What sports forum makes you a smarter sports fan?

[shipps]

I have to say sports radio keeps me a smarter sports fan.There are some smart people on the radio such as Boers and Bernsy,Laurence Holmes,Dan Patrick(good interviews), and Mully & Hanley.I appreciate sports talk with less biased opinions,and not that its not on radio but it is less profound than on the other forums IMO.

[thedoctor]

i'd go with message boards. it's boards are a better test of your critical thinking skills.

 

with radio or television you are just sitting there listening, taking it in. on a message board you get to state your opinions and have them challenged, which i think is a far stronger way to build intelligence than just soaking up someone else's opinion.

[shipps]

It looks like doing a poll on this topic is going to be a bit skewed here.

[whitesoxfan101]

I'd say other. Just reading about sports via as many formats as you can (magazines, newspapers, message boards, blogs, etc) makes you smarter than any other forum can IMO.

Edited March 15, 2008 by whitesoxfan101

[SoxFan562004]

firejoemorgan.com

[ZoomSlowik]

For me personally it's just absorbing as much useful information as possible, which means ESPN. Between the one-stop statistics, the articles (obviously I pick and choose), and Sportscenter that's an awful lot of stuff. Some of the message board members definitely contribute as well, though just like ESPN you have to filter it a bit.

[Steve9347]

It depends on what you consider knowledgeable. If its regurgitating what happened last night then ESPN, if its critically understanding the game(s) then you're getting that from BP, well-written books, first hand accounts, etc etc.

[DrunkBomber]

In terms of understanding a sport and strategies I would say experience is number one. However, for late breaking news, trade rumors and stuff like that I would say message boards. A lot of the time stories are broken on message boards before they go to the media.

[Felix]

firejoemorgan.com

So true, but I think online forums do even moreso than blogs unless you're a regular commenter on a blog, because with forums you actually state your opinion and have to defend it. This isn't the case with most blogs.

[shipps]

I find it somewhat surprising that no one feels that they are a smarter fan because of talking sports with their dad or grandfather.I know its just a sign of the times but it would be a breath of fresh air to know that good sports talk still goes on amongst families.

[Felix]

I find it somewhat surprising that no one feels that they are a smarter fan because of talking sports with their dad or grandfather.I know its just a sign of the times but it would be a breath of fresh air to know that good sports talk still goes on amongst families.

None of my family is as big a sports fan as I am, and although they are fans, they aren't nearly as knowledgeable as myself (which is merely a result of how much I pay attention to sports in my life).

[Kalapse]

1. My Eyes.

2. Statistical info (Cube, ESPN, whatever)

3. Other peoples eyes

When it comes to the Sox, or most baseball in general, 98% of media coverage is a waste for me. Not to come off smug, but I know more about this organization than any sports talk host talking about it on air, and 95% of the callers that call in. The writers that cover the beat provide good info that wouldn't be available to us otherwise, but when Joe Cowley compares Jerry Owens and Kenny Lofton in his prime, I'm going to put down the paper...

 

However, when it comes to sports I don't follow as closely, the NBA for example, I listen to people I trust. There are people here that follow the NBA pretty close, and over time I think B&B on the Score,(Bernstein mostly) have a pretty good grasp on the Association, so I gather info from there as well.

I know this sounds elitist but I definitely feel the same way. If for whatever silly reason I venture over to 670 or 1000 and they're talking Sox or just baseball in general that spells the end of my sports radio experience for the day. Listening to Silvy and Waddle discuss the 3rd base situation is not going to enlighten me or teach me anything new I'm just going to get annoyed.

 

Just hearing the 30 second best-of's from the other shows on the Score during the 2:00-6:00 commercial breaks confirms my suspicions that sports radio as a whole is just plain garbage. (though to be fair Mully and Hanley are pretty good when discussing the teams they cover)

[ChWRoCk2]

talkcubs.com

[whitesoxfan101]

1. My Eyes.

2. Statistical info (Cube, ESPN, whatever)

3. Other peoples eyes

When it comes to the Sox, or most baseball in general, 98% of media coverage is a waste for me. Not to come off smug, but I know more about this organization than any sports talk host talking about it on air, and 95% of the callers that call in. The writers that cover the beat provide good info that wouldn't be available to us otherwise, but when Joe Cowley compares Jerry Owens and Kenny Lofton in his prime, I'm going to put down the paper...

 

However, when it comes to sports I don't follow as closely, the NBA for example, I listen to people I trust. There are people here that follow the NBA pretty close, and over time I think B&B on the Score,(Bernstein mostly) have a pretty good grasp on the Association, so I gather info from there as well.

 

I follow similar ideas. The one difference is that the sport I don't follow is the NHL, so I actually come here and go to the NHL thread to find the people I trust know what they are talking about such as DBAHO and Krush and so on. As for the other sports, you are right and I feel the same way because it's true. I know more about sports (and especially my teams) than the hosts of the sports radio shows do, as do most people who post on a sports message board. Stats are a good idea to figure stuff out too with basketball and baseball.

Edited March 19, 2008 by whitesoxfan101

[RockRaines]

Sports radio and TV is so biased and usually so based on opinions instead of facts I think it makes the average sports fan more ignorant.

 

Soxtalk and other message boards have generally good posters who look outside their bias and focus on some of the finer things in sports.

[lostfan]

Chicago sports talk radio is absolutely horrible. It's kind of unfortunate that I have to share the fanbase with some of those idiots and mouth-breathers.

 

On message boards (be it Soxtalk or elsewhere) I find the ones with medium-sized memberships with good, mod staffs that do not Goderate (this excludes a certain other board and some people probably know what I'm talking about) are the best places to discuss sports. If I'm looking for information on a trade or something I come here first before going to a major site, then if it's big news I go to another site to confirm it. However, if you go to a place that's really big and has a ton of members like Sportsline, ESPN comments sections, or one of the Yahoo boards it's usually overrun with trolls and general idiots who do not really deserve to allow their opinion to be heard, so it's an exercise in futility.

[WilliamTell]

I was going to go with message boards but I decided to go with ESPN/TV because there's where I learned most of the stuff back when I was little. Baseball cards were also good at learning stats and knowledge. I honestly hate talking sports with most people, not to sound arrogant and I'm sure many of you also deal with this, but the common sports fan doesn't know a whole lot, so I have a problem with made up stats or whatever else they talk about.

[GaelicSoxFan]

Message boards for me.