Earlier this year, all sports associations from every level were shut down, seemingly overnight.

This unthinkable situation led to the absence of a major part of all of our lives. COVID-19 left fans without games to watch, athletes without games to play, reporters without jobs, and society without sports for the indefinite future.

With this new normal, people had to get creative in how they could still keep sports in their lives amidst the pandemic. The most common way was to rewatch old sporting events such as the ’96 Chicago Bulls championship run or even the 2013 Iron Bowl. This coping mechanism proved to be the most effective, as there are countless historic sports moments that you can rewatch at the click of a button. This also allows us to watch games from before we were even born, giving us the chance to be a fan in virtually any decade.

Another way people kept sports in their lives during quarantine was by using virtual sports to simulate the live sports that we wanted to see. This creative option proved versatile and helpful in keeping avid sports fans sane. The best example of this is using the NBA 2K video game to change NBA teams into college basketball teams such as Auburn, Duke, and Kansas. This update allowed fans to play as college teams and simulate the much-anticipated March Madness Tournament in lieu of the cancelation of the real tournament.

By doing these things, fans managed to stay connected to sports during the shutdown and now have a rekindled appreciation for true live sports.

Be well, Auburn.