Evander Kane Wasn’t Big On Nikki Glaser’s Connor McDavid Joke At ESPYs
Comedian Nikki Glaser took the stage at The ESPYs on Thursday night (that's how you know it's a big deal, by the way; it airs on a Thursday) and while she was up there she told a joke about Connor McDavid that didn't seem to sit too well with his Edmonton Oilers teammate Evander Kane.
To me, the ESPYs are like any other award show. I hear that they're happening the day of and then I say, "Oh yeah, that's tonight," and then go about my day as I normally would.
The ESPYs are especially goofy because the awards make very little sense. Sure, some are Best MLB Player or Best NFL Player, but others are like Best Team or Best Athlete across all of sports.
How do you compare athletes across sports? You can't. That's why the Golden Globes splits up movies and television; because they're two completely different things.
It'd be like giving out a "best performer" award and the nominees are the star of a Hollywood blockbuster, a guy who pop-locks on the street, a kid who starred in a middle school production of Grease, and another guy who can arm fart "Camptown Races."
They're all performers, but I don't know how you compare them to each other. You can't (although give my vote to arm fart guy), but that's kind of what the "Best Male Athlete Award" that Glaser was presenting is doing. The nominees were Patrick Mahomes, Scottie Scheffler, Shohei Ohtani, and Connor McDavid. Saying one is better than the other when they do totally different things is ridiculous.
But they did it, and Glaser — one of the breakout stars of the Tom Brady roast — did some jokes about each nominee, but the McDavid joke seemed to be too soon for his teammate.
"What I'm trying to say is that nothing will stand in the way of these incredible athletes and their pursuit of greatness," Glaser said. "I mean, except the Florida Panthers.
"Boy, Connor that must have hurt. To lose a game of hockey to a place that doesn't even have ice."
Aaaaaand cut to Evander Kane, who I'm guessing was the only Oiler in attendance.
"For now, the only Stanley Cup that Connor will get to hold is the one his wife asks him to grab out of the cabinet."
Kane didn't seem to dig that joke, and I kind of get it, they're only a couple of weeks removed from a gut-punch loss in Game 7.
The award went to Patrick Mahomes, but, hey, Connor McDavid didn't go home empty-handed. He won the ESPY for Best NHL Player beating out Nikita Kucherov, Nathan MacKinnon, and Auston Matthews.