The Sports-casters

Steve interviews Richard Deitsch (00:05:09) from The Athletic. Richard joins us to talk about Pat McAfee joining ESPN's College Gameday, the impact he will have on the show, and what the show will look like when Lee Corso retires. Richard and Steve also break down the main booth for each of the NFL's TV partners. Also, Richard explains the madness that two Italian soccer players have had on Toronto, discusses the popularity of Pearl Jam, and looks back on his history with the show. Also on the show is, Kenny Albert (00:55:45) from Fox Sports, Turner Sports, and several other places where he calls games of all sports. Kenny looks back on his first season calling hockey games for TNT, looks ahead to another season of calling NFL games for FOX, and explains his future role calling basketball and baseball games. Steve starts the show alone because it is the middle of the night and he needs to catch up. The book club is in full fall mode at this point and there is a new book to announce. The show ends with one

Steve interviews Joe Posnanski (00:09:20) the host of the PosCast, author of books, and writer on Substack. Joe joins us to talk about the success of his last book, The Baseball 100 and explains why writing the football version of it has been problematic and discusses how he plans to fix those problems. Joe also talks about walking away from his life long passion for the Cleveland Browns and previews his journey towards finding a new favorite team. Joe and Steve also talk about the AL MVP race, Joe's fantastic assistant, and his upcoming trip to Soldier Field. Also on the show is, Fred Segal (00:58:20) the creator of the Freezing Cold Takes twitter account and the author of a new book about the coldest takes in the history of the NFL. Fred talks about why he decided to turn his twitter page into a book, explains what he avoids on twitter and why, and talks about his ideas for a follow up to his book. Steve and Paula start the show with some discussion about her first couple days of school but Paula appears

Steve interviews Stewart Mandel (00:08:16) from The Athletic. Stewart joins us for his annual preview of the college football season. Before looking ahead, Steve and Stewart discuss all of the news from the offseason including USC and UCLA moving to the Big 10 and the most interesting moves involving the transfer portal. From there, the guys discuss the just released pre-season AP Top 25. Stewart explains why he thinks Utah and NC State are underrated, and why he thinks Oklahoma is overrated. Stewart also gives his picks for the playoff and throws out a few names for this season's Heisman Trophy race. Also, Brian Gewirtz (00:51:34) new author, executive producer, and former head writer for the WWE makes his debut. Brian joins us to plug his new book about his time writing and working for the WWE (1999-2015). Brian shares stories about Hulk Hogan and Rock's epic WrestleMania match in Toronto, Roddy Piper coming to his birthday party, and WWF The Restaurant in New York City. Brian also talks about working wit

Steve interviews Joe Buck (00:08:12) from ESPN's Monday Night Football. Joe explains the backstory that led to him leaving Fox for ESPN. Joe talks about wanting to work with Troy Aikman, Fox being generous, and Tony Romo's massive contract changing the game. Joe also looked back at his career calling baseball games and went over his favorite moments during an incredible run. Joe then looks ahead to the Monday Night Football schedule and explains how he will handle calling Deshaun Watson's first home game if he indeed only serves a six week suspension. Steve and Joe end the interview joking about Joe's relationship with Eddie Vedder and Steve encourages Joe to reach out to him about his throat issues. Also, Jeff Passan (00:53:51) from ESPN joins us after an exhausting couple of days covering the Major League Baseball trade deadline. Jeff explains who he thought had the best trade deadline and who he thinks had the worst. Steve and Jeff also talk extensively about Juan Soto's move to San Diego. Jeff looks ahe

Steve interviews Sean McDonough (00:10:44) from ESPN. Sean joins us to talk about his first season calling hockey games as the lead PBP voice for ESPN's coverage. Sean talks about getting better as the season progressed, explains the grind of the playoffs, and looks ahead to the second season. Sean also talks about working in press boxes far from the action, his dislike of twitter, and his friendship with Joe Buck. Also, Scott Morrison (00:52:08) the author of a new book about the 1972 Summit Series makes his debut. Scott explains why it was difficult for Canada to put their roster together and explains the politics behind WHA players being left off the team. Scott also talks about the politics of the day and why Canada beating Russia was so important. Scott apologizes for leaving The Tragically Hip out of the book, tells a Gilbert Perrault story for my Dad, and discusses Bobby Clarke's legendary slash that broke the ankle of a Russian player. Steve starts the show thanking everyone for their incredible

