Far End of the Bench

Welcome to the audio companion for Episode 278 of The Far End of the Bench.
 
These audio blogs are built to sit between the written blog and the full podcast episode — not a replacement for either, but a more cinematic way to revisit the biggest themes, sharpest lines, and stories that deserved a little more room to breathe.
 
In this edition, Jimmy breaks down a chaotic sports week featuring Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals drama, Hurricanes-Golden Knights Stanley Cup intensity, 2026 World Cup heat concerns, Brendan Sorsby and the NCAA’s gambling credibility crisis, Broncos legal and contract smoke, Denver stadium politics, and the latest Versus debate: NBA Finals vs. Stanley Cup Finals.
 
Watch the full episode on YouTube, listen wherever you get your podcasts, and read the full companion blog at feotbpod.org.
 
We’ll see you at the far end.

The Far End of the Bench introduces the Audio Blog Edition, bringing select pieces from feotbpod.org to the podcast feed.
 
In this Rise of the Roadrunners bonus feature, Frankie “The Horn” Calderón looks at Robert Henry Jr.’s legacy, Wayshawn Parker’s arrival, and whether UTSA’s standard can survive the handoff.
 
Read the full piece at feotbpod.org and follow Rise of the Roadrunners on YouTube.

The Finals are on fire, and the football world is somehow even messier. Ep 278 opens with the latest from the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Final as both series hit Game 5 pressure, then we dive into Brendan Sorsby’s NCAA gambling saga, Jonathon Cooper’s domestic violence arrest, Marvin Mims changing agencies before a contract year, and the latest fight over the Broncos’ downtown stadium plans. Plus, our versus segment ranks the greatest NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Final matchups of all time before Player of the Week and Benchwarmer of the Week close the show.
 
#NBAFinals #StanleyCupFinal #NFLNews #BroncosCountry #DenverBroncos #TexasTechFootball #NCAA #SportsPodcast #PodcastClips #FarEndOfTheBench

The Bench is loaded for Ep. 277. Jimmy and Niko preview the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Final before reacting to Chris MacFarland leaving the Avalanche to take over hockey ops in Nashville. Then the guys look ahead to the upcoming World Cup and debut a brand-new summer segment: Versus. First up? Marvel vs. DC superheroes. Who has the better universe, better icons, and better bench? We close it out with Player of the Week and Benchwarmer of the Week.
 
Subscribe, join the Benchwarmers, and let us know your side: Marvel or DC?
 
#FarEndOfTheBench #FeOTB #NBAFinals #StanleyCupFinal #Avalanche #Predators #WorldCup #MarvelVsDC #Marvel #DCComics #SportsPodcast #ColoradoSports #BenchwarmerNation

This Memorial Day edition of Ridin’ the Pine starts with respect for the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice before shifting into a full Denver sports therapy session. The Avs are down 3-0 after blowing a 3-0 lead to a superior Vegas team, the Nuggets’ playoff embarrassment still stings, the Broncos’ AFC Championship heartbreak still haunts, and the Rockies remain the background sadness we try not to discuss. Then we close with the real meaning of teacher summer break: recovery, survival, and finally getting a few weeks where nobody asks if the assignment is graded.
 
Drop your Denver sports pain ranking in the comments: Avs collapse, Nuggets disaster, Broncos heartbreak, or eternal Rockies sadness.
 
#RidinThePine #FarEndOfTheBench #ColoradoAvalanche #DenverNuggets #DenverBroncos #DenverSports #TeacherLife #MemorialDay

Vegas buried the Avalanche, the Knicks took over New York, and Wemby’s next big moment is staring him down. On Ep 276, we start with summer break and one more Memorial Day reflection with Niko back on the Bench. Then we put the Avs season to bed: the sweep, the Game 3 collapse, Bednar’s future, and why this team still feels stuck despite all the talent. We also break down Carolina vs Montreal, ask who can actually challenge Vegas, react to the Knicks sweeping Cleveland, preview the Thunder-Spurs classic brewing out West, introduce new fans to PLL, and hand out Player and Benchwarmer of the Week.
 
#FarEndOfTheBench #Ep276 #ColoradoAvalanche #VegasGoldenKnights #StanleyCupPlayoffs #NewYorkKnicks #NBAPlayoffs #Wemby #ThunderUp #SanAntonioSpurs #PLL #DenverSports #SportsPodcast

Ridin’ the Pine is back with another members-first episode before it goes public Friday.
 
This week, Jimmy breaks down the Avalanche surviving Minnesota in five, Vegas ending Anaheim’s run in six, and why Avs vs. Golden Knights feels like a true Western Conference heavyweight fight. Then it’s NFL schedule talk with the biggest Bengals and Broncos games circled before finishing with a three-watch review of the Michael biopic and Jimmy’s ranking of the best musical performances shown in the movie.
 
On the bench today:
 
Avs finish the Wild in 5Vegas sends the Ducks homeColorado vs. Vegas WCF previewBengals schedule pressure pointsBroncos schedule gauntletMichael movie reviewBest musical performances ranked
 
Members get the first take. Public release Friday.
 
Subscribe, become a Benchwarmer member, and ride with us from the Far End of the Bench.

The revenge tour rolls on. Episode 275 of The Far End of the Bench breaks down the Avalanche finishing off the Wild, resets the Stanley Cup Playoff picture, and previews a heavyweight Western Conference Finals showdown between Colorado and Vegas. Then we hit the NBA Playoff reset button before asking the obvious question: why does the Broncos schedule feel like punishment from the league office? We close it out with Player of the Week and Benchwarmer of the Week.
 
Avs move on. Vegas waits. NBA chaos continues. Broncos fans have questions.
 
#FarEndOfTheBench #FEOTB #GoAvsGo #Avalanche #StanleyCupPlayoffs #NHLPlayoffs #AvsKnights #DenverBroncos #BroncosCountry #NFLSchedule #NBAPlayoffs #SportsPodcast

The Avalanche hit a gut-check moment, and Ridin’ the Pine is here to break it all down.
 
Jimmy dives into the Avs’ latest playoff test, what the response says about this team, and why one loss does not erase the bigger picture. It is panic time for some fans, but championship teams do not survive by being perfect — they survive by adjusting, responding, and proving they can take a punch.
 
Plus, Jimmy gets into the wider playoff picture, the drama around the league, and why this is exactly the kind of moment that separates contenders from teams just happy to be here.
 
Subscribe for more Ridin’ the Pine episodes, Avs playoff reactions, and sports takes from The Far End of the Bench.
 
#GoAvsGo #RidinThePine #FarEndOfTheBench #StanleyCupPlayoffs #Avalanche #NHLPlayoffs

The Avs have Minnesota on the edge. This week on The Far End of the Bench, Jimmy and Niko break down Colorado taking a 3-1 series lead over the Wild, what has powered the Avalanche surge, and whether Minnesota has anything left before the series slips away.
 
Then we zoom out across the Stanley Cup Playoffs, jump into the NBA Playoffs, react to the Wemby ejection drama, and get ready for NFL Schedule Release week with the matchups, storylines, and chaos we’re watching for.
 
Plus, as always, we close with Player of the Week and Benchwarmer of the Week.
 
Avs-Wild. Stanley Cup chaos. NBA playoff drama. Wemby controversy. NFL schedule week. Let’s ride.
 
Subscribe, drop your Player and Benchwarmer of the Week in the comments, and join us at the far end of the bench.