Bizarre with Mick Molloy and Titus O’Reily
Episodes
The Real Life Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Part 2 - Sports Bizarre
08 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Louis Zborowski's parents died he became the fourth richest teenager in the world. So he did what any incredibly rich teenager would, put jet eng...
Ancient Sharks, Fat Eagles and an Eclipse - Animal Bizarre
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mick and Titus discuss a bald eagle that is too fat to fly, sharks' long history, and animals' reactions to an eclipse. If you’d like more Animal Bi...
The Real Life Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Part 1 - Sports Bizarre
01 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the 1968 family musical about a flying car, hardly leaps to mind when you think of sport. But the film and the book were insp...
Are Crocodiles Dinosaurs? - Animal Bizarre
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Titus returns from a trip to Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo leading to Mick revealing his multiple run-ins with crocodiles, and a debate breaks out over ...
The History of the Paralympics with Louise Sauvage - Sports Bizarre
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Titus is joined by one of the greatest Paralympians of all time and wheelchair racing legend Louise Sauvage to look back at the history of the Paralym...
The Cheapest Owner in Sports - Sports Bizarre
25 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Marge Schott purchased the Cincinnati Reds, fans welcomed her and her St Bernard with open arms. Yet despite a World Series, soon a run-in w...
Don't be the Person with the Peacock - Animal Bizarre
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mick and Titus discuss the etiquette surrounding emotional support animals, and if a kangaroos can be considered one. If you’d like more Sports Bi...
The Olympic Boxing Mess - Sports Bizarre
18 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
While women's boxing exploded in controversy at the Paris Olympics, the real story was hiding in plain sight, boxing is on the verge of being finished...
Everyone Should get a Duck - Animal Bizarre
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode, Titus tells Mick about his trip to the Darwin Cup and they discuss all the ways animals get high. If you’d like more Animal ...
Hitler's Olympics Part 4 - Sports Bizarre
11 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The games have begun, but African American Jesse Owens shatters Hitler's dreams of Aryan supremacy, or did he? The Berlin Olympics were strange, but p...
From the Archive- Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding - Sports Bizarre
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to Olympic controversies, Winter or Summer, none matches the weirdness of the Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding saga. Days out from the 1...
For Dogs, Every Day is Leg Day - Animal Bizarre
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mick and Titus discuss a man who tried to sneak 100 snakes past customs in his trousers, treadmill workouts for dogs and how elephants use names for e...
From the Archive - The Voyage of the 1932 Brazilian Olympic Team - Sports Bizarre
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As the Olympics continue. we visit the ill-fated voyage of the 1932 Brazillian Olympic team. In 1932, with the world going through the Great Depress...
Hitler's Olympics Part 3 - Sports Bizarre
04 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With the United States on board, the Berlin Olympics commenced, and first, there was the Opening Ceremony. A ceremony so grandiose that every single O...
Drunk Monkeys, Unfaithful Partners - Animal Bizarre
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mick and Titus discover a dog who inadvertently exposed some infidelity, enjoy the antics of a drunk monkey and wonder what flying ants do to seagulls...
From the Archive: The Worst Event in Olympic History - Sports Bizarre
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With Paris now underway, we look back at the worst event the Olympics have ever held. The 1904 Olympics in St Louis, Missouri, were a disaster in ever...
Hitler's Olympics Part 2 - Sports Bizarre
28 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Less than a year out from the 1936 Olympics it appeared likely the United States and many other countries would not attend. Hitler was furious, ...
A Shark and a Stingray in Love - Animal Bizarre
24 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Can a shark and a stingray fall in love? Mick and Titus set out to answer this age-old question. Mick brings new evidence about Bigfoot, and Titus arg...
From the Archive: The 1900 Paris Olympics - Sports Bizarre
23 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Before the 2024 Paris Olympics, we look at the first time Paris held an Olympics. The 1900 Paris Olympics were a disaster of planning and execution, t...
Hitler's Olympics Part 1 - Sports Bizarre
21 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In 1931, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) awarded Berlin the 1936 Olympics, a sign Germany was returning to normal international relations af...
