“You don’t know how much you love something until it’s gone.” As we navigate our lives around the limits of the coronavirus, we can now see how much we take for granted. Walking through our city’s parks we see caution tape and signs stopping us from playing basketball and baseball. As we turn on our televisions to find something to watch, we do not see any live sports. These simple activities that we took for granted a few months ago, are now the things we want back most.

When news first broke that the NBA season had been suspended, no one could have thought this was the start of the end for many other sports. Within days, the MLB, NHL, and NCAA all suspended or canceled their seasons. At this point our only hope for entertainment was in August for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, but that too has been pushed back until 2021, for now. With professional sports starting to get canceled, it is only a matter of time before our high school and recreational sports will be canceled, leaving us with nothing. Nothing to watch, nothing to read about, and nothing to do.

Some of teenagers’ favorite activities to do while trying to spend their free time include, playing spikeball with friends, playing pickup basketball at the Y, or going with their friends to the gym to workout. With the guidelines put in place to stop the spread of coronavirus, teenagers find themselves with much more time. With in-person classes being canceled, students also have more free time, but fewer ways to spend that time. We often find ourselves laying in our bed, instead of staying active, or trying to find a new television show or event that is being broadcasted.

As I turn on my television each night, I hope to find a new sporting event or broadcast that I have yet to see. Each night I am also disappointed that there is nothing new for me to watch. Although ESPN and other providers have taken steps to try to make our lives less boring, by allowing us to watch almost every past sporting event ever, there’s nothing like watching live sports. There’s nothing like not knowing the outcome of a game, or the feeling of watching a game live, knowing you have placed a large bet on the game. The emotions that we feel are ones that cannot be recreated by watching reruns. These emotions are the ones that keep us engaged in the program instead of just using the show as a distraction to the real world. 

While this massive void in our lives has been created by the disturbance of this virus, there are a few things that have been put out to help us cope. ESPN has released “The Last Dance”, a documentary highlighting Michael Jordan and his impeccable career. Two episodes of this ten part series are released every Sunday evening and provide audiences with the new sports content that they have been itching to consume. While looking back into the history of athletics does not encompass the thrill of taking in a live event, it at least provides us with something new in our lives.

The majority of sports networks have also created many playlists of games and matches that they consider to be the greatest of all time. While most sports fans already know the outcome of these games, it can be nice to reminisce about those amazing experiences we had watching the games for the first time. Or maybe you were never able to view some of the most infamous UFC fights because they were all pay-per-view, now they’re all free to watch and constantly being played on TV. While we respect that corporate sports companies are trying to help fans around the world get their fix of athletics, it’s just not enough. There is no way to replace live sports, plain and simple.

As life returns to normal, we hope to see the sports we love to watch return to normal. With this said, it is also important to remember how much these sports mean in our lives. These sports are not just in our lives to keep us entertained, but rather are part of us. Whether it is cheering on our favorite sports team, or playing the sport that we love, we should cherish each moment like it is our last.