The article reflects on the 69th Ballon d'Or ceremony, highlighting its superficiality and spectacle, but ultimately celebrates Ousmane Dembélé's victory as a human and sporting triumph that embodies resilience, humility, and the enduring human qualities within the commercialized world of football.
Shane Gillis delivered a controversial monologue at the ESPYs, featuring jokes about sports figures and political topics, which received mixed reactions. ESPN is reportedly not concerned about the backlash, despite criticism over some of his comments about women athletes and Black women.
The 2025 ESPY Awards, hosted in Los Angeles, honored top athletes across various sports, with Saquon Barkley leading nominations and winning Best NFL Player, while Simone Biles was recognized as Best Athlete in Women's Sports. Other notable winners included Shohei Ohtani, Caitlin Clark, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, with special awards given to former athletes and contributors for their achievements and humanitarian efforts.
The 2025 ESPY Awards were held on July 16 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, celebrating the year's top athletic achievements with celebrity appearances and a red carpet event hosted by Shane Gillis, honoring winners in various sports categories as voted by fans.