Only A Game also follows some of the more controversial stories in more depth than a lot of other sports media. The obvious example is the concern about concussions and other head trauma which has dogged the NFL, as well as other sports. A quick search on their website shows several pages worth of stories on that topic, ranging back several years and covering football, hockey, soccer, and more. I particularly appreciate the "in their own words" segments which feature former players speaking out about their own experiences.
It's not all serious with Only A Game, though. Host Bill Littlefield tends to wax poetic on a semi-regular basis, and while some of these compositions are serious, most have a humorous bent. Every week he and Charlie Pierce discuss news of the week, almost always with at least one absurd story. Bill's laugh is heard regularly on all but the most serious topics.
And then there's the Super Bowl Haiku. This year is the twenty-second edition, garnering a record number of submissions, so the tradition is going strong. You can listen to them here, and I recommend you do, as it's much more entertaining than just reading each entry. Take a few minutes to check it out before the game, or better yet listen to this week's whole show.
