It has now been more than two months since the coronavirus pandemic shut down sports in the United States and fans have looked for any way to get their fix. Whether it’s game reruns or video game simulations, it still can’t quite make up for live sports.
But I’ve found my favorite way to fill the void of sports — TikTok.
While there’s a vast array of content on TikTok, the sports realm of the app has proven to be extremely entertaining. These are some of the best trends I've found on sports TikTok.
Dancing videos
Dancing videos are arguably the backbone of TikTok. It has gotten to the point where I now label completely regular songs as “TikTok songs.” I know, I’m disgusted with myself, too.
But, what’s better than seeing Charli D’Amelio renegade? Watching IU football quarterback Michael Penix Jr. renegade instead. Well, maybe it’s not better. It’s different.
I get excited every time I find an athlete on TikTok simply because I hope they post dancing videos. They never disappoint. There’s just something different about watching an athlete try to throw it back.
The reason athletes dancing is so entertaining is because it’s a side of them we seldom see. Though we can’t watch LeBron James on the court, it’s refreshing to watch him make TikToks with his family like the rest of us.
Trick shots
Whether it’s a basketball and a hoop or a ping pong ball and a solo cup, these videos are impressive. I’ve never had much luck with trick shots, so I watch these to admire the talent of others.
The most impressive part is not only do they hit the shots, but they hit them on the beat of a song. My sister and I even tried our own trick shot from our balcony. I recorded it, of course.
However, the best trick shot I’ve seen on TikTok didn’t even go in. While dancing to “Ice Me Out” by Kash Doll, a girl launched up a backward shot that inevitably backfired and hit her head on beat, of course.
That goes to show not all trick shots have to go in. Her video now has more than 16 million views and got posted by SportsCenter.
Pose challenge
This fairly new challenge has been all the rage among college sports teams. Set to “Pose” by Yo Gotti, players reenact a photo from their sport in their homes.
Some videos feature athletes from different sports at the same university, such as one that went viral from Penn State. Meanwhile, others include their opponents.
The IU women’s basketball team even posted their take on the pose challenge.
This challenge is great because not only is the song catchy, but it’s hilarious to watch athletes try to recreate photos without any of the same equipment or facilities. I’d have to say swimmers have found a pretty close substitute for water.
Mascots
There’s so much to miss about sports, including the mascots. The athletes are great and all, but the mascots carry so much of the show when the main act is getting its rest. And, thanks to the invention of TikTok, I can watch the show from my couch.
As an Indianapolis Colts fan, I favor Blue’s TikTok. It’s quite impressive that a mascot has accumulated 1.8 million followers — more than the Colts’ Twitter and Instagram followers combined.
There’s something special about watching a grown man in a horse costume make TikToks of himself in his own home. That’s what I call entertainment value.
And it’s not just Blue. In fact, Blue has gotten his mascot friend group together to make several TikToks. The most famous among them however is Benny the Bull from the Chicago Bulls.
Benny boasts 2.4 million followers and even has a video of him dancing with Chance the Rapper and Addison Rae during NBA All-Star Weekend. It’s simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming to watch a mascot living your dream.
