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Craig Sager’s Thursday Morning Wakeup

Confession time: I used to tune in to the ESPYs to mock it. Watching athletes attempt to tell jokes and carry an awards show was often painful, but in years past, the ESPYs have morphed into an impressive celebration of not only the most successful athletes in sports, but the underrated heroes who deserve the spotlight. Craig Sager is a great example of that. The longtime TNT commentator is battling leukemia and was presented with the Jimmy V Perseverance Award last night by Vice President Joe Biden, who lost his own son to brain cancer last year; that alone was moving, but Sager’s ten-minute speech was enough to bring you to tears:

The speech, like Jimmy V’s iconic one from years ago, was funny, emotional, and defiant.