From the Archives: Doping in the Tour de France - Sports Bizarre
17 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With just a few days to go, we look back at the history of doping in the Tour De France. From the first Tour De France, riders were putting all kinds ...
The New Age, Touchy Feely Crocodile - Animal Bizarre
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, a man bites a snake, crocodiles start saving dogs and DNA testing is being used to catch people who don't clean up after their dog. ...
From the Archive: Tour de France, the Early Years - Sports Bizarre
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With LeTour entering its final week, we revisit one of our first episodes, looking at the early years of the Tour De France. The early years of the To...
How Moonshine Created NASCAR Part 6 - Sports Bizarre
14 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the final episode on the beginnings of NASCAR, Bill France seizes control of the new organisation but a new challenge immediately presents itself. ...
A Pet Snake Is A Red Flag - Animal Bizarre
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mick begins by critiquing the very logo he approved before the guys move on to pressing animal matters, such as people harassing bisons and then regre...
How Moonshine Created NASCAR Part 5 - Sports Bizarre
07 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With NASCAR formed, Bill France set out to crush the competition, but he needed stars to bring the crowds. Enter a family from Fort Payne, Alabama, 'T...
A $300,000 Fish and Minimum Chips - Animal Bizarre
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mick provides an update on a fat bear champion, cows are now being toilet trained, and otters start attacking children. If you’d like more Animal Bi...
How Moonshine Created NASCAR Part 4 - Sports Bizarre
30 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After the war, Atlanta would launch a campaign against the moonshine drivers, opening the pathway for Bill France to create a new organisation, The Na...
Is a Penguin a Dinosaur? - Animal Bizarre
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Titus informs Mick that birds are actually dinosaurs, a woman feeds a monkey spicy Cheetos and Mick argues the pelican should be bird of the year. I...
How Moonshine Created NASCAR Part 3 - Sports Bizarre
23 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As Atlanta took control of the stock car racing scene, it would seem Bill France's dream of Daytona being the centre of the sport was lost. But a trag...
Don't Call it a Capybara - Animal Bizarre
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mick returns from Columbia and shares his experiences with the animals there including an emotional support animal biting his colleague. Titus has a...
How Moonshine Created NASCAR Part 2 - Sports Bizarre
16 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Running illegal moonshine created great drivers and cars, and stock car racing started to gain some traction as a sport. So much so that the community...
A Bovine Shawshank Redemption - Animal Bizarre
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mick and Titus celebrate a mass cow escape, a brawl at a dog show and shenanigans at greyhound racing. Titus has a live show in Melbourne on 21 June. ...
How Moonshine Created NASCAR Part 1 - Sports Bizarre
09 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There have been times when NASCAR has not wanted people to know their early history. That’s because the people who built NASCAR, drove the...
Octopuses Punch Fish, Sometimes for no Apparent Reason - Animal Bizarre
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mick and Titus discuss their favourite river systems, and marvel at the fact Octopuses punch fish for no reason. Titus has live shows in Melbourne on ...
Crossing the English Channel Part 4: Chloë McCardel - Sports Bizarre
02 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Titus interviews Chloë McCardel, the Queen of the Channel, to cap off our English Channel series. Chloë has swam the channel a record 44 times, as w...
The Overweight, Arthritic Alligator has Escaped - Animal Bizarre
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mick and Titus discuss the cat born with no anus and the tale of an Alaskan woman attacked by a black bear while sitting on the toilet. Plus, they mar...
Swimming the English Channel Part 3 - Sports Bizarre
26 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With the Channel finally crossed, the arms race for who could cross it the fastest kicked off, and in a shock for the media at the time, it would be t...
When Animals Strike Back - Animal Bizarre
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A lot is happening in this week's episode, from a Walrus who ruined New Year's Eve, lobsters getting high and animals getting revenge on humans. Titus...
Swimming the English Channel Part 2- Sports Bizarre
19 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On 12 August 1872, Captain Matthew Webb stood on the English shore and covered himself with porpoise oil before setting off to attempt to be the first...
