Our new reality without sports in our lives is really starting to set in. Everything is either canceled or postponed for the foreseable future due to the massive spread of the Coronavirus across the globe. While there are obviously more important things going on right now than sports, it does hurt that the likes of the NBA season, March Madness, the PGA tour, MLS, and so much more have been disrupted because of this.
We know you're going through it, and with so many people either in isolation or working from home, we thought it would be smart to suggest some ideas of sports-related things you could do to fill the time while there's no actual sports on TV. Shameless plug, but you should defintely listen to the Complex Sports Load Management podcast, especially our latest episode with Stephon Marbury, which made a ton of people mad. Other than that, we put together some suggestions of things to pass the time. Best believe that we're all going to get through this together.
Watch Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals
Listen, I do this all the time anyways, so why not just make it a daily routine while we wait for sports to return. Seriously, is there a better NBA game in recent memory? The answer is no, folks. It has everything and in the end the good guys win.
What better way to make up for no basketball than watching LeBron James and Kyrie Irving pull off the biggest comeback in NBA history.
Play 2K Non-Stop
I do this anyways, but why not make up for no basketball with endless amounts of 2k. I’m talking full on franchise mode where you run a team for like 30 years. Fully immerse yourself into it.
Also, since the Knicks haven’t been shit for 20 years, why don’t you bring them back to glory on your own. Sounds like a plan to me.
Watch Space Jam
You could really fill this in with any sort of sports movie, but I’ll choose to go with the classic, Space Jam. Not only is it uplifting, but as our socials pointed out, it faced a similar situation that we’re in now with the NBA shutting down. Yes, there’s no aliens invading Earth right now, but let me get this point off.
Bet on NFL Games You Forgot About
Folks, if you’re like me, you’re stressing about your gambling future and the boredom that no sports will bring when it comes to the action. We were on the cusp of one of the best betting seasons of the year with March Madness and now it’s all gone. Well, here’s a solution: watch old NFL games that you forgot the outcome of and bet on them with friends.
This isn’t perfect, but hell, it will fill the damn void. A big h/t to PFT for putting this idea out into the world on Twitter. Might save all of us degenerates from boredom.
Watch Random Old Games on ESPN Classic
This is in the similar vein as the gambling suggestion, but why not enjoy plenty of classic games while we’re all under isolation. Chances are you probably forgot about a lot of how these games played out, so there should be some surprises in store.
For instance, I watched some classic Big East hoops the other day and it was glorious. And hey, if you’re really feeling the classic move, throw on some old episodes of ‘Stump the Schwab’ or ‘Cheap Seats’ on YouTube. Those will really bring you back.
Throw (More) Plates Around
Get in a workout and throw the plates around for an extra 15 or 30 minutes longer than usual since you don’t have to squeeze it in after the office or classes before the big game begins.
Read a Book
You know what those are, right? Put down your phone and pick up something physical to read for a change. Maybe I’ll start the Complex Sports Book Club so we can discuss the scintillating stories we’re reading on a weekly basis. Seriously, with 3-5 hours wide open on a nightly basis, I’m going to blow through The Corporation, a book by TJ English about the Cuban mafia in America, and a few others I’m waiting to start. If you have any non-fiction recommendations, holla attcha boy.
Listen to Sports Talk Radio Callers Spew Incredibly Ridiculous Conspiracy Theories
Few things will entertain or disgust you like bums with absolutely nothing better to do than sit on hold for 20 minutes so they can spew an outrageous and utterly absurd conspiracy theory about the coronavirus. According to sources, WFAN has been full of them and you know there are plenty of “first time, long time” guys dying to chime in about something they are incredibly ignorant about.
Stream all the 30 For 30s
I’ve missed a bunch over the years. And could easily rewatch a few, like the Bo Jackson doc, June 7th, 1994, and The U. ESPN2 really should just be 24/7 30 For 30s for the next few weeks. If ESPN really wanted to play hero, it would drop the Michael Jordan doc now. Ratings would be astronomical.
Re-watch and Re-score Old Boxing Fights
I have a bunch of significant fights DVRed from the last few years and one of the beautiful things about the fucked up world of boxing is that you can find just about any major match on YouTube. Fire up a few from your favorite fighters, re-score ‘em (because you always view a match differently the second or third time), and you might just change your opinion about a fight and or fighter.
