ESPYs bring athletes, Hollywood together

Click here for 2012 ESPYS TV coverage.

If somebody asked you who won the Oscar for Best Picture last year or the TV show that took home the Emmy for Best Drama, there is a pretty good chance you’d be able to remember both. How about who won the ESPY for Best Team? Not so much.

Think of the ESPYs as a sports version of the MTV Movie Awards in that both are rarely memorable but are a lot of fun to watch. And with this one, how can you really go wrong when the sports world and Hollywood unite to dole out awards that were decided upon by the fans?

Seth Meyers of Saturday Night Live will host the live event, which airs tonight at 8pm ET on ESPN. Among the stars on hand at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles to present the awards will be Jason Bateman, Brooklyn Decker, Chris Evans, Cee Lo Green, Jimmie Johnson, Danica Patrick, Ryan Reynolds, Aaron Rodgers, Amare Stoudemire, Justin Timberlake and Serena Williams.

ESPYS will be handed out for the best in many categories, including: male athlete, female athlete, championship performance, upset, game, moment, team, coach, sports movie, NFL player, MLB player, NHL player, NBA player, WNBA player, MLS player and race car driver.

Perhaps the most special part of this event is the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, which is given annually to an athlete whose actions and contributions transcend sports. This year’s recipient is Dewey Bozzela, who as a young boy watched his father kill his pregnant mother.

He found a love for boxing, but he was imprisoned in 1983 for a murder he did not commit. After serving 26 years and finally being exonerated, he devoted his life to helping others when they are released from prison, as well as serving as a trainer to young fighters.

It’s stories like Bozzela’s that make sports great, and it’s a big reason why we are such big fans of the ESPYs. Arthur Ashe would be very proud.

[For those scoring at home, The King’s Speech won the Oscar for Best Picture and Mad Men won the Emmy for Best Drama. No clue who won the ESPY for Best Team.]