About The Show
Perhaps three years and 150 episodes sounds like a long time. To others, not so much. But the history of Empty the Bench (ETB Sports) goes further than that.
The original idea of Empty the Bench began in the Fall of 2016, when co-creators and hosts
Nick Morgasen, Tom Albano, and Nick Fodera met in a journalism master's class at Hofstra University. It was there that Nick M. proposed that Tom and Nick F. host a sports podcast together as part of Nick M.'s idea for a website to host podcasts and written articles. While the website idea didn't fully come to fruition, Tom and Nick F. committed to the podcast, birthing The Unspoken Podcast, a show that looked to be "unfiltered and uncensored" and to "leave nothing unspoken."
The Unspoken Podcast officially launched at the end of 2016, with the first episode released on New Year's Eve. The audio-only show was originally broadcasted on YouTube before branching out to platforms like iTunes starting with the 31st episode in August 2017. In addition to all the sports talk one can handle, the guys interviewed plenty of big-name guests including Bob Ryan, Sarah Spain, Izzy Gutierrez, the late Sekou Smith, Freddie Coleman, Zig Fracassi, Andy Slater, Chris Shearn, Robin Lundberg, YouTube personality UrinatingTree (aka Schlasser) and more!
Eventually, the three decided to re-brand, officially launching Empty the Bench at the end of August 2019, with the focus on simple story-telling and opinion-having -- with their usual dash of weird and bizarre comedy. Since then, the guests have continued with names like Jesse Rogers, Robert Murray, Andrew Marchand, and Keith Smith, as well as Yankees prospects Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells!
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the three took their show to Facebook Live. Then, beginning with an NFL Draft special and episode 83 in 2021, the show eventually went back to YouTube where it still is today.
Empty The Bench Sports
About The Hosts
Nick Morgasen
Nick Morgasen is the co-host and Executive Producer of Empty The Bench and Beyond The Bench. Nick is also the Head of Content and Programming.
Nick formerly worked for 770 WABC in NY as a board operator, producer, phone screener and editor. He also worked for Westwood One as a backup producer, board operator editor and social media manager for “The John Batchelor Show.”
Nick got his Associate’s Degree from Nassau Community College and worked at the campus radio station WHPC. He hosted a show called, “All in With Nick Morgasen” where he had the chance to interview celebrities from: ESPN, ABC, CBS, A&E, TruTV, Food Network and more. Nick received his bachelor’s in Broadcasting from LIU Post in 2015. He worked for the college radio station WCWP as the sports director and hosted sports talk shows.
When Nick isn’t being a workaholic, he loves to spend time with his family and his niece and nephew. He also likes to exercise and be social. Nick is also a huge fan of the New York Yankees, the New York Jets and the Brooklyn Nets fan.
Tom Albano
Tom Albano is the co-host and Executive Producer of Empty the Bench and The MMA Outsiders. Tom also serves as Programming Director of the ETB Network.
Outside of the network, Tom currently works as a high school English teacher and as a contributor to FanSided MMA. Previously, Tom served as a staff writer for The Hockey Writers and a Digital Content Creator at FIGHT SPORTS, as well as a color commentator for Rider Broncs baseball.
Tom received his master's degree in journalism from Hofstra University in 2018 after receiving his bachelor's from Rider University in 2016.
When the busy-bodied and workaholic Tom actually gets free time, he loves to spend it playing video games, exercising, and playing fantasy sports. He is a fan of combat sports (MMA, boxing, etc.), as well as a fan of the New York Yankees, New York Rangers. and New York Giants.