2020 is not looking to be a good year for sports fans. Many sporting events have been canceled or postponed. Even organizations such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB have been forced to cancel all future games in order to prevent COVID-19 infections.

But why let the virus ruin all of our fun? Just because all future sporting events have been postponed doesn’t mean you’re without access to sports this year…kind of.

While no sports games will be aired this year, there are plenty of sports documentaries and movies to watch to bide our time until COIVD-19 gets solved. Until then, why not pass the time with these movies?

Icarus – Documentary

The story of Icarus is a sad one—a story of a boy who, in search of success, found the only failure. Since the Greek tragedy found its way into mainstream knowledge, it has been used to highlight deeds of people found out only because of their strive for success.

Netflix documentary Icarus carries on the tradition, using the name “Icarus” to talk about the Russian Olympic doping programs. Icarus is responsible for sharing the knowledge of the doping program to the public. If you’re interested in the inner workings of sports, Icarus is a must-watch.

GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling – Documentary

Wrestling fans don’t worry—I have just the documentary for you all: GLOW. While not related to the Netflix original series of the same name, GLOW focuses on the 1980’s show Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, which pitted famous female celebrities against each other.

The documentary provides a retrospective look into the show, its ups and downs, and what made it stand out (besides the premise)—a must-watch for wrestling fans.

Ali – Movie

In Ali, Will Smith takes on the role of Muhammad Ali, a boxing legend. The movie serves as a biopic of Muhammad Ali, inspecting his life, career, and the inevitable ups and downs he faced throughout his boxing career.

Ali also served as a steppingstone for legendary actor Will Smith, so if you’re interested in seeing both the biopic of Muhammad Ali and a movie that helped put Will Smith’s name out in the mainstream, Ali is for you.

High Flying Bird – Movie

For all you basketball fans out there, I have the perfect movie: High Flying Bird. High Flying Bird doesn’t necessarily focus on the sport itself, but it does focus on the inner workings of a “lockout”.

For those who don’t know what an NBA lockout is, it’s effectively a strike within a major sports organization that tends to deal with player salaries, revenue sharing, and vice versa. There have been four lockouts in the NBA’s history, and High Flying Bird puts focus on a fictional fifth lockout.

I recommend this to any sports fan due to its tense atmosphere and unique way of directing.

Raging Bull – Movie

Believe it or not, the boxing classic Raging Bull is on Netflix for your viewing! Raging Bull tells the story of the fictional character Jake LaMotta. With Robert De Niro as the lead and Martin Scorsese directing, it’s no wonder why Raging Bull earned the title of a classic.

If you’ve never watched it, now is a perfect time. After all, who knows when Netflix will pull it from their service?

Sports fans have a lot to look forward to despite many sports organizations canceling and postponing future sporting events; with a plethora of movies and documentaries, Netflix offers an experience for every sporting fan.

And if these movies aren’t available in your country due to geo-restrictions (like many services are known for), you can begin by downloading a VPN to circumvent said restrictions. From then on, the only thing keeping you from watching these fanastic movies and documentaries is time, which we have a lot of now due to the pandemic.