or


[05/09/22 - 08:04 AM]
ESPN to Present the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance to Dick Vitale During "The 2022 ESPYS Presented by Capital One" Airing Live, Wednesday, July 20, at 8/7c on ABC
The award is given to a deserving member of the sporting world who has overcome great obstacles through perseverance and determination.

[via press release from ESPN]

ESPN to Present the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance to Dick Vitale During "The 2022 ESPYS Presented By Capital One" Airing Live, Wednesday, July 20, at 8/7c on ABC

Broadcaster, Hall of Famer, and college basketball icon Dick Vitale will be honored with the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at The 2022 ESPYS, broadcasting live on July 20 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. The award is given to a deserving member of the sporting world who has overcome great obstacles through perseverance and determination. ESPN's Jimmy Pitaro announced the news during the Dick Vitale Gala in Sarasota this past Friday.

Last summer, the 82-year-old "Dickie V," who has been broadcasting college basketball on ESPN for more than four decades, announced that he had undergone multiple surgeries to remove melanoma. Then, a few months later, he was diagnosed with lymphoma, and underwent six months of chemotherapy. In March, a scan declared he was cancer free.

The ordeal, and the honor, is all the more poignant and symbolic considering that at the very first ESPYS in 1993, Vitale presented his great friend Jim Valvano with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, after which Jimmy V delivered the unforgettable acceptance speech that in many ways still epitomizes the spirit of the ESPYS, and led to the creation of the V Foundation for Cancer Research. In the years since, Dickie V has been one of the leading voices of the V Foundation. He has long hosted a gala that's raised nearly $55 million for pediatric cancer research and the Foundation.

Said Vitale: "When I received the call from Jimmy Pitaro about receiving this award, I was absolutely blown away. I remember that day almost 30 years ago, when I stood on stage at the first ESPYS, introduced Jimmy V and witnessed him give that incredible speech we all remember. I reflected on his speech many times during my seven month battle - 'don't give up, don't ever give up Dickie V' - and I remembered my mother and father, who taught me never to believe in 'can't'. Jimmy V was special and his legacy lives on. I am so grateful to receive this tremendous award in his honor."

Vitale's history at ESPN goes back to the very beginning. He called the first-ever college basketball game the network aired, Wisconsin at DePaul on December 5, 1979. Since then, he's called more than a thousand games, his thorough knowledge of the sport brought forth in an enthusiastic, passionate, and never boring style. His "Vitale-isms" have taken on a life of their own, with "Awesome, baby!," "Get a T.O., baby!", "PTP'er" (primetime player), M&M'er (a mismatch), "Diaper Dandy" (freshman star), and many more all becoming part of the vernacular.

"Dick is one of a kind," said Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN and Sports Content. "He has embodied the spirit of the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance his entire career, and his fight against cancer has been no different. He has taken his struggle as an opportunity to help others, to help people to understand the challenges and to remove the stigmas and false assumptions. It's fitting that we will present this award to him almost 30 years after he stood by Jimmy V's side on the ESPYS stage, and it is an honor to add Dick to the distinguished list of winners of this award."

In 2007, Women's College basketball coach Kay Yow became the very first recipient of the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. Past recipients include Eric LeGrand, Anthony Robles, George Karl, Dick and Rick Hoyt, Stuart Scott, Devon and Leah Still, Craig Sager, Jarrius Robertson, Jim Kelly, Rob Mendez, Taquarius Wair, and Chris Nikic.

The ESPYS help to raise awareness and funds for the V Foundation for Cancer Research, the charity founded by ESPN and the late basketball coach Jim Valvano at the first ESPYS back in 1993. ESPN has helped raise over $165 million for the V Foundation over the past 29 years.

-30-





  [may 2022]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[11/05/24 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Nothing to See Here" Season 2 - Official Trailer - Netflix
Alexis and Charlie's friendship is tested as fame beckons. Azul faces her past in music, and a new member challenges Alexis's fears - and potential.

[11/05/24 - 01:09 AM]
Filming Starts for "Kacken an der Havel" by and with Dimitrij Schaad
The new Netflix comedy series is about a rapper, a duck and a village.

[11/04/24 - 04:01 PM]
Video: "Zombieverse 2: New Blood" - Official Trailer - Netflix
The groundbreaking K-zombie series returns bolder than ever, with enhanced zombies, new members and wilder quests full of non-stop thrills and laughter.

[11/04/24 - 02:01 PM]
"Outer Banks" Renewed for Fifth and Final Season Following Fan Celebrations at Poguelandia and Multi-Country Pogue Tour
The news comes two days after the second Poguelandia: An Outer Banks Experience, held November 2 at The Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California.

[11/04/24 - 01:31 PM]
Acorn TV's Hit Detective Crime Drama "Dalgliesh" Returns with All-New Episodes Monday, December 2
Season 3 is made up of three distinct mysteries, each two episodes long.

[11/04/24 - 12:01 PM]
NBC Unveils Lineup of New and Returning Beloved Holiday Programming
New programming for 2024 includes "Jimmy Fallon's Holiday Seasoning Spectacular" and "A Motown Christmas," hosted by Smokey Robinson and Halle Bailey.

[11/04/24 - 11:01 AM]
The Final Bell: Production Begins for the Third and Final Season of "Heartbreak High"
In Season 3, it's time for Hartley High's graduating class to say 'goodbye' to school, and 'hello' to adulthood!

[11/04/24 - 11:01 AM]
NBC's "The Voice" Taps Music Icon Sting and Multi-Hyphenate Jennifer Hudson as Season 26 Mega Mentors
Hudson joins Michael Bublé and Reba McEntire while Sting joins coaches Snoop Dogg and Gwen Stefani to mentor the remaining artists as each team prepares for the Knockouts, beginning Monday, November 11.

[11/04/24 - 10:31 AM]
Aussie Luke Hemsworth Joins the Cast of Prime Video's Global Hit Series "Deadloch" Season Two
Hemsworth will join lead cast members Kate Box, Madeleine Sami, Nina Oyama and Alicia Gardiner.

[11/04/24 - 08:32 AM]
Netflix Announces Release of the Documentary "Avicii - I'm Tim" and Avicii's Last Show from Ibiza's Ushuaia
The documentary "Avicii - I'm Tim" and "Avicii - My Last Show" will launch globally on Netflix on December 31.

[11/04/24 - 08:31 AM]
Video: "Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson" - Narrator Announcement, Sneak Peek & Key Art Debut
Ice T will narrate the three-part follow-doc leading up to the Netflix and MVP's heavyweight boxing mega-event.

[11/04/24 - 08:02 AM]
"La Liberacion" Will Premiere Exclusively on Prime Video on January 17
The unique series created and directed by noted filmmaker Alejandra Márquez Abella premieres January 17 on Prime Video.

[11/04/24 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey" - Official Trailer - Netflix
On December 26, 1996, John and Patsy Ramsey woke up the morning after a loving family Christmas to discover their youngest child, six-year-old JonBenét, was missing, a chilling ransom note left downstairs.

[11/04/24 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland" - Official Trailer - Hulu
St Nick (voiced by Gerard Butler) receives a delayed letter on Christmas Eve from the Princess of Hearts.

[11/03/24 - 07:30 PM]
Video: AMC Networks Releases a First Look at Season Three of "The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon"
Starring Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride as the beloved characters "Daryl Dixon" and "Carol Peletier," the new season is set to premiere in 2025 on AMC and AMC+.