Sportsmanlike conduct
Altuve, Watt delighted to share stage as co-recipients of annual SI award
NEW YORK — Jose Altuve and J.J. Watt were honored Tuesday night as Sports Illustrated’s Sportspersons of the Year, taking center stage on an evening dedicated in large part to celebrating efforts by athletes in 2017 to contribute to and influence developments that transcend sports.
Watt, honored for his $37 million fund-raising effort for Hurricane Harvey relief, and Altuve, honored for his role in leading the Astros to their first World Series title in the storm’s wake, took the stage with award presenter Michael Strahan, who described them as “Houstonians and champions in every way.”
Their appearance was preceded by a film clip narrated by President George W. Bush describing the damage that Hurricane Harvey wrought and the role that Altuve and Watt played in lifting spirits and helping storm victims.
“If there’s a time to win your first World Series, when your city is going through a disaster is a pretty good one, so thank you to them,” Watt said. “I sat in my backyard, and you could hear the entire city cheering with every home run.”
As he accepted the award, Altuve said, “It makes it more special that I’m here with J.J., because everybody knows the kind of person he is. I want to thank Sports Illustrated for making this dream come true, my teammates (and) the fans back in Houston.”
Altuve, who flew in shortly before the event, said he is spending vacation time in Miami, working out in the morning and enjoying the afternoon with his family. Watt is mixing rehab with inspection tours around Houston to check on the progress of storm relief funded by the donations of more than 200,000 who contributed to his campaign.
“Everybody who was involved with this, from all the donors to all the people in Houston and those going through a tough time, all the
people who helped out and got out in boats and picked up people, everybody should be remembered and commended for what they did,” he said. “I was fortunate enough to play a small part.”
Watt took the stage at the Barclays Center without the cane he used during a Monday night appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” — “It was a little blingy, so I didn’t want to shine all the lights out,” he said — after a day spent with his girlfriend, Dash soccer player Kealia Ohai, visiting the 9/11 memorial in lower Manhattan.
“It’s such a perfect reminder of the victims and how we need to remember them,” Watt said. “And then we hung out. (Ohai) and I are both rehabbing injuries, and we don’t get a ton of time to hang out. It was special to spend time with her.”
Both on stage and in interviews before the award presentation, which airs Friday night on NBC Sports Network, Watt continued to praise the Astros’ team chemistry as an example for all in sports to emulate.
“They just have so much fun. They play with a youthful spirit. They play with so much energy,” he said. “They go out, and you can tell that they don’t play with the weight of the world on their shoulders.”
As for the Texans, he said, “It’s always difficult to watch from the sidelines instead of playing. We’ve had a bunch of injuries this year, and the guys are playing hard. All of us in the rehab room wish we could be out there, but we’re excited for next season.”
Shades of ’79
The combination of Watt and Altuve being honored by Sports Illustrated hearkens back to 1979, when the magazine honored Terry Bradshaw of the Steelers and Willie Stargell of the Pirates after both won championships.
And while that combination isn’t happening this season, Watt said, “That’s not out of the question (for future years). That’s on the goals list.”
Altuve’s goals list, meanwhile, includes a run at another championship next season.
“We’re going to have to be consistent and try to do this again and again,” he said. “We’ll get to spring training and find out what we need and go from there.”
He, Dallas Keuchel and Marwin Gonzalez were around for the Astros’ dark days of 100-loss seasons, but Altuve said he never doubted the team would turn things around.
“I was always positive in my mind,” he said. “I knew that eventually we would become World Series champions.”
Also Tuesday, former quarterback Colin Kaepernick received the magazine’s Legacy Award, named for Muhammad Ali, from another Houston representative in Beyoncé, who thanked Kaepernick “for your selfless heart and your convictions.”
Former Astros designated hitter Carlos Beltran also was honored for his efforts in raising relief funds and supplies for his native Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria.
While Watt and Altuve shared the night’s biggest honor, perhaps the biggest surprise was Beyoncé’s appearance on behalf of Kaepernick, the former 49ers quarterback who has been unable to land an NFL job since he first knelt on the sideline during the national anthem last year to protest what he described as racial injustice in the United States.
Kaepernick’s message
“It’s been said that racism is so American that when we protest racism, some assume we’re protesting America,” Beyoncé said. “So let’s be very clear. Colin has always been very respectful of the individuals who selflessly serve and protect our country and our communities and our families. His message is solely focused on social justice for historically disenfranchised people.”
Kaepernick said he “stands on the shoulders of giants” in receiving an award named for Ali.
“I accept this award not for myself but on behalf of the people, because if it were not for love for the people, I would not have protested, and if it were not for the support of the people, I would not be on this stage,” he said.
“With or without the NFL platform, I will continue to work for the people, because my platform is the people.”