The situation in western North Carolina is dire.

The area was ravaged by Hurricane Helene last weekend and there are so many across this portion of the state and region that lost everything.

Those who still have a home may be without power or access to clean or running water.

Some are trapped by washed out roads.

Communication has been severed for many.

Consider a donation to the western North Carolina Red Cross or another local charity that's doing work to help those affected by the storm.

Let's bring some normalcy back to life for so many who have been disrupted.

I've put links in the show notes if you'd like a few suggestions.

Thanks.

Now onto today's episode.

It's October 3, and on this day it was the shot heard round the world.

Bobby Thompson up there swinging.

He's a two out of three, a single on a double, and Billy crotch is playing him right on the third baseline.

Cracker throws.

There's a left side.

I can't be.

I believe the giants like the planet.

The giants like the planet.

The giants like the parent.

The Giants like the pillars.

That was the famous call by Russ Hodges.

And you can certainly understand the elation, the over the top reaction to Bobby Thompson's famous home run on this day when you understand the circumstances.

First, how were the New York Giants even in a position to win the pennant with 44 games left in the season?

They were 13 games back of the Brooklyn Dodgers in August.

And while the Dodgers cooled off a bit, the Giants went on a tear, winning 16 straight games with three of those coming in the final at bat.

That helped close the gap.

And they finally caught up with the Dodgers on the second to last day of the regular season after winning twelve out of their last 13 games.

It was highly improbable, but yet they found themselves in a three game playoff for the NL pennant.

It came really close to the playoff, not even being necessary.

After the Giants closed out the regular season, they had a half game lead over Brooklyn and they waited for the results of the Dodgers game with Philadelphia.

It took a home run by Jackie Robinson in the 14th inning to qualify the Dodgers for the playoff series.

The teams split the first two games, setting up the heroics in game three.

The Dodgers took a four one lead in the 8th.

The Giants failed to score in the bottom half, as did the Dodgers in the top of the 9th.

So now in the bottom of the 9th, the Dodgers had their ace, Don Newcomb, on the mound.

And prior to the Giants scoring in the 7th, Newcomb had pitched 20 consecutive scoreless innings with men on first and third.

Giants first baseman Whitey Lockman drilled a double that plated one run and that made it four two with men at second and third with one out.

At that point, Newcomb was pulled and Ralph Branca was brought on to get the final two outs of the game.

But Thompson hit an zero one pitch into the left field seats for a three run shot that sent Giants fans and Russ Hodges into a frenzy.

After the game, reporters caught up with Thompson.

Bobby Thompson, did you fall down coming around 30?

I didn't touch the ground one.

You just flew up.

And also Ralph Branca, who was in no mood to answer any questions.

Let me alone.

Let me alone.

Let me be, will you?

You saw what happened.

All I kept saying was, why me?

Why me?

Why did he have to be me?

The Giants went on to face the New York Yankees in the World Series, but they lost in six games.

Controversy started to bubble up in the years that followed, though rumors of the Giants stealing signs in the latter half of the season began to circulate.

The Associated Press wrote a story about it eleven years later in 1962.

It wasn't confirmed until 2001, when several of the still living Giants players confirmed that a man in the Giants locker room in center field used a telescope to pick up the catcher's signs, and they were relayed via a buzzer to the dugout with one buzz being a fastball and two buzzes being an off speed pitch.

The players said it made a big difference and it was the big reason that they were able to make up so much ground late in the season and pull off what became known as the Miracle at Coogans Bluff.

On this day in 1920, the first NFL game was played.

Dayton, Ohio, is known for several firsts.

The first four of the NCAA basketball tournament are played there.

Its the birthplace of aviation and its ground zero for the NFL.

On this day, 104 years ago, the Columbus Panhandles made the 70 miles journey west to Dayton to take on the Dayton Triangles.

They probably took the train since most of the Columbus men worked on the railroad and they got to ride the rails for free.

That's also where they got their nickname from working on the so called Panhandle section of the Pennsylvania Railroad.

They actually enjoyed road games not only because they got to ride for free, but also because they got little notice in Columbus due to fans having more interest in the collegiate Ohio State Buckeyes.

Six of the panhandles were all part of the same family, the Nesser brothers.

John was the oldest of the group and actually played until he was 46.

He was the oldest player to ever play in the NFL until George Blanda came along.

John and his son Charlie also hold the distinction of being the only father son duo to play together on an NFL team.

But that didn't happen until 1921.

The hometown Triangles got their name from the company, or I should say three companies they worked for as well that were known as the Industrial Triangle.

And they also played their games at Triangle park and there was a stadium built there that could hold up to 5000 people.

Now the league these two teams played for was the American Professional Football association or the APFA.

It would not become known as the NFL until 1922.

Okay, so what happened on this day?

Well, I couldnt find anything that described the action, but im doubting either of us would recognize any of the names.

But the triangles shut out the Panhandles 14 to nothing.

Dayton would go on to a five two two record in 1920 while Columbus kept riding the rails to a two win, six loss, two tie season.

Alright, so from the first NFL game to one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history on this day, in a 2003 Monday Night Football matchup, the Indianapolis Colts should have been served last rights.

