Football Apps Keep Students Connected and Informed
Even the most rabid football fan finds himself away from the TV screen at some point during football season. For those times when sprawling out on the couch all day just isn’t an option, mobile apps help fill in the gap.
ESPN ScoreCenter
The most popular football update app is ESPN ScoreCenter, which brings, according to the app’s page, “scores, news and standings from hundreds of sports leagues around the world.”
The app allows the user to personalize a scoreboard, only showing results from favorite teams. It can be used not only for football, but for baseball and basketball, too. It has everything from NFL updates to soccer scores from Paraguay. It’s like a tiny episode of “SportsCenter” that fits in your pocket.
Zach Breazeal, junior biology major, appreciates the ability to focus in on his particular teams, the Razorbacks, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Baltimore Ravens. Breazeal doesn’t have to wade through useless scores to find the ones he actually cares about.
“Instead of searching for those teams to find scores or stats, it’s all right there, with updates, scores and information,” Breazeal said.
ESPN provides the app for free. Breazeal said that unless something like it had drastically improved features, he will continue using the free version.
ESPN College Football
Nicholas Stefanic uses ESPN ScoreCenter for most of his on-the-go sports needs. College football, however, is just too important to him to leave up to any old app.
“If you’re talking college football, it’s ESPN College Football,” Stefanic said. “It has different stories, video feeds, and it’s easy to see stuff like rankings.”
As a devout Razorback fan, Stefanic spends home-game Saturdays either tailgating or inside the stadium. He still has to know what’s going on in the football world, though.
“I even use it when I’m in the Razorback games and I need to check scores on other games,” Stefanic said.
Whether or not his phone is getting service in Donald W. Reynolds is another issue altogether.
ESPN Fantasy Football
Junior industrial engineering major Daniel Sultemeier keeps up with his fantasy football team using the ESPN Fantasy Football app. With the app, Sultemeier can start or bench his players, trade for other players, and drop and sign.
The app page touts the ability to view fantasy matches in real time, and the app can send push notifications for scoring, substitutions and injuries. With the app, team managers can make real-time decisions without computer access.
Sultemeier also enjoys the app’s ability to track player performance.
“I can keep up with a player statistically when I’m competing,” Sultemeier said.
Sultemeier does not always like the fantasy football community in general, though. The app allows access to message boards and comments, which frequently get out of hand.
“Sometimes you’ll see people who are happy that an opponent’s player tore an ACL or broke their leg,” Sultemeier said. “That’s never something another human should be happy with.”
Bleacher Report
Team Stream
For day-to-day news and updates on teams, the Bleacher Report Team Stream provides coverage of news stories. Both Stefanic and Sultemeier primarily use Bleacher Report to keep tabs on Razorback football.
The app page promotes the ability to “get real-time, hand-picked notifications so you’re always the first to know big news.” The app also differs from ESPN apps in that it uses local sources to provide more detailed coverage. Arkansassports360.com has a leg up on ESPN for breaking news, and Bleacher Report allows users to take advantage of different sources.
Sultemeier enables push notifications for specific players.
“For instance, today I got a notification saying that Tank Wright will be out for the rest of the year,” Sultemeier said.
So, download all you want (every app is available free of charge), and keep up. That jones for scores and updates from your favorite team can be sated from anywhere with 3G. Football fans can relish in victory or wallow in defeat, even far away from a couch or TV.
