On March 11, news broke that all-star Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert had tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the first major public figure to contract the virus in the US. Since Gobert’s diagnosis made it likely that many other players were carrying the novel coronavirus, the NBA shut down altogether.
The following day, madness ensued across the world of professional sports. The front page of the New York Post’s sports section read “March 12, 2020: The day the sports world stopped.” Virtually all sports- related events were cancelled: the NHL suspended their ongoing season indefinitely, the MLB delayed its opening day, March Madness was completely cancelled, and the upcoming PGA Championship in San Francisco was moved to August.
More than three months after that day in March, the future of the sports world still remains uncertain. Though some international leagues have resumed play, such as the German soccer league Bundesliga, no sports have resumed in the United States, and it’s pretty hard to imagine that they will any time soon, given the sheer amount of people needed to play, manage, officiate, and televise the games.
According to California Governor Gavin Newsom, fans won’t be able to return to stadiums and arenas until a vaccine has been developed, which probably won’t happen for at least another year. Audience-less sports could come back much sooner, however, so our favorite teams and athletes might be playing again in as soon as a few months. The MLB, for example, is looking into a “bubble” season, where all games would be played in Arizona and players would constantly be tested for COVID-19.
Amidst all of this uncertainty, one thing is for sure: there’s a lot to look forward to in the sports world. While sports might not return for a while, there’s plenty fans can anticipate while they wait. Here are nine things sports fanatics can look forward to until games start up again:
1. Warriors to Improve Lineup with Lottery Pick
If one good thing came out of this pandemic, it’s that the Warriors definitely chose the right season to tank. Their 2019-2020 season was riddled with injuries and disappointing performances from new players like Jordan Poole, Willie Cauley-Stein, and Glenn Robinson III.
While the Warriors were the best regular-season team in NBA history just 4 years before, the Dubs finished at 15-50 this year, 35 games behind the first-place Los Angeles Lakers. As the worst team in the Western conference, they’ll have a shot at a lottery pick in the draft. Maybe they’ll pick Anthony Edwards, an explosive shooting guard out of Georgia. Or they could draft James Wiseman, the 7’1 Memphis center who could finally round out Golden State’s frontcourt. They could even draft LaMelo Ball, the former Chino Hills High School phenom, who now plays professionally in Illawarra, Australia.
On top of a solid new rookie, the Warriors will have a healthy Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson next season, along with improved salary cap space that could help them acquire a free agent or two. Signing 2019 MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is even a possibility. After an abysmal season, the Warriors have a shot at becoming championship contenders once again.
2. Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski to Reunite in Tampa Bay
In an unexpected turn of events, NFL quarterback Tom Brady left New England in March to play with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Shortly thereafter, Rob Gronkowski, who played tight end under Brady for nine seasons, came out of retirement to join his former quarterback in Florida. Alongside a talented receiving unit (including Chris Godwin and Mike Evans) and a solid offensive line (with 13th pick Tristan Wirfs, who they traded up to draft), Brady and Gronkowski are bound to do some damage in the NFC. They’ll start their season in New Orleans against Drew Brees and the Saints, their main NFC South competitor.
3. Baseball in the Bay: A’s in Playoff Contention, Giants One Year Closer to Being Good Again
A solid playoff run has been a long time coming for the A’s. They’ve had 97-win seasons for the past two years, but haven’t had any luck in the playoffs. Their core position players, like Marcus Semien and Matt Chapman, have developed over the last few years and are ready to become key role players for Oakland in 2020. Assuming Khris Davis can return to hitting 40+ home runs, this year’s A’s will be scary up and down the lineup. If Semien stays consistent and their young pitching staff shows out, Oakland could make a run for the AL pennant.
The Giants, on the other hand, have another rebuilding year ahead of them. Buster Posey, Hunter Pence, Evan Longoria and Brandon Belt all have the best parts of their careers behind them, and San Francisco desperately needs to get some younger players on the field. The Giants will look to get some of their prospects playing at Oracle Park, like Joey Bart, the franchise’s top prospect, who they picked second overall in the 2018 Draft. Though the Giants can expect another losing season this year, GM Scott Harris can put the team in a position to contend to win the NL West in just a few years by signing some young players with their primes ahead of them.
4. Joe Burrow, Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson all in the AFC North
Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson and Baker Mayfield, three of the most exciting young quarterbacks in football, will all be in the same division this season. Mayfield and Burrow were both selected first overall by their respective teams (the Browns and the Bengals). Both quarterbacks have a lot to prove in this upcoming season: Mayfield needs to bounce back from his disappointing 6-10 season, while Burrow will want to prove that he can bring his talent from LSU to the big leagues. Jackson, also a first-round draft pick, was the breakout star of the 2019 NFL season. Although he was the unanimous MVP in his rookie season, he lost to the Titans in his debut playoff appearance, so he’ll also be hungry to win the division and contend for a ring. Due to all this young talent at QB, the AFC North will be a division to keep an eye on in 2020.
