Without Sports, Athletes Take On New Projects

With sports still largely on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic, athletes and coaches have been looking for ways to pass all that unexpected free time.

We've heard plenty of familiar pursuits. Binge-watching a television series. Hunkering down with video games. Playtime with the kids.

Washington Capitals esports player John Casagranda of Alaska waits to play a hockey video game on February 27, 2020, in Washington, DC. - In a windowless room in downtown Washington, the city's most promising new basketballers are honing their skills and readying to compete against adversaries they sometimes don't even meet. There are no hoops or balls in the practice room of Wizards District Gaming, just video monitors and consoles loaded with NBA 2K20, the basketball simulation that the team's eSports athletes use to compete with adversaries from across the United States. Video games are now the largest entertainment industry in the world, and innovations like livestreaming have made eSports a global phenomenon. The largest competitions have had tens of millions of viewers watching competitors battle for millions of dollars in prizes. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Some have gotten more creative.

Olympic swimmer Hali Flickinger has taken up gardening and home renovations. Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia is strumming his ukulele. Atlanta Falcons lineman Jake Mathews hopes to get as proficient on the grill as he is at protecting Matt Ryan.

"When I'm full-time into swimming, I'm not going outside to plant a plant," Flickinger, who competed at the 2016 Rio Games and hopes to make it to Tokyo next summer, said with a chuckle. "This is such a great opportunity to do those things we wouldn't normally be able to do."

GWANGJU, SOUTH KOREA - JULY 24: Hali Flickinger of the United States competes in the Women's 200m Butterfly Semifinal on day four of the Gwangju 2019 FINA World Championships at Nambu International Aquatics Centre on July 24, 2019 in Gwangju, South Korea. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Flickinger, a 25-year-old Pennsylvania native who now lives and trains in sweltering Arizona, sulked on the sofa for a couple of days after the entire nation essentially locked down in an attempt to contain the virus, which has claimed more than 70,000 American lives and a quarter-million around the world.

Then, she decided to start living again.

Flickinger and her husband began with the outdoors.

"I'm learning how to garden," Flickinger said proudly in a telephone interview. "I'm planting plants. I've never planted a plant in my life, but we've done that."

GWANGJU, SOUTH KOREA - JULY 25: Hali Flickinger of the United States competes in the Women's 200m Butterfly Final on day five of the Gwangju 2019 FINA World Championships at Nambu International Aquatics Centre on July 25, 2019 in Gwangju, South Korea. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

There have been a few hiccups along the way, of course.

"We started out with these things called, well, I think they're called oleanders," Flickinger said. "But we found out they're really poisonous. So we dug those up and replanted a bunch of palm trees. They are little baby ones, but hopefully they'll grow to be big."

Flickinger and her spouse then turned their attention indoors.

"We've remodeled a bathroom," she continued. "Out here in Arizona, they have these textured walls. I had never seen them before, but they're super popular here. Well, I wanted my walls to be flat. So we learned how to level out the walls. We also took down the old mirror and old medicine cabinet so we could put up a new medicine cabinet. We repainted the whole thing."

GWANGJU, SOUTH KOREA - JULY 25: (L-R) Silver medalist Hali Flickinger of the United States, gold medalist Boglarka Kapas of Hungary and bronze medalist Katie Drabot of the United States pose during the medal ceremony for the Women's 200m Butterfly Final on day five of the Gwangju 2019 FINA World Championships at Nambu International Aquatics Centre on July 25, 2019 in Gwangju, South Korea. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

How did the young couple suddenly acquire all this useful household knowledge?

"YouTube has been very helpful for us," Flickinger replied.

Patricia, heading into his third season as the Lions coach, normally adheres to the lessons learned in Bill Belichick's advanced class, "Tight-Lipped 101: Making Sure You Never Divulge Anything The Least Bit Interesting To The Media."

That's what made it so surprising when he revealed during a recent video session with Detroit-area reporters that he dabbles with the small, four-stringed guitar of Hawaiian descent.

