Crime in Sports · James Pietragallo, Jimmie Whisman

Don't Talk About My Mother - Evel Knievel - Part 8

·2 hr 36 min·5 clips

Evel Knievel buys an 87-foot yacht at 3 a.m. and forces the owner's family to leave immediately.

This episode continues the multi-part series on daredevil Evel Knievel, hosted by James Pietragallo and Jimmie Whisman. The hosts cover Knievel's life and legal troubles in the mid-1970s, following his iconic career peak. They detail specific events starting in October 1975, when Knievel's 12-year-old son Robbie was arrested for stealing the family truck and smoking marijuana. Knievel responded by having his son jailed for three days in a personal "scared straight" attempt. The narrative shifts to Knievel's business ventures, as he increasingly focused on celebrity appearances, product endorsements, and licensing deals rather than regular stunt jumps. A significant portion discusses his carefully planned final long-distance jump over 14 buses at Kings Island amusement park in Ohio, which was broadcast live on ABC's *Wide World of Sports*. The episode cites that an estimated 55 million people watched, representing 52% of all televisions in America at the time, making it the highest-rated broadcast in the show's 45-year history. However, the live crowd was a disappointment, with only 25,000 attendees in a space built for 70,000. The hosts read from a source describing Knievel's uncharacteristic caution before this jump, as he viewed it as his final major career risk. They also recount a 1976 incident at a Fort Lauderdale supper club where Knievel was served an assault and battery warrant after an altercation with a man named William Kretschmer. Kretschmer claimed the injury required stitches and planned a civil suit seeking over $250,000. A surprising story involves Knievel impulsively buying an 87-foot Broward yacht at 3 a.m. after finding no hotel rooms, allegedly writing a check and demanding the seller's family leave the boat immediately. He later sought to purchase an even larger 116-foot Feadship yacht, offering the keys to his Bentley as collateral for a check. The episode notes Knievel eventually amassed a personal armada of 13 boats, all named *Evil Eye One*. The tone is conversational, humorous, and filled with the hosts' comedic commentary and tangents. Listeners who enjoy deep dives into the bizarre excesses of 1970s celebrity culture and outrageous true stories will appreciate this episode. Those seeking a strictly factual, linear biography might find the comedic asides and digressions distracting.

As heard by us

A late-stage Knievel chapter built around press quotes, self-mythology, and a sharply comic take on the movie chatter.

The show is closing in on the end of its Evil Knievel series, with three parts left in a planned 10-part stretch. This installment stays anchored in the July 8, 1976 material, where Knievel is cast as the king of the daredevils, talks up an anti-drug message, and draws a line…

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Why you'd press play

Press play if you want Evil Knievel myth, headline-era absurdity, and brutal jokes in one shot.

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