Empty The Bench: Small Market Edition

In the shadows of the palms and the bright lights of Southern California, the story of Reggie Bush remains one of the most polarizing narratives in the history of the sport. In this episode of ETB: Small Market Edition, Callan McClurg takes us back to the beginning at Helix High in La Mesa, where a young "Highlander" first began to dismantle opposing defenses with a level of electricity that had n...

On this episode of Empty the Bench: Small Market Edition, Callan McClurg dives deep into a narrative that transcends the box score to explore the sheer resilience of the human spirit. The Unbroken Path chronicles the extraordinary career of Alex Smith, a journey that began with the local stardom of San Diego’s Helix High School before escalating to the immense pressure of being the NFL’s first ove...

In this sentimental and high-stakes edition of Empty the Bench: Small Market Edition, host Callan McClurg takes us back twenty years to the legendary summer of 2006. Long before he was a voice for San Diego sports, Callan was a twelve-year-old utility man for the San Diego Buccaneers, a travel ball powerhouse that traded the perpetual sunshine of Southern California for the humid, hallowed grounds...

Join Callan McClurg for Episode 8 of Empty the Bench: Small Market Edition as he delves into the heartbreaking and chaotic relocations that defined a dark period in NHL history. This week, we explore the dual tragedies of the Hartford Whalers becoming the Carolina Hurricanes and the Quebec Nordiques transforming into the Colorado Avalanche. What forces truly drove these beloved franchises out of t...

For nearly a decade, Sacramento lived under the shadow of losing the one thing that truly belonged to them: the Kings. Long before the Beam lit up the skyline or potential new franchise superstars brought new energy to California’s capital, the franchise stood on the brink of disappearing forever. And in 2013, that looming threat reached its boiling point. For The Throne tells the sweeping, emotio...

Warm-weather hockey isn’t supposed to work… but it does. And in cities like San Diego, Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Jose, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Dallas, and Miami, the sport is growing faster than anyone expected—despite the culture, the cost, and in some places, the controversy. In Episode 6 of Empty the Bench: Small Market Edition , host and narrator Callan McClurg takes listeners deep into the rinks,...

What do a San Diego hockey announcer and a Milwaukee DJ have in common? More than anyone might expect. In The Small-Market Soundtrack , host Callan McClurg tells the remarkable story of a friendship forged across hundreds of miles and social media posts, beginning with a three-word hashtag: #DareToBe. That simple phrase sparked a connection between two professionals on opposite coasts, both naviga...

EXPLICIT CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains explicit language and detailed discussions of alcoholism, legal issues, violence, and assault. Listener discretion is strongly advised. In 2004, Matt Bush embodied the dream every small market kid grows up clinging to: the local phenom who makes it all the way. A hometown San Diego superstar at Mission Bay High School, he became the #1 overall pick o...

For nearly half a century, Ted Leitner was more than a broadcaster—he was the soundtrack of San Diego sports, a constant presence whose voice carried the hopes, heartbreaks, and unforgettable moments of an entire community. Padres pennant races, Aztecs upsets, legendary Chargers clashes—if it happened in San Diego, “Uncle Teddy” was there, painting the picture with unmistakable emotion, humor, and...

Is there a franchise in professional sports more synonymous with self-inflicted wounds than the Los Angeles Clippers? For decades, the Clippers have been a case study in organizational misfortune—changing cities, changing eras, and changing expectations, yet somehow never changing their signature pattern of collapse. In Episode 2 of Empty the Bench: Small Market Edition , host Callan McClurg unrav...

For generations of San Diegans, the Chargers weren’t just a football team—they were woven into the identity of an entire region. Tailgates at the Q, powder-blue jerseys passed down through families, and Sundays that felt more like a city-wide reunion than a sporting event. But in 2017, all of it was ripped away. The team’s move to Los Angeles wasn’t just a relocation; it was an emotional amputatio...

Before we dive into the extraordinary stories of small-market heroes, host Callan McClurg takes us back to where his own story began. This Director's Cut details his life-changing connection to hockey, starting with his first Gulls game 25 years ago. The episode chronicles the winding road to the PA booth: volunteering for webcasts, running cameras, selling Chuck-A-Pucks, and enduring a polite rej...