Exactly what is an ESPY? The Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award (ESPY) is given out annually by the fine folks at ESPN. Established in 1993, it’s a chance for athletes from all walks of sports to get together and celebrate being athletes. It’s a chance to celebrate the fantastic sports storylines from the previous year in sports. Not surprisingly, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be represented by Tom Brady in 2021.
It’s been a minute, that’s for sure.
2021 Tampa Bay Nominees
The choice part of that header is not being just the plural, “nominees”. But more importantly, The “Tampa Bay” part of it. As it turns out, when you follow sports in a city nicknamed “Champa Bay”, there may be more than one sport represented at the annual ESPN awards show.
Leading the way with nominations in two categories is the Buccaneers quarterback. Truth is, Brady should win both. Fans will hear his name when the nominees for Best NFL Player are read. They will also hear the GOAT’s name when the category for Best Male Athlete comes down.
The other Tampa Bay ESPY nominations? There is the Best Team award. For which the Super Bowl LV champion Buccaneers are nominated. The Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevsky is up for Best NHL Player.
However, there is no place for the 2020 Stanley Cup Champions in this year’s awards. Maybe a repeat will rectify this. Also, the Tampa Bay Rays are not nominated. I guess the big markets just hate an overachiever.
A Reason To Watch
The 2021 ESPY Awards will air on Sunday, July 10 – just four days after Brady tees it up with Aaron Rodgers, Phil Mickelson, and Bryson Dechambeau, in The Match out in Montana. All three, by the way, of which are also nominated for ESPYs this year. Rodgers is also in the mix for NFL Player of the Year, along with Brady. Mickelson and Dechambeau are up for Best Athlete in Men’s Golf. Mickelson’s fantastic performance at the 2021 Master’s Tournament has him in the Record Breaking Performance category, as well.
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Which brings me back to my original point: If an award is going to be defined as excellence in sports performance yearly award, then maybe it should be named for the guy who has been doing just that for going on 21 years now. Although the beauty -and at times silliness- of this award is that it gets split up nicely among all of the sports world. It tends to not take itself too seriously. Other than to put emphasis on performances from a variety of leagues, sports, individuals, and team. It’s a truly humble, and magnificent award to receive.
Because of this, it should definitely be called a “Brady”.
