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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 44m

UConn Women's Basketball coach Geno Auriemma is one of the most successful basketball coaches in history. And he only played two years of organized basketball! He grew up fantasizing about playing big league baseball for his (sort of) hometown Phillies. #UConn #NCAA

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

It’s happened on the men’s side seven times. But the men have also had five unranked teams capture the title while the women have never had a champion ranked lower than 16th to start the season.

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

In the 44 years they’ve had a Women's NCAA tournament, the preseason number 1 team in the AP poll has won the National Championship 17 times. That’s almost 40% of the time!

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

A quick look at the stats shows how UConn Women's Basketball went 35-0 in 1995. They finished top-5 in the country in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, FG%, and 3P%. They also allowed the lowest opponent FG%. Their average margin of victory was 33 points. An absolutely dominant season.

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

We talked about Dailey's role in the 1995 @uconn.bsky.social women's championship on the most recent episode of Winners: open.spotify.com/episode/48A8...

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1995 UConn Women's Basketball

Winners · Episode

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

The unsung hero of UConn Women's Basketball is Associate Head Coach Chris Dailey. She’s been with the program since 1985, balancing out Geno's fiery demeanor. In 2018, she became one of the first ever assistant coaches inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

For many years, women's basketball was quite different. Players were divided among three zones and there was minimal dribbling and no steals. It wasn’t until the 1970s that the women’s game ditched the original rules and moved to the 5-on-5 full-court structure we know today.

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

In Geno Auriemma’s first season with UConn in 1985, the team went 12-15. It remains the only losing season during Geno’s tenure in Storrs. #UConn #NCAA

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

NEW EPISODE: This time we cover the 1995 UConn Women's Basketball team. This is the team that started one of the greatest dynasties we've ever seen. We went deep on Geno, Rebecca Lobo, and the women's game. Hope you enjoy! open.spotify.com/episode/48A8...

open.spotify.com

1995 UConn Women's Basketball

Winners · Episode

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

The Pistons selecting Carmelo Anthony or Dwyane Wade in the 2003 draft has always been a fun what if, but it sure seems like they were locked on Darko from an early stage in the process: www.youtube.com/watch?v=czJy...

youtube.com

Joe Dumars Interviewed After Winning No. 2 Pick in 2003 NBA Draft (Darko's Year)

YouTube video by Ryan Van Dusen

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

We discussed all these people and more in our episode on the 2016 Cubs: open.spotify.com/episode/2qpH...

open.spotify.com

2016 Chicago Cubs

Winners · Episode

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

And WS hero Jason Heyward played out most of his Cubs' contract as a fine, but not elite player. He left Chicago after 2022, playing three more years before retiring. He currently runs a baseball academy in Chicago and works as a Special Assistant for the Dodgers.

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

2016 WS MVP Ben Zobrist played for the Cubs through 2019. After that season, he retired from the game of baseball. He currently runs a nonprofit called Champion Forward.

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Jon Lester pitched for the Cubs until 2020, serving as their opening day starter from 2017-19. After leaving, he split one more year between Washington and St. Louis before retiring. This past summer, he was inducted to the team Hall of Fame for both the Cubs and Red Sox.

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Kyle Schwarber took the opposite path to Bryant. After an unceremonious exit after 2020, Schwarber blossomed elsewhere. He trails only Babe Ruth for most home runs over the first five years with a team, tallying more than 225 with the Phillies.

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

2016 NL MVP Kris Bryant spent four and half more years in Chicago. Once seemingly destined for Cooperstown, Bryant's fallen off and seen injuries derail his career. Over the past five seasons, he’s played fewer than 150 total games with Colorado.

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Joe Maddon managed the Cubs through 2019 before managing the Angels for three seasons. He is currently living in Pennsylvania and makes sporadic media appearances to weigh in on the state of the game.

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

When Theo left the Cubs, his longtime GM Jed Hoyer was promoted to President of Baseball Operations. Presently, he’s guiding the Cubs into the playoffs as a wild card team.

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Theo Epstein stepped down from the Cubs after the 2020 season. In January 2021, he joined MLB’s league office as a consultant for on-field matters, playing a large role in efforts to improve pace of play. And in 2024, Epstein rejoined Fenway Sports Group as an owner and senior advisor.

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

It's been 10 years since the Chicago Cubs broke a 108-year-old curse and won the World Series. Where are they all now? A thread 🧵

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

The 2004 Detroit Pistons may have had they best defense we’ve ever seen. After acquiring Rasheed Wallace, they allowed less than 80 points per game (incl postseason). And no team reached 95 points in regulation against them in the playoffs. They made the NBA change the rules! #Pistons #NBA

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

During the 2016 season, Hendricks would lead the National League in ERA, finish third in Cy Young voting, and give up just one earned run in nine World Series innings.

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

One of the most important trades for the 2016 Chicago Cubs nearly didn't happen. In 2012, the team acquired Kyle Hendricks in exchange for veteran starter Ryan Dempster. But only after Dempster invoked his no trade clause to block an agreed upon trade to Atlanta.

