4 Podcasts worth listening to on the daily commute
The commute to work or college can become a bit of a pain when you’re staring at the same people everyday on the bus or train. A good podcast can brighten up any journey, but which are the best to listen to? In the first of a series from the Hurlers on the Ditch team, I take a look at four podcasts from a variety of genres which I can always rely on to help me through my commute.
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The Manual with Mike Sheridan
This can be a bit hit and miss but some of its episodes are absolute gems. It’s hosted by Mike Sheridan, the editor of entertainment.ie, who starred in the MMA documentary Barbaric Gentlemen where he took up mixed martial arts with no previous experience and stepped into the cage for his first match after 3 months of training. (Full disclosure: I have a complete man crush on Mike Sheridan so I’m a fan of anything he does).
These weekly podcasts tend to have more than their fair share of MMA guests but also discuss television, film and anything else that interests him really.
Episode worth listening to : Ep #6 with Bressie here where he discusses his struggles with depression
The Joe Rogan Experience
Best known for calling UFC fights and less known for hosting Fear Factor, (Remember that show?) comedian Joe Rogan hosts a bi-weekly podcast with long-form interviews with comedians, UFC fighters, health& fitness experts and generally interesting people.
Not for the conservatives among you, we have to take everything Joe says with a pinch of salt as he has a grá for the psychedelic drugs. His wide variety of guests ranges from academics to Steve-O( yes that Steve-o) and will definitely open your mind to different ways of thinking about things. Word to the wise, he’s a part owner of ONNIT so that’s why he’s always flogging their stuff.
Episode worth listening to: Ep #685 with Jeff Novitzky, the Food and Drug Enforcement officer that finally brought down Lance Armstrong, here.
Around the NFL
Hosted by NFL.com writers Dan Hanzus, Marc Sessler , Gregg Rosenthal and Chris Wesseling, this tri-weekly podcast (it goes down to twice a week during the off-season) discusses all that’s happening in the NFL and is a great podcast for anyone who wants to get more into American Football.
The chemistry between the foursome is fantastic, unlike some other NFL podcasts where the presenters seem to be playing a contrived persona of themselves. You get the impression that these guys would be having the same conversations if they were out in a bar having a beer as they have on air.
If you can get over the fact that they’re employed by the NFL, which has had some shady dealings of late, cough concussion lawsuit cough (which I certainly can) this is a great podcast to listen to, if only for the Sunday night recap of the weekend’s games which helps take the sting out of the Monday morning commute.
Episode worth listening to: Any of them, they’re all great. Playlist is here
An Irishman Abroad
Started in 2013 by comedian Jarlath Regan, this weekly podcast interviews well-known and not so well-known Irish people from the worlds of television, sport and entertainment. They discuss their life experiences and the lessons they have learned with refreshing honesty.
In its 3 years of existence, Regan has accumulated a diverse array of guest such as Matt Cooper, Jason McAteer (who ever thought they would appear in the same sentence) Tommy Tiernan, David McWilliams and WWE’s Finn Balor to name just a few. This is definitely a podcast worth listening if you want to know what makes some of the most famous Irish exports tick.
Episode worth listening to: Ep 22 with former Irish Rugby international and current Munster scrum Coach Jerry Flannery here and ep 107 with 3 time Major winner Padraig Harrington here
There should be a little something for everyone amongst those four podcasts, whether you are interested in sports, music, television or cinema. Hopefully I have introduced you to at least one or two new shows which will make commuting that bit easier. Make sure to keep an eye out for the next part in the series, for more podcast tips from the Hurlers on the Ditch team.
