Press Box Chronicles
Episodes
Hometown Hero: The Small-Town Pitcher Who Reached MLB
20 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're diving into a story that hits home - literally. Today, we're talking about hometown heroes, and how Dave Fleming, from my little town in ...
Mark McGwire: Baseball's Biggest Phony
13 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
For the last few weeks, we've highlighted the good guys, the good stories, and the feel good moments of being a journalist covering sports. Not today....
The Best WR Duo In The NFL That Hated Each Other | Keyshawn Johnson & Wayne Chrebet
06 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're talking about my (unfortunately) favorite football team again, the New York Jets. Except today, we're diving into the greatest wide recei...
YINKA DARE | The Coolest Name But Most Insane NBA Lottery Pick Of All-Time
30 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're diving into one of the worst draft picks of all-time, and a guy with perhaps the coolest name of all-time: Yinka Dare. It's 1991, and whi...
The Nicest Athlete In All Of Sports | Major League Baseball's Sean Casey
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
People gravitate towards a**holes -- If you watch this show, you know some of our biggest episodes are about the biggest a**holes in sports. But today...
How Prison Life Led To The Baseball Diamond | The Ron LeFlore Story
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We've had some insane stories on the is show, but today might take the cake. It's 1969, and Ron LeFlore is a kid in Detroit who goes to prison for arm...
The Comeback That Fell Short | How Jim Palmer Returned To Major League Baseball At 45
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're diving into one of my favorite comeback stories. Jim Palmer was a standout pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, who called it a career in 1...
Large, Limited & Pasty: The White Goon of the 1980's and the NBA's answer to a "too black" league
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When you think of the NBA in the 1980's, you think of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Hakeem Olajuwon & much more. But what many forget is ...
The University of the Southwest Golf Team Tragedy | The hardest story of my career
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
If you watch this show, you know that some of these stories may be difficult to talk about or listen to, but today we are diving into possibly the tou...
The NFL does NOT want you to know why Seahawks legend Kenny Easley died
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today, I'm diving into one of my most-viewed social media videos of all-time - the death of Seahawks Hall of Fame Safety Kenny Easley, and the dark se...
Sexiest Man Mix Up | How NFL QB Elvis Grbac ended up People Magazine's Sexiest Athlete Alive
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Most are familiar with People Magazine's 'Sexiest Man Alive' issue that comes out every year. However, what most people don't know, is that in 1998, w...
MLB's Will Clark Was A Cackling Douchebag... Or At Least That's What I Thought
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're diving into one of the biggest A**holes I've ever covered in professional sports - Will Clark. He was rude, crass, and upon every encount...
Don Mattingly & Wade Boggs RARE Dual New York Yankees Auto Rip
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're diving into a box of 2024 Topps Museum Collection Baseball Hobby Box. I've pulled some great cards on this show, but today takes the cake...
Ann Meyers & The Indiana Pacers: The First Woman To Play In The NBA
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It's 1979, and Ann Meyers is coming off a record breaking close to her college career. Meyers was the first player (male or female) to be a four-time ...
The Most Feared Cornerback In NFL History | Lester Hayes
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're diving into the most feared cornerback in NFL history. A guy who shut down half the field, had QB's shook, and was so good the NFL made r...
MLB Wife Swap: The INSANE story of how two New York Yankees players traded lives, wives and kids
12 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Season 3 is here and we're kicking it off with one of the most iNSANE stories you've ever heard. It's 1973, and two New York Yankee pitchers decide th...
1989/90 NBA Hoops Series 2 | MAGIC JOHNSON PULL + 90's Legends
26 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to another episode of Break Time with Jeff Pearlman! Today, we're ripping a 1989/90 Hoops Series 2 NBA Pack featuring an INCREDIBLE MAGIC...
Jerry Tarkanian: How The Las Vegas Mafia Helped Start The LA Lakers Showtime Dynasty
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're diving into a story that quite literally changed the course of basketball history. It's 1979, and legendary UNLV head coach Jerry Tarkani...
A Poetic Sports Legacy: The Marcus Lattimore Story
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're diving into a legendary college football player from the University of South Carolina named Marcus Lattimore, who - 15 years removed from...
Forgotten Greatness: The Story Of Ken Griffey, Sr.
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're diving into one of my childhood heroes - my favorite baseball player of all-time: Ken Griffey, Sr. From World Series Champion to forgotte...
John Jefferson: The Coolest Football Player Of All-Time
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're diving into one of the coolest football players of all-time - no, actually, maybe THE coolest football player of all-time - John Jefferso...
