Episode 10: The NBA Finals - Dynasty and Legacy

"I used to joke that if you could bottle all the emotion in a basketball game, you'd have enough hate to fight a war, and enough joy to prevent one."

Bill Russell

Jack and Ben crossover the Atlantic once more to talk about some people even taller than they are. Ahead of next week's NBA Finals, they dive into the stories of legendary ballers, iconic matchups, and how the NBA grew into the global, star-studded behemoth it is today.

We talk heroes of the past including the legendary Bill Russell and his battles with long term adversary (but never rival) Wilt Chamberlain, the changes David Stern made to the game and his impact on it, Michael Jordan (of course) as well as coaches Phil Jackson and Steve Kerr getting a mention too, the latter in particular not just for his rings but also due to his politics and pro-gun control views.

We discuss why basketball, more than perhaps any other sport, lionises the individual over the team. What other sport can players be identified so readily by their mononymous titles: Shaq, Kobe, Michael, Steph, Lebron, Magic, Kareem, Giannis and their like?

So whether basketball sparks joy, hate or simply curiosity within you, this episode will help you learn how and why it is what it is today.

Episode 9: The UEFA Champions League Final - Football’s Night of Nights

Jack and Ben are back in their wheelhouse this week as they dive into the biggest night in European club football - the UEFA Champions League Final.

From contentious calls to unforgettable comebacks, tactical brilliance to glorious chaos - this is the night where legends rise, dreams shatter, and history unfolds in 90 minutes (or more). Expect goals, drama, and miracle moments: Zidane’s majesty, United’s last-gasp heroics, Bale defying gravity, and of course, Istanbul.

There are dark days to discuss too - disasters at Heysel and Munich, as well as frank discussions on the history of British Exceptionalism and how it held back the English game - and how influenced other nations to prove them wrong. And on whether the competition - for all its undoubted merits - holds the same romance of the FA Cup, or even its predecessor, the European Cup.

So lace up your boots, cue the anthem, and get ready for the drama that only the Champions League can provide. Football, bloody hell.

Episode 8: The Monaco Grand Prix - The Jewel in the Formula One Crown

Jack and Ben are in the glamour and glitz of Monaco this week for the 82nd running of the most famous race on the Formula One calendar - The Monaco Grand Prix.

Expect more mentions of crashes and failures than of overtaking as they discuss the merits and criticisms of wide cars racing around narrow streets - it is a race that simply wouldn't exist if it wasn't for its history. But what a history it is...

From crashes into the harbour, mysterious first winners with incredible backstories, the dominance of Graham Hill and the emergence of Ayrton Senna, through to races no one wanted to win, others stopped too early and a home town hero coming good after years of toil. Monaco somehow both never fails to deliver even whilst so often being a procession.

This is the Monaco paradox: a race that's deeply flawed, yet emotionally irresistible.

So fire up your engines, roar past Casino Square and prepare yourself for the bright light of the Nouvelle Chicane, this is an event like no other through the unforgiving, untouchable and unforgettable streets of Monaco.

Episode 7: The FA Cup - Of Dreamers and Giant Killers

After three weeks over the Atlantic, Jack and Ben are back in Blighty ahead of the 144th Men's and 55th Women's FA Cup Finals.

There's no fairytale like the FA Cup. It is where semi-professional players line up against the gods of the game on equal footing, where one drop of the hip or one act of bravery can make you immortal, and where there are no impossible outcomes if you believe in the magic of the Cup.

From giant killers to last second winners, from lionhearts to lionesses, the Cup delivers drama like nothing else. So warm up your voice for Abide With Me, and join us on the climb up the Wembley steps to grab the greatest and most beloved trophy in football together.

Episode 6: The NHL Playoffs and Ice Hockey World Championships – Goals, Goons, Graft and Glory.

This week, we're checking out one of the toughest sports on the planet – ice hockey, home to the brawling, bruising, toothless titans of the rink. Jack and Ben skate through the NHL Playoffs, where 16 teams chase the (quite literally) biggest trophy in the sport: the Stanley Cup. Meanwhile, across the globe, another 16 nations face-off for international glory at the IIHF World Championship in Sweden and Denmark.

We explore hockey’s wild history, from mysterious origin stories and fearsome enforcers to, somehow again, Kentucky Derby winners. We unpack the unwritten rules, the culture of fighting, and the darker toll of the game - including the growing conversation around CTE and player safety, illustrated through the turbulent highs and tragic lows of the legendary Bob Probert.

There's even a Cold War era subplot, with tales of invasion, rebellion, and the unifying power of sport in the face of oppression. So lace up and tune in – this is ice hockey like you’ve never heard it before.

Episode 5: The Kentucky Derby and the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing - The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports

This week, Jack and Ben are Stateside once again, heading to Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, for the iconic Kentucky Derby. But it’s not just the history of one legendary event they're diving into - they’re also unravelling the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes, as they rein in the facts, tales, and controversies surrounding the greatest and most elusive title in North American horse racing: the Triple Crown.

In true American fashion, there's plenty of food, drink, flowers, and music to discuss, along with a few detours into true crime, conspiracy theories, and even a nod to Lewis and Clark - though that last bit is mostly Jack showing off his history chops. Once all that's (mostly) out of the way, there's even some racing to get into, led - as always - by endless admiration for the legendary Secretariat.

With heartache, scandal, and suspicion never far from the Triple Crown trail, saddle up as Jack and Ben take you beyond the track and deep into the history behind one of sport’s greatest challenges.

Episode 4: The NFL Draft - More Than Just a Pick

It’s Draft Day on the Sporting Almanac as Jack and Ben blitz the history of the NFL’s biggest off-field spectacle - from its humble beginnings in a Philadelphia hotel, to its main event status today - throughout war, expansion, relocations and mergers, as it forged dynasties and ended careers all at the same time.

Expect wild stories, big personalities, and sliding door moments that reshaped the league forever. From Hall of Fame careers nearly derailed before they began, to teams gambling it all on a single pick - and often losing - it's a celebration of chaos, hope when all hope seems lost, and the beautiful madness that is the National Football League.

So join Jack and Ben and go deeper into the history of the NFL Draft, the league and the players involved – all on the Sporting Almanac Podcast, your number one pick for sports history.

Episode 3: The World Snooker Championship - The Crucible of Dreams

Jack and Ben chalk up for a dive into snooker’s most hallowed ground — the Crucible. That unassuming theatre in Sheffield has seen history made, records fall, and the likes of the Nugget, the Hurricane, the Whirlwind and the Rocket become legends - as it hosts the biggest event in the sports calendar, the World Snooker Championship.

They revisit the tournaments 1985 final: Davis vs. Taylor, black-ball drama at midnight - the moment snooker captivated a nation. Then there’s Hendry’s icy dominance, Ronnie’s ethereal brilliance, Thorburn's magical 147 and Alex Higgins being impossible to not keep mentioning - Snooker is a game of characters larger than the Crucible itself.

So join Jack and Ben as they cue up the chaos, curses, magic and modesty of the World Snooker Championship, where the baize is the battlefield and legend is built with every break.