And maybe they were after Ronde Barber picked off Peyton Manning in the fourth quarter and rented in for a touchdown to give Tampa Bay the 30 514 lead with five minutes left in the game.

Bucks radio man Gene Deckerhoff proclaimed the game to be over at that moment, and without a doubt, 99% of the fans in the stands thought the same thing.

And then a curious thing happened.

On the ensuing kickoff, a 30 year old rookie named Tom Pyatt took the ball at the goal line and raced 90 yards before being tracked down.

And that set up a James Mungro two yard plunge for the touchdown to make it 35 21.

That made it more respectable for Tony Duncie, who was making his first trip back to Tampa after coaching the Bucks for five seasons previously.

But his Colts wanted to make it a little bit more memorable.

The Colts pulled off a picture perfect onside kick to regain possession, and then after Marvin Harrison reeled in a 28 yard Manning TD pass, it was a seven point game with 229 left.

The Colts tried an onside kick again and nearly recovered another one.

So that should have done it right.

A first down or two and the Bucks could run out the clock.

But nope, a three and out and a punt gave the Colts the ball back with a minute 5 seconds left and 85 yards in front of them for the tying score.

Payton led them down the field, aided by a Warren Sapp roughing the passer penalty and a connection with Harrison down to the four yard line, which set up Ricky Williams for a 1 yd plunge to tie it up with 35 seconds left in regulation.

So if that wasn't a wild enough ending to a full 60 minutes of football, there was another surprise to come.

In overtime, the Colts forced Tampa to punt no t, and after a manning to Reggie Wayne connection to the Bucks 31, it was Mike Vanderjagt time.

He came on to kick the 48 yarder and he missed it wide right.

But hang on a second, a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct leaping was called.

The NFL later admitted the call was incorrect, but in the moment 15 yards were marked off and Vanderjagt hit the now 29 yard chip shot.

The Colts had completed the comeback, winning 38 35.

On this day in 1989, Art Schell made history as the first black head coach in modern NFL history.

The Oakland Raiders had gotten off to a rough start in the 89 season, winning just one of their first four games.

That came on the heels of an 88 season, when the Raiders lost four of their last five games to finish a disappointing seven nine in Mike Shanahan's first year, Shanahan had not been a popular hire for fans or players.

He was the first coach who had not had some tie with the Raiders previously, and he replaced a popular Tom Flores and the players nearly rebelled against Shanahan.

So on this day, owner Al Davis promoted art Shell from offensive coordinator to the head coach.

Shell had played 15 years for the Raiders as an offensive lineman.

Hed been a four time All Pro and an eight time Pro Bowler.

The move worked out well for the Raiders.

Shell won 54 games and lost 38 in his six years as the head coach.

He was named AFC coach of the year in 1990 after leading the Raiders to a twelve four record in the regular season and then into the AFC championship game.

Davis fired him after the 94 season after a nine seven record, a move that Davis later regretted and called a big mistake.

He actually came back and coached the Raiders again in 2006.

That stint was not as fortuitous or as long.

He was fired after one season.

Now, at the start of this I said that Shell was the first black coach in the modern NFL, with an emphasis on modern.

Thats because Fritz Pollard is actually the first recognized black head coach in the NFL.

He played for the Akron Pros in 1920 in the aforementioned AFPA, and then became co head coach of the team while also playing in 1921.

And if you would like to learn more about Fritz Pollard, then you should check out another podcast on the sports History network sports forgotten heroes with Warren Rogan.

His September 10 episode is dedicated to talking about pollard with doctor Charles Ross, who is a professor of african american studies at Ole Miss University.

And you can check it out@sportshistorynetwork.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

And on this day in 2013, Tiger woods and Matt Kutcher were paired up in a President's cup match against Angel Cabrera and Mark Leishman.

This was the first time that woods and Kucher had been paired up in an international match play event, and they had a great time together.

They won five and four to pick up the first point for the US, so that made things fun.

But they also had eight birdies between them, and they celebrated every single one of them by going with an old school fresh prince of Bel Air, Will and DJ Jazzy Jeff tilt of their heads mini high fives snap to the side, Cellie.

You know, Kutcher said the idea was all his because, well, he's not a fan of fist bumps, and the baseball high fives he admires seemed to be too complicated.

So instead they went old school.

Fresh Prince.

And speaking of old school, would you believe that Gordy Howe actually played a professional hockey game at the age of 69?

Well, on this day in 1997, Mister Hockey laced up the skates for the IHL's Detroit Vipers and their season opener against the Kansas City Blades.

He signed a one day contract and skated two shifts in the first period, took a shot and nearly scored.

His shot was deflected but nearly trickled across the line.

A capacity crowd of 20,182 sardined into the palace and gave Hal a standing ovation during the pre game ceremony and for his short stints on the ice.

Officially, Hal played in six decades.

Time now for todays nothing to do with sports.

Fun fact if youre vegan and youre interested in getting a tattoo, ask a few questions first.

Many tattoo inks contain glycerin derived from animal fat and black tattoo ink may contain charred bone to increase the pigment.

Thats all ive got for you today.

Thanks for stopping by and giving this episode a listen.

Ill have more tomorrow.

On this day in sports history.