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Ora Washington, Baseball Card Collector, 'Star-Spangled Banner'

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Ora Washington (third from right) won 11 national basketball championships in her career. (Courtesy Philadelphia Tribune, Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection)
Ora Washington (third from right) won 11 national basketball championships in her career. (Courtesy Philadelphia Tribune, Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection)

Next week the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will induct one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century. Her name is Ora Washington, and her story was almost lost to history.  Plus, a baseball card collector helps honor a former Major Leaguer. And the "Star-Spangled Banner" is played before sporting events at every level. But that might never have come to be if not for the 1918 World Series. Join us!

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The Nearly Forgotten History Of Basketball HOF Inductee Ora Washington
Only A Game’s Karen Given has the story of the Hall of Fame inductee who came so close to being forgotten, nobody’s quite sure what to call her anymore.

3 Stories: NFL Preseason, Helmet Rule Change, Jalen Ramsey
Nora Princiotti of the Boston Globe and Charlotte Wilder of Sports Illustrated join Don Van Natta Jr.

Avid Baseball Card Collector Helps Family Remember A Former Major Leaguer
Matthew Christian owns a baseball card collection with over 50,000 cards in it. But recently, he's focused on collecting cards of the late Ryan Freel to pass on to Ryan's three daughters.

Charlie Pierce: The Week In Sports
Colin Kaepernick will have his day in court. Don Van Natta Jr. and Only A Game analyst Charlie Pierce discuss what might happen there. Also, athletes remember late Senator John McCain. And, why a boxer walked out of the ring after the first-round bell.

How The 'Star-Spangled Banner' Became A Pregame Mainstay
In Game 1 of the 1918 of the World Series, little-known Red Sox third baseman Fred Thomas triggered a spontaneous display of patriotism.

This program aired on September 1, 2018.

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