Banter From The Bench

Banter From The Bench
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Sports
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to Banter From The Bench! We design out podcast episodes in two portions. The first half of every episode will cover all of the major sports stories on a national scale, and then we will follow up the second half with Chicago sports talk. We hope you enjoy!

  1. 08/14/2025

    Episode 35 - Micah Parsons wants a new home, Football is right around the corner, and more!

    NationalWeek One of the NFL preseason gave us our first look at rookies and depth players, with a few breakout performances and some early injury scares. Micah Parsons made headlines by requesting a trade from the Cowboys, sparking speculation on which contender might make a move. Shohei Ohtani’s name surfaced again off the field, this time tied to a Hawaii real estate lawsuit. We each shared our top three Heisman picks for the upcoming college football season and reacted to the first AP Poll, noting a few surprises in the rankings. In MMA news, the UFC announced a $7.7B deal with Paramount that will eliminate PPV events starting in 2026. ChicagoThe Bears’ preseason opener against the Dolphins offered glimpses of offensive rhythm and some promising defensive moments, while Sunday night’s matchup with the Bills will be a key test for roster hopefuls. The White Sox’s second half has been a mixed bag, with a few bright spots but continued struggles overall. And as the season plays out, questions linger over whether the Andrew Vaughn trade was a win or a miss for the Sox.

    1h 24m

  2. 07/06/2025

    Episode 34 - NBA & NHL Draft recap, a busy off-season in the NBA so far, and more!

    National - We recap a good deal of the moves made so far in the off-season in the NBA so far. Which teams have made the most movement? Which teams have done close to nothing? The NBA draft had some pretty surprising picks...who caught our eye?! And finally, Sean recaps the NHL draft and some of the major headlines that weekend! Chicago - How did the Blackhawks do this year in their draft weekend? The Bulls made some interesting picks this year, in what seems to be a play for trusting the development of both guys selected this year! Do we love it, do we hate it? Tune in to find out!

    1h 10m

  3. 05/29/2025

    Episode 33 - NBA Finals is almost set, baseball is in full swing, and more!

    National: The NBA Conference Finals are heating up—Pacers hold a 3-1 lead over the Knicks, while OKC is also up 3-1 on the Timberwolves with the series heading back to Oklahoma. NCAA Baseball Regional play kicks off this week, and we’ll run through every regional to make our picks. Plus, the Women’s College World Series begins—get ready for our championship predictions. Chicago: The Blackhawks made a major move, hiring Jeff Blashill as their next head coach, while the Bulls land the 12th pick in the NBA Draft—who might they target? On the South Side, Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel, Chase Meidroth, and Miguel Vargas are all showing major promise with big numbers at the plate. In a bold but necessary move, the White Sox have optioned struggling first baseman Andrew Vaughn to Triple-A.

    1h 6m

  4. 05/09/2025

    Episode 32 - Playoffs are under way in the NBA & NHL, We give our NFL Draft recap, and more!

    National The NHL Draft Lottery shook things up with the Islanders landing the top pick and Utah jumping ten spots to fourth, along with revealing their wild new name—the Utah Mammoth Sluts. A new lottery format debuted, drawing mixed reactions. In the NHL playoffs, Toronto, Carolina, and Edmonton hold early series leads. The NBA playoffs are also underway, with Indiana and New York among the teams off to strong starts. Chicago The Bears’ draft haul was solid, headlined by TE Colston Loveland and WR Luther Burden III. The Blackhawks landed the No. 3 pick, keeping hopes high for a key addition. The White Sox are trending upward, with strong showings from Edgar Quero, Miguel Vargas, and Rule 5 surprise Shane Smith. On the farm, Tim Elko and Braden Montgomery are raking while Colson Montgomery works on swing adjustments in Arizona.

    1h 22m

  5. 04/26/2025

    Live reactions from Round 2 of the NFL Draft

    We live stream our reactions to each pick in round 2 of the draft, and also giving our thoughts on how our Bears did in the first round, taking Colston Loveland with the 10th overall pick!

    1h 43m

  6. 04/11/2025

    Episode 31 - Gators & UConn are our college basketball champs, Ovechkin breaks the record, and more!

    National - The Florida Gators are the Mens College Basketball champions. UConn takes home the title for the Womens College Basketball tournament. Alexander Ovechkin has officially passed Wayne Gretzky's all time goals record, in the same exact amount of games! NBA playoffs are starting to take shape, with only a few games left on the schedule for each team. Chicago - The White Sox farm system has some exciting names, some guys are making a serious case to be called up, while others are facing some early struggles. Oliver Moore picked up his first two points for his Blackhawks career, Sam Rinzel followed up with his first on Sunday night. Do the Blackhawks have a chance at the number one overall pick?!

    50 min

  7. 04/03/2025

    Episode 30 - The Final Four is set, Torpedo bats are taking over the world, and more!

    National - The Final Four features all 1 seeds. Do we have a new era of college basketball due to the NIL? Baseball extensions are happening left and right - who are the latest players to cash in? The NFL might be trying to ban the tush push - do we agree with this?! Chicago - The White Sox starting pitching staff has looked incredible so far. Who are some names we might expect to see from the farm system shortly? The Bulls officially made the Play In Tournament - yay? The Blackhawks are continuing their youth movement, which should make for an exciting finish to the season!

    1h 6m

  8. 03/19/2025

    Episode 29 - MARCH MADNESS IS HERE...nothing else matters...kind of

    National - We make our picks for every single game in the first two rounds. Spoiler alert...we love upsets. NFL Free Agency is still fairly busy - who are the latest players with new homes? Chicago - Sean Burke was named opening day starter for the White Sox. Artyom Levshunov was called up and seems to be getting some meaningful ice time - what have we noticed so far? Da Bears are starting to fill roster spots, hear about some of the latest names that are coming to the Windy City

    1h 10m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Welcome to Banter From The Bench! We design out podcast episodes in two portions. The first half of every episode will cover all of the major sports stories on a national scale, and then we will follow up the second half with Chicago sports talk. We hope you enjoy!

Information

  • Creator
    Banter From The Bench
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    37
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Banter From The Bench
  • Show Website
    Banter From The Bench