Behind Tha Mike Podcast

Presented by Belly Up Sports! Michael Neal Jr shares his love of NFL history by discussing stories, games, NFL draft, Super Bowls, team origins, and more!

News
Sports News
26
Al & Pete
I always wondered why Al Davis was always upset with the NFL, and with NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle...I get it now.
64 min
27
Two men and an Oldsmobile
The NFL as we know it came about because the old AFL had staying power. Besides a second straight Super Bowl upset, it began with two men and an Oldsmobile.
53 min
28
“I guarantee it.“
At his introductory press conference, Aaron Rodgers said the Jets Super Bowl III trophy was looking a little bit lonely. Rogers made no guarantees…but the first quarterback did, and those results were step one in changing the league forever.
50 min
29
Gil Brandt
Thorough, innovative, and creative. That was perhaps the greatest scout in NFL history, Gil Brandt.
38 min
30
Timing is Everything
Running back holdouts and trade demands don’t always work out, and what history tells us is that timing is everything.
48 min
31
“Stay healthy my friends.”
No doubt about it, the NFL is a passing league. The running back that carries his team from start to finish, has slowly faded. What happened?
47 min
32
Is Parcells right?
Pro football Hall of Fame coach, Bill Parcells once said he wants a Sr QB grad that started 3 years, won 23 of 30 games, with a 2 to 1 touchdown to interception ratio, and completed 60% of his passes. Was he right?
43 min
33
The New York Sack Exchange
When mentioning great defenses or defensive lines like the Steel Curtain, Fearsome Foursome, or the Purple People Eaters, very seldom mentioned are the New York Sack Exchange. If you don’t know you’re going to learn today!
37 min
34
Colors Part II: NFC
Ever wonder why certain NFL teams wear the colors they do? Some were obvious, but others? Well, just listen to the show. It’s the NFC's turn.
32 min
35
Colors Part I: AFC
Ever wonder why certain NFL teams wear the colors they do? Some were obvious, but others? Well, just listen to the show.
28 min
36
The Position That Didn’t Exist
Football has undergone many changes over the years, and some positions didn’t even exist. One of those positions is only 63 years old and has evolved beautifully. The tight end.
35 min
37
The Speech
What did a former Negro League shortstop and the Los Angeles Rams have in common? If you listen, I’ll tell you.
30 min
38
Five Borough Football
My first trip to New York City was everything I expected. The food, the traffic, the people didn’t disappoint, but, I never realized just how many different places pro football was played!
24 min
39
"Rub some dirt on it!"
Injuries are a part of sports, but, there is a point in an athletes’ professional life that they have to ask themselves “How bad do I want it?” Here are some of the greatest performances with injuries in NFL history.
33 min
40
Jim Brown
Speed, agility, and balance. There was no weakness on the field. Actor, civil rights activist and community leader. Had to learn from his flaws. This was Jim Brown.
31 min
41
Life Changing Money, League Changing Players
There was a time when pro football didn’t make you a millionaire, but it could make you a rich man. Two men got seriously paid, and helped put the NFL on the professional map in two very different ways.
34 min
42
The Purdy Effect
The 2023 NFL draft is in the books and there were a record 12 QBs selected in the first five rounds. Mr. Irrelevant 2022 may have had a little something to do with that.
31 min
43
“Draft class is in session.”
Building a championship team is never easy, and when it comes to the NFL draft, nobody really knows how picks will perform. There were a few teams in the history of the league that actually got it right.
32 min
44
Storytime with Uncle Mike: Draft Day Stories
With draft day, approaching, we talk about some of the craziest stories in NFL draft history!
27 min
45
Bud
Pro football Hall of Fame head coach Bud Grant led the Minnesota Vikings to four Super Bowl appearances in 18 years, but what did he do before that? Where did he come from?
32 min
46
The Longest Yard…for real!
In the words of NBC Sports, a convicted armed robber at 21, Philadelphia Eagle at 26, dead at 31. Alabama Pitts is what they called him.
28 min
47
“So, where can we play?”
When I first learned of the NFL’s unofficial 12 year ban on black players, I never asked these questions. Did they play after college? And if so, where? I now have my answer.
37 min
48
The 17: The Ban
Charles Follis was the first of 17 blacks to play pre-and post NFL. Players like Fritz Pollard, and Paul Robeson carried the torch in the 1920s, but by the mid-1930s, those numbers dropped to zero. There was no excuse, but there were reasons.
55 min
49
The 17: Black Pioneers
Being a trailblazer isn’t easy, but someone had to be first. When professional football began, there were 17 African-Americans that played pre-and post NFL. Let me tell you about them.
35 min
50
“It sucks being a trailblazer.”
Super Bowl 57 was the first in history with two black quarterbacks. Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts gave us a classic, but there was a long road that came before them. It’s sucks being a trailblazer.
55 min