The Section 1904 Podcast

Darren Smith

In pursuit of smart conversations since 2004. The Section 1904 Podcast is a 20-year radio career, distilled for small batch consumption. Quality over quantity. Made in San Diego. dsmithshow.substack.com

  1. We're on to the Knockouts

    1d ago

    We're on to the Knockouts

    Both the United States and Mexico are 2-0 and have already advanced to the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup. Mexico has clinched Group A and will play its first knockout match in Mexico City. The USMNT, as of this recording, still doesn’t know what it will need to do against Türkiye - or if it will need to do anything at all - to win Group D. A Paraguay win or draw against Türkiye on Friday night would guarantee the Stars and Stripes a first-place finish. But enough about the scenarios. Moments after the United States’ win over Australia, ESPN Mexico City’s Eric Gomez joined the podcast to discuss the first two teams to go 2-0 and punch their tickets to the knockout stage. We talked about Christian Pulisic’s injury, Mauricio Pochettino’s adjustments, and the questions that still remain after two matches. The game against the Socceroos looked much different than the opener against Paraguay, but a win is a win — and the U.S. has started a World Cup with two victories for the first time since 1930. We then turned to El Tri’s victory over South Korea and debated whether Luis Romo’s lone goal was a bigger highlight than Raúl Rangel’s crucial save. Mexico has secured home matches once the knockout stage begins, and Eric explains what that means not only for Mexico City, but for the entire country. We also talked about the incredible scenes in Chula Vista on Thursday night and how Mexican fans flooded the streets of CDMX. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dsmithshow.substack.com

    30 min

  2. 5d ago

    The Dog That Caught The Car

    (This is the audio-only version of Monday’s MartyTimeTV / Section 1904 joint venture. You can find and subscribe to this podcast on Apple and Spotify and right here on Substack by clicking the button below. To watch this episode, click here) “The Knicks are NBA Champions.” That’s a sentence I’ve never typed before. Is this real life? On Monday’s podcast, we talked about my very last-minute decision to fly to San Antonio for Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Flights, hotel and (gulp) tickets all secured within 24 hours of tipoff. As sports fans know, you’re taking a financial risk to attend games like this but, as I explain, the real risk was in not going and missing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And if things hadn’t worked out with the basketball game, we could have visited Ethan Salas. Speaking of baseball…. The Padres were also in action this past weekend, taking two-of-three from the Orioles. Since neither Marty nor I prioritized watching the Friars, we skipped over the details and talked more about the El Paso influence on the current 26-man roster, Stammen turning to openers and the latest rumor tossed around by baseball insider Jon Heyman. We were also joined by ESPN’s Eric Gomez in Mexico City for some World Cup talk. First, we recapped Mexico’s 2-0 convincing win over South Africa and explained why El Tri coach Javier Aguirre wanted more from the opening match. We also talked about the emotions from Raul Jimenez’s goal and why that was such a meaningful moment at The Azteca. Then it was time to recap the United States Men’s National Team win over Paraguay and explain why we thought the 4-1 scoreline was more commentary about the USMNT being excellent than La Albirroja being terrible. Opening match analysis can be tricky but what the U.S. showed felt like a statement win. Back on Tuesday with a new podcast here and also a new Friar Territory. Also - sincere thanks to everyone who sent a message via social media or directly to me. I haven’t had a chance to reply to everyone with the quick travel but appreciated everyone who took the time to send a note about the Knicks win. To paraphrase Peter Seidler, the basketball gods shined on that team and now they get to have a parade. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dsmithshow.substack.com