Billy Ripken & The F*** Face Card | The Funniest Baseball Card Of All-Time
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today on a brand new episode of Break Time, we're diving into the most notorious, hilarious, wildest baseball card of all-time. A card that, when I wa...
Heroism & Heartbreak: The Joe Delaney Story
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're diving into one of the most requested pieces on this channel: The great American hero Joe Delaney. We love tossing the word 'hero' out wh...
Quintin Dailey: The Forgotten Chicago Bulls Star With A Complicated, Horrific and Tragic Ending
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're diving into Quintin Dailey, the University of San Francisco phenom who's life story is one of the most complicated and tragic, yet horrif...
Dave Kingman: Baseball's Biggest A**hole
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're diving into a story about a guy who would make Barry Bonds seem like a media darling. A man who makes John Rocker look like - well, John ...
LA's One-Year Wonder: The Vince Ferragamo Story
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're diving into the incredible, confusing, exciting yet deflating career of Vincent Ferragamo, the LA Rams good-looking, strong-armed, career...
2012 Panini Box Card Break - In a box full of Hall Of Famers, I, of course, pull an autograph of ...
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to our brand new series 'Break Time with Jeff Pearlman,' where history comes alive one rip at a time. Today, we break a 2012 Contenders Panini...
The Most Insane NBA Expansion Team Ever - The 1988 Miami Heat
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're going to talk about my favorite NBA expansion team ever. A collection of good to not-so-great players, all buying in to launch the Miami ...
I Found The Real Baby From Tupac Shakur's 'Brenda's Got A Baby'
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we are diving into a story that is maybe my greatest accomplishment as a journalist in my career. It's 1991, and Tupac Shakur has just released...
The Craziest Flight in Baseball History: The 1986 Mets Plane Ride
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This it it. The team, the story, the one you've all been asking for. However for this, we're going to focus on one specific instance from the most bat...
Mark Fidrych | How Injury & Neglect Derailed A Detroit Tigers Phenomenon
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're going to discuss one of my favorite baseball players of all time. He was a flash in the pan who was set for a much longer career, but lik...
Why Tony Rodriguez can never forget Henry Ruggs III
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Usually, we do these stories about sports figures past, present and future. But today, we're going to talk about an unsung hero. It's November 2021, a...
The Rise of Tupac Shakur | From Tour Dancer to Rap Icon
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're going to explore something that's outside our realm of sports stories. It's a story some of you may have heard before, but not like this....
Ken Hubbs: The Tragedy That Shook the Chicago Cubs
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tragedy in sports is not new. We deal with athletes who are gone too soon, far too often - Thurman Munson, Kobe Bryant, Len Bias - the list goes on an...
How the TRAGIC event of September 11th, 2001 led me to Columbia basketball player Tyler Ugolyn *BONUS EPISODE*
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
*BONUS EPISODE* September 11, 2001 is the worst day of my and many other New Yorkers lives. I've lost my Dad, grandparents, loved ones - it's the wors...
Talented and Troubled: The Enigmatic Life of Isaiah "J.R." Rider
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
in 2018 I was working on my book Three Ring Circus about the Shaq & Kobe Los Angeles Lakers of the 2000s. In 2001, the Lakers acquired an athletic, sc...
The Plight of being a New York Jets Fan, as told from the eyes of Jeff Pearlman
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're going to discuss one of the worst decisions of my life. It's 1979, I"m seven years old, I'm sitting at the dinner table with my family, a...
From Addiction to All-Star - The story of former MLB No. 1 overall pick Josh Hamilton
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 1999, a can't miss prospect named Josh Hamilton was drafted No. 1 overall by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. By 2005, he was out of the league. By 2010, ...
MoneyBall Movie Myth: The Real Story Behind The '02 Oakland Athletics
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're going to talk about the most insane, over exaggeration of a sports story-turned-Hollywood-blockbuster of all-time - Moneyball. The year i...
Greg Fields & The USFL - The most insane, batsh*t crazy athlete I've ever covered
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're going to talk about one of my all-time favorite athletes. An athlete that was literally the most insane, batsh*t crazy athlete I've ever ...
The sad story of Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Ricky Bell | A story of heartbreak & tragedy
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 1977, Rick Bell is drafted No. 1 overall out of the University of Southern California by the Tamp Bay Buccaneers. He's a 1,000 yard rusher, with sp...