The Crypto-Trading Hamster - Animal Bizarre
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Titus and Mick cross the animal kingdom in this episode from a two-foot-tall cow to raccoons who ruin a gender reveal party. They then pay a classy tr...
Swimming the English Channel Part 1 - Sports Bizarre
12 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most challenging athletic feats in human history is to swim the English Channel. It’s 34 kilometres of open sea between England and Franc...
The Seagulls Too Fat to Fly - Animal Bizarre
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mick and Titus pay their respects to Magawa the rat who dedicated his life to detecting landmines. Plus, they discuss the Bahraini seagulls that are t...
The Rise of the SP Bookie Part 2 - Sports Bizarre
05 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
By the 1930s, SP bookies were everywhere, with investigations discovering that every pub had an SP bookie, and the rare one that didn’t wasn’t eco...
A Bear Walks into a Military Base - Animal Bizarre
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In their first episode of Animal Bizarre, Mick and Titus discuss a bear that invaded a Japanese military base, penguins that get too cold and a woman ...
The Rise of the SP Bookie Part 1 – Sports Bizarre
28 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
At the beginning of the 20th century, Australia decided to do something against its nature, ban gambling. The result was the rise of the SP Bookie, il...
New Show Animal Bizarre Launches this Wednesday
26 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mick and Titus are thrilled to announce a new show, Animal Bizarre, which will be released each Wednesday, starting next week. Sports Bizarre will rem...
Wimbledon's Crazy Gang Part 3 – Sports Bizarre
21 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With their first season at the top level in the bag, the Crazy Gang set their eyes higher, but not before a key member announces he is leaving. Before...
From the archives - Ten Cent Beer Night – Sports Bizarre
14 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Unfortunately Mick was unwell last week, so we bring you one of our most popular episodes. Wimbledon will be back next week. On 4 June 1974, the Cleve...
Wimbledon's Crazy Gang Part 2 – Sports Bizarre
07 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In part two, Wimbledon’s Crazy Gang unlock their on field persona, tough, hard, and hated by opponents. As they push up the Football League divi...
Wimbledon's Crazy Gang Part 1 – Sports Bizarre
31 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the mid-1970s, Wimbledon FC were an amateur football side that couldn't afford training cones, so they stole them from the nearby highway. But the ...
The Angriest Man in Baseball – Sports Bizarre
24 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Albert Belle could hit a baseball. He could also hit a range of other objects when he got frustrated, from sinks to buffet tables. Joining the hapless...
The Great Babe Didrikson- Part 2 – Sports Bizarre
17 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In part two, Babe Didrikson turns to golf as her next sport to conquer, becoming one of the greatest of all time. She also meets her husband George Za...
The Great Babe Didrikson- Part 1 – Sports Bizarre
10 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Babe Didrikson might very well be the greatest athlete of the 20th century. As a teenager she led her team to the National Basketball Championship, b...
The Wild Johnstown Jets – Sports Bizarre
03 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In 1977, the movie Slap Shot starring Paul Newman was released about the crazy exploits of a fictional minor league ice hockey team. The plot was so u...
Michael Jackson visits Exeter City – Sports Bizarre
25 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In 2002, none other than Michael Jackson came to Exeter City's stadium to deliver a speech to the 7,000 fans in attendance. What followed was a ramb...
Taylor Swift & the NFL – Sports Bizarre
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With Taylor Swift in Australia, we look at her impact on the NFL and examine other sport/entertainment relationships, like Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Mo...
The Fine Cotton Affair - Part 2 – Sports Bizarre
18 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After a few legal checks, we can now bring you part two of Fine Cotton, and we didn't even have to change it! When we left you, the horse was bright r...
The Fabulous Frank Worthington – Sports Bizarre
11 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Unfortunately, we can't bring you Fine Cotton Part Two today, we explain why in this pod, but it will be arriving soon. Instead, we present Frank Wo...
The Fine Cotton Affair - Part 1 – Sports Bizarre
04 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We are back, and with the most requested topic we've ever had. In Australia, the two most famous racehorses are Fine Cotton and Phar Lap but for oppos...
