We on Award Tour: 2009 ESPY Awards Nominations

Samuel L. Jackson is back for his fourth ESPY hosting gig which remains one of the most entertaining award shows of the year. Two awards we already know that will be given out July 19 are The Arthur Ashe Courage Award will be given to Nelson Mandela while Don Meyer will pick up the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. Usually an award voted on by fans, Dana Torres has already been announced as the Best Comeback. For those that are still being voted on by the general public, head over to ESPN.com. For my thoughts on the major categories, check out below:


Best Male Athlete
Kobe Bryant, NBA
LeBron James, NBA
Jimmie Johnson, Auto Racing
Michael Phelps, Swimming

Who I Voted For: Michael Phelps
Who Will Win: Michael Phelps

Odd no football players made it this year. When I first saw this list I thought that Michael Phelps should win but may not because of his scandal. But then I realized he just got caught with a bong, not to sound like Manny Ramirez, but it’s not like he raped anyone.

Best Female Athlete
Natalie Coughlin, Swimming
Nastia Liukin, Gymnastics
Maya Moore, NCAA Basketball
Candace Parker, WNBA
Serena Williams, Tennis

Who I Voted For: Natalie Coughlin
Who Will Win: Nastia Liukin

In Olympic years we judge our athletes by gold and Coughlin has gotten her fair share of them in her lifetime even if they have much more chances to grab them in any other sports. Had their not been a Michael Phelps she would have been the dominate story in the first week.

Best Championship Performance
Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies
Michael Phelps, Olympic Swimming
Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, Olympic Beach Volleyball

Who I Voted For: Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh
Who Will Win: Kobe Bryant

Didn’t Kobe Bryant lose a game all by himself during the finals? Many they thought he made up for that by not getting called for an elbow at the end of the game Derek Fisher won. I’ll go with the team that won 108 straight matches.

Best Breakout Athete
Shawn Johnson, Olympic Gymnastics
Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays
Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

Who I Voted For: Matt Ryan
Who Will Win: Evan Longoria

Maybe the hardest category. I gave the edge to Longoria because he got further in the playoffs and to make up for all the Eva jokes I made all year.

Best Record Breaking Performance
Usain Bolt, Olympic Sprinter
Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
Phil Jackson, Los Angeles Lakers
Michael Phelps, Olympic Swimmer

Who I Voted For: Usain Bolt
Who Will Win: Michael Phelps

Quick: what record(s) did Fitzgerald break? I didn’t know either. As much as I hated his antics, I had to go with Bolt. Dude pounded his chest with ten meters to go and still broke the record. Oh and Fitzgerald broke Jerry Rice’s records for receptions and reception years.

Best Upset
Mine That Bird wins the Kentucky Derby
Oregon State stuns then #1 USC
Tampa Bay Rays win the American League Championship Series
US Soccer shocks Spain in the Confederations Cup semifinals

Who I Voted For: US Soccer
Who Will Win: Tampa Bay Rays

Upsets happen all in the Derby and College Football. This one is hard to gauge between USA and Tampa Bay. Here you have two “ever’s.” First time Tampa Bay ever was above .500 and ended up making the World Series. The US beat their first ever world number one. Unfortunately they both fell short in the championship game.

Best Game
Federer vs. Nadal in the 2008 Wimbledon Final
Steelers vs. Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII
Syracuse vs. Connecticut in the Big East Tournament Quarterfinals

Who I Voted For: Federer vs. Nadal
Who Will Win: Steelers vs. Cardinals

Not only was the tennis match the best “game” this year, it may even be the best ever tennis match. The Super Bowl doesn’t even ranking the top five as the first half was horribly boring. Six overtimes is a cool novelty, but in the end, that’s all it is when it is not part of the big dance.

Best Moment
Florida’s Tim Tebow’s speech
Helio Castroneves wins the Indy 500
US swim team wins thrilling finish in Olympic relay

Who I Voted For: US swim team
Who Will Win: US swim team

What a sad list. Certainly there were better moments than this over the past year. The swim team was the only on the edge of your seat moment here and the only part of Michael Phelps’ run that lived up to the hype.

Best Play
Ovechkin vs. Rangers
Pacquiao KO’s Hatton
Roethlisberger to Holmes Super Bowl Winning TD
Texas Tech’s Michael Crabtree makes game-winning catch vs. Texas

Who I Voted For: Ovechkin vs. Rangers
Who Will Win: Roethlisberger to Holmes

Best Team
Connecticut Women’s Basketball
Los Angeles Lakers
North Carolina Men’s Basketball
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Steelers
Who I Voted For: Pittsburgh Penguins
Who Will Win: Pittsburgh Steelers

I live in a city that hasn’t seen a championship in my lifetime and here is a city that had two in one year. I hate Pittsburgh. But the Penguins won two game sevens on opponent’s ice in the playoffs.

That is ten of the thirty-seven awards. Head over to ESPN.com to see all the individual sports nominees including how Micky Rourke can pick up one after getting snubbed by the Oscars.