We on Award Tour: 2008 ESPY Nominations

For whatever reason ESPN has tapped Justin Timberlake at host the ESPY’s. Considering his stint as host of the MTV Movie Awards host was uninspiring, I can’t say this was an inspired choice. And really make no sense because of the occasional Laker stands sighting he has basically any association with sports. Yet with the ESPY’s track record, the show should be at least watchable. This year’s Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, which tend to be the highlight every year will be going to the Black Power guys from the 1968 Olympics. Voting is open over at ESPN.com where you can find all the nominees. Here are select one I am highlighting from this year:


Best Male Athlete
Tiger Woods
Tom Brady
Kobe Bryant
Alex Rodriguez

Who I Voted For: Tiger Woods

Some say that ESPN favors New York and Boston too much and look no further than to this category for that. Here you have two losers nominated and you have to give to Tiger because he actually won something.


Best Team
New York Giants
Boston Red Sox
Kansas University Basketball
Tennessee Woman’s Basketball
Boston Celtics
Detroit Red Wings

Who I Voted For: Detroit Red Wings

My anti-New York/Boston bias is showing by going for Detroit.


Best Championship Performance
Venus Williams
Josh Beckett
Rafael Nadel
Tiger Woods

Who I Voted For: Rafael Nadel

Nadel did the unthinkable and embarrassed Roger Federer.


Best Breakthrough Athlete
Stephan Curry
Adrian Peterson
Kyle Bush
Ana Ivanovic

Who I Voted For: Stephan Curry

Peterson will probably win in a landslide because of all the fantasy teams he help win championships for and I would really like to vote for Ivanavic if only because she is what I like to referrer to as moderately attractive, but there is something to say that my cousin and I were talking about the NBA draft a while back, and we both thought it would be a good idea if the Cavs drafted him and that was solely based on the four games in the NCAA tournament. Now that is the definition of a breakout star.


Best Record Breaking Performance
Barry Bonds
Tom Brady and Randy Moss
Brett Farve
Usian Bolt

Who I Voted For: Brett Farve

Well you have to go for the person on here that never actually cheated, although I feel bad to include Bolt in that statement because I son’t know him, but you have to assume these days all the track and field people are doing something illegal.


Best Upset
Appalachian State over Michigan State (College Football)
New York Giants over New England Patriots (NFL)
Fresno State over Georgia (College Baseball)
Da’Tara at the Belmont (Horse Racing)

Who I Voted For: Appalachian State

As an Ohio resident I have to laugh at any pitfall to the neighbors to our north, but way no March Madness picks?


Best Moment
Central Washington vs. Western Oregon Softball
Jon Lester No Hitter
Danica Patrick

Who I Voted For: Central Washington

This needs to be explained, so some chick hit her very first home run ever only to come up lame going around first. Since rules state that if any teammate touches you on the base path you are automatically out, the other team picked her up and carried her around the base path so her first home run would count.


Best Game
New York Giants vs. New England Patriots
Kansas vs. Memphis (College Basketball)
Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers (Game Four)

Who I Voted For: New York Giants

The evil empire getting their first defeat in the last minute of the last game.


Best Play
Eli Manning to David Tyree (NFL)
Trinity University (Division III Football)
Rick Nash (NHL)
Blake Hoffarber (College Basketball)

Who I Voted For: Eli Manning to David Tyree

Hoffarber may not be a name you know, but this is actually the second time nominated and actually won before as a high schooler. But nothing is going to beat the helmet catch.


Best Coach/Manager
Tom Coughlin (New York Giants)
Terry Francona (Boston Red Sox)
Pat Summitt (Tennessee Woman’s Basketball)
Doc Rivers (Boston Celtics)

Who I Voted For: Tom Coughlin

It is silly each year that they always pick the coaches from the winning teams, yet would anyone put Doc Rivers in the fifty best managers in pro sport, much less the top four?


Best Finish
Jamie McMurry (Daytona International Speedway)
Western Kentucky over Drake (NCAA Basketball Tournament)
San Antonio Spurs over Phoenix Suns (NBA)
Pittsburg Penguins over Detroit Red Wings (Stanley Cup)

Who I Voted For: Western Kentucky

The Pittsburg game was a great finish, but it just prolonged the series another game, I got to go with the buzzer beater.


Hummer Like Nothing Else Award
Manny Ramirez
Sidney Crosby
Ashley Force
George Martin

Who I Voted For: George Martin

Wonder if Manny got the nod before or after he knocked the Red Sox secretary to the ground? For those that do not know George Martin, he walked 3200 miles for 9/11 charities.


Best NFL Player
Tom Brady
Randy Moss
Eli Manning
LaDainian Tomlinson
Bob Sanders
Brett Farve

Who I Voted For: Bob Sanders

I am a big proponent of defense wins championships and Sanders is the only defensive player here.


Best NBA Player
LaBron James
Kobe Bryant
Chris Paul
Dwight Howard
Kevin Garnett

Who I Voted For: Chris Paul

Kobe winning MVP was a joke because he wasn’t even the MVP of his own team. Without Pao Gasol, LA doesn’t even host a playoff series that is even if they make it. Paul on the other hand took a nothing team and took them within one game of the NBA Finals.


Best Baseball Player
Alex Rodriguez
Josh Beckett
Jimmy Rollins
Jake Peavy
C.C. Sabathia

Who I Voted For: Jake Peavy

I got nothing, time to end this.