Podcasts. A Sports Fans' Tool

Sports fans can get their sports’ news in a variety forms, on the TV, on the internet, or in print. No doubt we now live in an information age. Breaking news can be spread across the internet in a matter of seconds and will eventually reach our high definition televisions across an ESPN ticker. 

If it’s whispered and if it’s interesting enough, the whole world will know in a matter of minutes. Besides blogs and websites, fans and experts can use another medium as an information source and as another outlet to break down and analyze the sports world.

Podcasts

Podcasts are recorded radio shows, TV shows, interviews, and discussions that are put into the mp3 format.  The mp3 format allows podcasts to be played on iPods and other mobile devices. Don’t have an iPod? Don’t worry, even if you don’t have an iPod you can still stream podcasts on the internet or your favorite desktop media player (iTunes or Windows Media Player, etc.).

As a sports nut and as a sports blogger, podcasts have been extremely useful. I don’t always have the time to watch programs like Sportscenter or Pardon the Interruption. ESPN records every show onto a podcast that can be downloaded on to my computer after it is aired. I also listen to podcasts from the local sports radio station, 950 KJR. The podcasts from 950 KJR range from athlete interviews to special programs that I miss during school hours.

Another great feature that podcasts bring to the table is the ability for them to be subscribed to. I am a subscriber to a bunch of ESPN podcasts and some sports oriented podcasts as well.

All podcasts are completely free to be subscribed to. By subscribing through iTunes or another source, the podcasts are able to be automatically downloaded to your computer, making sure you have the latest news and analysis right away.Did I mention podcasts are completely free? Yep. Maybe you’ll hear some radio advertising, but usually only three short ads at max are played during a 30 minute podcast.

Perhaps the greatest thing about podcasts is its versatility and mobility. Besides listening to it on my computer, I can sync podcasts to my iPod so I can listen to them in my car or on a long bus ride.

So what are you waiting for? Go and download yourself some podcasts!

Here are some useful links about podcasts:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast - Overview on Podcasts
• http://espnradio.espn.go.com/espnradio/podcast/index -ESPN Radio podcast index and downloads
• http://950kjr.com/main.html# -950 KJR main page, with on-demand interviews, etc
• http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/podcasts.html -iTunes’ podcasts