Feb 11 2025 68 mins
Arch Ward was a visionary. Sports editor of the Chicago Tribune during the 30s and 40s, Ward is the founder of several marquee sporting events. He created the MLB (Major League Baseball) All-Star Game, he launched the Chicago Charities College All-Star Game, a series that last 42 years where a team of college all-stars played a "serious" exhibition game against the defending NFL Champion. He also created the AAFC (All-American Football Conference) which challenged the NFL from 1946 to 1949. Three teams from the AAFC still play today: the Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, and San Francisco 49ers. He also created the Golden Gloves Boxing Tournament. Ward was also a terrific writer and author. He got his start at his alma mater, Notre Dame, where he worked as a publicity man for the legendary Knute Rockne. Ward wielded power unlike many of his contemporaries, and made long-lasting contributions to the world of sports. On this episode of Sports' Forgotten Heroes, I take a look back at his amazing career with author/radio host/sports' historian Gary Webster. Gary has written books on the AAFC, the NHL's Cleveland Barons, the Browns and the Cleveland Indians (Guardians).