Caitlyn Jenner Allegedly Selected For Arthur Ashe Award Over A Disabled Iraq Veteran
The ESPYs are terrible. It is a nauseating pat-me-on-the-back-for-my-diving-catch award show where celebrities and athletes meet for one long night of #sponsored, #branding entertainment in Los Angeles. That being said, the ESPYs usually do one thing right: The Arthur Ashe Courage Award.
Previous winners include Muhammad Ali, Stuart Scott, Jim Valvano, Robin Roberts, Nelson Mandela and Michael Sam. Scott, who gave an inspiring speech at last year’s ESPY awards, died of cancer in January.
So, when ESPN announced on Monday that Caitlyn Jenner would be selected as the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, it deservedly turned some heads, especially when people learned who Jenner beat out for the award.
Caitlyn Jenner wins Arthur Ashe Courage Award.
And the runner-up is …. pic.twitter.com/DKUdnPT8Gx
— Gerry Callahan (@GerryCallahan) June 1, 2015
Noah Galloway, who lost an arm and a leg in roadside bomb in Iraq and now competes in Crossfit events nationwide, is rumored to have been the selection before Jenner was hand-picked by ESPN’s ratings-driven executives.
Other names mentioned for the award include TNT court-side reporter Craig Sager, who is currently battling leukemia, former Bills quarterback Jim Kelly, a cancer survivor, and Lauren Hill, the Division III basketball player with a terminal brain tumor who played in one game in November before passing away in April.
I can think of no more courageous or deserving athlete this year than the late #LaurenHill – should have been Arthur Ashe recipient IMO
— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) June 2, 2015
OJ Brigance, Lauren Hill are both worthy candidates for the Arthur Ashe courage award if it was not about ratings, hits and clicks
— Clarence Hill (@clarencehilljr) June 2, 2015
Lauren Hill played college b-ball while battling a brain tumor and raising $1.5mil for research before she died pic.twitter.com/kC4J5n7O6N
— Clay Strohman (@chipotclay) June 2, 2015
It appears ESPN went for a ratings grab with reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner, and that’s a real shame. While she no doubt has courage and is the celebrity face of the under-represented transgender community, her achievements don’t hold a candle to those of Noah Galloway and Lauren Hill.
The ESPYs will have at least one less viewer this year..
Image via Twitter
No it’s cool, we’ll just throw “Caitlyn” in there with Nelson Mandela, Robin Roberts, Pat Summit, etc. Equally courageous. ugh..
10 years ago at 5:53 pmStarted off strong with Nelson Mandela and then you lost me there chief.
10 years ago at 10:03 pmI don’t owe you a biography on the other two. Go read up on their lives and you’ll know they both deserve the acknowledgement.
10 years ago at 11:31 pmCalm down, I’m aware of who they are but both of them aren’t even remotely comparable to Nelson Mandela. With that being said, they’re still solid people.
10 years ago at 12:16 amI only named them because they also won the Ashe Courage award in the last 5 years. I didn’t pull them out of nowhere.
10 years ago at 12:46 amToday, I have been educated
10 years ago at 12:59 amThis is sickening, but of course our liberally controlled “politically correct” media will never report on this. This freak of nature should be honored, let alone over a fucking super hero who sacrificed his body for the best damn country on earth. God Bless America, Noah Galloway and every other American who’s given so much for our freedom.
10 years ago at 6:09 pmHis name is Bruce. Stop entertaining this attention-whoring bullshit.
10 years ago at 6:11 pmfuck espn
10 years ago at 6:14 pmI saw this earlier and was hoping this would be an article, I would have been fine with any other person winning the award, they all easily deserve it. A wounded hero that lives life to the fullest everyday and does not let his loss ruin him. A hall of fame quarterback who battled brain cancer, and a basketball player who was fighting a brain cancer. How does a track athlete from dozens of years ago who changed genders as a publicity stunt win this. ESPN has become a joke
10 years ago at 6:48 pmhttp://m.snopes.com/2015/06/02/caitlyn-jenner-arthur-ashe-espys/
10 years ago at 7:09 pmThe transgender population isn’t “under-represented” you fucking pussy. It’s 0.3% of the U.S. population and Jenner has had the national spotlight for a month.
10 years ago at 7:26 pmI think you mean 0.003%. If the transgender community is 30 percent of the American population then I’m moving to South America.
10 years ago at 8:13 pmNo, he means .3%. 30% is 30 percent.
10 years ago at 8:40 pmKnowing math. NF
10 years ago at 9:19 pmEither I’m lost or I read this wrong. lol. And I can do math, thanks.
10 years ago at 9:54 pmFuck math
10 years ago at 10:30 pmThat moment your dickhead retort fails because you don’t have a grasp of 3rd to 4th grade math….tfm?
10 years ago at 9:52 pmThis is as stupid as when Obama won the Nobel peace prize
10 years ago at 7:30 pmIt’s Bruce not Caitlyn
10 years ago at 7:55 pmPretty sure this award became a joke when Michael Sam won it for kissing other guys.
10 years ago at 7:56 pm