『BenchMarks』のカバーアート

BenchMarks

BenchMarks

著者： Empty The Bench Network
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概要

BenchMarks is an audio-first documentary series from the Empty the Bench Network, where the biggest moments in sports aren’t just remembered — they’re re-examined.


Hosted by Callan McClurg and joined by voices from across the Empty the Bench Network, BenchMarks lives at the intersection of E60, 30 for 30, and Real Sports. Each episode digs deep into the controversial moments, polarizing figures, and defining games and plays that refuse to fade with time. These are the stories that sparked debate, shaped careers, altered leagues, and still echo through locker rooms, broadcasts, and barroom arguments years — sometimes decades — later.


Through immersive storytelling, original reporting, archival sound, and thoughtful conversation, BenchMarks revisits the moments that history never settled. Not to sensationalize them, but to understand them — the context, the consequences, and why they continue to matter. This is sports history told with humanity, curiosity, and a willingness to ask the uncomfortable questions.


If you believe the best sports stories don’t end at the final whistle, subscribe to BenchMarks wherever you get your podcasts and join us as we revisit the moments that defined the game — and the people inside it.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Empty The Bench Network 政治・政府
エピソード
  • BenchMarks: The Fail Mary

    BenchMarks: The Fail Mary
    2026/02/09

    It was a primetime Monday night matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks, but the true opponent was the men wearing the stripes. For three agonizing weeks of the 2012 NFL season, fans and players had suffered under the chaos of the replacement referees amid a labor dispute. The entire country was waiting for a catastrophic breaking point. It arrived on the final, unbelievable play of September 24th.


    In this episode of BenchMarks, Tom Albano dissects one of the most controversial and consequential plays in modern football history: The Fail Mary. We relive the final, desperate Hail Mary throw by rookie Russell Wilson into the end zone, contested fiercely by Seattle receiver Golden Tate and Packers safety M.D. Jennings. We examine the moment of bizarre confusion as two different officials—Side Judge Lance Easley and Back Judge Derrick Rhone-Dunn—gave two different signals: one for a game-winning touchdown, one for a touchback.


    Albano dives into the specifics of the simultaneous catch rule, the blatant, uncalled offensive pass interference by Tate, and the fateful decision to uphold the ruling as a Seahawks victory that sent an entire nation into outrage. More than just a blown call, this is the story of how the sheer incompetence of the replacement officials forced the NFL's hand, bringing the league's labor dispute to an immediate, dramatic end less than 48 hours later.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    15 分
  • BenchMarks: The 11 Hour Marathon

    BenchMarks: The 11 Hour Marathon
    2026/02/08

    Before the era of "Super Bowl Sunday" as a national holiday, the game was exactly that: a game. You tuned in, watched the kickoff, saw a trophy presentation, and went to bed. There were no 6:00 AM breakfast panels, no celebrity cook-offs on the sidelines, and certainly no 11-hour pre-game countdowns. That all changed in 1978, thanks to a sudden downpour in the desert.


    In this fascinating bonus episode of BenchMarks, Callan McClurg—who hasn't touched an NFL broadcast since the Chargers packed their bags and left his native San Diego in 2017—uncovers the "accidental" origin of the modern Super Bowl broadcast.


    The story begins on January 15, 1978, the day of Super Bowl XII. CBS had a lean 90-minute pre-game show planned, intended to lead directly into the Dallas Cowboys vs. Denver Broncos matchup. But a few hundred miles away, the final round of the Phoenix Open was washed out by a rare, torrential Arizona rainstorm. Suddenly, CBS had a massive hole in their afternoon schedule and millions of viewers with nowhere to go.


    McClurg explores how a panicked production team decided to simply "stay with the football," stretching the pre-game coverage into a three-hour-plus odyssey of interviews, highlight reels, and filler. To their shock, the ratings didn't just hold—they soared. We trace how this "accident" gave birth to the "11-Hour Marathon" we see today: a multi-network, sunrise-to-sign-off spectacle that covers everything from the arrival of the team buses to the brand of the kicker’s socks.


    The 11-Hour Marathon is a look at the commercialization of time itself, and how a literal "rain check" in golf created the most bloated, profitable, and iconic day in American television.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    17 分
  • BenchMarks: Houston Asterisks

    BenchMarks: Houston Asterisks
    2026/02/02

    The Houston Astros’ 2017 World Series victory was supposed to be a feel-good story—a triumph of modern analytics and a symbol of resilience for a city reeling from Hurricane Harvey. Instead, it became a scar on the game, forever known as the Houston Asterisks scandal.


    In this explosive episode of BenchMarks, Tom Albano unpacks one of the most brazen cheating schemes in sports history. We peel back the layers on how the Astros used a high-tech camera system and the crude, audible sound of banging on a trash can to decode and relay pitch signs in real-time to their hitters.


    Albano explores the "win-at-all-costs" culture fostered by the front office, the ethical collapse inside the dugout, and the investigation that ultimately confirmed the systemic cheating that tainted their championship. Beyond the mechanics of the scheme, we delve into the fallout: the historic, yet controversial, penalties from Major League Baseball, the firings of the manager and general manager, and the lingering sense of betrayal felt by opposing players and baseball fans across the country. This is the story of how an innovative team lost its integrity, leaving an indelible question mark over a championship ring.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    17 分
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