The ESPY Awards will not be going back to cable anytime soon.
On Wednesday night, the award show — broadcast for its second year on ABC after being broadcast for its first 22 years on ESPN — had arguably its most relevant and entertaining night ever.
From the powerful opening monologue from Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, to the sung tribute to Muhammad Ali by Chance the Rapper, to the moving speech by Craig Sager while accepting the Jimmy V Award, the night kept raising to new heights.
I didn’t know the ESPYs still had it in them. What for years had turned into a frivolous affair — anyone remember Rob Riggle hosting? — somehow became the exact right moment for our nation last night. Topical, emotional, forceful and inspiring, the show managed to speak to America on the most pressing issues of the day, and it did so with grace and clarity.
From a bunch of athletes. Who knew?
Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
The show kicked off with an opening monologue from four giants of the NBA, who apparently came up with the idea themselves, pitching the show’s producers. (Who were probably all too happy to lead with something more substantial than a John Cena monologue.)
(No offense to Cena, who was wonderful! But, you know, still.)
Anthony, Paul, Wade and James took turns speaking, recognizing the importance not only of condemning violence but making themselves visible as leaders, role models. They used the stage for something, which is more than I can say of most award shows.
Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Yes, later there was the fluff, the groan-worthy jokes, but on a night that could have been nothing more than that, the ESPYs went above and beyond. Compared to the Oscars, which is nothing more than a night of vanity, where the homages are paid by the moviemakers for the moviemakers, this was something meaningful and different. The four NBA stars didn’t speak about basketball; they spoke about America.
Likewise, Craig Sager didn’t talk about the magic of sports (the Oscars loves to talk about the magic of movies) — he spoke about finding meaning in life when that life is no longer able to be taken for granted.
Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
I was challenged and inspired last night. I was moved watching the ESPYs. For years, that wasn’t the case. (No offense, Rob Riggle.) But the award show matters now, again, in a way it hasn’t seemed to since the speech by Jimmy V himself.
Its days on cable are over, for good. It means too much.
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