Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball. That's a well known piece of history. But who integrated the NFL? 

Well, it's an amazing story with lots of binge drinking, miraculous comebacks and hot dog eating. Seriously. 

Just in time for the Super Bowl, we're calling up David Fleming, author of A Big Mess in Texas: The Miraculous, Disastrous 1952 Dallas Texans and the Craziest Untold Story in NFL History. He explains how one of the worst teams in NFL history shaped the game we know today. 

 

Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball. That's a well known piece of history. But who integrated the NFL?&nbsp;
Well, it's an amazing story with lots of binge drinking, miraculous comebacks and hot dog eating. Seriously.&nbsp;
Just in time for the Super Bowl, we're calling up David Fleming, author of <a href="https://a.co/d/4XITSCb">A Big Mess in Texas: The Miraculous, Disastrous 1952 Dallas Texans and the Craziest Untold Story in NFL History</a>. He explains how one of the worst teams in NFL history shaped the game we know today.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Bob Crawford searches for the best historians and experts to answer listener questions about American history — from the Revolutionary War to rock & roll feuds. Got a question? Send it to AmericanHistoryHotline@gmail.com.

Bob Crawford searches for the best historians and experts to answer listener questions about American history &mdash; from the Revolutionary War to rock &amp; roll feuds. Got a question? Send it to AmericanHistoryHotline@gmail.com.

American History Hotline

Listen to this collection of top episodes from iHeartRadio and iHeartPodcasts. 

Listen to this collection of top episodes from iHeartRadio and iHeartPodcasts.&nbsp;

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American History Hotline with Bob Crawford

Who Integrated the NFL?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/f2a7410d-307a-49bb-b003-b3e1014ff17e/transcript

You gotta keep 'em separated. That's a lot of people's opinion about mixing sports and politics. But as the world turns its eyes to Italy for the 2026 Winter Games, you have to wonder if this is the ideal place to make a political statement. 

To understand how acts of political activism have played out at the Olympics throughout history, we call up Jules Boykoff. He's the author of numerous books about the Olympics, including What are the Olympics For?

So, are the Olympics fair game for protest? Or should athletes keep their eye on the ball ... or épée ... or curling stone? You get the point. 

You gotta keep 'em separated. That's a lot of people's opinion about mixing sports and politics. But as the world turns its eyes to Italy for the <a href="https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026">2026 Winter Games</a>, you have to wonder if this is the ideal place to make a political statement.&nbsp;
To understand how acts of political activism have played out at the Olympics throughout history, we call up Jules Boykoff. He's the author of numerous books about the Olympics, including <a href="https://www.amazon.com/What-Are-Olympics-Jules-Boykoff/dp/1529230284">What are the Olympics For?</a>
So, are the Olympics fair game for protest? Or should athletes keep their eye on the ball ... or &eacute;p&eacute;e ... or curling stone? You get the point.&nbsp;

Are the Olympics an Appropriate Place for Protest? 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/88a49420-5641-4b77-8eda-b3e20165fc98/transcript

Who owns the White House? Is it the American people or the person who lives inside of it — AKA, the president? 

If the President of the United States of America controls the White House, does ANYONE have say over what he does with it (we're looking at you, preservation societies and Congress)?

Here to help us answer these questions (and weigh in on President Trump's renovations to the East Wing) is Robert Klara, author of The Hidden White House: Harry Truman and the Reconstruction of America’s Most Famous Residence 

Who owns the White House? Is it the American people or the person who lives inside of it &mdash; AKA, the president?&nbsp;
If the President of the United States of America controls the White House, does ANYONE have say over what he does with it (we're looking at you, preservation societies and Congress)?
Here to help us answer these questions (and weigh in on President Trump's renovations to the East Wing) is Robert Klara, author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-White-House-Reconstruction-Residence/dp/1250000270">The Hidden White House: Harry Truman and the Reconstruction of America&rsquo;s Most Famous Residence&nbsp;</a>

Can the President Tear Down the White House?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/32658a18-b753-41e3-b629-b3db01464f02/transcript

Before he became president, Abraham Lincoln spent just one term in Congress. So how did "the best known two-time Senate loser in the country" become one of the greatest presidents in American history? 

Bob calls up historian and author Chris DeRose (Congressman Lincoln: The Making of America’s Greatest President) to help answer this question.  

Together, they explore how Lincoln's short stint on Capitol Hill shaped his presidency — from his early and consistent resistance to the expansion of slavery to his firsthand experience of seeing men kidnapped and sold into bondage. 

Before he became president, Abraham Lincoln spent just one term in Congress. So how did "the best known two-time Senate loser in the country" become one of the greatest presidents in American history?&nbsp;
Bob calls up historian and author Chris DeRose (Congressman Lincoln: The Making of America&rsquo;s Greatest President)&nbsp;to help answer this question.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Together, they explore how Lincoln's short stint on Capitol Hill shaped his presidency &mdash; from his early and consistent resistance to the expansion of slavery to his firsthand experience of seeing men kidnapped and sold into bondage.&nbsp;

Abraham Lincoln Before the Presidency: What He Learned as a Lawmaker

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/72a3c4e7-6b12-41a3-893d-b3ce0160a9cf/transcript

Who Integrated the NFL?

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