ESPYs leave L.A. glitz for Seattle athletes’ homes

LOS ANGELES (AP) — It’s a way different kind of year, and so The ESPYs will be, too. For the first time, the show will feature three hosts in remote settings and a changed focus. Instead of honouring the past year’s top athletes and moments in sports, the show is celebrating heroism and humanitarian aid.

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, soccer star Megan Rapinoe and three-time WNBA champion Sue Bird will preside over the two-hour broadcast airing June 21.

All three live in the Seattle area. Rapinoe and Bird are partners who share a household, which conveniently eases some logistics. Wilson’s singer-wife, Ciara, is likely to make an appearance, too.

“We liked the idea of having athletes from diverse sports that represent something for every fan,” show producer Jeff Smith said by phone. “We’re finding ways to make this feel really connected to the audience. They’re so ready to reach out to this community.”

It’s quite a departure from the red carpet strutting and 5,000 audience members at the show’s longtime home in Los Angeles.

Instead of its usual July date during baseball’s All-Star break, the show has been rescheduled and re-imagined as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Smith said there’s been a lot to learn in assembling a pre-produced show with everyone in different locations.

“Typically, we are all shoulder to shoulder and looking through cuts and arguing through story ideas,” he said. “We found a different way to connect with each other.”

The Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, the Pat Tillman Award for Service and Jimmy V Award for Perseverance are among the honours to be presented. But there won’t be the usual long acceptance speeches read off the teleprompter.

The producers hope to show the winners getting a call informing them of the honour at the same time the audience finds out. That involves colluding with family and team members to lure them to a video screen at the appropriate moment.

Shortly before the U.S. shut down because of the coronavirus, the show suffered a blow