ESPYs

Normally I do not shill for my company in this space, but today I am going to recommend that you tune in Sunday night to ESPN and watch the 2006 ESPYS with Lance Armstrong hosting. The show was taped this past Wednesday night at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood where I was working for the week supporting the event. I was able to go to the taping and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was including Lance as host. Love him or hate him (I respect his recovery from cancer, but thought that he was an ass after reading his book, It's Not About the Bike). He was really funny including making a joke about giving his left nut to host the show. Will Ferrell and Ben Stiller are equally entertaining and of course the fund raising aspect for the Jimmy V Foundation is what the evening is all about. The V Foundation for Cancer Research is about finding a cure for cancer. A great cause and one that holds a place close to my heart.

Other highlights include the Arthur Ashe Courage award given to two soccer playing teenage girls from Afghanistan who risk everything to play a sport in a country where women have been beaten and killed for doing so in public by the Taliban.

The story of a New Orleans high school basketball team that came together post Hurricane Katrina to win the Louisiana State Championship is another amazing story that is featured.

Overall it was a fun week working the event supporting three locations and a variety of people. We did a few parties, saw the show, walked the red carpet and met Vince Young, the Trojan killing quarterback of the Texas Longhorns. Also spotted up close, Dr J., Alonzo Mourning, Gary Payton, Shaun Alexander, the Flying Tomato Shaun White, Mark McGrath and Sugar Ray (who performed at the after party!) and Biz Markie spinning 70s and 80s rock and roll also at the after party. Perhaps one of the nicest people to support was Howie Schwab of Stump the Schwab. A nice, down-to-earth mensch.

So watch the show and the pre-show and look for me on the red carpet in a black suit trying not to melt or trip on my new slacks that are a smidge too long, if you can believe it!