With practically every live game and event canceled, sports fans are aching for something to watch. This might be a great time to watch some of the best classic games from each sport. Cook up some hot dogs and hamburgers and take in a World Series classic or a replay of a Masters golf game. It might not be from this year’s schedule, but you can always watch it with the kids as if you’re seeing it for the first time.
There are also documentaries you can enjoy as well as classic sports movies. And finally, thanks to modern technology, NASCAR is having some fun with virtual races and the 2020 NFL Draft will still go on as planned.
Cal Ripken Jr
Baseball: Major League Baseball’s regular season should have gotten underway by now, and they are currently negotiating to start in late May or early June (with games in Arizona only). Who knows if this will be successful, but in the meantime, if you’re aching to see some homers or great pitching duels, ESPN has you covered. Every Tuesday, ESPN will run MLB Encores, repeats of great games throughout history, including from the World Series.
For example, ESPN re-aired Cal Ripken Jr.’s iconic “2,131 Game” from September 6, 1995, in which the Baseball Hall-of-Famer broke Lou Gehrig’s record for most consecutive games played. Some of the games coming up include Game 1 of the 1988 World Series when the Dodgers’ Kirk Gibson hit one of the most memorable home runs in baseball history, lifting the Dodgers to a win over the A’s (April 14, 8 p.m. ET). On April 21, watch Game 5 of the 1995 American League Division Series when Ken Griffey Jr. raced home from first base on a double by Edgar Martinez, giving the Mariners a come-from-behind victory over the Yankees.
ESPN also launched BBTN Live (Baseball Tonight Live), a new, weekly digital MLB pregame show that will stream on the ESPN App and ESPN’s Twitter and YouTube platforms, from 6:30-7 p.m. ET leading into MLB Encore Tuesdays on ESPN.
Football: The NFL and NCAA preseasons are still months away and nobody knows yet if the season will still kick off, but while we wait there is still the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft. Sports fans know that this is when college athletes are drafted by professional football teams — it’s fun and emotional, but this year it will all take place virtually to keep everyone safe. You can still watch it though and see if your favorite pro team drafts your favorite college player. The event will air live from April 23 to 25 on ESPN, ABC and the NFL Network.
If you want to watch an entire football game — and who doesn’t — ESPN’s Monday Night Classics continue. Each week, the station picks a classic gridiron game to replay. For example, on Monday, April 13, it’s the Green Bay Packers against the Minnesota Vikings. This game was a pivotal one because GB legend Brett Favre played his first game against his old teammates, wearing Viking purple.
Each Thursday, ESPN will also rebroadcast a great college football game too. Plan some game time with friends via Skype or Zoom, pop open a brewski and enjoy the games together.
Basketball: Are you mourning March Madness? Of course you are — that was a given — and ESPN has been replaying previous NCAA women’s and men’s games to help cure your cravings. If you prefer pro hoops, ESPN hosts NBA Wednesdays, so there are plenty of game replays to keep you going– at least for a little while.
Soccer: Believe it or not, not all soccer games are canceled. Some leagues are playing around the world, but unfortunately it’s hard to watch them in the United States. On YouTube, there is a soccer — or football, depending on what you call it — channel called Old Football Matches. It’s not a huge selection, but here you can watch some past FIFA World Cup games and qualifiers.
Boxing: Just because there aren’t any fights, doesn’t mean you still can’t ‘watch’ the fights and even engage with some of the boxers. The Premier Boxing Championship will present five opportunities per week for fans to engage with boxers and chat in a forum. Hear from boxers about some of their past fights and in-the-ring plans once the current restrictions are lifted, how boxers are entertaining themselves and their families; step into their kitchens and watch them whip up some of their favorite foods and learn about some of their favorite movies, music, books, hobbies and hidden talents.
On Mondays, the PBC will host “Time Out With Ray Flores’, where Ray Flores hosts a 30-45 minute live stream interview on the PBC Instagram page with a different fighter. Each Wednesday and Friday on “At Home With…” a fighter takes over the PBC Facebook page and hosts a live “hangout” from their homes. WBC Super Welterweight Champion Jermell Charlo, appears on Friday, April 10 at 4 p.m. ET. On “Going The Distance,’’ each Thursday on the PBC YouTube page, select boxers will offer commentary over one of their best fights. IBF Super Middleweight Champion Caleb Plant breaks down his title fight against Jose Uzcategui on Thursday, April 9 at 4 p.m. ET.
If you’d rather watch a fight, every Saturday night, “PBC Replay” airs an entire classic fight card from the PBC library on the PBC YouTube page. On Saturday, April 11, the welterweight unification showdown between Errol Spence, Jr. and Shawn Porter will replay at 8 p.m. ET.
Still can’t get enough boxing? ESPN+, a subscription-based streaming service ($4.99 per month) features a library of hundreds of the greatest fights in boxing history streaming on demand, as well as more recent Top Rank on ESPN fight cards for replay. Among them are legendary heavyweight showdowns like Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier III, Ali vs. George Foreman, Joe Louis vs. Billy Conn, Mike Tyson vs. Larry Holmes, Jack Dempsey vs. Gene Tunney, Max Baer vs. James J. Braddock, Ali vs. Sonny Liston I & II, Fury-Wilder II and many more.
Golf: Like most sports, golf is currently postponed. Although the reschedule is still very much a work in progress, officials from Augusta National, the USGA and the PGA of America announced in a joint statement on Monday that the Masters will be played in November, the PGA Championship will be held in August at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, and the U.S. Open will be played in September and still at Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, New York. What do you do now though? You could watch old golf competitions, stream your favorite pros and take some virtual lessons through GOLFPASS. It’s a minimal $4.99 per month or $9.99 per month depending on the package you are interested in.
GOLF Channel recently announced its plans for The Masters, including encore airings of the 2019 Augusta National Women’s Amateur (Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, NBC) and 2019 Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals (Sunday, 8 a.m. ET, GOLF Channel). Check their schedule for other upcoming tournament replays.
Tennis: Do you miss watching Roger Federer or can’t wait to watch the next match with Sofia Kenin? While tennis is currently postponed, the Tennis Channel is replaying certain matches on their website.
NASCAR: Drivers get ready! Well, it’s not NASCAR the way you are used to, but the sport did get creative and provide their fans with some racing fun. They created the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, a virtual racing experience involving the sport’s biggest names. It was broadcast on Fox Sports. For more on how you can watch or follow the standings, visit https://www.mrn.com/enascar-news-results/
Movies: While you’re at it, check out some great sports movies on Netflix, including Space Jam with Michael Jordan, Battered Bastards of Baseball, Jerry McGuire, and Miracle.
ESPN will also premiere “The Last Dance,” a 10-part documentary series on Sunday nights over five weeks from April 19 through May 17. The highly-anticipated series chronicles Michael Jordan and the 1990s Chicago Bulls. Sit down with the kids and show them it was like to watch Jordan play back in the days.
Okay, use your imagination and you can enjoy watching these games, races and movies all over again. Before you know it, the seasons will be back and your favorite players will be taking the field.
More articles on Living on the Cheap:
- How to stream on your TV
- Free movies and TV shows you can stream
- Get the TV shows you love without cable
- Watch pro sports without cable
- Watch NFL, NBA and other past games
