Abby Wambach, Hope Solo, Kevin Love, Odell Beckham Jr., Women's World Cup champs, and Super Bowl champ LeGarrette Blount at ESPN the Magazine's "Body at ESPYs" party on Tuesday night. (Michael Kovac/Getty Images)
From Alex Rodriguez popping up casually with dumbells in hand at Equinox in West Hollywood to Jay Glazer’s Sunset Strip Unbreakable gym swelling with NFL pre-training camp sweat, the ESPYs are unmistakably in town.
After Joel McHale riffs on “Deflategate,” the victorious U.S. Women’s World Cup team and the DeAndre Jordan’s Clippers vs. Mavericks shell game on the ABC telecast Wednesday night, the assembled royalty from across the sports world will be ready to party.
Soccer players Dom Dwyer and Sydney Leroux, Cleveland Cavalier pinup Kevin Love and former NCAA volleyball player Gigi Meyer with her dad, National Champion Ohio State University football coach Urban Meyer. (Michael Kovac/Getty Images)
ESPN has their official bash by the newly coined Microsoft Theater (formerly the Nokia), but the hot ticket is Lebron James’ party at new Hollywood outdoor nightspot Le Jardin. Warning: It will be a mess on Cahuenga.
King James traditionally hosted an NBA All-Star Weekend Party with fellow captain of pop culture Jay Z, called the “Two Kings” party. Mr. Carter’s Roc Nation Sports hosts its own party with Fabolous at 1Oak in West Hollywood after the show.
Real football player: LeGarrette Blount. HBO’s “Ballers” football player: Omar Miller, who also spent time with Matt Leinart on Tuesday night. (Getty Images)
The wide receiver breakout of last season, Odell Beckham, had his own party at Le Jardin on Tuesday night, after attending the “Body at ESPYs” party at Milk Studios. Which one is that?
“There is only one party tonight … the Body party,” one scene regular told me of her scolding lesson to a lunkhead visiting pro athlete pal. “Body” ties to ESPN the Magazine’s “Body Issue,” aka the “Naked Athlete Issue,” which features over 20 athletes from all of sports stylishly photographed without a wardrobe department.
ESPN and Grantland’s Jalen Rose hit the GBK Pre-Espy suite at the Andaz on Monday. (Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for GBK)
At Tuesday night’s 1,400 person upscale cocktail and bottle service celebration at MILK Studios, a new location after years at Lure and downtown, the Run-DMC-style fedora was one of the more popular male fashion statements of the night. Former Bronco Julius Thomas was in that uniform.
Hope Solo, Megan Rapinoe and “Body” subject Ali Krieger floated freely, and unlike most Hollywood parties, the most sparse section of all was the smoking patio. An hour in to the event, it was a ghost town.
Sydney Leroux with L.A. Galaxy player Robbie Rogers in the Grey Goose Lounge at Body at ESPYs ( Eddie Perlas / ESPN Images)
On-brand, ESPN and event producer Tony Schubert thoughtfully had several “Hydration Stations” (read: water coolers with self-serve plastic cups) throughout the venue, a Hollywood rarity.
Fetty Wap (152 million Spotify streams on his “Trap Queen” hit alone) performed a blink-and-you-missed it set around 11:30, amidst DJ sets by Eryka Badhu (with a huge head of hair), DJ Khaled and local favorite Tendaji Lathan.
While Beckham Jr. flossed with a prime table and a sparkly gold watch, the athlete who performed the most viewed play of the year (maybe all time?) and altered the Super Bowl in a half second was stealth. New England Patriot Malcolm Butler cut through the crowd like a running back with just one pal in tow. His larger-in-stature and larger-in-decibel teammate Rob Gronkowski was sadly a no-show.
Comics Welcome: Bob Saget and Jeff Ross at the Artists and Athletes/Fanwish dinner at STK Los Angeles on La Cienega on Monday night. (John Sciulli)
After giving Conan O’Brien a rapid-fire flurry of jabs to his abs on Tuesday night, Lindsey Vonn made the scene, mingling not too far from fellow Olympian Tara Lipinski. Grantland was well represented with David Jacoby and Juliet Litman (of the under-celebrated “The Right Reasons” reality TV and “Food News” podcasts) and recent President Obama interviewer, Rembert Browne.
Keeping with the photoshoot theme of the issue, ESPN and Schubert converted the home of the amfAR galas and Tom Ford runway shows in to three rooms, putting guests nearly inside a film cell, with projections on the walls. Museum-sized portraits lined the museum-sized arrivals hall. (Schubert also imagineers the worldwide leader’s massive Super Bowl parties too.)
As part of the ESPY day Jimmy V Cancer Research Fundraising Auction, an official package of tickets to ESPN’s next Super Bowl party in San Francisco is already going for $1,625).
What are you doing here? Farrah Abraham plays out of position at GBK’s Pre-ESPY gift suite. (Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for GBK)
The ESPYs air on ABC on Wednesday night, July 15, at 8 p.m. ET.
