Author: Oliver Field
Occidental’s new sports talk radio show “Tiger Talk” is looking to take the Eagle Rock sports scene by storm. Founded by Joshua Throckmorton (senior) and Jacob Blodgett (senior), Tiger Talk is a blog/podcast dedicated to providing the latest news and analysis of Occidental Athletics.
Both Throckmorton and Blodgett have been active members of the Occidental men’s baseball team for the past four years, and Blodgett spent the last semester working in game management for the athletic department. Their backgrounds in Occidental sports gives them first-hand insight into what it means to be a student athlete at a Division III school, which lends itself to more interaction with sports participants.
“It started as a way to make the Occidental sports coverage a bit more personal,” Throckmorton said.
After recognizing the general lack of diversity in sports coverage, the group began to add more segments to their podcast, including more athletes and stories to their show and incorporated a blog to archive recorded interviews.
Throckmorton and Blodgett said the idea started as part of a homework assignment, but they enjoyed doing the broadcasts so much they wanted to continue with their show. New to the sports broadcasting world, the group is learning as they go, figuring out how best to capture an audience and give Occidental Athletics a new twist.
One of the more lighthearted segments of the program includes ‘Mascot Matchups,’ during which Blodgett picks the winner of a game based purely on the outcome of a fictitious battle between the two team mascots.
While the school’s athletic site (oxyathletics.com) provides in-depth analysis and statistical information about games and teams, the show gives a more relaxed, talk-show type approach to the competition and lives of the athletes through dialogue.
“It’s been a cool experience following all of the athletes and learning about the teams beyond just what’s posted on the Oxy Athletics website, and the experience of writing, producing everything, making videos and conducting interviews has been pretty rewarding,” Throckmorton said.
Tiger Talk looks to gain followers and raise interest about Occidental Athletics, and with a diverse show and creative atmosphere students can have another option for their sports information.
The life of an athlete extends well beyond the playing field, and the men of Tiger Talk are looking to see just how far.
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