Texas Football with The Ringer’s Bryan Curtis – Sports Bizarre
28 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Titus sits down with The Ringer’s Editor-at-Large Bryan Curtis to discuss the wonderful world of Texas football. They look at high school football, ...
Yankees and Jets fans with Paul Nardizzi & David Barend – Sports Bizarre
21 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Titus sits down with comedians and authors Paul Nardizzi & David Barend who literally wrote the books on how to annoy Jets and Yankees fans. They ...
The Pain of Being a Mets Fan with Devin Gordon – Sports Bizarre
14 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Titus sits down with Devin Gordon, author of So Many Ways to Lose: The Amazin' True Story of the New York Mets. They chat about how Mets fans experien...
Best of - General Mayhem – Sports Bizarre
07 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we look at people creating mayhem just for the joy of creating mayhem. First, we look at snooker legend Jimmy White, particularly when he te...
Best of - Too Much Money – Sports Bizarre
01 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we look at people who had too much money. Starting with F1 racer James Hunt, and his relationship with Lord Alexander Hesketh, a man who h...
From the archives - Young Griffo – Sports Bizarre
24 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week we look back at one of our favourite characters ever. Albert Griffiths, or ‘Young Griffo’ began life in the slums of Sydney, as leader o...
The Bookies Missing Millions with Andrew Rule – Sports Bizarre
17 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
While Melbourne’s Spring Racing Carnival was in full swing, news emerged of what could be Australia’s biggest Ponzi scheme. High on the list of vi...
Funniest moments in cricket with Dan Liebke – Sports Bizarre
10 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Titus sits down with author Dan Liebke to discuss his new book, The 100 Funniest Moments in Australian Cricket. They discuss Rob Quiney's resurrection...
Best of - Unlucky in Love – Sports Bizarre
03 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 2023, we found plenty of athletes who were unlucky in love. In this best of, we look at John Daly's interesting marriages, Jese Rodriguez interesti...
Keith Miller- Part 2 – Sports Bizarre
26 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Following the war, Keith Miller dazzled England in the Victory Test and returned to Australia a star. Debuting for Australia, Miller would dazzle crow...
Keith Miller - Part 1 – Sports Bizarre
19 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to cricketers, there have been many as exciting on and off the pitch as Keith Ross Miller. Miller played VFL, flew fighter planes in the...
Elias ' Lucky Baldwin' - Part 2 – Sports Bizarre
12 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the second part of our Lucky Baldwin series, Lucky had just escaped death after being shot by a jilted lover. He followed that up by being shot by ...
Elias ‘Lucky’ Baldwin Part 1 – Sports Bizarre
05 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Santa Anita Park is one of the most famous racetracks in America, a regular host of the Breeders' Cup, but its founder is little known. Elias 'Luc...
Reg Spiers comes home – Sports Bizarre
29 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 1964, one of Australia’s leading javelin throwers, Reg Spiers, was training in England when he failed to make the Australian Olympic team. Th...
A Real-Life Wacky Races: Part 2 – Sports Bizarre
22 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The MacRobertson Air Race got underway in spectacular fashion, with a pilot trying to take off but forgetting to release the brake. Once in the air, t...
A Real-Life Wacky Races: Part 1 – Sports Bizarre
15 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 1934, the 100th anniversary of the founding of Melbourne was celebrated by what was at the time, the most dangerous and ambitious race in world his...
The invention of rugby: Part 2 – Sports Bizarre
08 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On October 26, 1863, at the Freemason’s Tavern in Great Queen Street, London, representatives of various football clubs from across England met to t...
The Invention of Rugby: Part 1 – Sports Bizarre
01 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 1823, William Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran with it during a school match creating the "rugby" style of play. Except he didn’t, and the...
The America's Cup: Special Guest John Bertrand – Sports Bizarre
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On the 26th of September 1983, forty years ago, Australia II crossed the line to end the New York Yacht Club's 132-year-long winning streak. To celebr...
The America’s Cup: Part Six – Sports Bizarre
24 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 1983, Alan Bond would go all in for the Cup, bringing together John Bertrand and Ben Lexcen in an all-out assault on the New York Yacht Club. The A...