18 Dramatic Championship Sports Movie Moments: From 'Rocky' to 'Remember the Titans' (Photos)
"The Pride of the Yankees" (1942)
This beautifully dramatized moment of sports history, as wonderfully monologued by Gary Cooper, helped to immortalize the already infamous "Luckiest man" speech by Lou Gehrig.
“Rocky” (1976)
In the ultimate underdog story, newcomer Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) gets a shot at the world heavyweight title against champ Apollo Creed. Rocky proves he has the goods, going the entire 15 rounds against Creed, but loses in a split decision. Rocky would get a rematch though and win the title in “Rocky II”.
"Breaking Away" (1979)
One of the most inspiring underdog stories ever made, the Little 500 bicycle race in Bloomington, Indiana, is a local classic as made famous by this film. In the film's closing race scene, the locals -- dressed in plain white T-shirts with their nickname the "Cutters" -- upset the richer college students with more expensive bikes and uniforms, riding across the finish line in pure glory.
“Chariots of Fire” (1981)
Two Englishmen push each other to be the best sprinter at the 1924 Olympics. While they won gold on the big screen’s racetrack, “Chariots of Fire” would go on to win Oscar gold for best picture.
“The Natural” (1984)
Robert Redford plays middle-age rookie Roy Hobbs in “The Natural.” Hobbs leads his team to a championship on his final at-bat when he launches the most famous home run in movie history. Thus proving the unspoken rule in baseball: If you break the lights you win the game.
“Hoosiers” (1986)
Another Indiana classic in what is widely considered one of the greatest sports movies of all time, “Hoosiers” follows a small town high school basketball team as they make it all the way to the state finals. They play a bigger and more athletic team in the finals, but with a last second shot pull off the surprise victory.
“Major League” (1989)
Charlie Sheen and Tom Berenger lead an outfit of misfit Cleveland Indians from last place to a shot at the league pennant against the powerhouse Yankees. Even though the film is a comedy, the final game plays out in dramatic fashion.
“A League of Their Own” (1992)
“A League of Their Own” proved that girls can play baseball, and ends in a play at the plate that determines the championship. Geena Davis’ Rockford Peaches may lose that final game, but as Tom Hanks taught us, “there is no crying in baseball!”
Steve James’ revolutionary documentary follows inner-city Chicago kids William Gates and Arthur Agee throughout their high-school basketball careers. The film culminates in both striving to reach the finals of their city wide championship tournament.
“Remember the Titans” (2001)
Based on the true story of Virginia’s first integrated high school football team (led by coach Denzel Washington), the Titans not only change the views of an entire town, but they go undefeated on their way to a thrilling state championship against an all-white team.
“Friday Night Lights” (2004)
The film that spawned the critically acclaimed TV series (which in turn may spawn a film of its own) is memorable in that its featured team doesn’t win the championship. The Permian Panthers mount a great comeback, but come up one yard short of the state title.
“Miracle” (2004)
In perhaps one of the greatest upsets in sports history, a team of U.S. college hockey players defeated the Soviet Union, the three-time defending gold medal winner and best team in the world, during the Cold War.
"DodgeBall" (2004)
Okay, okay. This is really a parody of sports movies. But for all its send-ups of underdog sports movie formulas, it also embraces them full-heartedly during the gripping championship showdown between the Average Joes and Globo Gym.
“The Fighter” (2010) David O. Russell‘s Oscar-winning picture depicted boxer Mickey Ward’s (Mark Wahlberg) climb up the ranks from middling contender to a shot at the title. The final fight shows the grit and heart that it took for Ward to win the belt.
"Senna" (2010)
The best sports documentaries are as riveting as their scripted counterparts, putting viewers right in the action as if they are watching it unfold live. "Senna" is one of the finest examples, using primarily archival footage with no narration and few interviews to show the bitter Formula 1 rivalry between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost that led to the 1989 and 1990 championships being decided in controversial fashion at Japan's famed Suzuka Circuit.
"Survive and Advance" (2013)
ESPN's "30 for 30" series included a look at arguably the most famous championship run in college basketball history. In 1983, Jimmy Valvano led the North Carolina State Wolfpack on a streak of nine consecutive overtime or one-point wins, culminating in a last-second basket to win the championship over top-ranked Houston. In this documentary, even though the outcome is known, every game's heart-stopping drama is recreated perfectly.
"Creed" (2015)
The power and hypnotic beauty of this famous running scene from "Creed" as directed by Ryan Coogler is immense. Michael B. Jordan captures the inspiring training run from the original "Rocky" with a modern spirit. You can feel the emotion of the moment so strongly and can't help but root for him.
"Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies" (2017)
Another ESPN documentary that puts you right in the moment. Narrated by Lakers fan Ice Cube and Celtics fan Donnie Wahlberg, this five-hour doc covers the most famous championship rivalry in sports, which peaked with Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the 80s. The tension hits its peak with Game 4 of the 1987 NBA Finals, in which Bird infamously missed a game-tying three-point shot.
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Whether it’s the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat, TheWrap recaps the biggest moments in these sports classics
