This is a little different from anything I've written here before.
From 2002-18, I was a columnist here at Sports Central. I wrote NFL power rankings from September to February, but from the Super Bowl until the start of the next NFL season, I primarily wrote articles about major league sports history. Sports history has always been my passion, and even after leaving SC, a huge amount of my time has been spent on research and writing, mostly about the NFL and NBA.
Now I'm launching a new project, a sports history newsletter. I'll be sharing interesting stats, posting all-time rankings, and doing deep dives on players, coaches, teams, eras, and leagues. If you're not familiar with my work, here's a sampling of some articles I've written for SC:
The NBA's Greatest Dynasties (2023)
A ranking of the top 21 dynasties in NBA history, including each dynasty's regular-season record, number of Finals appearances, and championships won, plus brief profiles of their biggest stars. I wrote this as a guest article after I left SC; my relationship with this site has always been positive.
Top 30 NFL Dynasties and the Hall of Fame (2018)
This article uses a formula to identify the greatest dynasties in NFL history, and subjectively evaluates whether their Hall of Fame representation is proportional to their success. Essentially, this combines a "greatest dynasties" approach with a "Hall of Fame snubs" angle.
How Often is Super Bowl-Winning QB the Best QB? (2018)
Written after Nick Foles led the Eagles to victory in Super Bowl LII, this piece examines how often the starting quarterback whose team wins the Super Bowl was the best QB in football that year.
Bill Arnsparger, R.I.P. — 1926-2015 (2015)
Obituary for the 1970s Dolphins defensive coordinator. Arnsparger had a fascinating coaching career, working with legends like Don Shula in the 1960s before coaching Junior Seau in the '90s.
The Best Coaches In NFL History (2012)
The top 15 in order, followed by 10 more alphabetically. This list is from 2012, so coaches like Bill Belichick and Andy Reid have moved up quite a lot since then, but most of the analysis still holds.
The newsletter I'm launching has both free and paid subscriptions. The site is completely ad-free, and I will never sell or share subscribers' information, so paid subscriptions will keep the site and newsletter going.
If you sign up, you'll get one email per week, sharing all our new content. You can also check sports-history.org any time, though NFL and NBA content will require a subscription.
I also have five new articles available for free:
NFL: All-Loser Team vs. The 1985 Bears
If you made a roster out of players who missed the NFL postseason in 1985, could they beat the greatest team of all-time?
NBA: NBA Finals MVPs Before 1969
The NBA Finals MVP Award didn't exist until 1969, missing the NBA's first 20 years. If the award had existed before that, who would have won?
ATP: Was Andy Murray Better Than Pete Sampras?
Every GOAT list for men's tennis ranks Pete Sampras comfortably ahead of Andy Murray. Could they all be wrong?
MLB: 2025 Bill James Awards
Unconventional awards for the 2025 MLB season: the Ichiro Suzuki Award (for putting the most balls in play) and its opposite, the Adam Dunn Trophy; the Ned Garvin Trophy, for the best pitcher on a bad team; the Roger Maris Decoration, for the best hitter without an IBB, and many more.
NFL: 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame Nominees
Who are this year's most (and least) qualified nominees for the PFHOF?
If you enjoy this kind of content, and you're interested in sports history, I hope you'll join this new sports community. You can sign up for a month to try it, and switch to yearly subscription (one month free!) if you like what you're getting. Here's some of what I've got coming up:
* NBA MVP voting analysis
Who are the most successful MVP candidates in NBA history?
* Matthew Stafford hits 400
Matt Stafford recently became the ninth player in NFL history with 400 passing TDs. What does that mean for his legacy?
* How Good Was the ABA?
The American Basketball Association (ABA) ran from 1967-76, producing stars like Julius Erving and Moses Malone. I know that today's internet is full of "How Good Was ____ Really?" content, and a lot of it is garbage. I'm a real historian and a professional writer. I'm going to examine this in a way that I think you'll find persuasive and easy to digest.
* PFHOF Semifinalists
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is about to announce this year's list of 25 semifinalists. I'll do brief profiles of each and examine their qualifications.
* The Greatest Players in NBA History
This project has consumed a huge amount of my time for the last five years, but I finally have a list I'm confident in. This will be a multi-part series, and will cover the top 300 or so players in the history of North American professional basketball.
If you care about content like this, it's definitely worth a cup of coffee each month (you're probably boycotting Starbucks right now anyway!). Please consider subscribing!
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