From the sidelines
As I sat down Sunday night to watch The ESPYs, I wasn't sure what to expect.
My wife, Jamie, had never heard of the show, and thought I was joking when I told her it was the Academy Awards of the sports world.
As the New York Giants, accepting the award for "Best Championship team," headed up to the podium to thank God, their respective moms, and flash big, cheesy smiles, Jamie still thought it was a joke.
What she was probably was thinking was the fact that not only does she have to put up with me watching sports all the time, but now an award show is on, and it's still sports.
However, when former NSYNCer and 2008 ESPY host Justin Timberlake entertained the crowd with some dancing and singing with a song called "I Love Sports," she was actually in to the show.
The best part was when he had to sing about Mario Chalmers and the shot he hit to ultimately defeat Timberlake's Memphis Tigers in the NCAA championship game.
Through the night Timberlake had jokes, some funny, some not, about Shaquille O'Neal, Terrell Owens, Roger Clemens, and many more.
It was an entertaining show, and provided some great sports highlights during the summer when baseball is pretty much the only thing going on.
Yes, it's golf season as well, but without Tiger Woods, it might as well be cricket.
NASCAR season is in full swing, but those highlights are only about once a week.
So, the ESPYS provided some entertainment, great sports highlights, and great-looking people.
In fact, there were so many good-looking people there, I think they just picked the 5,000 most beautiful people in the world, and crammed them into the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.
Even though I have been down on the ESPYS lately, Timberlake did a good job of making this one entertaining.
He didn't hold back on anybody, even Super Bowl-winning quarterback Eli Manning.
I won't repeat his joke in this space, but if you want to see someone squirm in their seat on national television, check for the replay of the show on ESPN sometime this week.
And if you were a big fan of NSYNC back in the 90s, which I'm sure everyone who is reading this was, (wink, wink) then watch the show just for Timberlake.
If not, well, watch it for the sports.
