ESPN
Action Sports and Music Awards:
Rocked
Like No Other.
POP UP RADIO: ESPN
Awards Show Review
APRIL 11, 2001
BY DEY MARTIN
The inaugural ESPN Action Sports and Music
Awards show, the rock-n-roll kick ass extravaganza which was thrown April
7, 2001 at the Universal Amphitheater, was by far the best awards show
I have ever witnessed. It made the Grammy Awards look like a re-run
of The Lawrence Welk Show.
Performing at the event were Black Sabbath,
Incubus, Crazy Town, Ben Harper and De La Soul featuring Busta Rhymes.
Metallica, who were present to accept , got the 'Action Sports & Music
Artist Contribution Award'. NOFX also won for 'Snowboarding's Artist
of the Year'.
The stage was set up with three killer movie-theater-size
video screens which displayed various skate, snow, bmx, motocross and surf
video- highlights of nominees. Hosts included LL Cool J, Rebecca
Romijn-Stamos and Chris Klein, Daryl Hannah, Katie Holmes, Ali Landry,
Rachael Leigh Cook, Gabriella Reece, The Offspring, Incubus, Rob Zombie,
Pennywise, Tom Green and a fine bevy of Playboy Playmates. But the
real stars were the athletes.
Sports heroes Dave Mirra (BMX rider of the
Year), Travis Pastrana (Motocross rider of the Year), Kevin Jones (Snowboarder
of the Year), Barrett Christy (Female Snowboarder of the Year), Eric Koston
(Skateboarder of the Year), Sunny Garcia, (Surfer of the Year), Layne Beachley
(Female Surfer of the Year), Shane McKonkey (Skier of the Year) were given
their just rewards. (click
here for the complete list).
The Action Sports Achievement Award went to
exalted ramp-meister Tony Hawk who kidded around throughout the show with
MTV kook Tom Green. He seemed truly appreciative and thanked
his sponsors and wife and his dearly departed Pop for helping him get there.
This event was fresh and full of electricity
and creativity. It also rocked. The sports nominees, when duly
acknowledged for their weightless feats and accomplishments, were outright
stoked. No boring prepared speeches. Just true from the heart
thank yous, and you could feel it as a spectator. Kevin Jones, when
accepting his award for best Snowboarder of the Year said, "I also want
to thank Metallica, who's sitting right over there", and you just knew
he was in awe.
The event concluded with a live performance
from the original line-up of Black Sabbath. Ozzy belted out the now
thirty year-old classic "Paranoid" to a crowd that holds him in God-like
esteem. Another noted elder, Evil Knievel who is the Godfather
of the bike jumping world, also rode in on his Harley-Davidson to
take an award.
Let's face it. We are all so tired of
watching bored musicians and actors who, as a ploy to generate mega-sales,
do so many damn awards shows that the "sizzle" has simply come off their
steak. The awards don't seem to mean anything to them anymore.
Take a very close look Hollywierd, those that
were honored at this spectacular event; the deserving sports pros who grace
the covers of the 'youth against establishment' magazines, have just opened
up a serious can of whoop-ass!
by Dey Martin
