If you’re like most sports fans, when you’re not playing or watching sports, odds are you talking or listening to others talk about them. Sifting through the sports media landscape can be intimidating — there are hundreds of radio stations and TV channels dedicated solely to sports talk during the daytime. Perhaps you’re tired of turning to sports radio and listening to more ads than actual discussion, and are looking for a viable alternative. One of the best alternatives to sports talk radio are podcasts, as you can listen to them with fewer ad interruptions and more unfiltered takes. Now, you may find yourself wondering — what are the best podcasts to listen to about sports?
For NBA fans, few podcasts beat JJ Redick’s The Old Man and the Three. When talking to reporters in post-game press conferences or giving sit-down interviews with major TV companies like ESPN, players tend to give the same tired, buttoned-up responses after every game. There is very little of that on JJ Redick’s podcast, as he gives his unfiltered takes on life in the NBA as an active player in the league. By leveraging his status as a respected NBA veteran, Redick has been able to attract huge names such as Zion Williamson and Dr. J to the show. For those that are interested, Redick will also host non-sports related guests like Bob Iger, the former CEO of Disney. With over 60 episodes already recorded, most running between an hour and an hour and a half, those who fall in love with The Old Man and the Three will have plenty of content to binge.
As the NFL dominates all other sports in terms of viewership, it should come as no surprise that there are many podcasts looking to convert a slice of NFL fans into dedicated listeners of their podcast. A significant portion of those podcasts are dedicated to fantasy football, but few podcasts cover fantasy football more effectively than A Good Football Show, formerly known as the Rotoworld Football Podcast. Having been named best fantasy football podcast of 2019 by its peers, the podcast is incredibly thorough and incorporates lots of data, which is helpful for the dedicated fantasy football player. Yet if you’re still a more casual player, there’s no need to fret — simply start to soak in the details and you should be dominating your buddies or work league in no time.
With 162 regular season games, baseball certainly provides many games to debrief on in a podcast, and Jomboy Media’s Talkin’ Baseball podcast is the spot to turn to for all MLB fans. After gaining notoriety for his Youtube videos dissecting buzz-worthy sports moments in a humorous fashion, Jomboy Media has been able to spin the Youtube videos into a podcast empire. Talkin’ Baseball provides news from around the majors with Jomboy’s signature blend of honesty and comedy. And for those who are Yankees fans and fans of Talkin Baseball, you’re in luck — there is a Talkin’ Yanks podcast that provides Yankees specific news and analysis.
Finally, no list of sports podcasts would be complete without mentioning The Bill Simmons Podcast. No witty title is needed here; instead the show lets the content speak for itself. And so far, it is tough to argue with the results, as it is the most downloaded sports podcast ever. The podcast touches on most major sports, but especially focuses on the NBA. The ex-ESPN analyst’s podcast is now the headliner of The Ringer’s array of podcasts.
