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Past Our Prime

Past Our Prime

Written by: Scott Johnston
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Growing up on boxscores, the Game of the Week, and Sports Illustrated, three longtime Sports TV Producers reflect back on the world of sports through the lens of old issues of SI from 50 years ago. Larry Csonka and the Dolphins; Reggie Jackson and The Swinging A's; The Wizard of Westwood; The Golden Bear and Muhammad Ali are just a few of the many heroes showcased weekly by Scott, Bill and Marc on the Past Our Prime podcast. Stay up to date on what happened in the past as they go back in time and return to the glory days of sports week by week, issue by issue of Sports Illustrated starting in January of 1974 Baseball & Softball Football (American)
Episodes
  • 146. Chuck Foreman: The OG of Dual Threats

    146. Chuck Foreman: The OG of Dual Threats
    Oct 18 2026
    Chuck Foreman was one of the NFL’s most versatile and exciting running backs of the 1970s, a key weapon in the Minnesota Vikings’ run of success that included three Super Bowl appearances. Nicknamed “The Spin Doctor” for his elusive running style, Foreman was as dangerous catching passes out of the backfield as he was carrying the football. Named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1973 and a five-time Pro Bowl selection, he became a central figure in the Vikings’ offense alongside quarterback Fran Tarkenton and helped define an era of Minnesota football built on toughness, creativity, and winning. The October 18, 1976 issue of Sports Illustrated featured Foreman on the cover in a dynamic action shot by photographer Walter Iooss Jr., captured while rushing against the Chicago Bears on October 10 in Bloomington. The cover highlighted his powerful presence during another tight Vikings victory—a 20-19 “squeaker” in which Minnesota dominated the first half before the Bears surged back in the second. Inside, Robert F. Jones’s story “The Two-for-One Special” detailed the back-and-forth contest and underscored how the Vikings continued their habit of winning close games that season with Foreman as a central force in their potent offense. On the Past Our Prime podcast, Foreman joins a growing list of Vikings legends that includes fellow great Fran Tarkenton and his dear friend Ed White, the very first guest in the history of the show. He talks about how coach Bud Grant helped mold him into the game’s original dual-threat back, leading the entire NFL in receptions as a fullback in 1975 while scoring 22 touchdowns, then following it up with another Pro Bowl season in 1976. Foreman explains how that innovative Vikings offense was really a precursor to the famous West Coast offense, yet never quite gets the credit it deserves. He gets honest about how losing all those Super Bowls and being branded a “loser” still stings to this day, because those teams were loaded with great players and even greater men. Foreman also reflects on finishing second in the 1975 MVP voting to his quarterback and close friend Tarkenton, and shares stories about learning to catch the ball in the brutal, freezing Minneapolis weather—conditions that became a real home-field advantage for the purple and gold. The great Chuck Foreman, this week on Past Our Prime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 41 mins
  • 145. The Big Red Machine and the Crazy Left-Hander

    145. The Big Red Machine and the Crazy Left-Hander
    Oct 11 2026
    The October 11, 1976 issue of Sports Illustrated featured Cincinnati Reds slugger George Foster on the cover, at a time when the Big Red Machine was chasing its second consecutive World Series championship. Foster was becoming one of baseball’s most feared power hitters, joining Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Pete Rose in a lineup that overwhelmed opponents. The Reds would go on to sweep the Phillies in the NLCS and the Yankees in the World Series, cementing their place among baseball’s all-time great teams. This week on Past Our Prime, we welcome former major league pitcher and longtime Reds broadcaster Chris Welsh as we look back at that incredible team from half a century ago. Welsh tells us how Foster developed into one of the game’s most dangerous hitters—and reveals the funny side of George that fans rarely got to see. Welsh also shares how Pete Rose helped him get one last shot in the big leagues, bringing him back to his hometown Reds. He explains how he broke into broadcasting with no experience, no résumé and no credentials beyond a love of baseball—and somehow turned that opportunity into a career spanning more than three decades. He also reveals how Marty Brennaman gave him the nickname “The Creeper” and tells a hilarious story about how he avoided getting intimate with Reds owner Marge Schott. Chris Welsh has been in baseball for over 40 years, and he's got the stories to match... and he shares a good deal of them this week on Past Our Prime. Download, listen... like... you know the drill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 35 mins
  • 144. Backup QB Mike Rae Keeps Oakland Undefeated in 1976

    144. Backup QB Mike Rae Keeps Oakland Undefeated in 1976
    Oct 4 2026
    The 1976 Maryland Terrapins had their breakout season under quarterback Mark Manges, a 6'3", 220-pound junior out of Cumberland, Maryland, who landed on the October 4, 1976 cover of Sports Illustrated under the headline “Maryland on the Move,” captured mid-scramble against Syracuse by photographer Walter Iooss Jr. Manges, a dual-threat “tackle-busting” quarterback who passed for 1,145 yards on just 139 attempts while also rushing for 448 yards and clearing holes for his running backs, helped lead Maryland to an extraordinary 11-0 start that season, pushing the Terrapins to a No. 6 national ranking before the team ultimately fell to Houston 30-21 in the Cotton Bowl. His performance earned him First-team All-ACC honors, and the cover appearance remains one of the signature moments in Maryland football history — a program that, as the SI piece on his legacy later noted, became more popular in the state that fall “than crab cakes.” That same October 4, 1976 issue of Sports Illustrated also featured a photo of another quarterback making his mark that fall: Mike Rae of the Oakland Raiders. When starter Ken Stabler went down with a knee injury early in the season, the former USC Trojan stepped in against the Houston Oilers on September 26 and delivered a steady 13-of-22 performance for 170 yards and two touchdown passes to Cliff Branch in a narrow 14-13 victory that kept the Raiders undefeated at 3-0. Rae’s calm, efficient play provided exactly the insurance John Madden’s team needed. Rae would start twice that year and win both games, including a 24-0 victory over San Diego in the regular-season finale while Stabler rested. His steady presence helped stabilize a loaded Raiders squad that went on to win Super Bowl XI at the Rose Bowl — the same stadium where Rae had capped off a perfect national championship season for USC under coach John McKay just a few years earlier. Mike Rae swings by the Past Our Prime podcast to talk about what it was really like being the guy who had to step in whenever Kenny “The Snake” Stabler went down for that multi-talented 1970s Raiders team. He gets into all the bigger-than-life personalities around him — owner Al Davis running the show his own way, John Madden pacing the sidelines, and of course Stabler himself. Rae also reflects on returning to the Rose Bowl for the Super Bowl, leaving Oakland for Tampa Bay and reuniting with his college coach, starting his career in the CFL, and wrapping things up in the USFL. And yeah… he drops a great story about the ultimate Raiders super fan, James Garner — Mr. Rockford himself. It’s a fun one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 20 mins
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