Last night, the 2008 ESPY awards were televised on ESPN. This was the 16th ceremony and it has come a long way in those 16 years. When it first started, it was not taken all that seriously, but it has evolved into a very nice evening of entertainment honoring our sports heroes.  I feel this year's show was probably the best yet.

ESPY stands for "Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly" and always takes place on the Wednesday in July after the MLB All-Star game (which is the only day of the year when there are no games taking place in any of the major professional sports). Here is a link to a video from the show's opening which covered the highlights from this past year in sports.

This year the show was hosted by Justin Timberlake. It is no secret that I am a fan of Timberlake and it is as much for his comedic abilities (as witnessed while hosting Saturday Night Live) as it is for his musical skills. Both are tremendous and I feel he did a tremendous job as host and entertainer. Here is a link to a video of a performance that Timberlake made during the show as he sings a song "I Love Sports."  Very much worth watching!

Here is a link to an article that details the 2008 ESPYs and discusses many of the winners. I was going to discuss many of the winners, but then decided just to focus on two that I thought were particularly inspirational to me.

First, former NFL player Kevin Everett was awarded the "Jimmy V ESPY for Perseverance." I had just discussed Jimmy V and the V Foundation in the ‘Check this out' section of a recent issue. During the 2007 season, Everett sustained a broken neck and was thought to be paralyzed and never able to walk again. Despite the initial diagnosis, through faith, rehabilitation and perseverance, Everett is now able to walk again. He is a testament to the now-famous words of Jimmy Valvano, "Don't give up. Don't ever give up." Everett actually walked across the stage to accept his award to an emotional standing ovation. Incredible.

Second, is a story that I was not familiar with prior to seeing the ESPY awards. The award for "Best Moment" paid tribute to some outstanding sportsmanship (or sportswomanship as it were). Three girls received this award who are Division II college softball players. One girl hit a home run over the fence (her first ever) and while rounding first base tore up her knee and was unable to walk, let alone make it the rest of the way around the bases. If her own team helped her get around the bases, she would be called out. If they used a pinch runner, she would only be awarded a single instead of a home run. So, two girls from the OPPOSING TEAM carefully carried her around the bases allowing her to touch each base and keep her first and only home run. Here is a link to actual video of the game which includes this special moment. It is outstanding that this type of extreme sportsmanship be recognized and rewarded. I was proud to watch it.

That will wrap up this short issue of Kickin' it Old School. I just wanted to recognize ESPN and Justin Timberlake for putting on a quality show as well as highlighting some of the best moments. If you missed it, check your listings for when it might be replayed because it is well-worth watching. Thanks for reading Kickin' it. Peace and much love.

Check this out: Here is another amusing sign that someone sent me today.

Quote of the day: "The will to persevere is often the difference between failure and success." -David Sarnoff

Download this: "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper