Like all things in our modern lives, our favourite sports and sporting leagues have suffered at the hands of the worldwide pandemic that has swept us off our feet and into the confinement of our homes. COVID-19 has given the world so much - acts of kindness, connections with those we usually pass by, and the chance to take stock of our lives. But it has taken a lot from us too: not least our sport.
A world without sport felt strange. A world without sports betting on real sports, not heading to the best US sportsbooks, or checking the tips felt strange. Many of us turned to online virtuals and found them to be fun, but the excitement of watching a real game is tough to match.
Thankfully we are now looking to the future and the return of our favourite sports and the chance to get back to the sports betting we all love and know. Let’s take a look at how our favorite sporting leagues have managed this much-awaited and anticipated comeback.
NHL
The NHL paused the season in March in response to the threat of coronavirus. It is fair to say that the NHL has enjoyed one of the most successful comebacks of all of America’s sporting leagues and the bubbles and hubs set up by the league’s organizers have proven to be highly successful. Even if hockey in August is a strange concept and the Stanley Cup played in an empty stadium seems wrong, hockey has been back for us all to enjoy and all fans are very grateful for that.
NFL
The NFL has come back to a full schedule and we can all understand that, that is no mean feat given the number of teams and people involved in the sport. Unlike the NBA and the NHL, there is not a bubble concept in the NFL and therefore outbreaks and infections are inevitable. However, the strict rules and protocols in place in the league have resulted in a low number of positive tests and this is a testament to how well they are working and how seriously the league is taking the safety of the players during the comeback. Of course, the lack of fans at the games is disappointing, but there is still plenty to bet on and enjoy as one of the nation’s favourite sports and leagues returns.
NBA
There was a lack of belief in some areas as to whether the NBA’s comeback plans would work, but the league seems to have produced a COVID success story. The league’s players sacrificed a lot to make the league’s return as safe as possible. In order to keep the bubble intact the players were separated from their family and friends and their movements were severely restricted. The success the league has enjoyed during the comeback has been in no way easy to achieve. Many believe it has come from attention to the finest details - like the sanitization of basketballs and even the capturing of spit from referees’ whistles. There is nothing that has gone unthought of and we are all pleased that one of the nation’s favourite leagues is back up running and open for betting!