[OutsiderFan]

I stopped watching the WokeSPYs several years ago and don't miss it. I'd love to see the best athletes in the world recognized for their achievements, but I can't stand getting politics (of any bent) shoved in my face in the process.

I watch sports in part to get away from all of that crap, which means I'm watching less than I used to and watching very little on ESPN in particular

Ah yes, the time honored Ostrich approach to life. All you had to do is ignore the thread, but instead you felt compelled to make a comment to complain about something you had no interest in. So I will respond from the perspective of someone who watched half the ESPYs last night.

I generally hate award shows, and the awards themselves are silly to me. I mean how do you really judge who was the best, across different sports? But really, the ESPYs are not as much about the awards as the opportunity to celebrate human achievement, overcoming challenges, and the spirit that goes with it. And there is no better context to do so, than through the lens of sport, in front of athletes and those who appreciate especially physical human achievement.

Much like the 100 year anniversary of women's suffrage made learning about it in 2020 easy, so too has this year's 50th anniversary of Title IX made it easy to learn about women gaining rights that have manifested in sports. Some might say ESPN has gone a little overboard trying to be diverse and inclusive, but when you consider the struggles women and others who have been subjugated have had to overcome to win their rights, and how marginalized they have been, nobody can argue elevating them - in an effort to teach about and correct past wrongs - comes close to making up for how long they have been marginalized and subjugated. 

Anyone who uses "woke" as a pejorative term needs to familiarize themselves with the words "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" as written in the Declaration of Independence that founded the United States. There was no qualifier for "only if you are a white male" "only if you own land" or exceptions like "unless you are a woman" or "are an atheist" or "are attracted to the opposite sex." Complaining about people who have been shit on by others, asking for and being given respect, means you want to deprive them of the right to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. Why should you get to pursue your liberty and happiness, then have the right to tell others they can't pursue their's, and complain when they try?

Lifting people up who have been shit on is a good way to ensure fewer people shit on them in the future. Why should this bother anyone?  Do those who have been subjugated and had to fight hard for their rights, pose some sort of threat to those who haven't had to fight for them?

[OutsiderFan]

I stopped watching the WokeSPYs several years ago and don't miss it. I'd love to see the best athletes in the world recognized for their achievements, but I can't stand getting politics (of any bent) shoved in my face in the process.

I watch sports in part to get away from all of that crap, which means I'm watching less than I used to and watching very little on ESPN in particular

Ah yes, the time honored Ostrich approach to life. All you had to do is ignore the thread, but instead you felt compelled to make a comment to complain about something you had no interest in. So I will respond from the perspective of someone who watched half the ESPYs last night.

I generally hate award shows, and the awards themselves are silly to me. I mean how do you really judge who was the best, across different sports? But really, the ESPYs are not as much about the awards as the opportunity to celebrate human achievement, overcoming challenges, and the spirit that goes with it. And there is no better context to do so, than through the lens of sport, in front of athletes and those who appreciate especially physical human achievement.

Much like the 100 year anniversary of women's suffrage made learning about it in 2020 easy, so too has this year's 50th anniversary of Title IX made it easy to learn about women gaining rights that have manifested in sports. Some might say ESPN has gone a little overboard trying to be diverse and inclusive, but when you consider the struggles women and others who have been subjugated have had to overcome to win their rights, and how marginalized they have been, nobody can argue elevating them - in an effort to teach about and correct past wrongs - comes close to making up for how long they have been marginalized and subjugated. 

Anyone who uses "woke" as a pejorative term needs to familiarize themselves with the words "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" as written in the Declaration of Independence that founded the United States. There was no qualifier for "only if you are a white male" "only if you own land" or exceptions like "unless you are a woman" or "are an atheist" or "are attracted to the opposite sex." Complaining about people who have been shit on by others, asking for and being given respect, means you want to deprive them of the right to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. Why should you get to pursue your liberty and happiness, then have the right to tell others they can't pursue their's, and complain when they try?

Lifting people up who have been shit on is a good way to ensure fewer people shit on them in the future. Why should this bother anyone?  Do those who have been subjugated and had to fight hard for their rights, pose some sort of threat to those who haven't had to fight for them?