About us
Section 1904 is a San Diego–based media company founded in 2025 by Darren Smith and John Gennaro, focused on - but not limited to - San Diego sports and San Diego culture.
What is Section 1904?
Section 1904 is a San Diego–based media company founded in 2025 by Darren Smith and John Gennaro.
The Section 1904 Podcast launched in March of 2025, delivering weekday episodes focused on - but not limited to - San Diego sports and San Diego culture. We cover the stories and moments that matter to San Diegans, along with the conversations you won’t find anywhere else.
Section 1904 is also a digital platform at Section1904.com, featuring unique, timely content updated throughout the week. The idea is simple: if you’re still reading, we’re still writing.
Find Us Online
You can also connect with Section 1904 across social media:
X | Bluesky | Threads | Instagram | TikTok
Why the Name “Section 1904”?
You’re not the first to ask…
“Wasn’t that a minor league soccer team?”
“Is 1904 a gang thing?”
Kinda and NO. Here’s the real story:
San Diego sometimes goes by “1904,” a letters-to-numbers nickname:
- S is the 19th letter of the alphabet
- D is the 4th
So SD → 19 / 04 → “1904.”
Some people say “Daygo.” Others say “SD.” “1904” is just another San Diego shorthand, made more recognizable thanks to 1904 FC, the lower-division soccer club co-founded by Demba Ba, Eden Hazard, and others.
Why Section 1904?
Because sports fandom lives in the details. If you’ve ever been a season ticket holder, you know your section becomes part of who you are. It’s where your people are, where the stories happen, where the identity forms.
Our identity is San Diego.
This is our Section.
Welcome to Section 1904
Darren Smith
Darren Smith has spent the last 22 years talking sports on the radio in San Diego, beginning at The Mighty 1090 and later moving to iHeartRadio. From weekend update shifts to weekday talk shows, he has worked on some of the highest-rated programs in town. Along the way, listeners were kind enough to vote him "Best of San Diego" a few times. His mother appreciates the nice plaques.
Smith's professional career started at ESPN Radio in Connecticut, where he helped launch the 24-hour network, including The Dan Patrick Show, before San Diego became his home in 2003. He has interviewed just about everyone in local sports and consistently tried to keep every conversation equal parts smart, curious, and a little absurd.
Today, he is living in Imperial Beach and is the co-founder of Section 1904 and a broadcaster for San Diego Football Club. His goal with Section 1904 is the same as it was on the radio: tell good stories, have good conversations, and represent San Diego the right way.
John Gennaro
John Gennaro isn't a has-been, but a never was. Once known as the grouchy editor of BoltsFromTheBlue.com, then as the co-creator and co-host of Padres Hot Tub, John has spent most of his career in sports working quietly behind the scenes as a producer.
After starting at the nationally-syndicated FOX Sports Radio, John helped launch a new sports radio station in Los Angeles (The Beast 980) before returning back to San Diego at The Mighty 1090 in 2015. Since then, there have been stops with NFL Media, Vox Media and Yahoo Sports before starting Section 1904 alongside San Diego radio legend Darren Smith.
Most importantly, John lives with his wife, daughter and dog in Carlsbad, California. And, no, he never does shut up.