Steve interviews Andrew Marchand and John Ourand(00:08:10) from the New York Post and The Sports Business Journal. Andrew and John talk to Steve about the origins of their podcast, explain why Marchand is the heel, and talk about their goals for the future of the pod. Steve also squeezes some sports media news out of them and they talk about the Sunday Ticket package. Also, Aaron Schatz(00:53:07) returns to talk about the 2022 Football Outsiders Football Almanac. Aaron talks about the Buffalo Bills being the pre-season favorite to win the Super Bowl, talks about the Saints salary cap, and explains a new stat that was created to better judge the outcomes of games and how they impact the season. Steve starts the show with the beautiful Paula Bennett for the best Hey Now is show history. The book club is back with the podcast and there are three books to discuss. OLT ends the show with Steve talking about the last seven months of his life and battling another round of Crohn's Disease. For more information fo

On the 26th episode of the 24 Inch Podcast, Steve Bennett and Dave Rowlands take a deep dive into the January 4, 1986 episode of Saturday Night's Main Event. On this night, Hulk Hogan put his title on the line against the legend, Terry Funk. At the top, Steve and Dave kick off the second season of the podcast by looking back at a great first season and looking forward to an even better second season. After the break, the guys give a bio of the legend, Terry Funk. Also, Steve and Dave talk about the long history of the USF Sun Dome. Then, Dave tells us what the Hulkster was up to in late December of 1985 into early January of 1986. Steve reads the news from January of 1986 while Dave cracks wise and adds his thoughts on a month filled with gossip, Steve's first Super Bowl, and one of the most infamous and tragic moments of the 1980's. Steve and Dave break down the entire card from SNME including all of the fun antics in-between the matches. The guys break down each match on the card, talk about Jesse Ve

On the 25th episode of the 24 Inch Podcast, Steve Bennett and Dave Rowlands take a deep dive into the No Holds Barred: The Match/The Movie pay per view. Steve and Dave are joined by Paula Bennett on this very special season one finale. At the top, Steve and Dave talk about Christmas traditions and their favorite Christmas movies. Then, Dave tells us what the Hulkster was up to in December of 1989. After the first break, Steve and Dave break down Hulk Hogan's first leading roll in a movie, No Holds Barred. The guys use eight discussion questions to drive the conversation. Dave and Steve look back on seeing the movie in 1989, discuss how they feel about it now, and break down their favorite scenes and moments. Steve reads the news from December of 1989 while Dave cracks wise and adds his thoughts on a month filled with the end of the Cold War, athlete of the decade, and the debut of a massive television show. Steve and Dave break down the steel cage match between Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake vs. Macho

Steve interviews Jon Wertheim (00:10:18) from Sports Illustrated and 60 Minutes. Mr. Wertheim joins us to discuss Tom Brady being named Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated. Steve and Jon also talk about the brilliant Beatles documentary and the feature Jon did on it for 60 Minutes. Jon and Steve also look ahead to the future of Sports Illustrated and the future of Jon Wertheim. Also, Jim Florentine(00:47:06) joins us to talk about his new comedy special called, Bite the Bullet. Jim talks about putting the special on YouTube, doing comedy in 2021, and what his plans are for the future. Jim also looks back on some of his appearances on The Howard Stern Show and talks about the state of the show today. Jim and Steve also talk Miami Dolphins football and San Francisco Giants baseball. Steve starts the show talking about the Saints shutting out Tom Brady and Jorginho re-finding his touch at the spot. The book club looks back on the many books of 2021. The show ends with one last thing about the 11th se

On the 24th episode of the 24 Inch Podcast, Steve Bennett and Dave Rowlands take a deep dive into the 37th Annual Slammy Awards. Steve and Dave are joined by Paula Bennett as they celebrate the 1 year anniversary of the podcast. At the top, Steve and Dave talk about Hannibal working himself into a shoot and the death of WWE DVD sets. Then, Dave tells us what the Hulkster was up to in December of 1987. Steve reads the news from December of 1987 while Dave cracks wise and adds his thoughts on a month filled with website errors, news about the Cold War, and a near death experience for a member of Motley Crue. Steve and Dave break down each award given out at the Slammy Awards, break down each musical performance, and talk about the brawl between Hacksaw and Harley that brought some much needed action to the show. Also on this episode, we plug some shows, read some emails with Paula Bennett, and give the schedule for the rest of the year. Intro: 00:03:31 The News/Slammy Awards: 00:28:28 Plugs/Emails: 01:

