2011 ESPYs

Year after year, people argue whether MVP awards should be given out before or after the playoffs. The NFL and NBA give out their awards before the postseason begins, and in my view, that's what makes the ESPYs so special: they give awards to those who deserve them the most. Yes, there are the Rookie of the Year awards and the Comeback Player of the Year awards, but the ESPYs look outside the box of regular achievements. With that being said, this year's ESPY Awards are tonight in Los Angeles, where all of the best athletes on the planet will be looking at the same place: the stage. Anyone who is nominated for an ESPY is very well-deserving, but only one can take each trophy home. Here are a few of my ESPY awards if I was to choose the winners.

Best Athlete - Dirk Nowitzki
"Oh, it's Dirk, it's going in" was the reaction I would hear throughout the NBA Playoffs whenever Dallas was on TV. I even felt that whenever Dirk touched the ball, it would find its way through the hoop. This guy flat out could not be stopped in the postseason. He really got on the radar once the Mavs swept the two-time defending champion Lakers, but after Miami started heating up, it seemed as if no one could keep LeBron and Chris Bosh from their first title. However, Dallas showed unbelievable teamwork and balance throughout their title run, and Nowitzki was the fuel to their engine as he carried them to the championship. Aaron Rodgers had a terrific run as well, but it's tough to go against a 7-footer who makes everything look easy shooting off one leg with hands in his face.

Best Championship Performance - Kemba Walker
Tim Thomas, Tim Lincecum and Serena Williams all put on performances to remember, but nothing can top what Walker did to lead Connecticut to not only the Big East title as a 9 seed, but also to the National Championship. While the championship game was not the most exciting one, he "put the team on his back" throughout the postseason. The Huskies might not have even made the tournament if it weren't for him, and he proved why. As we've heard thousands of times, he led them to five wins in as many days in the Big East tournament, but the way he guided Coach Jim Calhoun through the most difficult conference tournament in America and the NCAA Tournament as a 3 seed was absolutely unheard of. Kemba gets this award in my book.

Best Game - Auburn over Alabama in the Iron Bowl
The Crimson Tide were the defending champions. They had just beaten Florida for their second straight victory against a Top 10 team, moving them to 5-0 on the year. They had the defending Heisman Trophy winner. And they were winning 24-0 with just 35 minutes between them and their 20th consecutive game. Then came the next Heisman Trophy winner and the Tigers. They scored 28 of the next 31 points on the road to send everyone wearing maroon home in disbelief. If it weren't for this incredible comeback, not only would Auburn had not won the National Championship, but they might not have even been in a BCS bowl game. Auburn would be my pick here.

Best Record-Breaking Performance - Rory McIlroy
The UConn women's basketball team put up an unbelievable performance over the course of 90 games, but they're competition was not as big as Rory McIlroy's was in the U.S. Open. The Northern-Ireland native showed a type of resilience we had never seen before. After his blowup in the Masters, Rory came back and broke countless records with his unbelievable eight-stroke win at Congressional Country Club. You can't say enough about the 22-year-old's audacious play throughout his first major victory, and that's why I would go with McIlroy for this ESPY.