Roughrider Memories

Third Down Gamble Podcast
"audio worth watching.."  

In North America, no other place personifies the term "Gridiron America" than a sparsely populated part of Canada on the edge of the former British Empire- Regina, Saskatchewan. Unlike Green Bay, Wisconsin, which also personifies the term "Gridiron America," in Regina, the Roughriders are in many ways the last of the old school small town professional teams, as they, from an economic point of view, are a working class team for an equally working class fan base. The Roughriders of Saskatchewan, like rival Winnipeg, and the NFL's Packers, are also one of the last of the community owned pro football teams, which makes their memories that much sweeter.

Edmonton's Premiere Gridiron Historian- Superfan Mike

When we embarked on this podcast journey way back in 2021, we were originally a Canadian football history podcast. Though, as we soon realized, you can't tell the story of Canadian football without talking about America. Why? Well, Canada has been welcoming Americans for decades, which is why, if I had a choice, I would be living in the Great White North rather than on the far side of the world. However, thanks to technology, no matter where we CFL fans are in the world, we are all one big Canadian football league family...

United States History and the Baltimore Colts

The words
"Baltimore Colts"
evokes memories
of childhoods past.

What I love about football history is the history is also a history of America and the world in which we, as well as the players and coaches live. Which is exactly why I love with Jack Gilden's "Collision of Wills," and after the From the 55 Yardline podcast began I knew we needed to interview Mr. Gilden, for the city of Baltimore is where NFL, CFL and USFL champions have called home in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. No other American city can lay such a claim, and with that the history of the football is also a reflection of American history. As has also been demonstrated by Michael Olesker's "The Colts' Baltimore" and William Gildea's "When the Colts Belonged to Baltimore." and "Sundays at 2:00 With the Baltimore Colts" by Vince Bagli and Norman Macht, to name just a few.

English for American Football, in Japan and Around the World

Available in 2026 at
www.sportsenglish.org

 For over 100 episodes Gridiron Japan Radio brought the world an insight into American football in Japan for the English speaking world. It was in many ways a true fancast that illuminated the fact that outside of North America, Japan has the highest level of competition from flag to high school tackle, college and the club levels that make up the X League, the highest level of club and professional football in Japan. Thanks to the internet, the sport in Japan is being discovered by many thanks to YouTube, which to often provides inaccurate information.

In response to the efforts of Gridiron Japan to educate the public, we were lucky to catch the eye of one particular author. This year, John Kowalski, has authored the forthcoming book, English for American Football, in which he presents the story of the gridiron game in Japan. We do hope Mr. Kowalski will be a guest to discuss the history of the gridiron game in Japan in a future episode.  The history of which is unknown to many, but with the help of podcasts like Gridiron Japan, helped to educate many around the world.

From Japan, an X League Rice Bowl Documentary

 
At the same time of the soft reboot of the From the 55 Yardline podcast to Gridiron America Radio was occurring, we had a long time sister channel that we intended to bring over to the Sports History Network, but unfortunately we were unable to carry over most of our Japanese content. As a result, with the sunsetting of Gridiron Japan Radio, we bring over to Gridiron America Radio the final shows with content creators from America, among those are those who seek to educate the English speaking world about the rich history of American Football in Japan and highlight and celebrate the spectacle of its "Super Bowl", the Rice Bowl.

The World of Football

www.theworldoffootball.com

When the From the 55 Yardline podcast on Gridiron America Radio began, the idea for the show did not come out of complete thin air. No, for any idea there must be inspiration, and when it was launched we credit several CFL and then XFL podcasts as the push, but there was and is also a great father and son podcast in Kalamazoo, Michigan that also inspired us- Randy and Adam Snow at The World of Football podcast. We have since become fast friends with Randy and Adam and are proud to call them part of the Gridiron America and sports history family... Please give their show a listen!

Paul Woods, the CFL and the Toronto Argonauts

One of our most entertaining guest who joined us on the 55 Yardline was Paul Woods- journalist, Canadian football historian and author of "Bouncing Back: From National Joke to Grey Cup Champs", which chronicled the Toronto Argonauts winning the championship in 1983 after 31 years of futility and misery. At the time of the episode in 2021, Paul discussed with us the history of the Argonauts, including the John Candy years which is chronicled in his second book- "Year of the Rocket."

History of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers

In the history of North American gridiron football history, there is one team and coach who often get overlooked, and that is the Bud Grant era Winnipeg Blue Bombers. In our second episode of From the 55 Yardline here on Gridiron America Radio, we sat down with Winnipeg Blue Bomber historian Roy Rosmus author of five books that span from the team's inception to their 2019 Grey Cup championship.

The Sage of Alternative and Spring Football

Click here to pick up the best book written
about alternative and spring football

As we continue to embark on our rebrand here from the From the 55 Yardline to Gridiron America Radio, I wanted to salute and recognize our former cohost and founder of the podcast, retired sportswriter, author, essayist and fellow Batman nerd, Scott Adamson. Scott is the author of the book, The Home Team: My Bromance With Off-Brand Football. It was five years ago on April 19 that we launched the podcast on the Sports History Network, and he was the show's first interview, which you can listen to below. When it comes to the topic of spring football, Scott is the wise sage of reason, for he has truly seen it all, as his book attests.

Joe Ziemba, Keeper of the Chicago Cardinal Flame

Click here to purchase all
of Joe's books

When I first became a football fan back in the mid 1970s, it was the history of the early game that fascinated me the most. Being a kid from the far far far south suburbs of Chicago, naturally I learned my first lessons about gridiron history about the Bears and George Halas, but there was, seven years prior to me being born, another Chicago team that seemed to me like the old lost uncle no one really remembers. Of course I am talking about the Chicago Cardinals. 

A team with such a losing and mediocre history on the field that no one seemed to really want to write a history book about, until Joe Ziemba came along. It was because of his personal connection to the team through his father, that he turned his curiosity into a wonderful post retirement sports literary career, with now three Chicago Cardinals and Chicago football under his belt and fourth due to be released in the autumn of 2026. 

With that said, please give a listen to the three episodes my friend Joe has joined us here on From the 55 Yardline and on Gridiron America Radio... 

The Timeless Upton Bell....

Upton Bell spending time with Howard Cosell
and Curt Gowdy

When Scott Adamson and I first began this podcast (when it was called, until recently, From the 55 Yardline), we knew that confining ourselves to simply Canadian football would not be enough, for we could not ignore our own American game and the men, both on and off the field, who made history. Of those men we interviewed none was or has been more entertaining to talk to, or been more of a caring and gracious guest, than the now 89 year young, Upton Bell.  Of course Upton is the son of the legendary former NFL Commissioner and founder of the Philadelphia Eagles, Bert Bell. However, Upton himself has his own amazing story, which he has shared over the course of three episodes.

I could go into detail here, but why not listen to him tell his tale in the three separate shows he has appeared on here on Gridiron America...