With nearly all national sports organizations canceling or postponing their seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic, sports fans across the nation are left looking for ways to pass the time.
The Channels has compiled some activities for sports fans to enjoy while staying indoors and staying healthy during this time of crisis.
Catch Up on Past Games
While America is sheltering in place, all four major American sports are offering ways to watch past games for free temporarily. NFL Game Pass will be free until May 31, giving fans access to every NFL game since 2009 in a full length or condensed format. A free preview of NBA League Pass is also available, with access to all 2019-20 games and an assortment of classic games and additional content. MLB.TV will be opening its archives from 2018 and 2019 for a limited time, giving fans free access to their favorite games from the last two years. Finally, NHL.com will provide access to “unique content and archived games” on its site, app and social media platforms.
Expand Your Sports Repertoire
For those whose taste in sports extends beyond the four main American sports, NBC Sports Gold will be offered free for a limited time. Watch golf’s PGA Tour, Premier League Soccer, Premier Lacrosse League, Indycar Racing, NASCAR, track and field, rugby, winter sports and cycling through the site until somewhere between April 9 and May 17 depending on the sport. While live events are not being played in these sports either, take the opportunity to catch up on what you’ve missed or try a new sport to expand your horizons.
Study Some Draft Prospects
The 2020 NFL Draft is scheduled to begin on April 23, and the commissioner has stated that it will proceed as scheduled in a virtual format. The MLB, NBA, and NHL drafts will follow in June unless plans change.
For football, websites like ESPN, NFL.com, The Draft Network and Bleacher Report all have detailed rankings and descriptions of the available players. Highlights and game tape are also available for most players on YouTube.
The drafts for the other sports are further away, but there are already prospect rankings available on MLB.com, eliteprospects.com (hockey) and ESPN.
Play Some Video Games
This one is likely fairly obvious to those who already have them, but sports games like Madden, NBA 2K, the Electronic Arts NHL games and MLB The Show can be a fun way to pass time and simulate the sports you are missing. The newest editions cost up to around $60, but older versions can be found on sites like eBay and Amazon for much less.
Watch Your Favorite Athletes Play Some Video Games
The NBA 2K Players Tournament is already underway, featuring some of basketball’s biggest stars playing NBA 2K against each other. The winner of the tournament will receive a $100,000 donation from 2K, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association to be used for coronavirus relief.
