From 1 to 150

It’s been quite a ride with the “Behind the Bench” podcast.

This week will mark the program’s 150^th episode, which is a benchmark I am quite proud of.

When I first proposed the idea of a podcast based around the sports coverage in the area, my only goal was to add another medium to our coverage.

The main goal of the podcast was never to chase down as many listeners as possible, but rather to continue to build on the product we provide here at Nevada News Group.

The main purpose, at least in my mind, was another avenue to tell local stories and bring listeners’ attention to stories or facts they may have missed.

It’s honestly a bit mind-boggling to see we’ve had nearly 14,000 listens over the life of the podcast.

STARTING OUT

The first episode aired Dec. 4, 2021, and as we near three years of taping, it seemed fitting to say thank you for listening and talk about a few of the best moments.

If you’re a weekly listener, you have my sincere appreciation.

If you’ve only checked out the program a handful of times, I still would like to extend a heartfelt thanks.

One of the aspects I am most proud of is the number of consecutive weeks we have been able to have an episode air.

When No. 150 comes out this week, it will be the 93^rd consecutive week we’ve been able to put out a show, avoiding missing a week since Christmas of 2022.

The podcast — and weekly publishing streak — would not be possible without the dedication and commitment from producer Jeff Mulvihill Jr. Seriously, without him, the podcast likely never would have gotten off the ground.

Another huge thank you has to go to Duke Ritenhouse for being a biweekly co-host and filling in when I am out of town. He’s brought fresh ideas and an energy that makes the show better every time he is on.

They have both been invaluable and irreplaceable in week-to-week production.

FAVORITE MOMENTS

Peeling back the curtain just a bit, I have to laugh looking back on some of the episodes we’ve recorded.

While we are lucky to record on some pretty nice equipment, sometimes the overall setup has been rather low budget.

One of the best aspects of the equipment is our ability to come to guests and coaches.

Several guests have had the courtesy to come to us, but we have also taped in some rather unique ways.

Episode 65 is the first one that always comes to mind, when Douglas basketball’s head coach Corey Thacker hopped on the program.

That episode was taped in a locker room with microphones on top of plastic tubs of laundry.

Don’t worry, the jerseys were clean — or at least that’s what we were told.

We’ve recorded episodes in the press box at the Tiger baseball field and gone to some places of employment to have other coaches on.

An episode was even recorded in a local auto dealership because that’s just what we could make work that day.

MAKING INTRODUCTIONS

Several episodes have been introductions to new coaches, who are joining the community.

Last winter, we recorded back-to-back episodes with the Carson and Douglas wrestling teams, giving the chance for the two sides to discuss all the unseen work that goes into the sport

It was also a small window to have just a little little trash talk between the two sides that were going to meet in a league dual just a few weeks later.

Our most popular episodes are ones featuring local coaches and athletes and those types of episodes are absolutely my goal as frequently as possible.

Though not every episode can have a guest appearance, we are still able to use audio and quotes from local athletes I’ve gathered through postgame interviews, too.

If you see that fluffy microphone in my hand, there’s a decent chance your voice will be on the podcast.

Let that serve as one final plug to go check out Behind the Bench. You can find it on Apple, Spotify or through the Nevada Appeal website under the sports tab.

Once again, thanks for listening and I hope that listeners get as much enjoyment out of each episode as we have taping them.

Until then, we will catch you guys next week. Take it easy.