With the absence of live sport due to the COVID-19 epidemic, sports fans need to get their fix from some other source. Fortunately, fans can catch up on some entertaining sports programs on TV and streaming services.
Firstly, for the adrenaline junkie, a great documentary to gorge on is Formula One: Drive to Survive produced between Netflix and Formula 1 (F1), providing an exclusive behind-the-scenes perspective of the 2018 and 2019 World Championships. Season 1, released on March 8, 2019, covers the 2018 season where audiences can immerse themselves inside the cockpits, and lives of influential people in F1 racing. Season 2 released on February 28, 2020, covers the 2019 season and includes Ferrari and Mercedes who did not feature in the first season.
In addition, there are a number of Soccer shows to view which I would highly recommend, particularly if anyone is taking Professor Kuppinger’s GP: Soccer class. Shame in the Game: Racism in Football looks at racist incidents in UK Soccer and can be viewed on BBC iPlayer. This BBC documentary shows the impact that racist abuse can have on players and their families. Other soccer documentaries provide a closer look at major European clubs such as All or Nothing: Manchester City and Inside Borussia Dortmund which can be viewed on Amazon Prime Video. The English Game is another soccer-themed documentary. Recently released on Netflix, it is based in 19th century England and looks at the invention of soccer and how it came to be the world’s game by breaking down class barriers. A personal favorite of mine is Sadio Mané: Made in Senegal which was released on April 8 and can be viewed on Rakuten TV. This documentary focuses on Liverpool Star Sadio Mané and his incredible journey from his village of Bambali in Senegal to the world stage of Anfield in Liverpool.
For those interested in football, there are a couple of documentaries that may be of interest. Released in January earlier this year, Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez is an intriguing three-part documentary available on Netflix. This documentary examines how Aaron Hernandez went from being an NFL star with the New England Patriots to a convicted killer. Another compelling documentary also available on Netflix is Last Chance U which delves into the successful football program at Eastern Mississippi Community College. Even for someone disinterested in American football, this was still a great watch: seeing young men getting a second chance through sport.
Other alternative documentaries regarding sports include Cheer which is available on Netflix and follows the cheer squad of Navarro College as they ruthlessly pursue the US National Title. A final recommendation I can make is Andy Murray: Resurfacing which is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video. This documentary tracks the former World Number One’s perseverant journey from 2017-2019 as he battles injury, surgery, and rehabilitation before returning to the court.
Kieren Marshall - Contributing Writer