Sport is back! After a few months of lockdown, many sports around the world are beginning to restart their seasons and competitions. I would be lying if said I haven’t been watching sport for multiple hours a day over the past couple of weeks. So, here are my favourite moments from each sport since they have started again!
NRL (National Rugby League):
For my personal team, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, this season has been one to forget. However, the new six-again rule has transformed the game and encouraged exciting football. Although I’m a Bulldogs fan, I can’t help but smile as I watch the Roosters, Raiders and Storm.
AFL (Australian Football League):
The AFL is still having many complications due to the second wave of infections in Victoria, however; the competition is still running at the moment! My personal highlight has been watching the Queensland teams; notably, the Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast Suns begin to dominate their opposition. They have had a challenging few years, but it’s great to see them challenging again!
Bundesliga (Soccer):
It was a tight competition between Dortmund, Leipzig and Bayern Munich, but after quarantine, Bayern took complete control of the league and presented some incredible goals. Another well-deserved title! Unfortunately, Lewandowski will miss out on winning the Ballon d’Or this year, but we all know he should have won it!
Calcio A (Soccer):
A fast-paced and thrilling league has once again provided many classics over the past few weeks. However, we can’t go past the brilliance of Juventus in pulling away from Lazio and closing in on another title. Spending money doesn’t always guarantee good performances, but for Juventus, it has worked perfectly.
La Liga (Soccer):
What happened to Barcelona? They were looking destined to win the league, but it all fell apart. Was it the manager’s fault? Was it Messi’s fault? Does the team lack depth? Those are the questions Barcelona will have to take to the off-season as they bottled the opportunity to win the league and presented it to Real Madrid.
Premier League (Soccer):
It was inevitable, but Liverpool finally won the Premier League after a multiple decade wait. Although they failed to win any other trophies during this campaign, they can now enjoy this title without any controversy.
English Championship (Soccer):
Leeds have recently been promoted to the Premier League next year which will be fascinating to see how they go! Brentford is also closing in on promotion which would be an incredible feat for a small club who have meticulously built a team destined for long-term success.
Cricket:
England and the West Indies were the first teams to get cricket underway with a Test series in England. The West Indies fought admirably in the First Test to claim victory, however; the brilliance of Ben Stokes rocketed England to a dominant win in the Second Test.
UFC:
Dana White receives daily criticism for his business, however; he must be applauded for his efforts during the current pandemic. The UFC has put on numerous events over the past few months, determined to safely continue fighting. UFC 251 was a massive highlight with Petr Yan becoming the new Bantamweight Champion, Volkanovski controversially defending his title against Max Holloway and Kamaru Usman overcoming many obstacles to defeat Jorge Masvidal.
Formula One:
Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes dominance are set to continue in the F1 at least for this season. Mercedes have looked a cut above the rest in the first three races in Austria and Hungary. There are good signs for Racing Point and McLaren who are beginning to challenge what was considered an untouchable front 3.
V8 Supercars:
The V8 supercars have started their season at Sydney Motorsport Park with several sprint races that have challenged the team’s strategy to the max. It has been great to see Nick Percat walk away with a couple of victories, although Scott McLaughlin is still the man to beat.
I look forward to the return of the NBA and NFL in the coming months, and although many international events have been postponed to 2021, there is still lots of sport to close out this year.
What sport have you been looking forward to coming back?
Levine Lowdown 