Sports With Friends Underdog Podcasts

This is the second episode about the Peacock docuseries “Bronx Zoo '90.” The documentary is the story of the 1990 New York Yankees, a last-place team in a most tumultuous year. One of the series' executive producers Brian Hunt is the President of Believe Studios. He joins the podcast to discuss how the original 8-part series written by Joel Sherman for the New York Post was picked up by the streaming service Peacock and turned into the docuseries.

In 1990, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was banned for life (he would be reinstated years later). Mel Hall brought cougars into the Yankee clubhouse and dated a teenager (He's currently serving a 45-year prison sentence after being found guilty of two counts of sexual assault against minors.). Andy Hawkins threw a no-hitter but lost the game. The team was rock bottom, but that team is considered the starting point of rebuilding the Yankees into the dynasty that won three championships in four seasons in the late 90s.

Hunt is President of Believe Studios, and Head of Development at Believe Entertainment Group, an Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning, New York City-based entertainment company. Hunt leads the company's studio division, developing and producing high-profile content for Digital (video + podcasts), TV, and Film.

In this episode, Hunt explains how he and his team figured out that the 1990 Yankees were a story worth telling. He also went to the high school where Mel Hall dated that 15-year-old girl and she took him to the prom.

This episode is sponsored by/brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/SWF and get on your way to being your best self.

The unique story of the 1990 New York Yankees was retold in 2020 in an 8-part series featured in the New York Post by Joel Sherman. It was then picked up and told again in a new docuseries on Peacock entitled, “Bronx Zoo '90.”

Joel Sherman has worked at the New York Post since 1989 -- for seven years as the New York Yankees beat writer and since 1996 as the Baseball Columnist. He has also worked at MLB Network as an on-air Insider for nearly a decade.

The 1990 Yankees are about a last-place team in a most tumultuous year. The owner George Steinbrenner was banned for life (he would be reinstated years later). Mel Hall brought cougars into the Yankee clubhouse and dated a teenager. Andy Hawkins threw a no-hitter but lost the game. The team was rock bottom, but that started the rebuild into the Yankee dynasty that won three championships in four seasons in the late 90s.

In this episode, Sherman recounts covering the Yankees in 1990. He explained how during Covid in 2020, he crafted the series of articles that led to the docuseries. He also speaks about the differences between covering baseball then and today.

Tim Brown is one of the greatest wide receivers of all time. He spent sixteen years with the Los Angeles / Oakland Raiders. A 9x Pro Bowler, Brown caught 100 touchdown passes and holds the record for most consecutive starts by a receiver with 176. At Notre Dame, Tim Brown won the 1987 Heisman Trophy and Walter Camp Award. He has been involved in a number of entrepreneurial ventures since his playing days, including becoming the Commissioner of The Arena League, a new football league slated to begin in late 2024.

Brown is a regular competitor in the upcoming American Century Championship, which is a celebrity golf tournament that takes place annually in Lake Tahoe. Among the 80-plus participants in the field are: Travis Kelce, Jason Kelce, Charles Barkley, Josh Allen, Colin Jost, Annika Sorenstam, and actor Miles Teller. This year marks the 35th year of celebrity golf and will be televised with coverage on GOLF Channel, Peacock, and NBC from July 12th through the 14th, 2024.

In this episode, Brown talks about his legacy with the Raiders, and the issues the fanbase faced after the recent move to Las Vegas. He also discusses the recent realignment in college sports, including the transfer portal and NIL payments.

This episode is sponsored by/brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/SWF and get on your way to being your best self.

Kevin Millar played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Florida Marlins, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, and Toronto Blue Jays from 1998 through 2009. He won the World Series in 2004 with the Red Sox. Since his playing days, Millar is currently a broadcaster for MLB Network and a commentator for NESN (New England Sports Network).

Millar is competing in the upcoming American Century Championship, which is a celebrity golf tournament that takes place annually in Lake Tahoe. Among the 80-plus participants in the field are: Travis Kelce, Jason Kelce, Charles Barkley, Josh Allen, Colin Jost, Annika Sorenstam, and actor Miles Teller. This year marks the 35th year of celebrity golf and will be televised with coverage on GOLF Channel, Peacock, and NBC from July 12th through the 14th, 2024.

During his playing days, Millar was a frequent guest of Seth's at both MLB Radio and Sirius/XM. This episode opens with a callback to a radio bit involving old cell phones.

This episode is sponsored by/brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/SWF and get on your way to being your best self.

Former NFL quarterback and broadcaster Joe Theismann returns to the podcast for the first time in three years. His previous appearance was Episode 306. In it, we spoke about his incredible football career and the catastrophic leg injury that ended it. This appearance references that moment but does not retell that story.

Theismann is competing in the upcoming American Century Championship, which is a celebrity golf tournament that takes place annually in Lake Tahoe. Among the 80-plus participants in the field are: Travis Kelce, Jason Kelce, Charles Barkley, Josh Allen, Colin Jost, Annika Sorenstam, and actor Miles Teller. This year marks the 35th year of celebrity golf and will be televised with coverage on GOLF Channel, Peacock, and NBC from July 12th through the 14th, 2024.

In this episode, Theismann discusses the legacy of the golf classic, and offers opinions on Tom Brady joining FOX, Alex Smith's (who suffered a similar leg injury) retirement, a lack of quarterback depth in today's NFL, and much more.

Vinny Del Negro played in the NBA from 1988-2001, as well as playing and winning an Italian League Championship. He starred in college at NC State and played most of his games for the San Antonio Spurs. He also had two NBA coaching stints with the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Clippers. He averaged 9.1 points per game and scored over 7,000 points. He is currently an analyst for NBA TV.

Del Negro is the 2021 winner of the American Century Championship, which is a celebrity golf tournament that takes place annually in Lake Tahoe. Among the 80-plus participants in the field are: Travis Kelce, Jason Kelce, Charles Barkley, Josh Allen, Colin Jost, Annika Sorenstam, and actor Miles Teller. This year marks the 35th year of celebrity golf and will be televised with coverage on GOLF Channel, Peacock, and NBC from July 12th through the 14th.

In this episode, Del Negro talks about how golf replaces basketball in order to satiate the competitive fire that is within him. He also comments on the recent Boston Celtics NBA Finals victory over the Dallas Mavericks. He also weighs in on the recent college realignment and the transfer portal.

Get the 2024 Fantasy Football Almanac here: https://a.co/d/4RKUzv1.