Thread by @dailysimpsons

#OnThisDay #OTD (one day late) November 9, 1997, "Bart Star" first aired on the Fox network. Wr: @Donick. Dir: @LovesickFool2. EP: @scullymike. Guest-starring @RealJoeNamath as himself, @RoyFirestone as himself and @MikeJudge as Hank Hill. #TheSimpsons

@Donick @LovesickFool2 @scullymike @RealJoeNamath @RoyFirestone @MikeJudge The episode was written by Donick Cary, who obtained inspiration from an experience in high school he had with a football coach who had a son on the team. Similarly, show runner Mike Scully had been on a soccer team whose coach would give his son special treatment.

@Donick @LovesickFool2 @scullymike @RealJoeNamath @RoyFirestone @MikeJudge George Meyer obtained inspiration for the scene toward the beginning of the episode where Rainier Wolfcastle is taunting the children from an experience he had with Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was following Schwarzenegger during a hike, and overheard him taunting his children.

@Donick @LovesickFool2 @scullymike @RealJoeNamath @RoyFirestone @MikeJudge Throughout the episode, Homer is dressed to homage Dallas Cowboys icon Tom Landry, and wears a similar hat. Homer previously bought Landry's hat in the Season 8 episode "You Only Move Twice".

@Donick @LovesickFool2 @scullymike @RealJoeNamath @RoyFirestone @MikeJudge Hank Hill's appearance was a cross-promotion for Mike Judge's animated series King of the Hill, which followed The Simpsons on Fox's Sunday schedule in 1997.

@Donick @LovesickFool2 @scullymike @RealJoeNamath @RoyFirestone @MikeJudge Marv Albert was originally going to play Roy Firestone's part as a sports radio host, but was dropped following sexual assault charges that were made against him around the time the episode was in pre-production. Albert would later appear in Season 20's "The Burns and the Bees".

@Donick @LovesickFool2 @scullymike @RealJoeNamath @RoyFirestone @MikeJudge "You're cut."