The Far Middle

The Far Middle episode 76 pays homage to two great sports achievements from 1976: Anthony Dorsett’s Heisman Trophy-winning season, and the gold-medal performance of America’s boxing team at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games. After recounting the monster accomplishments of Dorsett, and boxers Sugar Ray Leonard, Michael and Leon Spinks, Leo Randolph, and Howard Davis Jr., Nick transitions to discussin...

As The Far Middle reaches episode 75, the milestone installment is appropriately dedicated to the greatest Pittsburgh Steeler of all time, “Mean” Joe Greene. The four-time Super Bowl champ is one of the four faces on Nick’s Mount Rushmore of Pittsburgh sports Hall of Famers, which includes prior Far Middle dedications Mario Lemieux in  episode 66  and Roberto Clemente in  episode 21 . Who’s the fo...

The Far Middle episode 74 is dedicated to four notable events from the 1974 Major League Baseball season, specifically three great achievements and one infamous beer night in Cleveland. While baseball celebrated many milestones in 1974, America at large was struggling with horrible inflation and energy crises, situations we’re seeing repeated today. While most Americans recognize what’s going on,...

The Far Middle episode 73 is dedicated to one of the greatest offensive linemen of all time, John Hannah. Hannah not only wore number 73, but his Pro Football Hall-of-Fame career began in 1973 when the Patriots selected him fourth overall in that year’s draft. One fellow Hall-of-Famer that would’ve loved to run behind Hannah is Jerome Bettis, which is where Nick begins this episode’s connections....

The Far Middle episode 72 honors the 1972 Miami Dolphins. Now 50 years since the Dolphins achieved their perfect 17-0 season, no team has yet to replicate their feat. Nick highlights their offensive power, their “No-Name Defense” (which ranks among Nick’s top-ten NFL defenses ), and arguably the NFL’s top head coach of the modern era, Don Shula. This Far Middle installment focuses on Nick’s remark...

The Far Middle episode 71 is dedicated to a sports trio, spanning from the diamond to the gridiron to the rink. Nick salutes the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates, NFL Hall-of-Famer Merlin Olsen, and Penguins Center Evgeni “Geno” Malkin. Transitioning from Evgeni Malkin, who is Russian, Nick discusses the recent string of suspicious deaths of several executives of major Russian energy and industrial corpora...

The Far Middle episode 70 is dedicated to a pair of NFL defensive greats: Hall of Famers Ernie Stautner and Sam Huff. Nick calls Stautner the best defensive lineman of his era and discusses his one-of-a-kind toughness. And Nick notes Sam Huff’s unique family lineage to Nick’s company history and points out a certain assistant coach who was key to convincing Huff to stay in the NFL during his rooki...

The Far Middle episode 69 celebrates the 69-win NBA season by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers, a record for victories in a season that would stand until the 72 wins by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen’s 1995-96 Chicago Bulls team. The Lakers' star-studded lineup (including Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Pat Riley, and Jerry West) not only won the NBA championship that year but also 33 straight ga...

The Far Middle episode 68 is dedicated to the great NHL right winger Jaromir Jagr—member of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 1991 and 1992 Stanley Cup championship teams. In this Far Middle installment, Nick presents his second-ever “lightning round” episode covering a wide range of topics. “It’s unbelievable how much material stacks up for Far Middle discussion,” says Nick, which is exciting but also con...

The Far Middle episode 67 is dedicated to two epic 1967 sports performances. These include NASCAR’s Richard Petty and his 27-win season that featured 10 back-to-back wins, as well as the stacked Philadelphia 76ers (whose lineup boasted some of the best collective nicknames of all time) and their incredible 1967 championship season. Petty and the Sixers’ magical 1967 seasons happen once in a blue m...

The Far Middle episode 66 is dedicated to Pittsburgh Penguins’ icon Mario Lemieux, “one of easiest decisions in the history of The Far Middle,” says Nick. After looking back on “Super Mario’s” astounding playing career, including overcoming cancer, his purchasing the Penguins, and community work through his foundation , Nick presents the four faces that would be carved on his Mount Rushmore of bes...

The Far Middle episode 65 commemorates the 65 World Series games that Mickey Mantle played in, accumulating numerous records. Among them, Nick highlights Mantle’s 18 World Series home runs , a likely unbreakable accomplishment. In this special Far Middle installment, Nick addresses a range of questions received from listeners over the past year. Nick leads off by discussing one of the most frequen...

