On this OFH Throwback we return to an episode from two summers ago called "Who Invented Your Favourite Sport?" This re-release is being done in honour of the postponed 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, which should have started this past Friday. The original episode was recorded in the wake of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Back then the mythology of sport was o ... Show More
Feb 3
Bonus Episode - Ponzi Empires, Thieving Saints, and Skin Grafts
In this Bonus Episode Sebastian takes questions from listeners about the series on the original Ponzi Scheme. The host investigates the history of the expression "robbing Peter to pay Paul", locates early usages of the phrase "getting Ponzied", and muses about whether all expansi ... Show More
35m 41s
Aug 2021
The Fight for the First U.S. Olympics | Passing the Torch | 4
<p>The 1904 St. Louis Olympics were marred by controversy and poorly organized events like the marathon. But at least they took place as scheduled. In 1916, after the outbreak of World War I, they were canceled entirely. A century later, in 2020, the Olympics faced another kind o ... Show More
38m 44s
Jul 2021
The Fight for the First U.S. Olympics | Let the Games Begin | 2
<p>In 1904, St. Louis was thrust into the national spotlight, as it played host to both the World’s Fair and America’s first Olympic Games. After a bitter fight over which American city would host, Olympic founder Pierre De Coubertin had disavowed the St. Louis games entirely, pa ... Show More
35m 50s
Jul 2021
Olympics: Behind The Five Rings
The Olympics originated in Ancient Greece, and were resurrected in the 1890's after a 1,500 year ban. Since then, the International Olympic Committee has been behind every Olympic Games. In this episode, we explore the story of how the IOC turned the Olympics into a huge commerci ... Show More
41m 55s