The America’s Cup: Part Five – Sports Bizarre
19 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With the British trying and failing for 100 years, the Australians now entered the fray, with Sir Frank Packer launching a challenge. When Sir Frank w...
The America’s Cup: Part Four – Sports Bizarre
17 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
By the end of the 19th Century, the America’s Cup had become a plaything for the rich, with men like J.P.Morgan and William K Vanderbilt control...
The America’s Cup: Part Three – Sports Bizarre
12 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With the English accusing the New York Yacht Club of ‘unfair and unsportsmanlike proceedings’ it fell to the Canadians to launch the next ...
The Americas Cup: Part Two – Sports Bizarre
10 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With the America’s Cup donated to the New York Yacht Club (NYYC), Civil War would intervene before anyone could challenge for it. After the war,...
The America’s Cup: Part One – Sports Bizarre
03 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 1851, the yacht America, headed to England to take on the best of the British, stopping to pick up the finest French wines along the way. After def...
Preview: 1983 America's Cup 40th Anniversary Edition
31 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Forty years ago, on the 26th of September 1983, Australia II crossed the finish line in the deciding race of the America’s Cup, ending the longest w...
A Drunken Le Mans: Part Two – Sports Bizarre
27 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In part two of our series, Duncan Hamilton and Tony Rolt begin their assault on the Le Mans 24-hour race. Signing with Jaguar, the 1953 seemed full of...
A Drunken Le Mans: Part One – Sports Bizarre
20 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As a baby, Duncan Hamilton crashed his pram down 38 steps. This proved to be just a precursor to him crashing cars and planes. Despite the crashes, he...
Bunker Spreckels – Sports Bizarre
13 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Bunker Spreckels became famous as a surfer, but he was born into the wealthy Spreckles family, a dynasty built on the sugar trade that gave us the ter...
Mob Football – Sports Bizarre
06 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Before organised sport, there was mob football, where entire villages played against each other for days, with no rules, and the kings of England bann...
Tex Rickard: Sports Greatest Promoter Part Two – Sports Bizarre
30 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In part two, Tex Rickard moves to Argentina to raise cattle. Instead, he ends up in the middle of a war between Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia, and Braz...
Tex Rickard: Sports Greatest Promoter Part One – Sports Bizarre
23 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
By his mid-twenties, Tex Rickard had been a cowboy, a Marshal, was friends with Wyatt Earp and had followed the gold rushes to Alaska. In Alaska he be...
The Footballer Who Wasn't – Sports Bizarre
16 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Carlos Kaiser had one of the longest careers in Brazilian football, joining all the big four clubs Botafogo, Fluminense, Flamengo, and Vasco da Gama, ...
Sports Biggest Family Feud Part Two – Sports Bizarre
09 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Last week we left off with the two Dassler brothers splitting apart their shoe company after a vicious falling out. With the Second World War now over...
Sports Biggest Family Feud Part One – Sports Bizarre
02 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 1923, two brothers formed a new shoe company, Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik, or Geda. The company grew quickly against the backdrop of the risi...
The LIV Golf-PGA Merger Part Two – Sports Bizarre
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In part two of our look at the LIV Golf-PGA Tour merger, Greg Norman is now CEO of LIV Golf, unleashing a civil war in the sport. Money is thrown arou...
The LIV Golf-PGA Merger Part One – Sports Bizarre
25 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We have a treat, two episodes this week, on the LIV Golf-PGA Tour merger. The second episode will be out Wednesday unless you’re a Bizarre Plus ...
Trump v USFL Part Three – Sports Bizarre
18 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In our final episode on the USFL, the league’s final season is overshadowed by the showdown court case between the USFL and the NFL. In one of t...
Trump vs USFL: Part Two – Sports Bizarre
11 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Following the first season of the USFL, the most incredible offseason in sports history commenced. New teams were created, teams traded their entire p...
Trump VS USFL: Part One – Sports Bizarre
04 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On March 6 1983, the new United States Football League (USFL) season kicked off with a plan to bring American football to springtime. What unfolded wa...