Title: Fore Play presented by Barstool Sports
Date: March 5, 2018
Length: 49 minutes
Hosts: Riggs, Trent and Frankie
Extra: You can subscribe on iTunes or listen on Barstool Sports
Tiger is back!!!
Well, maybe, we’ll see.
Surely you’ve heard by now that every golf fan is ready to crown Tiger Woods as the winner at Augusta for the Masters. The PGA Tour could desperately use that kind of drama, seeing as their ratings for recent major tournaments haven’t been great. But there’s also something the PGA needs equally as bad: Young people to inject life into the game. That’s what I immediately got when I listened to Fore Play for the first time.
To be fair, this was the first podcast I’ve listened to that’s centered entirely on the PGA Tour. Though I may be totally clueless on this, my idea of most golf podcasts are a couple of older guys breaking down swing patterns, who’s short game is struggling and what golf course suits certain golfers the best. What I got with Fore Play, is three guys that sounded like they’re drinking beer in a golf cart and talking about the game. They’re passionate about the sport, while also being funny and making fun of certain golfers. They give golf the influx of youth that it needs.
The smallest things in a podcast can have a lasting impression on me. Most of the time it starts with an idea that’s very simple and basic and fits the flow and theme of the podcast. Such was the case with Fore Play as they segued between ad reads and guest appearances with a ‘golf clap’ audio drop. Yes, it probably didn’t take the guys very long to come up with that idea, but it’s just something else that helps tie the entire podcast together. The only minor complaint I had, was the background noise during Riggs’ walk through the airport. I give the guys credit for laughing it off and not making a big deal out of it, but it did seem to momentarily change the flow of the episode. It’s not a huge issue and I’m sure most listeners wouldn’t even consider it a problem, but it’s something you’d rather not make a habit.
After 26 minutes of really entertaining golf talk, Paige Spiranac joins the podcast to talk about her involvement with the sport. First of all, I loved her energy and enthusiasm. She seemed extremely comfortable in the setting and really meshed well with the guys. Most guests sound like a guest, meaning they’ve never been on the podcast before. Spiranac could have easily been mistaken as one of the co-hosts, seeing as she had a ton of chemistry and familiarity with the crew. The interview fit extremely well with the previous minutes of the show. In fact, the episode never missed a beat during Spiranac’s appearance.
If you’re doing a podcast on a certain sport, it’s because you love that particular game. That means you not only have favorite players and teams, but you also have players and teams you hate with a flaming passion. If that’s the case, tell me who those people are! Tell me why you hate a particular player and how you love to root against them. That shows emotion, which is always a good thing.
In terms of a golf podcast, there’s no way a fan can like every single golfer on the PGA Tour. You’re automatically destined to hate a number of players for a multitude of reasons. I appreciated the hate on Fore Play. They let me know who they can’t stand, why they hate him and what it’s like to root against them on a Sunday during a tournament. Frankie even gave the listener a great quote: “We want guys that get a reaction out of us. That’s why I like Bubba (Watson) and I like to hate Bubba. Justin Thomas in putting himself in there. Yeah, we’re pinning ourselves up against the best player in the world right now, but it makes it more fun because you get to root against somebody and there’s nothing better in sports than rooting against somebody.”
Truer words have never been spoken.
Final Thoughts:
I really hope Tiger wins a major this year, just so I can run and listen to how much Frankie, Trent and Riggs freak out about it on the podcast. The great thing, is that they’ll exude the exact same emotion that the everyday golf fan is feeling when it happens. These guys are funny, they know what they’re talking about and they make it fun. Sure, breaking down why Rickie Fowler hasn’t won a major could be interesting to some, but Fore Play can do that while making jokes about how his life off the course probably operates. It’s the best of both worlds.
I can be honest about my lack of interest in the PGA. It’s pretty low. But seeing as how entertained I still was by Fore Play, that’s probably a huge compliment that they were able to keep me intrigued and entertained while talking about a sport that I’m not passionate about. That’s talent and a reason why Fore Play has built such a large following.
This podcast appeals to several demographics, but especially the younger generation. If you love golf, look no further than Fore Play. This podcast is another….wait for it…. ‘hole-in-one’ for Barstool Sports.
Tyler McComas is a columnist for BSM and a sports radio talk show host in Norman, OK where he hosts afternoon drive for SportsTalk 1400. You can find him on Twitter @Tyler_McComas or you can email him at TylerMcComas08@yahoo.com.
