2 FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable Web: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/

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• 421: "There Is No Place Like Dome" - With Bruce Reynolds

  Baseball may be a game of numbers, but Tampa Bay's Tropicana Field is a place of stories — and no one knows those stories better than Bruce Reynolds, longtime Rays "fan host" and author of "There Is No Place Like Dome." In this delightfully off-beat episode, we venture under the famously tattered fiberglass roof — currently undergoing repairs and slated to reopen next spring — to explore the quirks, characters, and quiet magic of a ballpark that has been loved, mocked, misunderstood, celebrated, and everything in between. Reynolds shares 16 seasons' worth of memories: the oddball fan encounters, dome-induced surprises, moments of chaos, moments of kindness, and the things that only happen at the Trop because — well, there's no place like it! We talk catwalks. We talk cowbells. We talk about the time the dome shook, the traditions that only insiders know, and why a stadium often dismissed as a "quirky relic" might actually be one of baseball's most human places. And yes — even as new ownership takes over, mulls a new stadium, and crews patch the roof to keep it safe for at least a few more seasons -- the "Trop" continues to charm in its imperfect, unforgettable way. Reynolds' passion is infectious, his stories heart-warming, and his perspective turns a stadium often criticized into a character all its own. PLUS: College bowl games, pro wrestling, the "ThunderDome," arena league football, and the one-game wonder of the original UFL's Florida Tuskers! + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: Buy Us a Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable The "Good Seats" Store: https://www.teepublic.com/?ref_id=35106 BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "There Is No Place Like Dome: A Fan Host's Unofficial View from the Top of the Trop, To the Stands with the Fans": https://amzn.to/47JcDZt SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): Royal Retros (10% off promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2 Old School Shirts.com (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable Web: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/

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• 420.5: "Banned" - With Michael Ray Richardson & Jake Uitti [ARCHIVE RE-RELEASE]

  [We mourn the passing of pro hoops great Michael Ray Richardson with an archive re-release of our conversation with the former Nets/Knicks star from last year, featuring his biography co-author Jacob Uitti.] + + + Former NBA All-Star Michael Ray Richardson and his co-author Jacob Uitti (Banned: How I Squandered an All-Star NBA Career Before Finding My Redemption) join the show to discuss Richardson's riveting new memoir that chronicles his extraordinary journey on and off the basketball court. Hailed as "the next Walt Frazier" coming out of the University of Montana as a first-round pick (fourth overall) in the 1978 NBA Draft, "Sugar" was a force to be reckoned with, leading the league in both assists and steals in just his second season - still New York Knicks team records to this day - and earning four All-Star appearances and two All-Defensive team honors. But behind the scenes, his career was overshadowed by personal struggles with drugs and alcohol, leading to a historic lifetime ban from the NBA in 1986 while a member of the New Jersey Nets. Richardson shares how he rebounded from that moment, finding redemption through subsequent stints as a player and coach in places like the CBA (Albany Patroons, Oklahoma Cavalry); USBL (Long Island Knights); Premiere Basketball League; and a prolific 14-year professional league run in Europe, where he guided teams to championships and redefined his legacy.  Now running youth basketball clinics and reflecting on his journey, Richardson proves that resilience and accountability can turn even the darkest chapters into a comeback story. + + + SUPPORT THE SHOW: Buy Us a Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable The "Good Seats" Store: https://www.teepublic.com/?ref_id=35106  BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!): "An American Cricket Odyssey: A Journey into the Soul of the Cricket in the United States": https://amzn.to/4nFOdoh  SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!):    Old School Shirts.com (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats Royal Retros (10% off promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2 FIND AND FOLLOW: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable Web: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/

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