STEELE SPORTS
The summer is always somewhat bittersweet for a sports fan because while baseball is still in full swing, there really isn’t much else going on in major American sports markets.
Sure, there are Formula One and mixed martial arts promotions such as the UFC and Bellator on year-round, but the major networks are much quieter without football, basketball, or hockey.
That being said, this summer has caught me off guard with some of the events that networks such as ESPN have chosen to highlight.
For starters, I always have such a giddy excitement watching the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4.
I’m not sure what it is about the contest that feels so utterly American and important to our national holiday, but the fact that major broadcast networks find it to be a spectacle as well really fires me up.
Another event that I always look forward to in the summer is the World Series of Poker Main Event.
As this year’s field has been the biggest in the tournament’s history, I’ve waited anxiously to see how the field shakes out before watching the final table on CBS.
While Texas Hold’em may not fit the bill as a sport in the mind of most, I will say that I always find it interesting to watch the drama and theatrics that surrounds the game.
Life-changing money is on the line and watching the cards being flipped with potential implications of over $1 million per placing position really gets the adrenaline pumping.
Lastly, pickleball has finally made its way onto my television screen – and I’m here for it.
After having played a couple of games this summer, I can say that I’ve improved marginally as a player.
That feeling of progress was nullified after watching what these athletes were capable of on the ESPN2 broadcast.
The change of pace, accuracy, power, and reflexes required for each shot was incredible to witness for a sport that has really only picked up in the past few years.
It’s events like these three that remind you there are humans in this world at the top of their game in fields that we don’t necessarily celebrate often.
It’s both humbling and incredibly entertaining to watch these athletes get their moment to shine and brings me back to the days of ESPN’s “The Ocho.”