The ESPYs arrived in New York with a loud, fast-moving opening that leaned hard on celebrity, sports, and a few sharp punches from Marcello Hernández. His monologue set the tone early, taking aim at Jake Paul, Tiger Woods, Bill Belichick, and the kind of egos that always seem to show up when a room is packed with athletes and cameras.
New York gave the show a different energy this year after recent runs in Los Angeles, and Hernández used that backdrop well. He came out in a boxing-style entrance with Mike Tyson in the mix, then made it clear he was there to push buttons and get laughs, not play it safe.
“Mike Tyson ripped my watch off. Welcome to the ESPYs!” Hernández joked after making a boxing-style entrance in a robe with Tyson as part of his entourage.
He kept the heat on Jake Paul with the kind of joke that landed because Paul seemed ready for it. Hernández opened with, “I must say, it’s an honor to be here among so many great athletes, and Jake Paul,” then doubled down by teasing Paul’s habit of taking on older opponents.
“Jake, that’s just a joke. Don’t fight me,” Hernández continued. “My dad and my stepdad are both here. They’re over 50, and I know that’s how you like them. So, fight them instead.”
Paul laughed along from the crowd, which only made the whole exchange feel looser and more in the spirit of a live awards show. That was the sweet spot for Hernández, who kept moving from one target to the next without letting the room settle for too long.
From there, he pivoted to Tiger Woods with a line built off Caleb Williams’ appearance on the cover of “Madden 27.” The joke was blunt and simple, with Hernández saying, “I want to congratulate Caleb Williams, the quarterback for the Chicago Bears, who will be on the cover of the new Madden video game. Congratulations to Caleb,” before adding, “And Tiger Woods will be on the cover of Grand Theft Auto.”
That line landed in the middle of a messy public backdrop for Woods, who was arrested in Florida in March on DUI-related charges after a car crash. The arrest report said a deputy found pain pills in his pocket and observed signs of impairment at the scene, and Woods later said he would step away from golf to seek treatment.
Hernández didn’t stop there. He folded Bill Belichick into the set with a joke tied to the New York Knicks’ title drought, using the coach’s relationship with Jordon Hudson as the punchline’s final twist.
“The Knicks won their first championship since 1973. And to put into perceptive how long ago that was, in 1973 hockey players didn’t wear helmets, basketball had no three-point line. And in 1973, Bill Belichick was the age his girlfriend is now.”
The Knicks later won Best Team, and the moment turned into one of the livelier scenes of the night. Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and other members of the championship squad took the stage, while Brunson joked, “I want to say thank you to the ESPYs for pulling Josh Hart’s invite.”
Brunson also picked up Best Championship Performance earlier in the show, giving New York fans another reason to cheer. The ceremony was moving quickly, but it still found room for the kind of sports-specific storytelling that keeps the ESPYs from feeling like just another awards broadcast.
Some of the night’s most meaningful moments came away from the jokes. Jason Collins was honored posthumously with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, Jim Abbott received the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, and Scott Ruskan was recognized with the Pat Tillman Award for Service.
The mix of comedy, trophy presentations, and emotional tributes gave the night a lot of range without ever losing its center. New York’s return as host city also added a sharper edge, with the show feeling a little more energetic and a little less polished in all the right ways.
