Phil Sheridan

Phil Sheridan spent more than 30 years reporting and writing on sports for Philadelphia-area newspapers. He worked 18 years at the Philadelphia Inquirer and four years at ESPN.

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Pittsburgh Steelers fans mobbed rookie Franco Harris after he scored on the "Immaculate Reception."
Sports

5 Miraculous NFL Touchdown Passes

From the 'Immaculate Reception' to the 'Minneapolis Miracle,' here are some of the more memorable football plays of all time.

10 Quirky MLB Ballparks That No Longer Exist
Sports

10 Long-Gone MLB Ballparks With Quirky Features

Houston's Colt Stadium was plagued by mosquitoes and brutal heat. Other ballparks, such as Cleveland's cavernous 'Mistake by the Lake,' had bizarre dimensions.

In this Dec. 28, 1975, file photo, Dallas Cowboy wide receiver Drew Pearson (88) nears the end zone on a game-winning 50-yard touchdown pass play in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings in Bloomington, Minn. Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach explained his game-winning throw by saying, "I closed my eyes and said a Hail Mary. Staubach and Pearson have connected again as part of a project to create a digital collectible of their famous Hail Mary for the Dallas Cowboys against Minnesota in 1975. It's part of an emerging product in sports memorabilia called non-fungible tokens, or NFTs. (AP Photo/File)
Sports

How Roger Staubach and Drew Pearson Made the ‘Hail Mary’ Pass Famous

The miracle connection between the Dallas Cowboys' stars and Pro Football Hall of Famers stunned the Minnesota Vikings in a 1975 playoff game.

Fernando Valenzuela, Los Angeles Dodgers
Sports

When 20-Year-Old Rookie Fernando Valenzuela Captivated LA—and Major League Baseball

In 1981, the pitcher from rural Mexico helped lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a World Series title—and energized Mexican American fans.

Portrait of American baseball players Roger Maris (1934 - 1985) (left) and Mickey Mantle (1931 - 1995), both of the New York Yankees, as they pose together before a game at Yankee Stadium, New York, New York, 1961. (Photo by Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images)
Sports

The Epic Battle to Beat Babe Ruth’s Home Run Record

In a pressure-packed 1961 season, Roger Maris hit 61 home runs, outdueling his more famous New York Yankees teammate, Mickey Mantle.

Pittsburgh Pirates broadcaster Bob Prince (left) and Harold Arlin, who broadcast the first Major League Baseball game on Aug. 5, 1921. In this photo from Aug. 30, 1972, at the San Diego Padres-Pirates game, Arlin broadcast an inning of his grandson, Steve, who was pitching for the Padres.
Sports

How a 1921 Baseball Radio Broadcast Marked the Dawn of Sportscasting

On August 5, 1921, Harold Arlin of KDKA in Pittsburgh voiced the first MLB game on radio.

In this circa-1910 image, President William Howard Taft throws out the first pitch at a Major League Baseball Game.
Sports

How Did Baseball’s Seventh-Inning Stretch Originate?

The American tradition might date to President William Howard Taft in 1910, but it could have started in 1869.