{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"116: A Thinking Man\u2019s Guide to Defunct Leagues \u2013 With Stephen Provost","description":"This week, we offer a refresher course in the history of forgotten pro sports leagues with veteran newspaper editor, current long-form author and fellow defunct sports enthusiast Stephen Provost \u2013 whose recent book A Whole Different League is an essential primer for anyone seeking an entr\u00e9e into the genre. Provost serves up a smorgasbord of highlights gleaned from his personal memories of and research into the various nooks and crannies of what \u201cused-to-be\u201d in professional team sports, including:  The curiosity of 9,000 Los Angeles Aztecs NASL soccer fans in a cavernous 100,000-seat Rose Bowl; The oft-forgotten Continental Football League of the late 1960s, operating in the shadows of the mighty NFL and colorful AFL; The enigmatic one-season wonder of the 1961-62 National Bowling League; Jackie Robinson\u2019s almost pro football career; Federal League all-star Benny Kauff and the major league baseball career-ending auto theft he didn\u2019t commit; AND The legend of the World Football League\u2019s Jim \u201cKing\u201d Corcoran \u2013 the \u201cpoor man\u2019s Joe Namath.\u201d  PLUS: we revisit the story of women\u2019s pro basketball pioneer (and \u201cGood Seats\u201d episode #28 guest) \u201cMachine Gun\u201d Molly Bolin (Kazmer), the subject of Provost\u2019s new biography, The Legend of Molly Bolin: Women's Pro Basketball Trailblazer. Indulge all of your defunct league memories at SportsHistoryCollectibles.com, 503 Sports, OldSchoolShirts.com, and Streaker Sports! ","author_name":"Good Seats Still Available","author_url":"https:\/\/goodseatsstillavailable.com","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/10096436\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/aa0926\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/content\/44479277"}