Following The Game While Staying On The Move

Last week I mentioned how utilizing various forms of technology and social networking sites makes watching a game live, whether in person or on television, far more entertaining. But sometimes life gets in the way and instead of settling into a comfortable position at tip time, connected to other fans and media, you find yourself at, oh, I don't know, your son's swimming lessons.

That's what happened to me this past Wednesday when I had to miss watching the first quarter of the Pacers vs. 76ers game live, because I had to attend swimming lessons for my son and a friend and then shuttle them home. So in these dire circumstances you have to make the best of it, and fortunately, smart phone technology and various apps helped me keep up with the action until I could get into the car to hear the HD visuals provided by Mark Boyle's radio call.

Smart phone apps are improving all of the time but some are better than others. NBA.com offers a nice array of options, some of which require bandwith that isn't always available, like at the swim club where I had to find a spot to stand that held the signal long enough to keep the live updates refreshing. But when they're running on all bars, the Game Time apps are nice.

I'm always looking for better options, though, so I thought I'd open it up to the readers. Which smart phone apps do you use to keep up with game action or post-game stats? What are some of the best "bang for the buck" apps that are free or a minimal cost?