July 15, 2021 

By Audrey J. Bernard

    Actor Anthony Mackie hosted the 2021 ESPYS celebrating the greatest players, moments, coaches and games in sports, presented by Capital One on Saturday, July 10, 2021, live from The Rooftop at Pier 17 at the Seaport in New York City and did not hold back his feelings about the treatment of Sha’Carri Richardson and Naomi Osaka by the Olympics.

    

“USA Track & Field: How you mess it up, dog? How do you justify banning Sha’Carri Richardson for smoking weed? Weed is a de-hancing drug — it doesn’t make you do anything but want to watch another episode of Bob’s Burgers. You never saw Snoop Dogg run anywhere!”  The audience filled with some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment applauded Mackie for taking a stand.  “I don’t know how you justify not letting her run,” he continued.

And he was not finished reaming the Olympic people.  Mackie went on to voice his disappointment in the bad treatment of Naomi Osaka.  “And I don’t know how you punish Naomi Osaka,” Mackie referenced the 23-year old tennis champion’s fine for her decision to not attend press conferences at the French Open this past May. At the time, Osaka said that she’d be opting out of the required media engagements to put her mental health first.

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“For prioritizing her mental health,” Mackie noted as he continued speaking on Osaka’s recent penalization. “That’s crazy. I’m no tennis exec, I don’t know, but if my sport had one of the most popular and marketable athletes on the planet, you know what I would do? I would probably make sure she felt comfortable and respected. But hey, what do I know, right? I’m just Captain America.”

    The night showcased the year’s best athletes and most staggering moments including emotional speeches filled with awe-inspiring appreciation.  One such signature event was the presentation of the distinguished Arthur Ashe Courage Award honoring an individual for their personal courage or charitable works outside the sports arena.  This year’s deserving winner, four-time WNBA champion Maya Moore, was honored for her extraordinary work on criminal justice reform.

    Another highlight of the celebratory evening was Manchester United star Marcus Rashford, who helped raise millions of dollars during the COVID-19 pandemic to help feed children in England and received the Pat Tillman Award for Service. Also announced during the ceremony was the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance award — bestowed on Chris Nikic, the first person with Down syndrome to complete a full Ironman triathlon.  A portion of the evening’s event will be donated to The V Foundation named for its founder Jim Valvano.

    This year’s list of presenters were stars from the world of sports, music and Hollywood. They included DaBaby, Kane Brown, Taye Diggs, Tracy Morgan, “Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts, Olympic gold medalists Chloe Kim and Mikaela Shiffrin, football superstar Rob Gronkowski, football legend Joe Namath, and many more.  For complete list of winners and highlights go to ESPN. (Photos courtesy Getty Images for ESPYS Awards)