5. Sabrina Ionescu, Bay Area Basketball Phenom, to Become the WNBA’s Next Big Thing
Former Oregon guard Sabrina Ionescu was drafted first overall by the New York Liberty in the 2020 WNBA Draft. Ionescu grew up in Walnut Creek and went to high school at Miramonte in Orinda. During her senior season, she averaged 19.6 points per game and became the sixth woman in NCAA history to win multiple Wooden Awards, the most prestigious award in collegiate basketball. In her rookie season, she’ll likely already be one of, if not the best player in the league. Ionescu will also likely become a fan-favorite in a league that has been growing in popularity exponentially in recent years. Viewership for WNBA games grew 39% in the 2019 regular season, and Ionescu’s talent could help the league grow even more in 2020.
6. Field of Dreams and Space Jam: Two Iconic Sports Movies Revisited in 2020 & 2021
Baseball fanatics and movie nerds alike are bound to enjoy the MLB’s upcoming “Field of Dreams” game on August 13, 2020 between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees. The MLB will build a temporary stadium on the corn field where Field of Dreams, one of the most beloved baseball films of all time, was filmed in 1989. This game will also make history for being the first-ever professional baseball game played in the state of Iowa. The temporary 8,000 fan stadium (whether fans will be present though is questionable), was designed to pay homage to Comiskey Park, the iconic stadium where the White Sox played from 1910 to 1990.
Also in sports-movie news, Space Jam: A New Legacy is set to release on July 16, 2021. A New Legacy, starring LeBron James, will be the sequel to the original Space Jam, the classic 1996 animated movie featuring Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes characters. Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, Kyle Kuzma and Chris Paul will all make cameos in what is bound to be one of the biggest summer blockbusters of 2021.
7. Auto-Racing, Tennis and Cycling: An Action-Packed Week in Late August
Assuming sports can resume by the end of summer, the week of August 23-29 is going to be a great one for sports fans around the world. Three different historic sporting events will take place all within just seven days. On August 23, the Indianapolis (Indy) 500 will happen. This historic annual race began in 1911. This year’s postponement of the race marks the seventh time in history that the Indy 500 has not taken place in May. The previous six cancellations were during World Wars I and II.
One day after the Indy 500, the US Open (Tennis) will begin in Queens, New York. Both the French and British Opens have been postponed to later in the year, and Wimbledon was cancelled altogether, so this year’s US Open in August will be the first grand slam tournament since the Australian Open in January. In its 139 year history, the annual US Open has never been cancelled, so fans can probably expect some form of the tournament to happen in late August. Rafael Nadal and Bianca Andreescu will both hope to win their respective tournaments for a second-straight year, while Serena Williams will look to get back on top after being the runner-up in 2018 and 2019.
Later in the week, the Tour de France is set to begin its month-long cycling race on August 29. After his injury just a few weeks before last year’s race, four-time Tour champion Chris Froome will look to make a comeback and lead Team Sky to another victory. Froome’s teammate Egan Bernal became the first Latin American cyclist to win the race in 2019. Bernal will hope to win his second-straight Tour this year.
8. Copa America and UEFA Euro to be Played Simultaneously in 2021
Two of the world’s biggest soccer tournaments, Copa America and the UEFA European Championship, will take place simultaneously from June 11 to July 11, 2021. Copa America will be hosted by Argentina and Colombia, with the championship game being held in Barranquilla. Ten South American countries, Australia and Qatar will compete in that tournament. Euro 2021 will host twenty national soccer teams around Europe. In its fairly short history, the European Championship has quickly become one of the most competitive and important international soccer tournaments. Germany and France will both hope to win their fourth UEFA Euro tournament, while Portugal will hope to win their second- straight after their victory in 2016.
9. Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2021, Beijing Winter Olympics Just Six Months Later
Assuming an event as large-scale as the Olympics can take place a year from now, the world is going to get to witness two different sets of Olympic games within about six months of each other. Both will take place in East Asia. Due to the coronavirus, the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan were delayed; as of now, the Opening Ceremony is set for July 23, 2021. Because coronavirus has affected nearly every region of the world, the 2021 Summer Olympics, should it occur, will inevitably be a historic moment.
We’ll get five new olympic sports in 2021: baseball/softball, karate, skateboarding, climbing and surfing. These new sports will add 18 events and 474 athletes to next year’s Summer Games.
Also, Simone Biles, already the most decorated gymnast in Olympic history, will aim to become Olympic all-around champion for the second straight time. If she does, she’d be the first woman to do so in over 50 years.
In February 2022, just about six months after the Summer Games, the Winter Olympics will be played in Beijing. Beijing will become the first city to host both a Summer and Winter Olympics, since they hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics. 109 different events will take place in 2022, nearly double the amount of events that the 1992 Winter Olympics held.
