Top sport podcasts to get you through lockdown | Anjum Ali Saiyad
Sport podcasts are a social and sporting lifeline for many of us during lockdown right now. The Premiership is stalled, the cricket season hasn’t started, and Tokyo 2020 is now Tokyo 2021. To be honest, the Belarusian Premier League just isn’t doing it for me right now.
But what is keeping me going during these long days are some of the seriously good sport podcasts that are out there at the moment.
The best sport podcasts to get you through lockdown
So here are my top 10 sport podcasts to keep you entertained through lockdown.
Who doesn’t love Peter Crouch? He’s a cult figure among football fans — a better player than many give him credit for, and an all-round nice guy. He might be a bit of a dodgy dancer, but then we can’t all be good at everything.
This podcast basically feels like Crouchy and a couple of mates chatting — not just about football, but also about the whole weird circus of life as a highly-paid professional player. Great banter, interesting insights and all good fun.
If you’re a fan of ‘America’s National Pastime’ then this podcast is your Major League Baseball fix while the season is stalled. Who knows when games will begin again. There is some talk of every single player in the league being locked down together in one place to play out the season.
But, in the meantime, host Buster Olney is catching up with legends of the game for in-depth interviews. He talks to general managers and players from different eras, and it’s an absolute must for baseball fans. One for anyone who is interested in the past, present or future of the game.
2020 just doesn’t feel right without cricket. But at least the TMS team are still here for us. While there are no live games to talk about they’re digging back into the archives to put loads of great cricket content out there. You know you’re in safe hands with the TMS team, so this will be my cricket fix while we’re waiting for the season to start.
Almost as unimaginable as a summer without cricket is a summer without Wimbledon. I’m a big fan and I can’t believe there’s NO WIMBLEDON this year. The Tennis Podcast is the perfect way to try and fill the void if you’re a hardened tennis lover. You’ll find lots of great insight into the game of course, but also a whole host of excellent and very high-profile guests.
This lack of footy is a good or bad thing for most fans, depending on where your team was when the season stalled. But personal interests aside, one of things I miss most during lockdown is watching Match of the Day with my housemates on a Saturday night. This podcast is doing the job for me in the meantime however — great if you’re missing Gary and Alan (or even Danny Mills).
Another football podcast — but to be truly honest that doesn’t really do it justice. Athletico Mince is hosted by Bob Mortimer (of Vic and Bob fame) and if you’re a fan of his, that’s probably all you need to know. Expect the surreal and unexpected, as well as a bit of footy chat. A football podcast, but truly not as you know it.
I’m a big fan of American Football, and I think the BBC are doing a great job with their regular NFL show. But back when NFL coverage was on Channel 4, Nat Coombs was the man — and he’s now got his own podcast. Loads of great interviews and insights into the game: I just can’t wait until the season is back up and running.
Sure, you’ll get the latest cricket news with Tailenders (if there is any!). But much more importantly you get plenty of enjoyable banter between the presenters. Greg James, Felix White and England legend Jimmy Anderson seriously know their stuff and are always up for ripping it out of each other. Yet another great way to get your cricket fix this summer.
I miss the pace and buzz of NBA basketball, and so The Jump is one of my go-to podcasts during lockdown. The team are superb (and knowledgeable), and they’re also doing regular episodes reacting to the latest on Netflix’s new series about Michael Jordan, The Last Dance. A real three-pointer.
If you’re looking for quality insight into the game, then The Totally Football Show is a must-listen. Host James Richardson presented Channel 4’s Football Italia in the 1990s (no, me neither, but older footy fans say it’s a cult classic — Google it!) — and he’s brilliant. Plenty of great video content on their website too for those of you who are missing watching the game.
Hope that keeps you going!
Originally published at https://www.anjumalisaiyad.co.uk on April 27, 2020.
