Suddenly, professional sports are greater than ever.
Maybe it’s because the pandemic has taught us not to take anything for granted. Certainly, it feels that way with spectator activities like concerts and athletics.
Once seemingly impossible, iconic performers will entertain again and some have already started. We all know 71-year-old Bruce Springsteen wants to tour this year! And sports stars are competing like they, too, never thought the old days and ways would come back.
Look at baseball, through one-fourth of the season, multi-team races in every division; a record of six no-hitters in the first two months, a triple play and long, long winning streaks by several teams. The Majors may be back better than ever by the All-Star break.
The NBA had an innovative play-in tournament to give more teams a chance to make the playoffs, and despite favorites like Steph Curry and the Warriors going out early, new kids on the block like Ja Morant are thrilling us. LeBron James even caused a brawl to erupt!
Hockey is rejuvenated by the crowds starting to pack back in, with the Hurricanes jamming 12,000 fans into the lower bowl at PNC Arena that has come alive like the last Stanley Cup run the Canes made. Thank you, Governor Cooper, for loosening the restrictions.
Right on cue, 50-year-old Phil Mickelson went wire-to-wire to win the PGA championship at the scenic but treacherous Ocean Course on Kiawah Island. The crowd swarming the final fairway was a bit out of control but a wonderful tribute to Mickelson. Thanks, Lefty!
And we still have the last three tennis grand slams ahead with French Open now under way and Wimbledon and the U.S. Open to follow over July Fourth and Labor Days weekends.
Even the sports that aren’t playing are exciting us. The NFL will open training camps with fans allowed to attend, and 30 teams have okayed full stadiums for the 2021 regular season.
College football is making headlines from Mack Brown being candid about the transfer portal to Sam Howell climbing the list of Heisman Trophy hopefuls.
So most pro playoffs will run deep into June and baseball having capacity crowds by July. The end of COVID has given us renewed anticipation.
(featured photo via nhl.com/hurricanes)
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