Radio might be dead, but podcasts are flourishing. Today I share my 3 favorite soccer podcasts and what makes them special to me.
Sports talk radio use to be a pillar of American culture, but as radio has died off over the past decade(s), it has been replaced with podcasting. And thankfully so. The podcasting format is much more conducive to the modern busy sports fan. No more having to tune into your preferred radio show at specific time, having to wait through an obnoxious amount of commercials for the chance to listen to a few minutes of the content you want, before having to sit through more commercials. So on and so on.
Without a doubt, podcasting is a decentralizing platform, taking away the control of the few major media outlets, and instead, allowing anyone with a PC, a mic, and a passion to start his/her own sports talk show. The flip side to this an influx of low quality content. As Sturgeon’s Law says: 90% of everything is crap, 10% is good. A universal truth when speaking about podcasts.
I’ve done the dirty work for you and put together my 3 daily podcasts. I’ve been a pod junkie for years and years and have trudged my way through the dirt and mud of soccer podcasting to deliver you the gems.
Men in Blazers
Coverage: Prem, MLS, USMNT
I started with the iconic partnership of Roger Bennett and Michael Davies because they are the most well know I’ll talk about here today. Former Englishmen, now adopted Americans, the two comedic duo have been blending soccer, pop culture and British banter into a hilariously insightful show since 2006. Listeners should expect a slurry of jokes, hot takes, and clever revelations while the two never fail to entertain.
I’ve always had a strong affinity for Roger, largely due to our mutual love for the written word. There is a lot of commonality with the authors and books we admire. Dave plays a nice balance to Roger’s quirky and meandering conversations.
If you are looking for a show for strait entertainment value, look no further. I doubt there is another more entertaining soccer pod than MiB. You can also catch them on TV (NBC) every week, as they host a short 30 min TV version of the podcast. They’ve also recently released a new book. The MiB pod has a huge active audience all over the word who will welcome new listeners with open arms.
Football Crazy
Coverage: Prem, La Liga, Serie A
Anyone who enjoys watching La Liga coverage on BeIn will probably be familiar with Kevin Egan and Kay Murray who make up the hosting duo for Football Crazy. This pod is the newest one listed here, barely being a year old now. However, as a result of being produced by BeIn, they have quickly improved the quality of the show in a short time.
Football Crazy is meant to be a much more lighthearted and fun show, rather than a deep analysis of topics. Instead the show believes that the most important element of playing football is to have fun. Therefore, they don’t shy away from sitting back and having a good time with the beautiful game.
They share their favorite moments from the previous week of matches, sing songs and make jokes with each other. A lighthearted look back at all the major talking points from all the big leagues. As an added bonus, Kay Murry offers a female perspective among a male dominated field. If you are wanting something easy to listen to that will put a smile on your face, here’s the show for you.
Total Soccer Show
Coverage: Prem, UCL, MLS, USMNT
TSS is composed of Daryl Grove, an Englishmen transplant now stateside, and his American counterpart Taylor Rockwell. This pod is for the extreme soccer nerd. The two extensively break down matches and dissect everything that happened. They avoid large generalized statements that we hear from every sports commentator. Instead, the two offer deep criticism and analysis. They pull out the talking points overlooked by everyone else.
I saved this one for the last because it’s one of my favorites, and you’ve likely never heard of it before. This pod is perfect for any aspiring writers here on Scorum. Not only are their conversations incredibly insightful, they will also help teach you how to approach sports criticism and journalism. They also run the largest single USSF scouting network. It has been rumored that USMNT official listen to their scouting reports instead of doing the work themselves. Not only that, but it was rumored that a variety of teams listened to their World Cup group previews before heading to Russia.
If there was one single podcast I would suggest to those interested, it would be this one. It really is the perfect pod for soccer fanatics that fancy themselves critics and writers. It doesn’t matter who you are or what your level of knowledge is, you will learn a lot with TSS.
Longtime Listeners
To be honest: one of the main reasons I wanted to write this post was to encourage any other podcast listeners to share your favorite shows. I'm always looking to grow my subscription list, so if you have a show you would like to recommend, please let me know below in the comments.
If you are soccer/football fanatic, I think you will enjoy any of the above mentioned podcasts. There is a lot to be gained by listening to them on a regular basis, and I think anyone who wants to be a sports writer should be spending time listening to what others are talking about. Here’s your primer guide to getting started with soccer podcasts.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Comments