    52 min

  3. Jun 10

    World Cup Preview: USMNT

    (You can find and subscribe to this podcast on Apple and Spotify and right here on Substack by clicking the button below. To watch this episode on YouTube, click here) We are now hours away from the start of the World Cup. The ironically-named “United Bid” will oversee an unprecedented 48 team tournament played over 39 days. Opening Ceremonies are Thursday in Mexico City and the Final will be July 19th in New Jersey. Getting to the starting block of this World Cup has been a bumpy ride. From the FIFA Peace Prize nonsense to non-stop ticketing issues to international incidents, hydration breaks and unnecessary confusion over water bottles, it hasn’t inspired. For a good recap on all the things that have plagued the run up, I’d recommend this piece from Miguel Delaney of The Independent. I don’t have the energy to create 100 different hyperlinks for this post. However, in this podcast, we focus exclusively on the United States Men’s National Team and Group D. The USMNT will open with Paraguay on Friday, face Australia on June 19th and close with Türkiye on June 25th. An interesting draw. Backheeled.Com’s Joe Lowery is our guest. Joe and the team have done tremendous work covering the stories that matter most to USMNT fans. We talked about the roster, style of play and what to expect from the opponents in Group D. Which positions do we think are deepest and which positions cause concern? Who has the most to gain and what could an actual home field advantage mean in this tournament? And how do we each define “success” for this host nation? All that and much more in today’s conversation. Joe will also be in Los Angeles for the opener and is co-hosting an event on Thursday night. If you are in the area, stop by and support some of our independent media colleagues. If you’re looking for something local, come hang out with San Diego FC and Fox 5 in Mission Beach for every game of the World Cup. We will be at Fit Social on the Pacific Ocean every day of the tournament. Special guests, music, giveaways - it’ll be a party. San Diego knows how to get down for the World Cup. See you there. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dsmithshow.substack.com

    39 min
  4. "WCCBBV Whatever It Is..."

    Jun 8

    "WCCBBV Whatever It Is..."

    (This is the audio-only version of Monday’s MartyTimeTV / Section 1904 joint venture. You can find and subscribe to this podcast on Apple and Spotify and right here on Substack by clicking the button below. To watch this episode, click here) The Padres dropped two-of-three to the New York Mets over the weekend. Aside from Freddy Fermin’s surprising power, it was a tough watch. Pitching, hitting, base running…Ramon Laureano is out for the season. You get the point. Will it turn around as Craig Stammen consistently suggests? We talked about that. We also talked about Manny Machado’s memorable media availability on Friday. Turns out, Manny isn't a huge fan of analytics. This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone but his commentary did lead us down a few pathways. What stats are on the Petco Park scoreboard and which ones can we live without? Should Manny be more receptive to modern data to see if something could help his current form? Was this a veiled shot at the Padres R&D / coaching staff? It was probably just Manny being Manny. We also talked the NBA Finals shifting to Madison Square Garden and Donald Trump’s expected appearance at Game 3, which has created a huge headache for fans and everyone else in Midtown Manhattan. Things are moving quickly and we have updated information about World Cup watch parties, so please subscribe here or on MartyTimeTV to get the latest audio and video content emailed directly when it drops. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dsmithshow.substack.com

    59 min

  5. Jun 3

    Castellanos Out

    (This is the audio-only version of Wednesday’s MartyTimeTV / Section 1904 joint venture. You can find and subscribe to this podcast on Apple and Spotify and right here on Substack by clicking the button below. To watch this episode, click here) The Padres have lost six of their past seven games but the news on Wednesday was about a roster change. The Padres announced that OF Nick Castellanos had been designated for assignment. Castellanos was a gamble worth taking for AJ Preller. It didn’t work out. It happens. There’s lots of ways to parse through statistics but a player with a -.09 BRWAR and a slash line of 191/221/339 shouldn’t have job security, unless you’re financially anchored to the player. Of the SIX position players posting a negative WAR, he was the worst and most expendable. So now what? On Wednesday’s podcast, we talked about the handful of positive moments Castellanos provided on and off the field and how he might have stuck around longer if the Padres weren’t bottom of the barrel in almost every major offensive category. Fare thee well, Nick. The Padres called up an infielder, Samad Taylor, to replace Castellanos on the roster. Will it matter? Is it fair to rip Jase Bowen for the qualities of his ABs on Tuesday? Eight more years of Manny!? We also talked about the level of anxiety for the lifelong and emotionally scarred Knicks fan on this podcast and what travel plans, if any, are being made to catch a game of this series in-person. Talking baseball - even Padres baseball - was a healthy break from scrolling through Knicks edits on social media. That said, you should definitely watch this. Let’s Go Knicks ! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dsmithshow.substack.com

