Watch It From Wherever (Guest Contributer Michael Cash)

Michael Cash is a freelance writer and internet consultant residing in western Michigan with an interest in the practice and role of soccer fandom in a 2.0 world. Here, he discusses how the our march towards technological progress will change how we follow our beloved MLS teams. Enjoy.

The days are long gone where watching the big game meant sitting down in front of the television on a Sunday afternoon or Monday night. Sports have always been an excellent way to bring families and friends closer together. Ten years ago, watching a professional soccer game was a major time investment. A glorious one, yes, but a time consuming endeavor nonetheless. Nowadays, there are so many methods of watching sports on the go that, even if you have an incredibly busy schedule, there is no excuse not to catch your favorite team’s game of the week. Here are just a handful of different ways to keep tabs on your sports games that are accessible and easy to use, even for those who are not adept at using technology.

Laptops allow users to take their movies, music, and sports entertainment with them wherever they go. Even the internet can be accessed so long as there is wireless internet service in the area. For someone working long hours, or someone who is stuck in class at the time of a big game there are many online streaming web sites available which cater directly to avid sports fans. Even if you cannot actually watch the sporting event as it unfolds, web sites such as ESPN can keep laptop users up to date on their game throughout busy meetings or boring lectures.

Smartphones have become all the rage in the past few years, such as Apple’s iPhone, and the Google Android. The apps offered by both devices give sports fans unprecedented sports access. A small, simple example of an iPhone app that can be used to track scores of your favorite team is the ESPN ScoreCenter. For Android users who are avid soccer fans, FotMob 5.0 provides some of the best coverage for the sport available on mobile devices. Nearly every major league in the world is covered on this app, including Major League Soccer, Mexican League, Ligue 1 La Liga, and SPL. Doing the groceries hardly seems like the time to keep tabs on the game, but with a smartphone that has a sports app installed, time spent in the supermarket is time spent watching the game.

Blackberry phones offer apps similar to smartphones, but a bit simpler. One such app, Sky Sports Live Football Score Centre, gives users live score updates for every major soccer game in England and Scotland, as well as many major European and international leagues. Live text commentary is also available. Player profiles allows the user to know the strengths and weaknesses of all the players on the field.

The iPad is another great source for sports news on the go. ScoreCenter XL is an application which offers unparalleled accessibility and quality in its presentation. The application costs $4.99 on the Apple store. Many different teams are available to add to the favorite list, which allows for easy tracking. Once your favorite teams are added, ScoreCenter notifies you about news that is most pertinent to your favorite teams. Technology has made keeping up to date with the latest sports news quite easy, but nothing can compare to a few friends sitting on the couch, watching the game on the television in the living room.

Category: MLS