With the 2024 elections in the United States fully underway, there is plenty of election fatigue, with so many homes flooded with political mailers, inboxes overflowing with political donation requests, and social media on fire.
Yet with just over a week left until “Election Day” (can we even call it that anymore?) there is a place where you can (if you mute the political commercials) escape: Sports.
To be sure, the race on many people’s minds is the contest between former President Donald Trump and Vice-President Kamala Harris. That election campaign over the last six months has seen incredible — you could almost say “unbelievable” — twists and turns.
The two candidates seem to be trading field goals at the time, with Trump up in the polls, then Harris, now seemingly a tie game with five minutes left.
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Of course, this matchup has far bigger consequences than this weekend’s latest installment of the Patriots-Jets rivalry.
And that’s the point. While party politics certainly find their way into sports, sporting events are still largely an escape from the political madness. Outsports has long stayed out of party politics — while certainly engaging in important policy conversations — to maintain sports as a respite from the madness.
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If you’re looking for an escape, there are some great sporting events to check out in the coming days. This is, after all, the busiest time of the year for American pro sports, the few days every year when every major men’s league — NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS and NHL — are all playing, in addition to college football, men’s and women’s college basketball and the NWSL.
The only major American sport not playing right now is the WNBA, which just ended the season on Sunday. The up-and-coming Professional Women’s Hockey League hits the ice Nov. 30.
So what are some of the highlights to check out during this election chaos?
New York Yankees vs Los Angeles Dodgers, the next 10 days, MLB
This once would have been a subway-series battle for New York, as the Dodgers’ origins trace back to Brooklyn. Now these two storied franchises will play in the World Series for the first time since 1981 (the Yankees won that Fall Classic). These two franchises have approached the LGBTQ community in very different ways, with the Dodgers hosting the largest Pride Night in all of sports, and the Yankees dragging their feet for years before hosting a more-subdued LGBTQ celebration each year.
Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Lakers, Oct. 26, NBA
For the first time ever, a father and son — LeBron James and son Bronny — are playing on the same NBA team. This Saturday night is also Lakers Pride Night, the first time the team has hosted Pride Night in the regular season. The Lakers are off to a 1-0 start, and the James boys are having fun with their special relationship.
Winnipeg Jets at Calgary Flames, Oct. 26, NHL
The Winnipeg Jets are flying high with a blistering 7-0-0 start to this NHL season. They meet a tough opponent on the road on Saturday, at the Calgary Flames. Could this be the first loss for the Jets? Winnipeg will host possibly the first Pride Night of the NHL season, when the team hosts the Tampa Bay Lightning on Nov. 3.
Ohio State Buckeyes at Penn State Nittany Lions, Nov. 2, college football
The Big Ten Conference (with its 12 teams) is again giving the SEC a run for its money, with three of the current top four teams on the AP Top 25. Two of those teams — Ohio State and Penn State — meet up in one of the most-anticipated regular-season games in 2024. Illinois visiting the Oregon Ducks the same day puts the Big Ten at the center of the college football world on Nov. 2.
Kansas City Current at Chicago Red Stars, Nov. 3, NWSL
With two nominees for the prestigious 2024 Ballon d’Or Féminin — given to the best international player — the Chicago Red Stars have the star power heading into the NWSL Playoffs. Alyssa Naeher and Mallory Swanson will lead a team hoping to secure the No. 6 seed, as a loss could drop them as low as No. 8. The KC Current, meanwhile, could be seeded anywhere from No. 2 to No. 4. It’s a matchup of two playoff teams in their final regular-season match, with major seeding consequences. Incidentally, the President of the Current — Raven Jemison — and an owner of the Red Stars — Laura Ricketts — were both included in our 2024 Outsports Power 100.
Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers, Nov. 3, NFL
With Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers at the helm of the Packers for much of it, Green Bay dominated Detroit for three decades, going 42-20. Yet Lions QB Jared Goff has given the team new hope. With two solid quarterbacks, this game could be a lot of fun to watch. Both primetime games that week also feature two teams with winning records, so there should be some good NFL football to watch.
No. 20 Ole Miss at No. 3 USC, Nov. 4, women’s college basketball
With two AP preseason All-America selections — JuJu Watkins and Kiki Iriafen — the USC Trojans are looking to make waves in women’s college basketball this season. At preseason No. 3, they’ll host Ole Miss on the first day of the season. USC made it to the Elite 8 last season. With cross-town rival UCLA at No. 5, L.A. could be a focus of women’s college basketball this season.
No. 8 Baylor at No. 6 Gonzaga, men’s college basketball
On the very first night of the college basketball season, two teams in the Associated Press Top 10 will go head-to-head. That’s an incredible start to the season. These were both Top-5 seeds in their respective regions for March Madness earlier this year. And this could be a great matchup.
Regardless of where you turn your TV for sports, there is a refuge from the bickering and name-calling that has dominated this election cycle.
What sporting events will you be watching over the next few days?
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