The Far Middle episode 64 features a unique dedication, the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, aka March Madness. While the tournament now includes 68 teams, the tournament’s classic 64-team bracket “is a geometric thing of beauty,” says Nick. After discussing a few tournament stats and sharing a few tournament memories, Nick connects the tournament’s expansion to 64 teams in 1985 to the inflation...

Far Middle episode 63 features a co-dedication to two NFL hall-of-fame number 63’s: the Oakland Raiders’ Gene Upshaw and Kansas City Chiefs’ Willie Lanier.  Listen as Nick recounts the 1968 AFC Divisional Playoff when Upshaw and Lanier went head-to-head, and where Lanier and the Chiefs won the matchup’s coin toss and chose to defend the South goal line. On returning to the Oakland bench, Upshaw to...

The Far Middle episode 62 is dedicated Steph Curry and his career-high 62-point game, which took place on January 3, 2021, against the Portland Trail Blazers. Listen as Nick discusses the phenomenal shooter’s career, which is far from over, and where Curry ranks on Nick’s greatest NBA player of all-time list. Transitioning from the ultimate sniper shooter, Nick looks at the political and actual sn...

The Far Middle episode 61 is dedicated to Roger Maris and his 61 home runs in 1961 to break Babe Ruth’s record. Nick looks back on the controversy and confusion surrounding Maris and baseball’s home run record, and transitions to the confusion looming large today around mammoth economic and geopolitical issues.  Specifically, Nick looks at media coverage of energy exports and fuel prices, as well...

Episode 60 of The Far Middle goes to the 1960 World Series Champion Pittsburgh Pirates. Nick looks back on the 1960 Fall Classic where David slayed Goliath and highlights a few interesting facts you might not know about the series. In this special edition, Nick explores the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) proposed climate rules, aka “The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-R...

Episode 59 of The Far Middle continues the streak of NFL linebacker dedications, with this installment commemorating one of the greatest outside linebackers to ever play—Jack Ham. After reflecting on the quick, very smart, and respected Hall of Fame linebacker’s career, Nick juxtaposes Ham’s competitive spirit to the diluted competition in America’s education system. American schools are dropping...

Episode 58 of The Far Middle is dedicated to the “poster child of the middle linebacker,” four-time Super Bowl champ Jack Lambert. Nick reflects on the career, character, and imagery surrounding the Steeler great. In unique Far Middle fashion, Nick connects the optics and urban legend of Lambert to the urban legend we’ve been taught regarding the Treaty of Versailles. Nick discusses Ludwig von Mis...

The Far Middle episode 57 is dedicated to boxer, Carmen “The Upstate Onion Farmer” Basilio. “If you’re going to fight this guy in the ring, you better be ready for a war,” says Nick as he reflects on the fighter’s career; which featured a marquee win over middleweight champion Sugar Ray Robinson in 1957. Nick explains that Basilio lost a couple of crucial fights due to questionable split decisions...

Episode 56 of The Far Middle is dedicated to Lawrence Taylor, arguably the NFL’s greatest defensive player and one of the best-ever college football players. Nick comments on how “LT” excelled on the gridiron but struggled off the field and explains that both professional and personal success require work. Achieving success in both is one of the goals of the CNX Foundation Mentorship Academy – the...

Episode 55 of The Far Middle is dedicated to a sports record—Wilt Chamberlain’s 55 rebounds against the Celtics on Nov. 24, 1960. Nick reflects on the career of Chamberlain who maintains the NBA’s record of 23,924 rebounds, and notes Bill Russell is number two at just over 21,000 boards, followed by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at 17,440. Serendipitously, Bill Russell played against Chamberlain in that 196...

Episode 54 of The Far Middle is dedicated to “The Manster” – Cowboys’ defensive great Randy White. Much like Randy White being a foundational anchor of the Dallas Cowboys’ defense, so too is domestic energy in our society today. This Far Middle installment is a deep dive into the convergence of energy in Appalachia, economics, geopolitics and quality of life. “These are big themes, coming together...

Episode 53 of The Far Middle comes in high and tight, just like a Don Drysdale fastball—the namesake of this installment. Nick covers a host of topics—“dots”—in this episode, which is the first lightning round format. Topics include market volatility, energy policy/costs, inflation and debt-to-GDP, Chicago and Mayor Lightfoot, conservation easements, the opioid epidemic, China, and more. And as he...

Episode 52 is a special milestone installment marking The Far Middle’s one-year anniversary. Once again Nick connects a series of seemingly unrelated topics, “dots,” which is the hallmark of each episode this past year. Marking the occasion, Nick dedicates the episode to the ultimate Pittsburgh Steeler: “Iron Mike” Webster. Nick discusses the great center’s Hall of Fame career and the tragic decli...