Great sports movies to watch while keeping safe from COVID-19

There’s no question this is a hard time for people all over the world. But sports movies could help out.

The rapid spread of the coronavirus has erupted into a global pandemic that leaves no one untouched. Several countries are shutting their borders while governments strongly suggest, or sometimes force, social distancing. Meanwhile, many people are bunkering food and house supplies, under the notion that the worst is yet to come. 

At this stage, it seems we have some difficult months ahead of us. This morning, the governor of California issued a “stay at home” recommendation for all the state’s 40 million inhabitants. Meanwhile, over in Europe, Italy and Spain have gone into total lockdown and put people in involuntary quarantine. France has declared a state of health emergency with more than 10 000 infected and Spain just recently ordered a shut-down of all the country’s hotels.

Sports postponed because of coronavirus

With such drastic measures being taken, it’s no surprise sports activities have been affected as well. Several of the world’s largest sporting events have been moved forward or drastically restricted. Even the defiant UFC, who initially announced it would move on with events as scheduled, has been forced to cancel three upcoming events due to newly implemented social distancing rules. And that’s a sport that only involves two contestants at a time.

How COVID-19 affects football

Naturally, football has been affected too. At this point, it’s safe to say the football world has come to a standstill. Italy initially continued to put on Serie-A matches behind closed doors, but as of the 9th of March, all matches have been indefinitely suspended. The Coppa Italia has also been moved to the end of May. 

Looking at Spain, we’re seeing similar measures being taken although not as drastic yet. Two of the upcoming La Liga games have been moved forward while Real Madrid players have been requested to self-quarantine. 

For British football, things aren’t looking good at all. The entire Premier League has suspended play through April after Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta and Chelsea player Callum Hudson-Odoi tested positive for the virus. Hopefully, the 2019/20 will resume on the 30th of April, but that remains to be seen.

It’s not only the national leagues that have been affected. As it stands, Champions League is suspended indefinitely. The Europa League has pushed back matches for the quarter-finals while UEFA has decided to move the Euro 2020 tournament to next summer.

Keep safe from the coronavirus – stay at home and watch sports movies

In a time where social distancing is imposed, or at least strongly encouraged, many people choose to stay home. And in times like these, some good sporting events would, of course, come as a welcomed distraction and time killer. 

However, in the larger scheme of things, missing out a few football matches and sporting events isn’t a big thing at all. And while we show gratitude towards paramedics, doctors, researchers and other people who work diligently to keep the COVID-19 under control, we can all adhere to given recommendations and do our best to prevent the spread. 

Luckily, streaming services haven’t been affected. And if you feel you need a dose of sports, there are several great sports movies and series to watch. Here are some sports movies and series that’ll keep you busy while we keep our heads up through these difficult times.

Becoming Champions

What could be better than binge-watching football history in these times? If that’s music to your ears, you should check-out Becoming Champions on Netflix. The series looks at the stories behind athletes and countries that have achieved World Cup Status. So far there is one season with nine episodes, giving you hours of exciting football history.

Apache: The Life of Carlos Tevez

Another Netflix-series about football. This one is a gritty dramatization of the life of Argentinian football star Carlos Tevez. Tevez has a decorated career and played for West Ham United between 2006 and 2007. He also spent two years with Manchester United. The series shows Tevez’s rise to stardom coming up in the challenging conditions of Buenos Aires’ rough city district Fuerte Apache.

Warrior

This movie has some things in common with The Fighter as it’s about two brothers involved in combat sports. 

The movie stars Nick Nolte, Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy and you can watch it on Netflix. Warrior essentially revolves around two brothers who end up facing each other and reconciling a troubled relationship in the final of an MMA tournament

Much like The Fighter, this is a gritty drama with complicated family relationships and a strong passion for combat sports. Hardy plays Tommy Riordan – a US Marine who’s recently returned from the Iraq war. Tommy has a troubled relationship with his father, Paddy, who’s a recovering alcoholic. He also holds a grudge towards his brother, Brendan, because of some things that happened in the past.

Brendan is former MMA fighter working as a high school physics teacher. He’s struggling to provide for his wife and two daughters and supplements his income by taking on amateur fights.  

When both brothers learn of a $5 million winner-takes-it-all MMA tournament they both sign-up, and that’s where The Fighter kicks-off.

Updates on sports that have been suspended because of the coronavirus

There you have it – a few ways of enjoying sports and keeping safe from the coronavirus as football and sports events are being postponed. 

Let’s all tackle this virus together and hope that life can go back to normal soon. We’ll be back with status updates on sports that have been suspended because of the coronavirus, and more tips on how to get some sports action under these grim circumstances. In the meantime, stay safe.