Steve interviews Dan Shaughnessy (00:17:43) from the Boston Globe. Mr. Shaughnessy joins us to promote his new book about Larry Bird's Boston Celtics called, "Wish it Lasted Forever." Dan talks about playing on a hall of fame team in their own right at the Boston Globe with writers like Bob Ryan and Peter Gammons. Dan also talks about buying drinks for Larry Bird, the grind of the travel on the Celtics beat, and being in a basketball shooting contest with Larry Legend. Dan also talks about leaving the Celtics beat for the Red Sox, deleting his column when the ball went through Buckner's legs, and how he ended up with the nickname, Scoop. Also, Dana O'Neil(00:56:24) from The Athletic makes her debut to promote her new book about the Big East basketball conference. Dana and Steve talk about the business side of the book, the importance of cable and ESPN, and some of the dramatic moments from the conference. Dana also talks about the last season of Coach K and tells us if she thinks Duke is good enough to sen

On the 23rd episode of the 24 Inch Podcast, Steve Bennett and Dave Rowlands take a deep dive into the November 24, 1988 PPV known warmly as, Survivor Series 88. On this night, Hulk Hogan and Macho Man led a team of Mega Powers against a group of scoundrels put together by the Million Dollar Man. At the top, Steve and Dave talk about their own Thanksgiving traditions and Seth Rollins getting jumped at RAW. After the break, the guys give give the biographies of three wrestlers in the main event and briefly go over the history of the Richfield Coliseum. Then, Dave tells us what the Hulkster was up to in November of 1988 (HINT: He was selling out). Steve reads the news from November of 1988 while Dave cracks wise and adds his thoughts on a month filled with baseball awards, a very important election, and a rough run for Mike Tyson. Steve and Dave break down the entire card from the Survivor Series including an incredible match tucked between the tag match and the main event. The guys break down each match

On the 22nd episode of the 24 Inch Podcast, Steve Bennett and Dave Rowlands take a deep dive into the July 26, 1986 house show in Philadelphia, PA at the Spectrum. On this night, Hulk Hogan was in the main event against the adorable one, Adrian Adonis. At the top, Steve and Dave talk about the show Heels being renewed and the third season of Dark Side of the Ring ending with a thud. The guys also discuss Ric Flair's heat with the WWE and speculation about Hulk Hogan's health. After the break, the guys give a brief history of the PRISM Network. Also, Steve and Dave talk about the life and career of Adrian Adonis. Then, Dave tells us what the Hulkster was up to in July of 1986. Steve reads the news from July of 1986 while Dave cracks wise and adds his thoughts on a month filled with more espionage, baseball accomplishments, and a tragedy in rock n roll. Steve and Dave break down the entire card from the Spectrum including a great performance by Tito Santana. The guys break down each match on the card, ta

Steve interviews Greg Wyshynski (00:10:04) from ESPN. Greg was on the second episode of The Sports-Casters in 2011 and was on the first episode of this season back in January. Today, he returns to talk about the Jack Eichel trade, the start of the NHL season, and working for ESPN as a rights holder. Join us for the hockey discussion, but stay for the incredible disagreement about Eichel's neck surgery. Also, Andrew Marchand(00:56:01) from the New York Post returns. Andrew and Steve talk about a plethora of sports media topics including Premiere League rights fees, The Manning Cast, the future of the Sunday Ticket and much more. Steve also vents about World Cup Qualifying (yes, he does this twice during the episode) and they talk about his Grandmother's journey to the United States from Italy. Steve starts the show venting about World Cup qualifying (I know), Jorginho's sudden failures at the spot for Italy, and then blows what's left of his. The book club has has books by Dana O'Neil and James Andrew Mi

Steve interviews Jonathan ViIma (00:17:54) from Fox Sports. Much to the pleasure of the host, Jonathan is making his debut to talk about his young career in broadcasting AND his time as a Super Bowl winning Linebacker for the New Orleans Saints. Jonathan talks about being a rookie broadcaster the year of COVID, how the game is different from when he played, and his chemistry in the booth with Kenny Albert. Jonathan and Steve look back at the 2009 season, Jonathan's epic game against the Falcons. and the ridiculous bounty-gate scandal. Best of all, Jonathan breaks down Tracy Porter's Super Bowl winning pick-6 of Peyton Manning and explains how his decision before the snap let to the interception. Also, Rich Podolsky(00:55:12) the author of a new book about the NFL Today makes his debut. Rich explains why he wrote the book, working on the show and many of the characters on it. Rich explains his sympathy for Jimmy the Greek, the impact the show had on football, and the show's interesting relationship with gam