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

In 2006, the Pistons sent four players to the All-Star game. They're one of ten teams in NBA history to do so. When they got their chance to play together in the game, it looked like Detroit was better than the squad of Western Conference All-Stars: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cUZ... #Pistons #NBA

youtube.com

Pistons Lock Down Western Conference All-Stars (2006)

YouTube video by Ryan Van Dusen

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

But in 2015, things started to come together. The team jumped all the way to 97-65 and made it to the NLCS. The following year, they won 103 games and won the World Series for the fist time in 108 years.

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

The Cubs' trajectory after Theo Epstein took over was wild. In 2012, Epstein's first year on the job, the Cubs went 61-101, the team's worst record in 60 years. They were barely better the next two seasons, winning just 66 and 73 games.

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

His whole career seemed to follow that pattern. We got into it in a lot more detail on our episode about the '04 Pistons: open.spotify.com/episode/464A...

open.spotify.com

2004 Detroit Pistons

Winners · Episode

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Does anyone have a more fascinating coaching career than Larry Brown? Brown led the Pistons to an NBA championship in 2004 and took them within a single game of a repeat the following season. And then he left to coach the Knicks!

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

More importantly, he helped the Cubs vanquish their 108-year-old draught and bring a World Series title back to Chicago. We talked about Bryant and the 2016 Cubbies in detail on our first episode: open.spotify.com/episode/2qpH...

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2016 Chicago Cubs

Winners · Episode

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Pete Crow-Armstrong is the heavy favorite for NL MVP with a few weeks left in the season. Before PCA, the last Cubs' MVP was Kris Bryant in 2016. Bryant hit 39 homers, played six different defensive positions, and led the NL in WAR.

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

The Pistons managed to win the 2004 NBA Championship in spite of the pick, and made at least the Eastern Conference Finals for four more years after that. What would have happened if they took Melo, Wade, or Bosh instead of Darko? #Pistons #NBA

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

The 2003 NBA draft is one of the greatest classes ever. Three of first five picks are hall of famers. When LeBron retires, it will be four of five. The lone holdout is Darko Miličić, a 7-foot Serbian teen drafted second overall by the Pistons.

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

After breaking curses with the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs, Theo Epstein found himself on TIME's list of the most influential people in the world in 2017. time.com/collections/... #Cubs #TIME #MLB

time.com

Theo Epstein by John Cusack: TIME 100

Baseball's ultimate ghost buster

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

We talked a lot about Dumars on our episode about the 2004 Pistons: open.spotify.com/episode/464A...

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2004 Detroit Pistons

Winners · Episode

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Despite playing for the “Bad Boys” Pistons, Joe Dumars is universally praised as a good guy in NBA circles. In fact, he was the first ever recipient of the league’s Sportsmanship Award, and in 2000, the NBA renamed the award’s trophy the Joe Dumars trophy. #Pistons #NBA

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

They lost the World Series. They wouldn’t make it back to the playoffs until 1984, they wouldn’t win a playoff series until 2003, and they didn’t win the world series until 2016, finally ending the curse. We talked about that on the first ep of Winners: open.spotify.com/episode/2qpH...

open.spotify.com

2016 Chicago Cubs

Winners · Episode

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

The Curse of the Billy Goat tortured the Cubs for years. Do you know how it began? During the 1945 World Series, local tavern owner William Sianias and his goat, Murphy, were ejected from game 4 in Chicago. On the way out, Siannis said "Them Cubs, they ain't gonna win no more." #Cubs #MLB

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

We talk about 'Sheed and what he brought to the 2004 Pistons in the second episode of Winners: open.spotify.com/episode/464A...

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2004 Detroit Pistons

Winners · Episode

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Rasheed Wallace holds the single season record for technical fouls, racking up a staggering 41 technicals during the 2000-01 NBA season. For context, the NBA leader in 2025-26 was Dillon Brooks with 17 technicals. It’s a record that may never be broken. #Pistons #NBA

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

We tell the story of how the Cubs went from 108 years with a championship to World Series Winners on the first episode of Winners: open.spotify.com/episode/2qpH...

open.spotify.com

2016 Chicago Cubs

Winners · Episode

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

The Chicago Cubs recruited Joe Maddon in an RV park outside of Pensacola. Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer flew to Florida, bought wine at a nearby Publix, and spent hours talking with Maddon in beach chairs behind his Winnebago. A few days later, he was the Cubs' manager. #Cubs #MLB

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

The first two episodes of Winners are live! ⚾ 2016 Chicago Cubs 🏀 2004 Detroit Pistons We examined the people, decisions, and lucky bounces that allowed these teams to win it all. Listen here: open.spotify.com/show/033NJvl... #Cubs #Pistons #MLB #NBA

open.spotify.com

Winners

Podcast · Tim Steggall, Graham Tyler, and Andrew Ball · Winners tells the stories of championship sports teams through the decisions, strategies, performances, and lucky bounces required to win it all...

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Winners @winnersshowpod.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

What does it take to win a championship? We're excited to introduce you to Winners, the podcast that tells the stories of championship teams through the decisions, strategies, performances, and lucky bounces required to win it all. open.spotify.com/episode/0Cub...

open.spotify.com

Winners (Official Trailer)

Winners · Episode

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