976-1313: The Number Every Sports Fan Knew by Heart

Before smartphones, before sports tickers, and long before the internet made everything instant, there was 976-1313 — a number as ingrained in a fan’s memory as their favorite player’s jersey. On this episode of Gordon Damer on Sports, we dive into the rise and legacy of Sports Phone — not just a hotline, but a lifeline for die-hard sports fans and gamblers in the days before technology took over. Scott Orgera, co-author of the book 9761313 How Sports Phone Launched Careers and Broke New Ground, joins the show to talk about the service’s explosive success, the future sports media legends it helped launch, and how one phone number changed the way America consumed sports.