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The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast

The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast

By: Peter Shaw
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About this listen

 This is the podcast that dives deep into the stories of great teams that did not win a title. They came close, but as the old carnival barkers said, "No cigar!" Even though these teams never won the big one, they still deserve to be recognized. Whether the team was undone by poor timing, injuries, hubris or just plain bad luck, they all have a tale worth telling. In season 2, the theme is "Unknown Legends," I tell the stories of sports legends from around the world you don’t know but should, hence the title. In season 3, the theme is "If You're Not First, You're Last" and I look at less famous firsts in the history of sports. In season 4, the theme is "If you ain't cheatin', you ain't trying," and I recount the stories of famous and less famous cheaters in sports.

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Peter Shaw
Episodes
  • If You Ain’t Cheatin’, You Ain’t Tryin’! The Spanish Paralympic Basketball Team

    If You Ain’t Cheatin’, You Ain’t Tryin’! The Spanish Paralympic Basketball Team
    Feb 23 2026
    In season 4 of The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast the theme is "If you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'!" In this episode, I tell the story of the dominant 2000 Spanish Paralympic basketball team, whose members were not so disabled after all. You are welcome!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    7 mins
  • If You Ain’t Cheatin’, You Ain’t Tryin’! The City College Basketball Team

    If You Ain’t Cheatin’, You Ain’t Tryin’! The City College Basketball Team
    Feb 16 2026
    In season 4 of The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast the theme is "If you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'!" In this episode, I tell the story of the CCNY basketball team of the early 1950's who became famous for their victories but more famous for their point-shaving. You are welcome!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    12 mins
  • If You're Not First, You're Last! The Steagles

    If You're Not First, You're Last! The Steagles
    May 2 2025
    In season 3 of The "Close But No Cigar" Sports Podcast the theme is "If You're Not First, You're Last!" In this episode, I tell the story of the WWII era merger between the NFL's Steelers and Eagles, a team affectionally called "The Steagles."

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    11 mins
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