We live in ‘noisy’ times – the web, social media and your favorite apps have never before been besieged with so much information.
If you are a sports fan, it’s easy to miss out on the essential info about your beloved teams and players in the wake of the hype, the conjecture and, sadly, the trolling.
For that reason, it really does make sense sometimes to pare back your online intake to just the essentials – no longer will you have to miss out on the best bits regarding your chosen sports and teams.
So here are the five apps/website types that you should consult to ensure that you consume only the finest content available.
Latest News
Let’s go back to basics – let’s source our news updates from only official or trusted sources.
It’s so easy to get sucked into a rabbit hole of rumor and conjecture when it comes to following a sports team, but ultimately it’s only fact that holds any weight – even in this post fake news world.
On social media, make sure you are following only official sources – that could be the NFL or the MLS, or individual teams within those organizations. Look to follow only accredited journalists and reporters – there are many, many ‘fakes’ doing the rounds that have no official sources to call upon.
On the wider web, you can bookmark the news feeds of only the most reputable media sources too – creating your own ‘truth pages’ rather than hackneyed opinions and Chinese whispers.
Fixtures & Results
Rabid sports fans don’t want to miss a single minute of the action.
The sports world moves so fast, and gone are the days when games would take place on a specific day and at a regular time – TV broadcasters have made it so that there’s live sport almost every day of the week now.
You can follow the fortunes of your team, and their rivals, by downloading an app dedicated to fixtures and results – that way, you can plan your armchair TV viewing in advance.
Transfer/Draft Rumours
Nothing gets the blood of a sports fan pumping quite like the transfer window or the draft.
Whichever sport you follow, the chances are that your team will have a chance to buy/sell/trade players at some point of the calendar year, and it’s those times that can fire the optimism of a supporter unlike any other.
While the reliability and consistency of some ‘trade rumor’ sites and apps is questionable, there’s no doubt that they can be great fun too.
Live Streaming
Think you need an expensive TV subscription package to watch the action? Think again (sort of).
Live streaming services are becoming more and more prevalent, and for a low monthly fee – or affordable one-off payment – you can catch the best in the business on your chosen device.
Caution is advised – some streaming services are illegal, and in addition to the small matter of breaking the law there’s also the risk that you’ll be exposed to malware/spyware too.
Another live streaming option comes in the form of sportsbooks. These bookmakers that offer football betting amongst other sports have licenses for a number of top competitions around the world, and you can watch the action simply by having a funded account or placing a wager.
Fan Forums
Everyone has an opinion on their favorite sports teams – be it the good, the bad or the downright ugly.
Fan forums are a great place to have entertaining discourse with your fellow supporters, or at the very least engage in some impassioned debates that are sure to get the juices flowing.
Either way, downloading a fan forum app – and the other options listed in this article – are a great way to feel a deeper connection to the sports you love.
