Sorry if this is too much of a peek behind the curtain on the inner workings of this column, but there have been more than a few occasions over the past year and change when the prevailing thought has been: “Hmm, what is there to write about today?”Days when reporting on NASCAR drivers competing in video game races was under serious consideration, when the screening of a sports-themed documentary was treated as a live event in the absence of all else and even a day when a sports columnist (me) wrote about what sportswriters do when there are no sports.But not now, not any longer and, phew, my goodness, not today.
After a weekend packed with an embarrassment of riches, the process is flipped. Over the past couple of days, there was so much going on that it was difficult to keep up. And with so much of it providing mouthwatering drama, narrowing a weekend of sports to a single topic proved to be an insurmountable challenge.
When it comes to a weekend in sports, there isn’t just one prevailing storyline. There is a menu full of them.
This past weekend ended with an absolute thriller, a truly spectacular, sometimes vicious, heated, hostile and intense inaugural Nations League men’s soccer final between the United States and Mexico. There are few things quite as good as a battle between two teams that are evenly matched and don’t like each other. The 3-2 home victory in extra time was as good a reminder as any that hey, the World Cup is just over a year away, and the U.S. has a team to be reckoned with.The NBA playoffs had everything and more, with a potential title-shifting injury to James Harden that might or might not derail the Brooklyn Nets, the magnificent effervescence of Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young lifting his team to a 1-0 lead over the Philadelphia 76ers and finally, finally, the LA Clippers starting to look like they might be true championship contenders.
“Kawhi Leonard responded in Game 6 with the finest game of basketball he has played, maybe of his career,” FS1’s Nick Wright said on “First Things First.” “It ended with another Game 7 performance by him that was brilliant.”
Most of what we saw was real sports, but simultaneously, a ton of people watched a strange and extremely modern piece of entertainment that barely falls under the same category.Social media was ablaze when undefeated former world boxing champion Floyd Mayweather stepped into the ring against Logan Paul of YouTube fame, but before long, fans in Miami booed the lack of action, and post-fight Mayweather gloated about having lined his pockets, with home purchasers charged $49.99 for the, ahem, privilege.”When it comes to legalized bank robbing, I’m the best,” Mayweather said.
There was the heartbreak of poor Jon Rahm, forced to withdraw from the Memorial Tournament that he was leading by six strokes after a positive COVID test. In the NFL, there was a sad yet inevitable goodbye for Atlanta Falcons star wide receiver Julio Jones, who found a landing spot with the Tennessee Titans.All that, plus the Boston Red Sox completing a sweep of the New York Yankees, Serena Williams and Roger Federer seeing the end of their French Open runs, three intense series (and a one-sided one) in the NHL postseason and a bunch of wildly entertaining games in the Women’s College World Series.If there are certain parts of this you are learning for the first time, because there was just too much to stay abreast of, that’s fine. It doesn’t need to cause the kind of frustration that leaves you kicking the wheels of your car after a tire failure – that actually happened over the weekend, too, when Max Verstappen booted his own vehicle after spinning out while leading Formula 1’s Azerbaijan GP.Admittedly, it can be overwhelming to be suddenly presented with a seemingly endless supply of something you’ve been deprived of. On a pre-pandemic trip to Las Vegas, a friend once decided to end an intermittent fast with a trip to an all-you-can-eat buffet. The results weren’t pretty in that instance, but with sports, and the way it is bombarding us with worthwhile activity, the outcome can be far more satisfying.Too much of a good thing is a puzzle that must be managed correctly, like when Chuck Daly had to figure out how to get Michael, Magic and Larry enough minutes on the 1992 Dream Team.The best way is to lean into it.
Become a master of scheduling and flipping the screens. Get the DVR in there as a backup. Base your schedule around sports instead of sports around your schedule. Make frequent and plentiful use of food delivery services. Talk and argue and tweet about it all with your friends.Keep yourself busy, set alarms to remind you when the next thing is starting, take a couple of enjoyable diversions to check out smaller sporting events happening on the fringe channels, get ready for the big stuff, and have coffee on hand – no lazy Sunday afternoon naps now, not while so much is happening.Because here’s the thing, there is more coming. Sports, almost a year from when it started to return, is still playing catch-up. There aren’t going to be dog days this summer, not with the NBA and NHL playoffs running into the European soccer championships and then the Olympics.
We are back at a point where sports is all-encompassing once more, perhaps even more so than before. It’s in your face, on your screens, in your life and here all the time, leaving no gaps in the schedule and no chance for a break.But when it’s as good as this, why would you want one?
Elevate your UEFA EURO experience! Purchase an IPTV subscription today and unlock a world of thrilling football action.
Don’t miss a moment—watch your favorite teams and players in crystal-clear HD. Join us now and enjoy every match, goal, and celebration!
