Re-LIVE Sports

Date:

I have lost count how many days it’s been since I watched a live sports game, my drug of choice being soccer. I couldn’t believe it when major sporting competitions and seasons were being canceled one by one due to the Coronavirus. First the NBA then March Madness, which hit especially hard since The SFA Men’s Basketball team were about to finish paving their way towards a historic and unforgettable season. Sadly, that would never be. And so, we went from keeping up with our teams, the latest news and stats to sort of forgetting what sport is all together.

I personally transitioned from being in the know with my favorite soccer team, FC Barcelona to becoming a detached stranger to the game. Anyone who knows me personally knows I eat breathe and sleep soccer so they were concerned how I would handle this prolonged and indefinite withdrawal.

At first it was rather strange, not just from not having any soccer to watch every weekend, but not hearing anything about other sports in general was really odd. Watching television was a new and unnerving experience. So, at this point I did what any sports fan would and resorted to watching YouTube videos and highlights of seasons past. It’s certainly not the best experience since we probably watched the game live but for the sake of having something to watch and under current circumstances, it’s okay to take a stroll down memory lane.

However, sports networks also know that not having any sports to broadcast was going to be bad for business since part of their revenue comes from the amount of viewers that are watching at any given time so they had to come up with a solution for this sports drought. Who knew the answer would come from the past?

When my dad was in his younger years, he played soccer at the amateur level, so naturally I followed in his footsteps and fell in love with the beautiful game since the day I knew what a ball was. I remember him telling me stories about the soccer stars of yesteryear and what amazing feats they had accomplished in their time. As I grew up, I had my own generation of athletes to admire and some nearing the end of their illustrious careers. Though I did wish I could have watched the players that my dad grew up with, now legends, that laid the foundation for how the game is played today and set the bar for a new set of players to reach and overcome.

Several sports networks and streaming services are offering classic full-length sports matches and events dating from the 70s through present day. Not only are they replays of the actual game, but they are complete with original commentary as if you were watching it for the first time. Relive moments and players like Michael Jordan in the 90s or Lumberjack Basketball’s historical upset over Duke.

For me, even though the current soccer season is up in the air I am really happy that I can enjoy the sport that I love through my dad’s eyes and enjoy the moments that he cherished growing up and make them my own.

Luis Ruperto
One of our great writers!

Share post:

Subscribe

Popular

More like this
Related

Texas A&M School of Nursing Wins Collaborative $2.28 Million Grant Addressing Maternal Mortality, Morbidity

CHAMPions will support new mothers in underserved areas with...

Minor Sting Operation

In an effort to decrease the dangers and consequences...

Angelina College Athletics Weekly Update

This week in AC Athletics featured plenty of action...

A Permanent Seat to the Game

Roadrunner Baseball Pays Tribute to Former Manager RayburnA Permanent...