The COVID-19 pandemic has wiped the world clean of live sporting events, leaving a massive hole in the lives of sports fans. But networks like ESPN and Fox Sports have found a way to at least momentarily fill that hole by providing replays of classic games.
It’s been a success so far. Over one million people watched throwback college basketball games on CBS on Sunday afternoon, according to Show Buzz Daily.
Many networks are following suit. Sporting News has compiled all the classic games being shown on Saturday to help fans get their sports fix.
ESPN schedule for Saturday
ESPN will be showing four classic baseball games as part of “Strikeout Saturday.” All four games featured 20-strikeout performances by all-time great pitchers: Roger Clemens (1986), Nolan Ryan (1998), Randy Johnson (2001) and Max Scherzer (2016). Additionally, ESPN will also show college basketball and football games from this past season on networks like ESPNU, ACC Network and SEC Network.
Fox Sports schedule for Saturday
Fox Sports will have several throwback college hoops games on rotation throughout the day on the Big Ten Network, most notably Michigan State’s “upset” over Duke and Zion Williamson to advance to last year’s Final Four. But its biggest draw might be replays of past Westminster Dog Shows, from 2014 up to 2019 (here’s a look at this year’s winners) over on FS1.
CBS Sports schedule for Saturday
CBS Sports Network will have a whole slew of Elite Eight throwbacks on Saturday, the day in which Elite Eight games were set to be played before the NCAA Tournament was canceled. It’s a really strong rotation, though. Kentucky fans might not want to avoid CBS around mid-day with airing at noon, and the original most heartbreaking loss in NCAA Tournament history following a couple hours later. Of course, Wildcats fans will want to tune in at 4 p.m. for the revenge game against Duke in 1998, and wins over Michigan in 2014 and Notre Dame in 2015 that took them to back-to-back Final Fours.
MLB Network schedule for Saturday
Yankees fans should wake up early to catch current manager Aaron Boone hit his famous walk-off homer against the rival Red Sox to send New York to the 2003 World Series (sorry for the spoilers) at 5:30 a.m. on MLB Network. The channel will also be showing games from the 1986 between the Mets and the Astros, including the incredible pitchers’ duel between Nolan Ryan (9 innings pitched, 2 hits, 1 earned run) and Dwight Gooden (10 innings pitched, 9 hits, 1 earned run) in Game 5 and the 16-inning thriller in Game 6.
NBA TV schedule for Saturday
NBA TV will be playing the entire 2013 NBA Finals series between the Heat and the Spurs, including Ray Allen’s clutch shot in Game 6 to preserve the series and help LeBron James win his second NBA title, which airs at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Following the conclusion of that series, NBA TV will air a replay of Michael Jordan’s career-high 69 points scored in an overtime win against the Cavaliers. And to end the night will be the 2014 NBA Finals in which the Spurs got revenge and handily beat the Heat 4-1.
NBC Sports schedule for Saturday
Capitals and Penguins fans who are looking for a way to relive the rivalry will want to tune into NBC Sports Saturday evening, with three throwback matchups between the two teams set to be shown starting at 8 p.m.
NHL Network schedule for Saturday
NHL Network will be airing the entirety of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final between the Blues and the Bruins, starting at 8 a.m. and lasting all the way until 9 p.m., and will follow with the 2020 All-star Skills Competition and the 2020 All-Star Game.
Source: Read Full Article