BenchMarks

Empty The Bench Network

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.

  1. 1d ago

    BenchMarks: Summer of 61*

    The summer of 1961 was supposed to be a coronation for the New York Yankees, but it became a siege on the most sacred number in sports. Babe Ruth’s record of 60 home runs in a single season had stood for thirty-four years an untouchable monolith in the center of the American consciousness. Then two teammates nicknamed the M&M Boys began a dual assault on the ghost of the Bambino that would tear the city of New York and the sport of baseball in two. In this episode of BenchMarks Tom Albano revisits the grueling and often lonely journey of Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle. We explore the sharp contrast between the two men: Mantle the beloved homegrown hero and heir to the Yankee throne and Maris the taciturn outsider from North Dakota who never asked for the spotlight. As both players crested the fifty-homer mark the pressure began to manifest in physical ways with Maris famously losing his hair in clumps due to the stress of a hostile press corps and a fanbase that wanted anyone but him to break the record. Albano deconstructs the infamous intervention of Commissioner Ford Frick a close friend of Babe Ruth who issued a mid-season ruling that the record must be broken within 154 games to be considered valid. This decree birthed the legendary asterisk—a punctuation mark that would haunt Maris for decades. We relive the final day of the 162-game season at Yankee Stadium where Maris finally connected for number 61 against Tracy Stallard only to find a strangely empty ballpark and a muted celebration. This is the story of how a historic achievement became a burden and how Roger Maris’s greatest triumph was for a long time treated like a crime against history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    14 min
  2. Jun 11 ·  Bonus

    BenchMarks: American Goal

    In 1994 the eyes of the world turned to a nation that many believed would never embrace the beautiful game. The FIFA World Cup arrived on American soil not just as a tournament but as a massive high stakes experiment in sports culture. Critics predicted empty stadiums and disinterested audiences, but what unfolded was a record-breaking spectacle that remains the most attended World Cup in history. In this episode of BenchMarks, Trevor Williams explores the legacy of USA 94. We look back at the iconic matches played in colossal American football venues like the Rose Bowl and the Pontiac Silverdome. We revisit the moment the United States national team defied the odds to advance to the knockout stage and the tragic own goal that cast a shadow over the competition. Trevor examines the specific stipulations set by FIFA including the requirement for the United States to establish a top-tier professional league which led directly to the founding of Major League Soccer. American Goal investigates how a single summer transformed soccer from a niche youth participation activity into a mainstream spectator sport. We analyze the lasting impact of the tournament surplus which funded the US Soccer Foundation and ensured that the game would have the financial roots to grow for decades. This is the story of how America hosted a party for the world and ended up finding a new national passion of its own. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    15 min
  3. Jun 8

    BenchMarks: The Two Handed Revolution

    For over a century, the image of bowling was consistent: one hand, three holes, and a rhythmic, pendular swing. But in the mid-2000s, a new sound began to echo through the lanes—the thunderous, high-revving strike of a ball delivered with two hands. What started as an "unorthodox" necessity for a toddler in Australia has become the most disruptive force in the history of the sport. In this episode of BenchMarks, narrator Nick Morgasen investigates the Two-Handed Revolution. We trace the journey of Jason Belmonte, the "Belmo" who popularized the style after learning to bowl with two hands as a child simply because the balls were too heavy. We explore how he and Finland's Osku Palermaa cracked the code of the PBA, proving that the two-handed approach wasn't just a gimmick—it was a biological advantage. Morgasen breaks down the physics of the "Rev Rate": while elite one-handed bowlers typically hover around 400–500 RPM, two-handers can easily clear 600 RPM, turning standard hooks into "atomic bombs" that shred the pocket with unprecedented carry. We also tackle the fierce backlash from purists who argue the style is "cheating" or "not real bowling," and examine the 2020 rule changes regarding weight holes that were sparked by this very movement. The Two-Handed Revolution is the story of how a generation of athletes stopped fighting the weight of the ball and started using their entire bodies to reinvent a game, leaving the "old guard" to wonder if the traditional one-handed game is destined for the history books. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    16 min

About

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.