One Step Further Resources

football, resources, light

Don’t get me wrong. SportsCenter is a staple in my daily routine. I visit NFL.com more than nearly any other website. There are so many great outlets for instant updates. But if you’d like to go one step further than just headlines in your quest for football knowledge, here are a few lesser-known resources that you’ll love:

Online:

  • Peter King’s Monday Morning Quarterback (MMQB) column is a must-read. Seriously: must-read. I think Peter King does the human side of football better than anyone else, and he doesn’t leave the X’s and O’s behind, either. Consistently outstanding sports writing.
  • Pro Football Focus provides insightful (and often humorous) analysis (my favorite features are the ReFo and Weekly Winners/Losers)
  • Similarly named but different content: Pro Football Weekly (the Spin Cycles are a great way to catch up on news in each division).
  • Quickish, still my favorite source for witty instant reactions to all sports news.

Television:

  • NFL Turning Point is my new favorite show. It takes games and breaks them into the key turning points that led to victory. The explanations of the plays/personnel/schemes and why they were successful are SO helpful and not at all too technical to understand. If you only pick one NFL show to watch every week, pick this one. Airs: Wednesdays at 10:00pm and 11:00pm (NBC Sports Network) 
  • NFL Matchup is probably the best show you’ve never heard of. Unbelievably, since this show is a) on ESPN and b) about the NFL, it’s somehow terribly undermarketed. Excellent analysis and game play breakdown. Airs: Sundays at 6:30am (ESPN) and 8:30am (ESPN2)
  • Mike and Mike’s Best of the NFL (also surprisingly undermarketed) is a great quick-hitting catch up of everything that happened in the prior week. I’m inclined to it because I love the Mikes, but I think a lot of people would appreciate the show for it’s good-natured humor and approachability. Airs: Tuesdays at 3:00pm (ESPN)
  • If you’d like a primer on a wide scope of football history, A Football Life is your best bet. Each episode focuses on a specific prolific person in football history. It’s wonderfully produced and told like a classic story. Even if you aren’t a football fan, chances are you’ll love these documentaries. Airs: Wednesdays at 8:00pm (NFL Network) (You can also buy the Season 1 DVD Set here.)

Podcasts:

How about you guys? Any resources you love that haven’t been included here? Add ’em in the comments!