Up your listening game with these sports podcasts

By Jeremy Platt, Staff Writer

In 2020, it seemed like everybody started their own podcast. From politics to pickles, there are podcasts about literally everything imaginable. This means that people have behind the scenes access like never before. For sports fans, this is great news. Fans get to hear different viewpoints from not only journalists, but the players as well. Athletes including Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan and former Cleveland Cavaliers small forward Richard Jefferson, all have their own podcasts that they started during the pandemic. Certain players even have podcasts that do not have anything to do with sports. Portland Trail Blazers’ forward, Carmelo Anthony, has his own podcast called “What’s in your Glass” that is centered around wine. Nowadays, everybody wants to be informed, and COVID-19 has sparked the “podcast era” which resulted in more information than ever before. This list is dedicated to the five best sports podcasts.

“Old Man and the Three''

“Old Man and the Three’’, hosted by Tommy Alter and New Orleans Pelicans’ shooting guard, JJ Redick, is an extremely eye-opening sports podcast. Redick is very meticulous and does a great job of breaking down basketball for his fans. Redick and Alter have interviewed NBA stars including Damian Lillard, Joel Embiid and Jayson Tatum. The two have also hosted political figures, such as Stacey Abrams, and businessmen, like Bob Iger and Dave Rubenstein. At the end of every show, the two hosts and their guest draft a subject. Different drafts include best Christmas movies, mustaches in film or Thanksgiving food. The show gets extremely philosophical and the listeners get to see the behind the scenes of being an NBA player from Redick’s perspective.

“All the Smoke”

“All the Smoke” is hosted by two former NBA players, Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. The weekly show has a variety of both current and former athletes, sports figures and rappers. Both players are advocates for the use of cannabis in sports and discuss the benefits of CBD, which is why the show is called “All the Smoke”. Jackson and Barnes are both politically active. Jackson was one of the leaders in the Black Lives Matter movement after the killing of his childhood friend, George Floyd. Barnes led a protest after former Clippers owner, Donald Sterling, was recorded saying racist statements about Magic Johnson and Black people in attendance at Clipper games. The show does a fantastic job at incorporating basketball culture, mental health, music and politics into a single podcast. “All the Smoke” is on YouTube presented by SHOWTIME. I recommend the episodes with Jamie Foxx, Kobe Bryant and Demar Derozan.

“Pardon My Take”

“Pardon My Take”, presented by Barstool Sports, is one of the funniest sports podcasts. The show is hosted by two non-athletes, Big Cat and PFT. Both hosts use their not-so-common sense to breakdown sports and put a hilarious spin on all things relevant in the sports world. “Pardon My Take” touches on every sport at every level and interviews different guests every day. My favorite part about the hosts is that they are not afraid to trash talk some of the best athletes in the world. PFT roasted freak athlete and Seahawks wide receiver, DK Metcalf, on his three-cone drill (which is a drill that players do at the NFL scouting combine). PFT ended up having to race Metcalf and “won” the race around the Barstool office. If you want to watch a sports podcast and laugh your butt off, I recommend “Pardon My Take”.

“I am Athlete”

“I am Athlete” is hosted by four former NFL players: Brandon Marshall, Chad Johnson, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder. The show has a different guest every week and incorporates food made by Chef Nancie. Each show has well thought out conversations from different perspectives and big personalities. “I am Athlete” has had major guests including Jake Paul, Rick Ross, Michael Vick and Justin Jefferson. They cover every sport from the WNBA to the UFC. Their conversations vary from sports to racial injustice to what it is like to be the spouse of a professional athlete. This podcast gives great insight into the diets of a professional athlete, how the modern day athlete works out and hilarious footnotes from the playing careers of the hosts. 

“Bussin’ with the Boys''

My all time favorite podcast is “Bussin’ with the Boys’’ presented by Barstool Sports. “Bussin’ with the Boys’’ is hosted by two Tennessee Titans players, Will Compton and Taylor Lewan. Lewan and Compton are commonly referred to as “The Boys’’ and tell hysterical stories from their football journeys. As a whole, the podcast makes you feel like you are in a locker room. “The Boys” have vibrant personalities and interview mostly football players. Their best episodes include interviews with Derrick Henry, Quenton Nelson, Jalen Ramsey and AJ Brown. The Boys’ have also interviewed UFC fighters, such as Michael Chandler, and country music stars. The more you watch “Bussin’ with the Boys’’ the more you fall in love with it. My number one recommended sports podcast is “Bussin’ with the Boys”.

Honorable Mentions

It is hard to just pick five great sports podcasts, so here are quick breakdowns of two honorable mentions. “The Lefkoe Show” on Bleacher Report revolves around football and is hosted by Adam Lefkoe. Lefkoe is the host of the “NBA on TNT Tuesday” show and is a die hard Philadelphia Eagles fan. Lefkoe breaks down all aspects of football and hosts two shows per week. “The Pat McAfee Show” is another honorable mention. Hosted by former Indianapolis Colts’ punter, Pat McAfee, the show runs for 3.5 hours every week day on YouTube and Peacock. McAfee does not only talk about football, he addresses the WWE, the NBA and everything in between. McAfee is extremely enthusiastic and brings energy to everything he does. Every Tuesday he is joined by MVP NFL quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, and has different guests every other day. 

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