Pro Wrestling is more real than the ESPY’s

by Opie Cunningham on SportsRaid.com

The ESPY’s aired Wednesday night — — and provided exactly what the folks at the Disney corporation, owners of ESPN, intended for them to provide — an evening of company synergy mixing sports with entertainment in front of a world wide audience.

Wait a second — -sports combined with entertainment? Hold on, that sounds familiar. Let me think for a second — -oh, wait, does this ring a bell — literally?

That’s right — — the ESPY’s are no different than pro wrestling — it’s all entertainment with pre-determined outcomes, and pretty people of both sexes mixed in. But wait, you say — fans vote on a lot of the ESPY’s. That’s right, they do, but do you think the folks behind the curtain in the wrestling world don’t pay attention to the fans’ reactions? It’s also voting — just a more indirect kind.

Trust me — -the courage award given to Caitlyn Jenner was no less of a promotional stunt than the WWE hyping Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s newest film from time to time — it is, to borrow a wrestling catchphrase, “what’s best for business.” Caitlyn gave a very heartfelt and sincere speech with a nice message. But do you really think she would have been honored if NBC’s Matt Lauer had been given the “coming out” interview instead of ABC’s Diane Sawyer, a Disney employee? Ya, I know I’m cynical, but that doesn’t make me wrong.

Want to watch an awards show that matters? — -wait, Ok, I know what you’re thinking there, I’ll rephrase. Want to watch an award show where the results are more genuine and voted on by experts? — stick to the Oscars or Emmys.

The ESPYs? They’re not as real as pro wrestling. Don’t believe me? Try jumping face first off a ten foot ladder onto a padded mat and tell me how you feel afterwards.

Four more deserving courage award winners than Caitlyn Jenner