My older brother listens to what feels like fourteen podcasts at the same time. He recommended several to me, but I never bothered to sit down and listen to a single one. I couldn’t find the time, nor the attention span, to care about any of it.
In the height of the Bator Family Podcast Craze (the obsession spread to my parents), I began work for a realty company as a “stager” this summer. As part of the job, I lifted heavy objects, stuck them in a van, and drove the van around. Sometimes, I would go on1-hourr excursions from one house to another, which means there was a lot of time just sitting around. My coworker (and fellow idiot) Mickey and I played music for a while, but we eventually switched over to a podcast by the name of “Crime In Sports”. That’s where it all started.
“Crime In Sports” is about athletic assholes who get sent to jail for a litany of crazy reasons, varying from murder to international weed smuggling via speedboat to jewel thievery to heavy cocaine use. It’s terrifying, un-PC, and sometimes downright sickening (here’s lookin’ at you, Joe Son), but it’s consistently hilarious. One guy attempted to escape from prison via helicopter (spoiler: the helicopter got stuck in a fourteen foot jail fence). One guy was so nuts he claimed there were demons in his air conditioner. And, one guy fed his girlfriend to a Rottweiler. And, Mickey implored me to listen; I’m now as hooked as he is.
Thanks to “Crime In Sports”, I’ve found other podcasts to listen to (instead of studying for my exams), and I want to share some of them with you.
“Crime In Sports” with James Pietragallo and Jimmie Whisman
I gave the gist of the show’s premise already, but I cannot stress enough how much I’m loving these guys. Two comedians named James and Jimmie (featuring Frankie, the dog!) spend about one to two hours unmercifully ripping into assholes on sports teams. No one is safe. Not only have I learned a lot about the sports these criminals play, but I’ve also learned a fair amount about the legal system. This podcast is not for the fainthearted!
“Roderick on the Line” with John Roderick and Merlin Mann
“Roderick on the Line” is a “weekly candid phone call between John Roderick and Merlin Mann.” Topics can range. I know that might sound boring, but these guys have great rapport. One of my favorite episodes is when they’re both actually together. They are describing the menu of this crazy Chinese restaurant they went to, which included items such as “Acid Droplets Beans Pork” and “House Trotter.” It’s wonderful.
“The Dollop” with Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds
Similar to the “Crime In Sports” guys, these two comedians focus each episode on a peculiar person or group in American history, but there’s a twist. Dave Anthony does not tell Gareth Reynolds what the episode will be about beforehand. Hilarity ensues. Episode topics range from Donald Trump to the radioactive boyscout to the New Jersey shark attacks. The best part? They list their sources for further reading.
“The YoGPoD”
This podcast is from two of the oldest YouTube gamers on the internet: Lewis and Simon of BlueXephos. Before they became famous, they had an active podcast from 2009-2011 where they obsessed over minor celebrities and cookies. There was no organization, no recurring bits, nothing. It was just two YouTuber gamer guys doing stupid things on the internet for about forty minutes at a time. It’s nerdy and nostalgic.
“Cox n’ Crendor in the Morning”
This podcast is similar to the “YoGPod” in background (two nerdy YouTubers), but with more structure. Some of my favorite bits include: weather updates from a random zip code, the adventures of Florida Man, and terrible news stories found on Yahoo!. They also have an amazing artist on board who does animations of their funniest moments.
Finding time for all this was, at first, a pain in the neck. It only took one podcast to make me hunt for more. It’s great for walking to class, right before drifting off to sleep, or drowning out your roommate’s French listening homework (which seems endless, I pity her). Find one, then find more. You’ll end up learning something.