A week back on a nice Saturday morning, my family and I watched the 1997 spelling bee on ESPN.

  Usually, in a virus free world around this time, there would be baseball, or tennis, or golf. But no, here on the most popular sporting channel was a spelling bee

  I’ve never watched a spelling bee before. One, because it’s never on often. Two, because I’m much more into athletic sports.

  So, I could never foresee myself voluntarily watching a spelling before until now. This global pandemic has changed not only the real world, but the sports world.

  ESPN has been one of the TV stations that has been hit hard because of the coronavirus. A contagious virus keeps people away from each other. That means no big gatherings in stadiums and no games to be played with people in a close proximity.

  On March 11, an NBA player tested positive for the coronavirus and simultaneously suspended the basketball season. This led to the suspension of the NHL season, the start of the MLB season, college basketball’s March Madness, and every other sport in the world. 

  Sports channels around the world have had to find sports content that viewers could enjoy with no actual games being played.

  Each of these different sports channels has aired reruns of past and famous games. For example, the NFL channel has played this year’s Super Bowl and the NBA channel has aired Kobe Bryant’s final basketball game. Different playoff championship games have also been aired of these sports for the viewers’ pleasures.

  There have also been many specials on the television detailing the careers of the greatest, including ESPN’s own, The Last Dance, which is about the life of NBA legend Michael Jordan.

  These sports channels have also been creative. They have televised xBox and PlayStation versions of their games. I have seen the MLB and the NBA  host tournaments between the players and I have also seen simulated NHL video games. The coronavirus has opened up a new level of entertainment in the sports world.

  Sports reporters and analysts have had a harder time. Without sports to talk about, all they can do is give updates on possible returns to leagues. It has been hard for them to report on things other than the sports they have been so accustomed to reporting.

  Instead of showing highlights, sports social media has looked to viral sports videos, funny memes, and the lives of sports players. A few days ago, I watched a video of a toddler crushing baseballs over his neighbor’s fence. That’s an example of what this has come to.

  Luckily, the first sporting event since the pandemic hit occurred this week. The NFL hosted its all virtual draft from Thursday, April 23rd to Saturday, April 25th. This gave sports fans around the world something to watch and enjoy. Finally, there was something where fans could jump for joy or scream at their TVs. 

  As time goes by, there is hope that the coronavirus will pass by and sports will continue delighting the world. For now, we will have to sit and watch videos of babies hitting baseballs.