In 1973, Bill Belichick was the age his girlfriend is now.
In a city already electric from Argentina's World Cup semifinal triumph just hours earlier, the ESPYS ceremony found its home in New York for the first time, weaving together the threads of athletic excellence, human courage, and the particular American art of laughing at greatness. Comedian Marcello Hernández opened the night with a monologue that used humor as a lens to examine sports culture's most complicated figures, while the ceremony itself paused to honor those whose legacies extend far beyond scoreboards. It was an evening that reminded its audience why sports, at their best, are never really just about the game.
- The ESPYS arrived in New York carrying unusual energy — Argentina had just beaten England in a World Cup semifinal hours before the curtain rose, making the city feel like the center of the sporting world.
- Marcello Hernández walked out in a boxing robe flanked by Mike Tyson and spent ten minutes landing precise comedic blows on Jake Paul, Tiger Woods, and Bill Belichick, turning each target's most public vulnerability into a punchline.
- Jake Paul laughed along as Hernández suggested his father and stepfather — both over 50 — would make ideal opponents, while the Tiger Woods GTA joke cut closer to the bone given the golfer's recent DUI arrest and withdrawal from the sport.
- The Knicks' championship celebration carried its own comedic undercurrent when Jalen Brunson claimed Josh Hart's invite had been pulled, turning a historic drought-ending moment into a locker room roast.
- The ceremony's emotional weight landed with the posthumous Arthur Ashe Award for Jason Collins, who died at 47, anchoring a night of laughter and spectacle in something more enduring.
The ESPYS came to New York on a Wednesday night already charged with history — Argentina had defeated England in a World Cup semifinal in Atlanta just hours before the ceremony began, with Lionel Messi's team bound for a final in New Jersey that weekend. The city felt like the axis of the sporting world, and the awards show leaned into the moment.
SNL comedian Marcello Hernández opened proceedings by walking out in a boxing robe with Mike Tyson at his side. His roughly ten-minute monologue moved efficiently through sports' most recognizable and complicated figures. Jake Paul was the first target — Hernández called him out as distinct from the "great athletes" in the room, then pressed further by suggesting Paul's preference for older opponents made Hernández's own father and stepfather ideal candidates. Paul laughed throughout, cameras catching him applauding as the bit landed.
Tiger Woods received a sharper treatment. Using Caleb Williams' Madden 27 cover as a setup, Hernández pivoted to suggest Woods belonged on the cover of Grand Theft Auto instead — a reference to the golfer's March arrest in Florida following a car crash, after which Woods announced he would step away from the sport to seek treatment. Bill Belichick's relationship with the much younger Jordon Hudson became the vehicle for a joke about the Knicks' 52-year championship drought, drawing one of the night's biggest reactions.
When the Knicks accepted the Best Team award, Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and OG Anunoby took the stage without Josh Hart — and Brunson immediately claimed credit for having Hart's invite revoked. Brunson had also won Best Championship Performance earlier in the evening.
The ceremony's more solemn passages honored figures whose stories transcend sport. Jason Collins, the former NBA player who died in May at 47 from glioblastoma, received the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage posthumously. Jim Abbott was given the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, and Scott Ruskan received the Pat Tillman Award for Service. The move from Los Angeles to New York had placed the ESPYS at the intersection of comedy, celebration, and remembrance — on a night when the city was already holding its breath for something larger.
The ESPYS landed in New York on Wednesday night, a ceremony that typically falls on one of the quietest days on the sports calendar. This year felt different. Just hours before the awards show began, Argentina had beaten England in a World Cup semifinal in Atlanta—a match already being called an instant classic. Lionel Messi and his team had secured their ticket to a second consecutive World Cup final, which would take place Saturday in New Jersey, just across the Hudson from where the evening's festivities were unfolding.
Comedian Marcello Hernández, known for his work on Saturday Night Live, took the stage to open the ceremony. He arrived in a boxing robe with Mike Tyson at his side, setting the tone for what would be a roughly ten-minute monologue filled with sharp jabs at some of sports' most recognizable figures. "Mike Tyson ripped my watch off. Welcome to the ESPYS!" he announced, launching into his material.
