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In 1990, an all-sports newspaper called “The National” made its debut, and it featured some of the greatest sports writers of the day. It was a great idea at the wrong time and it last 18 months despite an excellent product.

One of its problems was distribution and in Las Vegas, it was very hard to find. I’d drive for an hour sometimes looking for it. In doing so, I found a newsstand that I hadn’t previously known about that sold out-of-town Sunday newspapers.

In the days before the internet, this was a godsend to an avid sports fan. So on Monday afternoon, I’d drive across town and would be six or seven Sunday papers from around the country. I always tended to buy the Boston Globe and the Dallas Morning News, because of the quality of their sports staffs, but I bought many papers.

I was thinking of those days fondly as I was going scrolling through the podcast section on iTunes the other day. I am an avid podcast listener, and I particularly like technology podcasts. Looking through the podcast list reminded me of those days when I used to buy  out-of-town newspapers to see the kind of work they were producing.

I have a bunch of podcasts I subscribe to and listen to regularly, and then others that I listen to occasionally. I listen to podcasts on a variety of topics and never ceased to be amazed how many intelligent, creative people there are producing extraordinary work.

These are the ones in my regular rotation now. Give them a try. You might like them:

 Believe You Me with Michael Bisping: The ex-UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping and his co-host, Luis Gomez, have a great rapport and make for a fun listen. They talk MMA, and the fight game in particular, but they go beyond just the fights and discuss the world around them.

It’s funny, it’s insightful and it’s informative. Bisping has a million stories and is a great story teller.

It’s one of my favorites, if not my favorite. My only complaint is it gets a bit long at times. I prefer podcasts of an hour or 90 minutes, tops, and Believe You Me frequently hits the two-hour mark. It’s a minor complaint, though, because it’s such a fun podcast.

 MacBreak Weekly: MacBreak Weekly is a two-hour podcasts recorded every Tuesday that  covers all the Apple news you could possibly want. The four-person panel of host Leo Laporte and analysts Andy Ihnatko, Rene Ritchie and Alex Lindsay are outstanding. Ihnatko and Ritchie are the heart of the soul and they have the kind of perspective and inside knowledge that makes this a must-listen for any Apple fan.

They’re clearly Apple fans, but they are critical when need be. They have great sources and insights and I never miss it.

 

Stay Tuned with Preet: Preet Bharara, who was the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York before being fired by President Trump hosts a podcast about justice and fairness that is always riveting.

He covers a wide range of topics, from discussing the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi to the opiod crisis and journalism in the age of Trump. He gets great guests, asks terrific questions and makes for compelling conversation.

The Joe Rogan Experience: Rogan’s podcast is continually excellent, and he not only gets great guests, but they’re eclectic. You could get a fighter, but you could hear Tesla’s Elon Musk. No matter who he has as a guest, Joe does a great job interviewing the subjects and the conversations are fascinating.

If I was going to complain that Bisping’s podcast is long, I have to say the same re Rogan’s, because it can stretch over three hours. But it’s three hours that go bye like 15 minutes.

Do yourself a favor and check it out, particularly his interview with boxer Tyson Fury. You will thank me for it.

 The TED Radio Hour: The description of this podcast on iTunes is the best way to describe it: “Guy Raz explores the emotions, insights, and discoveries that make us human. The TED Radio Hour is a narrative journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems and new ways to think and create.”

Raz delves into a diverse topic list with depth and understanding. His most recent was on how people use humor to overcome problems in their lives.

His show on preparing for death was compelling.

Others:

I also regularly listen to Leo Laporte’s “The Tech Guy,” and have recently subscribed to Rachel Maddow’s podcast about former Vice President Spiro Agnew called Bagman. It’s just beginning, but I’ve loved the first two episodes.

Let me know in the comments what your favorite podcasts are!