The middle of July usually means Major League Baseball goes on its mid-season break and is an unusual period in the calendar when none of the four major sports will have any live action. ESPN capitalizes on this docile period by staging the annual glitzy sports award ceremony called the ESPYS. The 2022 ESPYS will be hosted by Steph Curry on Wednesday, July 18 at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles. In this article, we predict the winners of four major awards at the event as we remember the year in sports.
1. Best Male Athlete-The nominees include Stephen Curry, Aaron Rodgers, Shohei Ohtani, and Connor McDavid. I think Connor McDavid’s season was not as strong as his previous one because he was second in the MVP voting but led the Edmonton Oilers to the Conference Finals. Aaron Rodgers had an MVP season with 4,115 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions but he failed to propel the Packers out of the divisional round against the 49ers. Therefore, I don’t think he should win. The debate should be between Steph Curry and Shohei Ohtani. Curry did not win the regular season MVP but delivered a legendary finals performance averaging 31.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in 6 games to win Finals MVP. Ohtani, on the other hand, had fans thinking of Babe Ruth by hitting 46 home runs, 100 RBIs, and 9-2 on the mound with a 3.18 ERA. Although the Angels failed to make the playoffs, I think Ohtani should win because it was a once-in-generation two-way performance that deserves recognition.
2. Best Play-the nominees include Justin Tucker, Ja Morant, Megan Rapinoe, and Hansel Enmanuel. Justin Tucker nailed a record-breaking 66-yard field goal in week 3 to break the hearts of the Detroit Lions. It was an impressive kick because of the distance but there was an element of luck because the ball hit the crossbar and bounced in. Ja Morant’s dunk was insane athleticism but it feels that we have that kind of play every season. I think the award will come down to Rapinoe and Enmanuel. Rapinoe delivered a corner kick known as the ‘Olimpico’ in the Olympics. It was not lucky because it was her second time scoring a goal directly from a corner kick, and it was an important goal because it took place in the bronze medal match against Australia. However, I think Enmanuel should win because I have never seen a player with one arm doing a windmill dunk. That’s insane!
3. Best Team-the nominees are the Golden State Warriors, Chicago Sky, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Rams, Oklahoma Sooners Softball, Georgia Bulldogs, and the Colorado Avalanche. Although winning championships in their leagues, I don’t think the Braves, Chicago Sky, or L.A. Rams should win because they were not top contenders heading into the postseason. The Sooners Softball team had a great season but will not have the popularity to win. The Warriors cemented their dynasty by winning the title, but it feels their regular season sputtered at times mainly due to injury. The Georgia Bulldogs have a compelling case after finally beating their foe in Alabama for the national title. However, I think the Colorado Avalanche deserves this award after dominating the league in the regular season and knocking off the two-time champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning to win the Stanley Cup.
4. Best Game-the nominees include UConn defeating NC State in the Elite 8 of the Women’s NCAA, Kansas rallying from 16 points to win the NCAA Men’s Finals, Bryce Young Rallying Alabama to beat Auburn in Four Overtime, and the Chiefs defeating the Bills in an OT thriller. Ironically, three of the four nominees come from the college ranks. Alabama’s comeback was great but it feels that we have seen that type of game before. Kansas’s frenetic comeback was memorable given what was at stake and the deficit they were facing. NC State came up in the clutch with a three-pointer with a second on the clock to force double OT against UCONN. However, the best game has to be the Chiefs versus the Bills. Patrick Maholmes and Josh Allen were unconscious in their performance as they led their teams in this battle. The lead changed four times in only the last 2 minutes of the 4th quarter and overtime. Fans in Buffalo are having nightmares after not squid kicking the ball and allowing the Chiefs to set up a field goal in just 13 seconds. Then, after winning the toss, the Chiefs marched down the field in overtime and scored a touchdown for the win. It forced a rule change for playoff overtime games, and it’s hard to imagine a more wild ending to a game!
What do you think about these predictions? What was your favorite moment of the sports year? Let me know in the comments section.
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