Hernández wasted little time targeting Jake Paul. "I must say, it's an honor to be here among so many great athletes, and Jake Paul," he began, drawing immediate laughter. The YouTube star turned boxer took the opening joke in stride, laughing and applauding from his seat in the audience. Hernández pressed the advantage, pivoting to Paul's well-documented preference for fighting opponents significantly older than himself. "Jake, that's just a joke. Don't fight me," Hernández continued. "My dad and my stepdad are both here. They're over 50, and I know that's how you like them. So, fight them instead." Paul kept laughing as the bit unfolded, and cameras found both of Hernández's relatives in the crowd.
The comedian then turned his attention to Tiger Woods, using Caleb Williams' appearance on the cover of Madden 27 as a springboard. "I want to congratulate Caleb Williams, the quarterback for the Chicago Bears, who will be on the cover of the new Madden video game," Hernández said before pivoting. "And Tiger Woods will be on the cover of Grand Theft Auto." The reference landed hard—Woods had been arrested in Florida in March following a car crash, with authorities finding pain medication in his pocket and noting signs of impairment. He subsequently announced he would step away from golf to seek treatment.
Bill Belichick, the 74-year-old former New England Patriots coach, also found himself in Hernández's crosshairs. The comedian used Belichick's recent relationship with Jordon Hudson as the setup for a joke about the New York Knicks' championship drought. "The Knicks won their first championship since 1973. And to put into perspective how long ago that was, in 1973 hockey players didn't wear helmets, basketball had no three-point line. And in 1973, Bill Belichick was the age his girlfriend is now." The audience roared.
When the Knicks took the stage later to accept the Best Team award, Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and OG Anunoby were present—but Josh Hart was noticeably missing. Brunson seized the moment. "I want to say thank you to the ESPYS for pulling Josh Hart's invite," he said, drawing laughs from the crowd. Earlier in the evening, Brunson had also won the award for Best Championship Performance.
Beyond the comedy and the Knicks' celebration, the ceremony honored several figures for their impact beyond the playing field. Jason Collins, the former NBA player who died in May at age 47 from Stage 4 glioblastoma, posthumously received the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage. Jim Abbott, the former Major League Baseball pitcher, was given the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, while Scott Ruskan received the Pat Tillman Award for Service. The ESPYS, held annually to celebrate the year's greatest sports moments and recognize athletes for courage and service, had moved from its traditional Los Angeles home to New York this year—a shift that placed the ceremony in the middle of one of the most dramatic weeks in recent international sports.
Citas Notables
I must say, it's an honor to be here among so many great athletes, and Jake Paul.— Marcello Hernández
I want to thank the ESPYS for pulling Josh Hart's invite.— Jalen Brunson, accepting the Knicks' Best Team award
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does it matter that the ESPYS moved to New York this particular year?
Because it put the ceremony in the middle of something electric—Argentina had just beaten England in a World Cup semifinal hours before. The timing made the whole event feel less like a routine awards show and more like it was riding a wave of actual sports drama.
Hernández's jokes landed on three very different targets. What connected them?
They were all recent, real scandals or controversies. Paul's age-gap fighting pattern, Woods' arrest and treatment, Belichick's relationship with someone decades younger. The comedian wasn't making up material—he was holding up a mirror to things people already knew and were talking about.
Jake Paul laughed at his own jokes. Does that change what the jokes meant?
It's complicated. Paul appeared to take it well, which is smart optics for him. But the joke still landed—the audience knew what Hernández was saying about his fighting choices. Laughter doesn't erase the criticism; sometimes it just makes it easier to swallow.
What was the significance of Josh Hart's absence from the Knicks' acceptance speech?
It was a real moment of awkwardness that Brunson turned into comedy. The Knicks had just won their first championship in over fifty years, and one of their key players wasn't there to celebrate it. Brunson's joke acknowledged the elephant in the room—and made it funny instead of letting it sit there.
The ceremony honored three people for courage and service. How does that sit alongside the roasting?
It's the full picture of what sports means. You can have sharp comedy about public figures and their mistakes, and you can also honor people who've faced real adversity or given back. The ESPYS held both at once.