By By Lindsay Hock
Published: July 17, 2008
It could be a game of checkers, a game of tag, a leisurely round of golf—athletes are the most competitive animal on this planet, and they always play to win. However, on Wednesday, July 17, at the Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles, the most elite of these athletes came together for a different kind of friendly competition, the ESPN ESPY Awards.
“We work hard, play our best every Sunday and don’t usually get to see each other in this kind of environment. It’s a laid-back atmosphere, and if you win an award that’s great, but no one takes it too seriously. We’re just here to support one another,” said Eli Manning, quarterback of the Super Bowl Champs New York Giants.
Inaugurated in 1993, the ESPY Awards honor the moments we remember, the athletes who inspire us, and the teams we won’t soon forget while raising money for the V Foundation, basketball legend Jim Valvano’s cancer research charity. The winners of the coveted ESPY Award are decided solely by the online voting from fans; categories include best team, best moment, best game, and best male and female athlete. In attendance was a mix of superstar athletes like Venus Williams, Brett Favre and David Beckham and Hollywood icons like Samuel L. Jackson and Jet Li.
The outstanding women up for best female athlete were Lindsey Vonn, Lorena Ochoa, Candace Parker and Danica Patrick. The remarkableness of this acknowledgment was not lost on Vonn, a world champion skier who was air-lifted off the course after a bad accident at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games.
“I thought I was going to be nominated for something smaller, but to be in the main category is unbelievable. I am totally out of my element,” said Vonn.
Annika Sorenstam also praised fellow golf star Ochoa, saying, “Lorena is having a great year. She brings a lot of courage [to the LPGA tour.] She has introduced golf to Mexico, and we now have three tournaments there. She’s great.”
Taking home the ESPY for best female athlete was Los Angeles’ own Candace Parker, who is in her rookie season in the WNBA, playing for the L.A. Sparks. After dislocating her shoulder during an NCAA tournament game, Parker played through the pain to lead the Tennessee Lady Volunteers to their second-consecutive championship.
Other female athletes recognized for their extraordinary achievement on Wednesday night included Lorena Ochoa as best international female athlete, Maria Sharapova for best female tennis player and Parker again for best college athlete. The softball players of Central Washington, who carried an opponent from Western Oregon around the bases to score the winning run after an injury disabled her, took home the ESPY for Best Moment.
It was a thrilling end for the Central Washington players, who were honored in the same room as their idols and who themselves got to play hero for the night.
Gretchen Bleiler, a snowboard icon who took home the ESPY for best female action-sports star, commented on the importance of the recognition of women and their success. “Women enjoy watching other women perform. It’s inspiring to see females being recognized and achieving their goals,” she said.
While we are accustomed to seeing our athletes sweaty and exhausted, basking in the glory of victory or cringing in the agony of defeat, they were almost unrecognizable in their most Hollywood-chic attire. What never changes, regardless of location, situation or dress, is their striving to be the best and their unrelenting quest for perfection. And on Wednesday night at the ESPY Awards, this was no different.
View photos from the 2008 ESPY awards