The ESPY’s Nominate Some Of Our Favorite Athletes…
July 10, 2008 – 7:54 pm PT by MikeTags: Chad Reed, ESPY, Kevin Pearce, Kevin Robinson, Shaun White —
Actually some of my favorite athletes aren’t even mentioned at this year’s ESPY Awards. Hold on; give me a second while I go onto Wikipedia.org to find out what ESPY even means. ESPY means Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards. I thought that it might have meant ESPN’s Sporty Prize Year, but that would be a horrible name.
Anyway back to my favorite athletes who aren’t nominated at this year’s ESPY’s. First of all, I don’t watch many sports so maybe I don’t know jack about athletes. But I do know that ESPN show many World Series Of Poker episodes all day and late into the night. My favorite athlete from the sport of Poker would have to be 2004 WSP Champion “The Fossil Man” Greg Raymer. Sure he doesn’t have the physique of a Lebron James or even a Fernando Valenzuela, but for two years in a row, Greg outlasted a over 5,000 players winning the 2004 bracelet and coming in 25th the next year. Not since Johnny Chan has someone come as close as Greg to repeating. Now that’s a high level of competition.
My next candidate would definitely be a real athlete but has no mention in the ESPY’s. His sport isn’t even mentioned in the ESPY’s (I think). This athlete’s name is Mariusz Pudzianowski of Poland and his sport is a variety of events called “The World’s Strongest Man Competition” where the world’s largest men compete in such events like “The Keg Toss” or “The Car Carry”. These events don’t need any explaining. Any Mariusz has dominated the sport winning in four of the last six years. I’m sure Tom Brady can’t throw a 50 lb keg over a 14’6” wall.
But the ESPY’s have semi redeemed themselves by adding “extreme sports” to the list of nominees. I’m sure now the award ceremony will be worth watching. Maybe they may do something quirky like have Shaun White present an award with Reggie Bush. I don’t know. Well while I have caught your attention, why not check out the press release below to see which of your favorite extreme athletes will be presented at this year’s ESPY Awards.
ESPN X Games Athletes Nominated For 16TH Annual ESPYs
Three Olympians Nominated for Best Action Sports Athletes; BMX High Air
World Record Holder and Women’s Motocross Champion Named as Nominees
Eight of the top performers from the X Games and Winter X Games are
nominated for the16th annual ESPYs which will be televised Sunday, July 20,
at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN and available in high definition on ESPN HD. The 2008
ESPYs presented by HUMMER announce the stars of the X Games who are
nominated in the Best Male Action Sport Athlete and Best Female Action Sport
Athlete categories.
First-time ESPY nominee and BMX champion, Kevin Robinson will be making his
13th X Games appearance this year. “My dad always taught me to finish what
you start, and I am far from finished,” said the seven-time X Games
medalist. “Thanks X Games for believing in me for the past 14 years. This
ESPY nomination is a huge honor.”
The ESPY nominees for Best Action Sport Athlete are:
BEST MALE ACTION SPORT ATHLETE NOMINEES
Shaun White, Skateboarding & Snowboarding
Fourteen-time Winter and X Games medalist and 2006 Olympic gold medalist,
Shaun White is the first X Games athlete to win gold in both summer and
winter events for X. Most recently, White won his first gold last year in
the Skateboard Vert competition.
Chad Reed, Motocross
X Games Bronze medalist, Chad Reed dominated the 2008 AMA SuperCross circuit
winning nine races and earning the overall AMA World Champion. Reed will be
making his fifth X Games appearance this summer.
Kevin Robinson, BMX
Seven-time X Games medalist, Kevin Robinson was selected as X Games 13 Most
Outstanding Athlete by defending his Gold Medal on the BMX Big Air ramp.
Robinson recently made headlines with his high air world record in Central
Park – landing a new record of 27 feet.
Kevin Pearce, Snowboarding
Two-time Winter X Games medalist, Kevin Piece is an accomplished snowboarder
who won the Arctic
Challenge in 2007 and Burton European Open in 2008.
BEST FEMALE ACTION SPORT ATHLETE NOMINEES
Gretchen Bleiler, Snowboarding
Four-time Winter X Games medalist and 2006 Olympic silver medalist, Gretchen
Bleiler is the reigning champion in SuperPipe winning gold at the 2008
Winter X Games. Bleiler finished the 2007 FIS World Cup standings in 5th,
and the Grand Prix standing in 3rd.
Jessica Patterson, Motocross
Making her first X Games appearance this year, Jessica Patterson will
compete in the debut of women’s Moto X Racing. Patterson won the 2007
Women’s Motocross Association title and over her career has won 27 National
Championships.
Lindsey Jacobellis, Snowboarding
Six-time Winter X Games medalist and 2006 silver medalist dominated the
boardercross circuit this season including gold at the 2008 Winter X Games.
Jacobellis won her second consecutive SBX World Championship in 2007.
Stephanie Gilmore, Surfing
X Games Silver medalist, Steph Gilmore made her first X Games appearance
last year. The 19 year-old from Australia became the first surfer ever to
win an ASP world title in rookie season as well as recorded four Elite Tour
victories in 2007.
