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 heart.

In Episode 3 of Empty the Bench: Small Market Edition, host Callan McClurg steps out of the analyst’s chair and into something more intimate: a tribute to the man who shaped his love of sports, storytelling, and the city itself. Through vivid anecdotes, archival memories, and reflections on what it meant to grow up in Pacific Beach listening to a master at work, McClurg explores how Leitner became the unseen mentor who guided his path long before they ever met.

This episode chronicles Leitner’s remarkable journey—from his early days on the air to becoming the defining voice of the Padres and Aztecs—while also confronting the realities of local broadcasting in a sports world increasingly dominated by national networks and corporate homogenization. But above all, it is a celebration of connection: how one broadcaster’s authenticity, vulnerability, and signature flair ignited the aspirations of a young San Diegan who would one day chase his own small-market dream.

The Voice That Raised Me: How Ted Leitner Inspired a San Diego Dream is a heartfelt portrait of legacy, mentorship, and the profound impact a single voice can have on generations of fans, dreamers, and future broadcasters.

⚠️ Note on Partnerships: This podcast was previously sponsored and powered by the Novig Sports Prediction Market. Please be advised that the partnership with Novig has expired due to the company ceasing operations in California and New York.

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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 unravels the sprawling, multi-city mythology of a franchise forever fighting ghosts of its own creation. Beginning with their origins as the Buffalo Braves—a team dismantled by ownership feuds despite flashes of brilliance—the story moves west to their forgotten years in San Diego, where relocation upheaval and front-office chaos buried the team before it ever had a chance to take root. Even their move to Los Angeles couldn’t shake the turbulence, thanks to the toxic, oppressive tenure of owner Donald Sterling, whose mismanagement turned the team into the league’s long-running punchline.

Yet even after the Sterling era ended and the franchise entered its most talented period—led by stars like Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard—the Clippers still managed to find new ways to fall short. This episode digs deep into the most recent and most bizarre chapter: the Kawhi Leonard “no-show” endorsement scandal. McClurg examines allegations of a covert deal meant to circumvent NBA salary rules, and how it reignited questions about whether the Clippers can ever escape the trap of self-sabotage, even with elite players and one of the league’s most ambitious owners.

With historical context, fan accounts, cultural perspective, and an exploration of the psychological toll of rooting for a team that always seems cursed, The Curse of the Clipper paints a full, unfiltered portrait of the Clippers’ legacy. It’s a story of unrealized potential, repeating cycles, and the uncomfortable truth that some franchises may carry their failures with them no matter where they go.

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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 amputation.

In the debut episode of Empty the Bench: Small Market Edition, host and lifelong San Diegan Callan McClurg takes listeners on a deeply personal journey through the breakup that reshaped his relationship with the National Football League forever. This isn’t merely a story about losing a team—it’s about the corporate machinations, backroom maneuvering, and political failures that dismantled more than 50 years of civic pride.

Callan retraces how owner Dean Spanos weaponized threats of relocation for leverage, how public stadium negotiations collapsed under mistrust, and how league leadership prioritized market size over community loyalty. He hears from fans who still feel abandoned, explores the long-term economic and cultural scars left behind, and confronts the uncomfortable truth that the NFL’s business model rewards cities with cash, not connection.

Part investigation, part memoir, and part love letter to a wounded sports town, this episode dives into what it means when a franchise sees people as numbers—and what happens when a small market finally realizes it was never part of the league’s plan. Through heartbreak, anger, and reluctant acceptance, The Day The Bolt Died captures the emotional cost of corporate betrayal and sets the tone for a series dedicated to the overlooked, underestimated markets fighting to keep their place in the sports world.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.