With no games on the docket in MLB, the NBA, the NFL or the NHL, it would appear to be as perfect a time as any for ESPN to broadcast the 18th edition of its annual ESPY Awards.
Begun in 1993, the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly (ESPY) Awards is an event created to celebrate ESPN’s legacy as a sports channel and to confer awards for individual and team achievement and other sport-related performance during the previous calendar year.
The 2010 spectacle, hosted by 'Saturday Night Live's' Seth Meyers, is scheduled to be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles, California Wednesday evening at 9PM EDT; when a total of 35 awards will be handed out to athletes and teams from all across the sports spectrum.
The notable players and organizations from the New York area that have been recognized include New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis (Best NFL Player), New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi (Best Coach/Manager), Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter (Best MLB Player) and the 2009 New York Yankees (Best Team).
The complete list of nominees can be found below for your perusal as well as links to videos that provide compelling evidence as to why they have been recognized.
BEST MALE ATHLETE
Drew Brees, NFL
Kobe Bryant, NBA
LeBron James, NBA
Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR
Albert Pujols, MLB
BEST FEMALE ATHLETE
Maya Moore, NCAA Basketball
Diana Taurasi, WNBA
Lindsey Vonn, Skiing
Serena Williams, Tennis
BEST CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE
Drew Brees, Super Bowl XLIV
Anthony Johnson, Big Sky Conference Championship
Michael Phelps, World Swimming Championships
Shaun White, Winter Olympics
BEST BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE
Brittney Griner, Baylor Women's Basketball
Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans
Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals
John Wall, University of Kentucky Basketball
BEST RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE
Usain Bolt, 100 and 200-meter World Records
Brett Favre, NFL record for consecutive starts
Roger Federer, Most Grand Slam singles titles
Connecticut Women's Basketball, Longest winning streak in Women's NCAA Basketball History
Isner vs. Mahut at Wimbledon, Longest Match in Professional Tennis History
BEST UPSET
Frankie Edgar over B.J. Penn, MMA
Hawaii softball upsets #1 Alabama, NCAA Softball
Northern Iowa shocks No. 1 Kansas, NCAA Men's Basketball
Y. E. Yang stuns Tiger Woods, PGA Championship
BEST GAME
Twins beat Tigers in Extra Innings (AL Central One-Game Tiebreak)
Canada edges USA in Olympic hockey championship game in overtime
Duke gets past Butler in Men's NCAA Championship
BEST MOMENT
Phil Mickelson, 2009 Masters
Joannie Rochette, Winter Olympics
New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV
Landon Donovan World Cup vs. Algeria
BEST TEAM
Alabama Football
Chicago Blackhawks
Connecticut Women's Basketball
Los Angeles Lakers
New Orleans Saints
New York Yankees
CASTROL EDGE PERFORMANCE UNDER PRESSURE AWARD
Sidney Crosby in the Olympic Hockey Gold Medal Game
Brett Favre in his return to Green Bay
Landon Donovan World Cup vs. Algeria
Stephen Strasburg in MLB debut
BEST SPORTS MOVIE
'Big Fan'
'Invictus'
'The Blind Side'
'The Damned United'
'The Karate Kid'
BEST COACH/MANAGER
Geno Auriemma, Connecticut Women's Basketball
Joe Girardi, NY Yankees
Phil Jackson, Los Angeles Lakers
Mike Krzyzewski, Duke Men's Basketball
Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints
Nick Saban, Alabama football
BEST NFL PLAYER
Drew Brees, New Orleans
Brett Favre, Minnesota
Chris Johnson, Tennessee
Peyton Manning, Indianapolis
Darrelle Revis, New York Jets
Charles Woodson, Green Bay
BEST MLB PLAYER
Zach Greinke, Kansas City
Derek Jeter, New York Yankees
Tim Lincecum, San Francisco
Joe Mauer, Minnesota
Albert Pujols, St. Louis
BEST NHL PLAYER
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh
Ryan Miller, Buffalo
Alexander Ovechkin, Washington
Henrik Sedin, Vancouver
Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay
BEST DRIVER
Kyle Busch
Dario Franchitti
Ron Hornaday
Jimmie Johnson
Tony Schumacher
BEST NBA PLAYER
Kobe Bryant, LA Lakers
Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City
Dwight Howard, Orlando
LeBron James, Cleveland
Dwyane Wade, Miami
BEST WNBA PLAYER
Tamika Catchings, Indiana
Becky Hammon, San Antonio
Lauren Jackson, Seattle
Candace Parker, Los Angeles
Diana Taurasi, Phoenix
BEST FIGHTER
Floyd Mayweather
Manny Pacquiao
Georges St. Pierre
BEST MALE GOLFER
Ernie Els
Phil Mickelson
Tiger Woods
BEST FEMALE GOLFER
Cristie Kerr
Lorena Ochoa
Jiyai Shin
BEST MALE TENNIS PLAYER
Roger Federer
Juan Martin del Potro
Rafael Nadal
BEST FEMALE TENNIS PLAYER
Kim Clijsters
Serena Williams
Venus Williams
BEST MALE COLLEGE ATHLETE
Blake Geoffrion, Wisconsin Hockey
Mark Ingram, Alabama Football
Evan Turner, Ohio State Basketball
John Wall, Kentucky Basketball
Garrett Wittels, Florida International Baseball
BEST FEMALE COLLEGE ATHLETE
Tina Charles, Connecticut Women's Basketball
Megan Hodge, Penn State Volleyball
Megan Lagenfeld, UCLA Softball
Maya Moore, Connecticut Women's Basketball
BEST MALE ACTION SPORT ATHLETE
Bobby Brown, Freestyle Skiing
Ryan Dungey, Motocross
Mick Fanning, Surfer
Garrett Reynolds, BMX
Shaun White, Snowboard
BEST FEMALE ACTION SPORT ATHLETE
Torah Bright, Snowboarding
Ashley Fiolek, Motocross
Jen Hudak, Freestyle Skiing
Stephanie Gilmore, Surfing
Ashleigh McIvor, Freestyle Skiing
BEST JOCKEY
Calvin Borel
Julien Leparoux
Mike Smith
BEST MALE ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITY
Steve Cash
Rudy Garcia-Tolson
Andy Soule
BEST FEMALE ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITY
Linnea Dohring
Alana Nichols
Amy Palmiero-Winters
Stephani Victor
BEST BOWLER
Kelly Kulick
Bill O'Neill
Walter Ray Williams Jr.
BEST MALE US OLYMPIC ATHLETE
Apolo Anton Ohno, Speedskating
Shani Davis, Speedskating
Evan Lysacek, Figure Skating
Bode Miller, Skiing
Shaun White, Snowboarding
BEST FEMALE US OLYMPIC ATHLETE
Hannah Kearney, Skiing
Julia Mancuso, Skiing
Lindsey Vonn, Skiing
BEST MLS PLAYER
Connor Casey, Colorado
Jeff Cunningham, Dallas
Landon Donovan, Los Angeles
Shalrie Joseph, New England
Kasey Keller, Seattle
BEST TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETE
Usain Bolt
Allyson Felix
Sanya Richards
Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a plethora of videos featuring select ESPY Award nominees.
Jets Darrelle Revis & Yankees Girardi, Jeter up for ESPY Awards
