With all of the insanity going on around the world right now due to the coronavirus, one thing that should become a reality is that we need to stay home a bit more to minimize the spread of this virus. Staying at home is secretly what we all would like to do all the time, so it shouldn’t be too hard for most of us to find some light in an otherwise dark and concerning situation.

I plan on staying home with my wife and kids as much as possible this in the meantime, so while that might invoke images of fun pillow fights, baking cookies and montages of us doing family activities set to “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, it will probably just mean we all watch a lot of stuff on TV or on a streaming service. Welcome to 2020.

I wanted to share some of my favorite sports-related movies/TV shows/documentaries available on various streaming services now that there are no sports to watch. Admittedly, there are a TON of the classics I haven’t seen, but these are just a few of my favorites.

Space Jam
Netflix, 88 minutes

As a kid born in the early 90s, there aren’t that many movies that I’ve watched and watched and watched and watched more than this one over the years. There’s humor for both kids and adults, basketball and a kickass soundtrack as well.

This movie is getting even more entertaining for me as I get older because I’m more familiar with the greatness of all the notable stars in it. Whether it be Bill Murray’s hilarious portrayal of himself or Charles Barkley proclaiming during prayer that he’ll never go out with Madonna again, I didn’t know who any of those people were when I was 8. Now? I recognize the genius behind it.

The good: They predicted the current state of our basketball lives.

 

The bad: Making me involuntarily sing along to R. Kelly songs in the year 2020. Forgive me.

All or Nothing: 2017 Dallas Cowboys
Amazon Prime Video, 7 episodes, 404 total minutes

There haven’t been any boring seasons of Cowboys football for as long as I can remember. Even when they go 8-8, it always seems to be when they had sky-high expectations, so there is constant turmoil and talking points. The 2017 season was no exception with the team following the electric 2016 season that featured Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott bursting onto the scene in their rookie campaigns. The 2017 Cowboys were dealing with the inevitable suspension of Zeke all year long and it finally bit them in the butt at the end. This docu-series/mini-series is a fascinating look into the dynamic of the day-to-day aspect of the team at that time with a little fluff about the Jones family sprinkled in here and there.

The biggest winner of the show is probably Jason Garrett. It was the one time we’ve been able to see him look like a legitimate football coach because he cusses like a sailor during meetings. This being included in the series led to a pretty hilarious bit on The Ticket where the “Fake Jason Garrett” ordered breakfast with tons of swear words mixed in.

The biggest loser of the show is 100% Ezekiel Elliott. He knows cameras are on but he never once acts like he gives a shit about anything. He is constantly late for meetings. He sits slouched down in his chair with a hood on during film sessions. He’ll give one word answers to coaches after they give him a motivational speech. More or less, the series confirmed what we already knew about the often-troubled running back. It’s fascinating to watch though because you just keep expecting him to snap out of it and at least act somewhat respectable.

Semi-Pro 
Netlix, 91 minutes

I won’t include any video clips here, because I’m not sure any of them are PC enough to share.  This is not a “good” movie, but it sure is funny for a genre like the sports film that often just totally misses with eyeroll-worthy cliches. It doesn’t take itself seriously, it’s totally ridiculous and Will Ferrell does all the work to make the laughs happen.

Do not watch this movie with your grandmother.

Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez
Netflix, 3 episodes, 201 total minutes

Surely most have seen this by now as it dominated the social media scene just a few months ago, but now you have to if you missed it before. It will take plenty of time at over three hours, but it’s a ride that’s worth it.

Director Geno McDermott does an outstanding job at testing your mind in how you feel about the whole situation. Do you feel sorry for Aaron after all he’d been through over the course of his short life? Or do you just shake your head at how ruthless and cold of a human being he was? I found myself leaning both ways over the course of the three episodes of the series. There is a ton of new information that I don’t remember just from following the whole situation from a distance and it is definitely a fascinating three-hour journey.

Long Shot
Netflix, 40 minutes

No, this isn’t that movie with Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron that came out last year. This is another captivating crime doc that blends mystery with baseball and Larry David. A true win-win-win for me. Even if you’re not a huge baseball fan, it’s still crazy how this whole story plays out.

Elevator pitch: A man is charged with a crime and there just might be a way a TV show he is not affiliated with and a Dodgers game can help him out.

I won’t spoil it for you, so check it out. It’s only 40 minutes, so you don’t even get enough time to get bored.

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Again, I know there are tons and tons of others worth mentioning, but these just stick out to me at the moment.

Feel free to reach out to me on Twitter (@DylanDuell) to give more suggestions or tell me that you think one of suggestions I gave was horrible. Your choice!