How Anabolic Steroids usage led one man to Brain Cancer: The story of former NFL lineman Lyle Alzado
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're going to talk about former Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Raiders lineman Lyle Alzado. A man who was once so feared by ...
SCISSORS GATE: Michael Irvin, Everett McIver and how the Dallas Cowboys covered up a scissor story
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's July 29, 1998, and Hall of Fame Dallas Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin is at training camp in Wichita Falls, TX. All is good between Irvin, the Co...
BITTER SWEETNESS: The story of NFL legend Walter Payton, Super Bowl XX and the emotional aftermath
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The 1985 Chicago Bears are one of the greatest NFL teams ever assembled. That year, the Bears went 15-1, and destroyed the New England Patriots 46-10 ...
The Super Fight: The MOST CONTROVERSIAL decision in boxing - Marvin Hagler vs "Sugar" Ray Leonard
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Sugar Ray Leonard returned from retirement to face Marvelous Marvin Hagler, the world watched two legends collide. What followed wasn’t just a ...
J.R. Richard: The TRAGIC story of the life and career of the Houston Astros Ace
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we dive into one of my favorite players of all time: Houston Astros ace J.R. Richard. Richard was a 6'7" pitcher out of Louisiana who was a ter...
Kobe Bryant or Kerry Kittles? How John Calipari and the New Jersey Nets made a generational mistake
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 1996, there we two high school phenoms coming out in the NBA Draft - Jermaine O'Neal from South Carolina, and Kobe Bryant from Pennsylvania. The Ne...
BONUS EPISODE: Fan Q&A with Jeff Pearlman
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're doing a bonus episode. As I say at the end of every show, leave a comment or drop a question, and I'll answer. Today is that day. We will...
Let's Get Metsmerized: The 1986 Mets and Their Rap Song That Struck out
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I dive into the one of the many, many things that made the 1986 Mets so insane: their rap song Let's Get Metsmerized. In a time where ...
Building America's Team - Jerry Jones, Jimmy Johnson & The Birth Of The Dallas Cowboys Dynasty
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I dive into the 1989 Dallas Cowboys and the birth of the Cowboys Dynasty. I go through Jerry Jones buying the team, Jimmy Johnson bec...
Brett Favre Exposed - Behind The Texts That Nearly Ruined His Legacy
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
While working on my Brett Favre biography, I had to cover everything, including the scandal involving Jenn Sterger and the alleged explicit texts.In t...
The Most Insane MLB Clubhouse Of All-Time: Tony Gwynn And The 1984 San Diego Padres
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is a story I've long wanted to write a book on. A team that was the most absurd cast of characters, from all walks of life, that all hated each o...
Bo Knows Part Two: Bo Jackson's Greatest NFL Plays & The Tragic End To A Promising Career
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Part Two of this Bo Jackson series, I dive into Bo Jackson's short-lived but highly entertaining NFL career. Not only do we dive into Bo Jackson's ...
Bo Knows: Bo Jackson's greatest plays and the story behind Nike's Home Run Bo Knows Campaign
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I dive into one of the greatest athletes of my lifetime - or maybe the greatest athlete of my lifetime: Bo Jackson. Not only do we di...
One Man’s Ego vs. the NFL: Donald Trump and the demise of the USFL
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 1983, a fun, exciting & new football league was launched - The USFL. It was a viable competitor to the NFL with a bright future on the horizon. The...
Lost and Found | The Story of Taj McDavid & the 1996 NBA Draft
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many of you are familiar with the 1996 NBA Draft - widely considered the greatest in NBA history. That draft saw the likes of Allen Iverson, Ray Allen...
The Golf Chronicles | Swinging, Swearing, and Regretting Every Minute
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Press Box Chronicles, I delve into my least favorite sport - in fact, it's a sport I hate. I hate golf. But of course, in the mid-t...
Homeruns and Headaches | Barry Bonds and the making of an AntiHero
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I dive into the history of Barry Lamar Bonds. When I was writing my book 'Love me, Hate me: Barry Bonds and the making of an AntiHero...
March Madness Heartbreak | My coverage of the 1992 Delaware Blue Hens
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's 1992, and it's my first time covering March Madness. But not just any March Madness, I'm covering MY University of Delaware Blue Hens, who went 2...
The Interview That Changed My Life Forever: The John Rocker story
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is my money story. The story that went 'viral' before being viral was a thing. On December 27, 1999, this Sports Illustrated issue changed my lif...
How my book 'Showtime' became an HBO hit TV series | Press Box Chronicles
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is the story of how my book 'Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s became optioned and turned into HBO's...