On the 21th episode of the 24 Inch Podcast, Steve Bennett and Dave Rowlands take a deep dive into the November 2, 1985 episode of Saturday Night's Main Even. On this night, Hulk Hogan teamed with Andre the Giant to face Big John Studd and King Kong Bundy. At the top, Steve and Dave talk about the show Heels and Steve reports a great success at the before mentioned Trunk or Treat event. After the break, the guys give a brief history of Saturday Night's Main Event. Also, Steve and Dave talk about the long history of the Hersheypark Arena. Then, Dave tells us what the Hulkster was up to in November of 1985. Steve reads the news from October of 1985 while Dave cracks wise and adds his thoughts on a month filled with more plays, Steve's first World Series, and not enough pop culture. Steve and Dave break down the entire card from SNME including all of the fun antics in-between the matches. The guys break down each match on the card, talk about Ricky Steamboat's special ability to build heat, and an appearan

Steve interviews Katie Baker(00:11:39) from The Ringer. Katie is back to talk about all of the different things she writes about at Ringer, including hockey, television, and movies. Before that, Steve and Katie look back to a piece she wrote for Grantland about Yale winning the Frozen Four. Also, Katie and Steve debate the end of a League of Their Own, talk about Katie's transition from Goldman Sachs analyst to sports writer, and spend a few minutes comparing the work at Ringer to the work at Grantland (RIP). Also, Jeff Agrest(01:07:53) from the Chicago Sun-Times joins us to talk about sports media. First, Jeff and Steve talk about the NHL's debut on TNT and ESPN. They also look back at the NHL's time on NBC. Next the guys go over a bunch of sports media headlines. Finally, Jeff and Steve discuss the Chicago Sun-Times and the legacy of Roger Ebert. Steve starts the show with discussion of the baseball playoffs. The book club has two new books and a strong maybe. The show ends with one last thing about ho

On the 20th episode of the 24 Inch Podcast, Steve Bennett and Dave Rowlands take a deep dive into the April 13, 1990 match against Stan Hansen at the Tokyo Dome as part of Hulkamania 6. At the top, Steve and Dave talk about The Many Saints of Newark (they don't love it), halloween cereal (they love it), and discuss the golden age of cereal before trying to figure out what today is the golden age of. After the break, the guys give a brief bio of Stan Hansen. Also, Steve and Dave talk about the long history of the Tokyo Dome. Then, Dave tells us what the Hulkster was up to in December of 1991. Steve reads the news from December of 1991 while Dave cracks wise and adds his thoughts on a month filled with award shows, the fall of the Soviet Union, and some records in the wold of sports. Steve and Dave break down the entire card from the Coliseum Home Video release, Hulkamania 6. The guys break down each match on the tape, talk about all of the product placement on it, and mark out over a surprise appearanc

Steve interviews Sean McDonough(00:11:05) from ESPN and the Red Sox radio network. Sean is with us to discuss his new role as PBP1 on ESPN's coverage of the National Hockey League. Sean talks about his love for hockey, how he was considered for and ultimately landed the job, and what he needs to do to build his chops back up. Sean also talks about working practice games with his partners, his bucket list, and gives due respect to Gary Thorne and Doc Emrick. Finally, Sean talks about the AL Wild Card game at Fenway Park between the Yankees and the Red Sox. Sean called the game and talks about balancing three sports, the Aaron Judge play at the plate, and the early exit of Garrit Cole. Also, Rob Miech (00:51:37) from the Chicago Sun-Times joins us to talk about the rise of sports gambling. First, Rob and Steve talk about Steve's recent passion for Italian soccer on the international and club level. Next, Rob talks about writing about sports gambling for the Chicago Sun-Times. Finally, Rob and Steve discuss Br

Steve interviews Joe Posnanski(00:14:21) author of a new book called, The Baseball 100. Joe first appeared on episode six of the podcast and is back today to promote his new book. Steve and Joe talk about why the book is so great for the bathroom, discuss some players appearing on a number that just makes sense, and Joe's decision to have Willie Mays at 1. Joe also talks about Greg Maddux, promoting the book on other shows, and reflects back on his many appearances on the podcast. Also, Tim Neverett(00:41:58) from the Los Angelas Dodgers play-by-play team joins us to promote his new book. Tim explains the grind of the 2020 MLB season, talks about Clayton Kershaw's triumph, and explains why the teams's broadcasters still aren't traveling to road games. Tim also reflects back on his time calling games for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston Red Sox. Steve starts the show with a hey now and looks back at the first three weeks of the New Orleans Saints season. The book club is looking for new books. The sho