Champions Crowned. Madness Loading. The Spring Sports Reset – Episode 266 (Companion to Episode 266
If you don’t stay down and you never quit, come on over here and sit on the Far End of the Bench.
Episode 266 hit different.
Not going to dive into everything personally, but like I said on the mic — sometimes the podcast isn’t just content. Sometimes it’s therapy. Sometimes it’s the reset button. And after stepping away for a minute, it felt good to lock back in.
The NFL season wrapped. The Super Bowl crowned a champion. The Olympics are rolling. March Madness is loading. The NBA and NHL playoff pushes are heating up.
The sports calendar doesn’t stop.
Neither do we.
🏈 Super Bowl 60 – The Truth About Seattle
Let’s not sugarcoat it.
Seattle didn’t just win — they controlled the game from start to finish.
The Patriots backed into that Super Bowl. Injuries cleared their path. The bracket broke right. But when you run into a defense like that Seattle unit — ears pinned back, relentless pass rush, disciplined coverage — you need more than vibes.
You need answers.
And New England didn’t have them.
Kenneth Walker delivered a generational performance. First RB Super Bowl MVP since Terrell Davis in 1997. That matters. That’s history.
John Schneider deserves flowers too. Two Super Bowls. Two completely different rosters. That’s elite front office work.
And maybe the biggest takeaway?
You don’t need a Hall of Fame quarterback if you have:
A top defense
Elite coaching
A deep roster
And a QB who doesn’t lose you the game
That blueprint just won a Lombardi.
🥇 The Winter Olympics Have Been Unreal
I said it on the show and I’ll say it here:
I’m more locked into these Winter Olympics than I was for parts of the Summer Games.
Big air. Halfpipe. Skeleton. Speed skating. Downhill. Curling. Hockey.
These athletes are insane.
You’re going 60 mph on ice with knives strapped to your feet. You’re flipping 40 feet in the air off a halfpipe. You’re sliding head-first down a frozen tunnel.
And people still say, “I could do that.”
No. You couldn’t.
🏆 Player of the Week
🇺🇸 Elena Meyers Taylor (My Pick)
Elena Meyers Taylor is the oldest woman to ever win Olympic gold in an individual event.
Let that sink in.
Monobob. Solo. No team. No shared glory.
Just her, the sled, and gravity.
Dominant performance. Historic moment. And the kind of story that reminds you longevity isn’t luck — it’s work.
She didn’t just win.
She cemented legacy.
🇺🇸 Mikaela Shiffrin (Niko’s Pick)
Shiffrin ended an eight-year medal drought in slalom.
Eight years.
Most decorated skier in history. Already a legend. And still chasing more.
Gold in women’s slalom.
That’s greatness meeting resilience.
That’s why she’s one of the most respected competitors in the world.
🪑 Benchwarmer of the Week
🇨🇦 Canadian “Sportsmanship” (My Pick)
Look…
We’ve always joked about the “nice guys to the north.”
But between Tom Wilson dropping gloves in Olympic hockey and the men’s curling controversy?
The halo slipped.
You don’t get to sell maple syrup vibes and then start throwing hands and bending rules.
Still love hockey.
Still love the rivalry.
But the nice act? It’s cracking.
🎿 “Penisgate” in Ski Jumping (Niko’s Pick)
I don’t even need to explain this one.
If you know, you know.
The ski jumping controversy is absurd. Equipment scrutiny. Measurements. Scandal. The Olympics never escape drama.
But that’s part of the chaos that makes this whole event feel global and unpredictable.
🏒 Team USA Hockey Is Built Different
This isn’t the Four Nations tournament anymore.
This is business.
Connor Hellebuyck has been locked in.
Brock Nelson pedigree.
Quinn Hughes cooking.
Depth across all four lines.
This team doesn’t rely on flash.
They grind.
And if we get USA vs Canada in the final?
It won’t just be a gold medal game.
It’ll be personal.
The Spring Sports Reset
The Super Bowl is done.
The Olympics are wrapping.
March Madness is loading.
The NBA playoff picture is tightening.
The NHL stretch run is here.
This is the best part of the sports calendar.
Chaos.
Storylines.
Legacy moments.
And we’re back right in the middle of it.
Episode 266 wasn’t just another show.
It was the reset.
🎧 Listen to the full episode here.
📺 Watch on YouTube here.
And if you don’t stay down and you never quit…
Come sit on the Far End of the Bench.
Co-Host
Jimmy Pallotto - Co-Host, The Far End of the Bench
Born and raised in the heart of Colorado, Jimmy Pallotto is the passionate voice behind The Far End of the Bench. A lifelong sports enthusiast, Jimmy brings unparalleled energy, humor, and insight to the podcast, combining his deep-rooted love for the game with a sharp analytical edge. As a proud alumnus of Western Colorado University, where he majored in Communication Arts and Sociology, Jimmy’s background equips him to deliver thoughtful commentary and engage in meaningful discussions with fans and guests alike.
Jimmy’s love for sports extends beyond the mic. By day, he’s shaping young minds as a 7th-grade social studies teacher and multi-sport coach, mentoring athletes in wrestling and football. A dedicated coach and educator, Jimmy instills the same values of teamwork, leadership, and dedication in his students that he shares on the podcast.
When he's not in the classroom or recording episodes, Jimmy enjoys spending time with his girlfriend Carlye, their energetic Border Collie Boomer, and his close-knit family. Whether he's breaking down game-winning plays, sharing hilarious locker room stories, or diving deep into the latest sports controversies, Jimmy’s vibrant personality and authentic voice make him a fan favorite.
Catch Jimmy every week on The Far End of the Bench, where he and his co-host Niko Bryant tackle everything from Colorado sports to national headlines, bringing the sidelines to center stage.
Maxon Unfiltered: Bengals Misery, AFC North Chaos & Super Bowl 60
