ESPN’s Sarah Spain Calls Out Shane Gillis’ 2025 ESPY Awards Hosting
A Missed Opportunity to Celebrate Women’s Sports
Hey there, folks! Let’s dive into some sports talk with a side of controversy, shall we? I’ve got my eyes on women’s sports, as you might all know—and trust me, they’re killing it lately. But not everyone’s celebrating the rise of these incredible athletes, and that’s where today’s story comes in.
Buckle up, because ESPN’s Sarah Spain has some thoughts about comedian Shane Gillis hosting the 2025 ESPY Awards, and I’m here to break it all down for you in a way that’s real and, yeah, a little fired up about supporting our women in sports.
ESPN’s Sarah Spain Slams Shane Gillis’ 2025 ESPY Awards Hosting Gig
So, picture this: it’s Wednesday, July 16, 2025, and the ESPY Awards are in full swing. Women’s sports are having a moment—from Simone Biles flipping her way to more gold to WNBA stars like Caitlin Clark lighting up the court. It’s a year of insane growth for women’s athletics, and you’d think the ESPYs would be the perfect place to celebrate that. Enter Shane Gillis, the comedian tapped to host the show. And, well, let’s just say his performance didn’t exactly win over everyone, especially not ESPN’s Sarah Spain.
Sarah took to X the day after the awards, and she did not hold back. Here’s what she posted: “In a year of crazy growth for women’s sports choosing an ESPYs host who doesn’t even try to make clever jokes about women athletes (he at least attempted for the men) he goes with hacky ‘no one knows the WNBA’ bits, ‘Pinoe is a bad time’ & repeatedly insults Black women. COOL.” Oof, you can feel the frustration in those words, right? She’s calling out Gillis for leaning into lazy stereotypes and cheap shots instead of hyping up the women who are making sports history.
Now, Gillis didn’t shy away from poking fun at women athletes in his opening monologue. He took a swing at Megan Rapinoe, saying, “Megan Rapinoe could not make it tonight. Nice.” The audience gave a little awkward chuckle, and when it didn’t land, he doubled down: “No? We’re gonna pretend she’s a good time? All right.” Okay, Shane, bold move. Then he went for the WNBA, joking, “Four-time WNBA All-Star Brittany Hicks is here. Give it up for Brittany, everybody.”
The camera pans to a woman in the crowd, and he drops the punchline: “I’m joking around. That’s my friend’s wife. I knew none of you knew WNBA players. That’s crazy, you clapped for that.” Yikes. Instead of celebrating the league’s stars, he’s implying nobody knows who they are. Not exactly the vibe we need when women’s basketball is soaring.
He didn’t stop there. Gillis took a jab at Simone Biles’ height, saying, “She’s short and has a lot of gold. When she’s not competing, she leads a quiet life at the base of a rainbow. It’s a leprechaun joke.”
And then there was his comment about Caitlin Clark: “When Caitlin Clark retires from the WNBA, she’s going to work at a Waffle House so she can continue doing what she loves most: fist-fighting Black women.” I mean… come on. These are the kinds of jokes that feel like a step backward for women’s sports, which are finally getting the spotlight they deserve.
Naturally, Sarah’s post on X sparked some heated reactions. One user pushed back, saying, “First 90 minutes were women! In a genre that is dominated by men. Simone, the rugby gal, all gals! The suits needed to feed the actual money. The ladies who won were deserving.
But it’s a TV show. The next 10 minutes were Taurasi. Stop complaining, people aren’t trying to help you.” Sarah wasn’t having it. She clapped back, “I didn’t say a thing about the awards. Learn how to read.” Mic drop. She’s focused on the hosting, not the awards themselves, and she’s not here for the excuses.
The response to Gillis’ performance was all over the place. Some fans loved his edgy humour. One X user wrote, “Shane Gillis at the ESPYs doing the best opening ever while everyone is silent.” Another said, “I thought Shane Gillis killed his monologue at the ESPYs. And he capped it off with a tribute to Norm Macdonald.”
Others weren’t so impressed, with one person noting, “Shane Gillis bombing at the ESPYs just about sums up how popular the ESPYs are. F**k you guys, that monologue was funny.” Under Sarah’s post, someone took a shot, saying, “Wow, you must be a lot of fun at parties. He’s a comedian. His job is to offend.”
Another went even harder, claiming her reaction was the “perfect encapsulation of why ESPN is failing and why it will be so difficult for women’s sports to ever be taken as seriously as men’s.”
Okay, let’s unpack that last one for a second. Women’s sports are breaking records, selling out arenas, and drawing massive viewership—think WNBA finals, NCAA women’s basketball outrating the men’s. How about the NCAA WOMEN’S COLLEGE WOLRD SERIES Softball, or gymnasts like Simone redefining what’s possible. To say they’re not being taken seriously is just nonsense.
But when a host like Gillis leans into outdated tropes instead of clever, respectful humour, it doesn’t help. Sarah’s point isn’t about being “offended” for the sake of it—she’s calling for comedy that punches up, not down, especially in a year when women athletes are carrying so much of the sports world’s momentum.
Look, I’m all about humour, but there’s a difference between sharp, witty roasts and lazy jabs that dismiss the athletes who are out there grinding. Women’s sports deserve better than being the punchline to “nobody knows you” jokes. We’re talking about athletes who are changing the game, inspiring the next generation, and proving that women’s sports aren’t just a side act—they’re the main event.
So, maybe next time, the ESPYs could pick a host who gets that. What do you all think? Should comedians at awards shows lift up women’s sports or stick to the edgy stuff, even if it misses the mark?
That’s all for today—stay loud, stay proud, and keep supporting women’s sports! Now Hit me up on X and let’s keep the conversation going. This is WSPN, and I’m Andre Van Zark, signing off. Keep swinging for the fences!