As you’ve probably seen, things are crazy in the world right now. Between COVID-19, natural disasters, and Tom Brady leaving the Patriots, most of us are done with 2020. But through all of that, I’m trying to learn how to be a more positive person.
…How to not just look at all the bad stuff when so much good is out there.
…How to be happy for Brady now that he has weapons around him again.
So here are the Top Three Positive Things that happened because of COVID-19. I’m not making light of this terrible disease. I’m just trying to bring some light into dark times.
#3- Rest and Recovery from Previous Seasons
As great as sports are, it can be draining to be a hardcore fan of a team. The emotional ups and downs of a season take a toll on your life, especially a season that ends badly. And when you consider the four major sports, there’s no offseason. Baseball leads into football, basketball, and hockey. Football ends in February, but then March Madness carries into baseball season, then you have the NBA and NHL playoffs.
If you’re in a relationship, balancing all those sports becomes even more difficult. My year is split between Football Season (August- Valentine’s Day) and Wife Season (Valentine’s Day- August). I purposely scheduled my wedding outside of football season. My wife is the most patient sports widow ever, and I love spending time with her. But sometimes that means watching less of the NHL playoffs, XFL football, or regular season baseball. Being quarantined with my wife allows me to cram more of Wife Season into a shorter amount of time. When sports do come back, I’ll be able to watch more of it than before. This time without sports provides an opportunity to focus on other things. We’re able to recover from previous seasons and enter next season with even more energy and enthusiasm.
#2- Work From Home or Get Paid to Stay Home
While this might not apply to everyone, a high percentage of the workforce is experiencing this. What better way to pass a global pandemic than to binge-watch Netflix, play video games, and get more sleep? For introverts like myself, it’s extremely energizing to not have to face the social situations that drain us every day. I have more time and energy for my life outside of work.
Even if you have to work from home, there are still several benefits. Gone are the stuffy dress codes that plague most workplaces. You want to wear a jersey and team-licensed underwear? Go for it! Spend time appreciating your sports collectibles and memorabilia. Put off reading that boring email and start preparing for the 2020 fantasy sports season. Check out Full Press Coverage’s fantasy sports content to become the champion of your league. Need a break from assisting needy clients on the phone? Practice your putts right in your own living room.
It’s also a lot easier to grieve the loss of your six-time Super Bowl champion quarterback in private. Co-workers can’t see you cry and judge you if they’re not there to see it. Especially when your HR department denies your request for bereavement leave. It’s like, my feelings for him are real, Carole, why don’t you understand that?
#1- More Opportunities to Enjoy Classic Sports
One of the best ways to get your sports fix is to enjoy classic sports events or sports documentaries. Several streaming services and cable channels are showing classic games, fights, and matches. It’s great for anyone who is too young to have seen these events live. It’s also cool for the older sports fans to re-live some of those memories.
Other sports channels currently offer free access to content that is normally behind a paywall. The New England Patriots have all six episodes of “3 Games to Glory” for free on patriots.com and YouTube. One sports channel will even drop a 10-part series about Michael Jordan this month instead of waiting until June. And of course, it’s the perfect chance to go check out content you may have missed from Full Press Coverage. We can gain a deeper appreciation of the early years of sports without missing anything that’s currently happening.
Let me know if there’s anything you think should be on this list, and make sure to follow Full Press Coverage on Twitter!
–Travis Baltes is a Staff Writer for Full Press Coverage. Follow him on Twitter @TravisBaltes
