Unvarnished Football
Former NFL executive Upton Bell provides the best football insights with co-host Michael Jackson. No gimmicks. No gossip. Just football.
Upton Bell was Director of Player Personnel for the Baltimore Colts under head coach Don Shula in the 1960s. Held same role when the Colts won Super Bowl V. He next became General Manager of the New England Patriots and changed the team’s name from the Boston Patriots to New England Patriots. His father, Bert Bell, founded the Philadelphia Eagles and was later NFL commissioner. Bert Bell invented the NFL Draft, the two-
minute warning, and overtime. Upton also was a pro football team owner, owning the World Football League’s Charlotte Hornets. His broadcasting credits including hosting New England Patriots pregame and postgame shows, and the long-running television show, “Sports Beat” on WSBK-TV in Boston. He is regularly quoted in many national media outlets including the New York Times and Washington Post.
Michael Jackson is an author, oral historian, and show host. His oral history book, The Game Before the Money was published by the University of Nebraska Press in 2014 and included interviews with NFL legends like Frank Gifford, Bart Starr, and Don Maynard. He writes TheGameBeforeTheMoney.com and hosts The Game Before the Money Podcast. Other past projects include directing a film documentary featuring the 1970s Luv Ya Blue Oilers, an oral history of HBCU
football, and two more published football books. As a host, he hosted a weekly national program on the SportsMap Radio Network, weekly live high school football postgame shows and high school football play-by-play on multiple radio stations in the Austin/San Antonio market area.
Listen on:
Episodes
2 days ago
2 days ago
Former NFL executive Upton Bell discusses the Rams vs Seahawks game with The Game Before the Money's Michael Jackson. This is a test run of a new podcast. The pair also compare the top teams of the 2025 NFL Season