2023 Breakdown: Biggest Sports Stories of the Year (So Far)
As the seasons turn, it’s time for sports to follow suit. In North America, springtime is among us. It’s a period that signals the shift from NHL and NBA content toward the MLB as spring training begins. However, there’s a booming sports world beyond North America’s Big Four leagues—and fans are increasingly taking notice.
This is especially the case since sports betting has expanded across the US. Back in 2018, the US federal government lifted a ban on betting. Since then, online and in-person markets have slowly expanded on a state-by-state basis. Depending on where they live, fans can peruse lines from OddsChecker to find a betting deal that suits them, which makes it easy to start for newcomers.
Unsurprisingly, the expansion of betting markets means that long-time sports fans are also testing the waters in new leagues. If you’ve kept your head in the sand to focus on the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB, then you may be missing out. Let’s cover some of the sporting world’s biggest stories from this year—barring the Big Four leagues.
Japan Beats USA in World Baseball Classic
When it comes to sports, baseball tends to be categorized as an ‘American pastime’. But, in part thanks to America’s other pastime of spending time in other countries, baseball is now a global affair. Specifically, Japan’s NPB and South Korea’s KBO have high-caliber leagues whose players are regularly contracted to MLB teams.
Enter Shohei Ohtani. As one of the MLB’s most dynamic players, he was a shoo-in to be called up for Japan’s national team. But not many predicted that Ohtani would lead Japan’s national team to a huge victory over the US (3-2). Best of all, it was a battle between teammates; along with Ohtani, the Los Angeles’ Angels lent Mike Trout to the US national team—both of whom have lifted MVP awards.
St. Louis SC Kicks Off MLS
It’s been a stellar year for sports fans in Missouri. Though often classified as a ‘fly-over state’, Missouri may soon be known as a sports destination. In February, Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs to a Super Bowl win—the second for KC in the last five years. To the east, St. Louis has seen success with its soccer team, which kicked off in the MLS this year.
St. Louis Soccer Club is currently sitting at the top of the Western Conference. Though it’s still too early in the season to gauge how the team will fare later on, they’re leading the league favorites, the Seattle Sound, with a two-point differential heading into their seventh game of the season.
LIV Golf Gets a Nod from Sportsbooks
Fans of golf are either delighted by the recent changes or they likely have a chip on their shoulder. After almost a century of domination in terms of professional golfing, the PGA Tour is no longer operating alone. The Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf series seems to be taking off.
While LIV has been around for over a year and has managed to woo some of golf’s biggest pros with a promise of bigger winnings, fans have been a bit divided about the rival league. First, they question the talent involved in LIV. Second, they question the funds being used to pay out winners—and attract big-name pros like Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau.
If there’s been one thing working in PGA’s favor, it was a hesitance from sportsbooks to offer lines on LIV Golf. After all, if its pool of talent can’t be gauged easily and if it might not survive its first year, then why focus on the new league? However, some sportsbooks have started to offer lines on LIV Golf tournaments—which is a major coup for the rival league.
F1 Prepping for Third Stop in US
Lastly, let’s cover the future of F1 in the US. Last year, the Miami Grand Prix saw huge success for fans, spectators, and remote viewers. Along with Miami, Formula One signed on ten-year contracts with new locations to host Grand Prix, including in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
However, US fans will have one more chance to catch a live race this year. Along with a repeating Grand Prix in Miami and another in Texas, F1 will race its first Las Vegas Grand Prix in over two decades, scheduled for November 18, 2023.