DETROIT, MI - NOVEMBER 28: head coach Matt Patricia of the Detroit Lions looks on during warms up prior to a game against the Chicago Bearsat Ford Field on November 28, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)

"I can't say I don't have things that I always like to try to mess around with here," Patricia said, suddenly turning to grab his musical instrument. "There, I don't know if you can see it, but that's a ukulele. So, there you go. I gave you a little tidbit."

Of course, it didn't take long for that Belichick training to kick in again. When asked it he could regale everyone with a tune, Patricia clammed up.

"I may call them songs," he quipped. "You would call them noise."

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - DECEMBER 08: Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia during the first quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 08, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

Mathews, who has spent the past six seasons as Ryan's primary protector at left tackle, was hunkering down at his offseason home in Texas.

While the Falcons have been holding remote meetings almost every day and urging their players to stay in condition through a regular workout plan, Mathews still found time to dig out a forgotten gift from his quarterback.

"After the 2017 season, Matt Ryan got all the linemen a Big Green Egg," Mathews recalled. "I put it together and had all these great ambitions to do stuff and become a master smoker, but I have not touched it since then."

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 15: Quarterback Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons delivers a pass over the defense of the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on December 15, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Strange, coming from a guy who checks in at more than 300 pounds.

Now, at least, he's putting it to good use.

"Oh man, I've done some salmon and a few steaks," Mathews said proudly, while also stirring a few hunger pangs. "I may venture into some chicken soon."

Another Falcons player, defensive lineman Grady Jarrett, has also been perfecting his cooking skills.

Who knows? After his playing days are done, he might nab a show on Food Network.

ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 22: Grady Jarrett #97 of the Atlanta Falcons high fives Vic Beasley Jr. #44 of the Atlanta Falcons during the first half of a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 22, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

"One of my favorite things I've started cooking is sea bass," Jarrett said. "I never had cooked that before, but once I learned to cook it the right way, it was great."

He also bought a Peloton stationary bike, which brings up some intriguing ideas for an advertising campaign.

Instead of that sexist, dystopian commercial the company rolled out ahead of Christmas, we'd much rather watch the 290-pound Jarrett pedaling away on his high-tech bike, perhaps joined by 285-pound teammate Allen Bailey.

"Me and Allen are friends on there," Jarrett said. "We do a class together and compete against each other."

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 10: Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints is sacked by Grady Jarrett #97 of the Atlanta Falcons and Adrian Clayborn #99 during the second half of a game at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on November 10, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

Jarrett has only one complaint.

"That seat is a little uncomfortable," he said. "I've got to find me a cushion or something."

Taking on an even more daunting challenge is Yetur Gross-Matos, the Carolina Panthers' second-round draft pick. He has apparently managed to find a pool, giving him a chance to rectify a missing part of his childhood, one that is often unavailable to kids of color.

"I'm trying to learn how to swim," the rookie said in a Twitter post. "I never learned how to swim growing up."

STATE COLLEGE, PA - AUGUST 31: Yetur Gross-Matos #99 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates against the Idaho Vandals during the first half at Beaver Stadium on August 31, 2019 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

With Major League Baseball still trying to work out a plan to begin its season, Baltimore Orioles outfielder Dwight Smith Jr. has been dabbling with a former hobby.

Look out, DJ D-Nice.

DJ D-Smith might be taking over Club Quarantine.

"I kind of did it in the past," Smith said. "I actually had a laptop that I would make mixes on, but I got a virus on it and kind of stopped. So now that I've got more time to sit down and relax, I might pick it back up and just go back where I left off at."

SARASOTA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 26: Dwight Smith Jr. #35 of the Baltimore Orioles runs back to the dugout after the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Atlanta Braves at Ed Smith Stadium on February 26, 2020 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

Flickinger, meanwhile, is considering an even more elaborate home renovation plan.

A complete gutting of the master bathroom.

"I'm a little of an amateur," she said, a tinge of doubt creeping into her voice. "But I hope to get better with each project."

She's got plenty of time to learn.

The Olympics are still more than 14 months away.

© 2020 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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