Imagine walking around a party where Shaq’s just wondering around, Richard Sherman’s mingling, Jesse Palmer’s talking to the ladies looking like he just got swole at the gym and NFL HOFer Jonathan Ogden never stopped smiling. That was the ESPYs party last night.
There were like 10 food stations, Marcellus Wiley was the DJ, Eric Hosmer had ladies clamoring for his attention and Derek Fisher brought Matt Barnes’ ex-wife (definitely saw the Chinese-looking lettering back tats) out for some fun in a massive tent erected in the middle of L.A. Live.
The key to a great party like the ESPYs party: plenty of drink stations. If you went thirsty, that was a ‘you’ problem. There had to be 12 or so drink stations and the lines were maybe 2-3 deep – max.
I remember going to the Playboy party this year at the Super Bowl and there was one center bar that had 20 minute waits to get a drink. It was a complete disaster. We were getting four drinks at a time just to keep the party rolling.
Not at the ESPYs. One minute you could be grabbing what looked like jambalaya (room was dark) and the next minute you’re posing for photos with Jay Wright. You could be grabbing a drink and pass C.C. Sabathia — he’s giant, by the way. Taller than I expected. You couldn’t move without some 8 to 9 figure contract being in your way.
And Craig Sager, who has never ducked a fun party, was there with his Jimmy V ESPY trophy chatting with his industry friends, fans and people who just wanted to tell him they’re rooting for him in his battle with leukemia. Sager was still posing for photographs and getting hugs as he tried to leave. There wasn’t a person who wanted a photo who didn’t get a photo.
Say what you want about ESPN. Hate ESPN all you want. Say you’re dropping cable because of ESPN all you want. You can’t say ESPN doesn’t know how to throw a party. They even got Morris Day and Sheila E. to perform. That’s a party.
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Podcast Paul talks with the Czar.