    53 min

  6. Jun 1

    Scanalysis

    (This is the audio-only version of Monday’s MartyTimeTV / Section 1904 joint venture. You can find and subscribe to this podcast on Apple and Spotify and right here on Substack by clicking the button below. To watch this episode, click here) Good news! Fernando Tatis Jr hit his first HR of the season on Saturday. Bad news! It came in a loss in the second game of a series the Padres lost to the Nationals. The Padres have scored the fewest runs in the National League and third fewest in all of Major League Baseball. Since beating LA, the Padres have gone 3-8 and have been bitten by bad hitting, pitching and base running. What gives? Padres TV’s Bob Scanlan joined us on his off day in Philadelphia to talk about the sigh of relief for Fernando - and his teammates - encouraging signs from Jackson Merrill. We also talked about the Padres hitting coaches, how to know if they’re doing a good job, and how players deal with so many competing voices in their heads. Scan, a former Phillies draft pick also talked about the role the organization played in his professional development before he was traded to the Cubs for Mitch Williams. After Scan exited to pursue cheesesteaks, we finished the show talking about the NBA Finals, the insane pricing for tickets and how to possibly manage the next six weeks with the Finals and World Cup less than two weeks away. Possibly related - you can support our work by subscribing to these shows on YouTube or by hitting the button below. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dsmithshow.substack.com

    1h 5m

  7. May 28

    The USMNT Roster

    (This is the audio-only version of Thursday’s MartyTimeTV / Section 1904 joint venture. You can find and subscribe to this podcast on Apple and Spotify and right here on Substack by clicking the button below. To watch this episode, click here) Thursday is an off day for the San Diego Padres, which feels like a good thing for everyone involved. The media are running out of new and creative ways to describe the offensive futility. Fans are frustrated. Players are searching for answers. After Wednesday’s loss to Philadelphia, Marty covered the Padres clubhouse and asked Manny Machado about the team’s hitting coaches and got an interesting answer about where blame lies. We also talked about Machado’s recent media sessions overall and how the tone sounds different from the clubhouse tone setter: The Pads will play next in Washington D.C. and then in Philadelphia. If more Padres coverage is what you desire, please find the latest episodes of Friar Territory here. After the baseball talk, we welcomed in our friend, Eric Gomez from ESPN in Mexico City, to talk about the United States Men’s National Team roster reveal, including Mauricio Pocettino’s decision to email the rejects. Is this a big deal or just par for the course with U.S. Soccer these days? Eric also provided great insight on Alejandro Zendejas, offering high praise for the Club America winger and the potential for a World Cup breakout. We also talked about whether success for the U.S. is directly linked to Christian Pulisic and if Pochettino would be wise to have a backup plan in case Pulisic can’t shake his recent form (Pulisic hasn’t yet scored a goal in 2026). We ended the convo talking about the upcoming Mexican National Team announcement on June 1st, including any potential for a surprise following El Tri’s 2-0 win over Ghana last week. Will Club Tijuana’s Gilberto Mora have fellow Xolos teammates along for the ride? Is there a player who Eric thinks should make it who seems to be on the outside looking in? The World Cup starts two weeks from Friday. Thanks for being here! Subscribe for free to receive new posts, podcasts and videos - sent directly to your inbox. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dsmithshow.substack.com

    58 min

  8. May 26

    Well, actually...

    (This is the audio-only version of Tuesday’s MartyTimeTV / Section 1904 joint venture. You can find and subscribe to this podcast on Apple and Spotify and right here on Substack by clicking the button below. To watch this episode, click here) Thanks for being here! Subscribe for free to support our work and receive new posts delivered directly to your inbox. The Padres took a series from the A’s but then lost the opener to the Phillies on Monday. The offense is dreadful. Or is it unlucky? We are one third of the way through the 2026 season and asking the same questions about the same people - so what more can be said about this Padres team? We offer a few thoughts about lineups, hitting coaches and the role underlying statistics play in thinking things are better or worse than they actually are. After Padres talk, there was time to talk about the Knicks making it to the NBA Finals and Monday’s United States Mens National Team roster reveal, which actually leaked over the weekend. Gio Reyna and Sebastian Berhalter in the squad together? Ok then. The Cavs coach, Kenny Atkinson, said his team “analytically” won two of the first three games of the Eastern Conference playoffs, despite being down 0-3 and eventually swept. Why would anyone say that and what does that have to do with the 2023 Padres? Full circle convo. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dsmithshow.substack.com

    41 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

In pursuit of smart conversations since 2004. The Section 1904 Podcast is a 20-year radio career, distilled for small batch consumption. Quality over quantity. Made in San Diego. dsmithshow.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Darren Smith
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    45
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Darren Smith
  • Show Website
    The Section 1904 Podcast

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