ESPN isn't worried about any Shane Gillis backlash over ESPYs monologue
During his roughly 10-minute opening, Gillis poked fun at just about everyone from popular sports figures to President Donald Trump in a biting opening sequence to kick off the annual sports award show.
The Worldwide Leader always knew Gillis' comedic stylings weren't going to be for everyone, as TMZ first reported, but there were no worries about the 'Tires' star who has worked with the network on its 'College GameDay' show.
3 Host Shane Gillis speaks at the ESPY Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Wednesday, July 16, 2025.
AP
ESPN declined comment when reached by The Post.
Among the topics that Gillis touched upon were Trump, Caitlin Clark, Aaron Rodgers and Jeffrey Epstein.
The well-known comedian received mixed reactions during his eyebrow-raising opening remarks.
Gillis asserted that women's soccer legend Megan Rapinoe was not a 'good time' in one of his first quips of the night and later joked that he and Clark, the WNBA superstar, had a lot in common because they were both 'whites from the Midwest who have nailed a bunch of 3s.'
3 Host Shane Gillis, top right, speaks at the ESPY Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Wednesday, July 16, 2025.
AP
'When Caitlin Clark retires from the WNBA, she's going to work at a Waffle House so she can continue doing what she loves most, fist fighting black women,' he continued.
In one of his most well-received jokes of the night, he aimed Bill Belichick and girlfriend Jordon Hudson after making a Shohei Ohtani joke related to his disgraced interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.
'A bookie is what Bill Belichick reads to his girlfriend before bedtime,' Gillis said on stage before launching into a list of crude titles for classic books.
At least one former ESPNer didn't enjoy the show.
3 Nick Sirianni, Josh Sweat, Jalen Carter, and Jordan Mailata accept the Best Team Award from Druski and Shane Gillis onstage during the 2025 ESPY Awards at Dolby Theatre on July 16, 2025 in Hollywood, California.
Getty Images
'In a year of crazy growth for women's sports choosing an ESPYs host who doesn't even try to make clever jokes about women athletes (he at least *attempted* for the men),' Sarah Spain wrote on X on Thursday, 'he goes with hacky 'no one knows the WNBA' bits, 'Pinoe is a bad time' & repeatedly insults Black women. COOL.'
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