Wednesday, July 13, 2005 Updated: July 15, 12:23 PM ET
ESPYs produce one hot scene
By Miki Turner Page 3
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- They say celebrities are too cool to sweat, but those who braved Wednesday's heat on the red carpet at the ESPY Awards (Sunday, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN) definitely needed some anti-perspirant relief by the time they entered the Kodak Theatre.
Among them were Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, who thought his lightweight beige suit would help keep him cool.
"They always tell you that to keep it light in the sun," McNabb said. "But that's probably the same dude who said that the Yankees would win the World Series last year. It is brutal out here today."
McNabb wasn't the only one suffering.
Maria Sharapova had someone blotting her forehead with tissues before every interview, Kevin Willis was wringing out a big, black handkerchief.
Robert Horry, a k a "Big Shot Rob," was a magnet for the sun in his all-black ensemble. He arrived early and ducked into the theatre quickly after chatting briefly with ESPN's Stuart Scott.
"I'm gonna let the NFL guys, the baseball players and all of them who play outside handle this," Horry said. "I'm an inside dude."
And off he went.
Maria Sharapova owned the red carpet before the 2005 ESPY Awards.
But others played it smart, like Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets and his fiancée, MTV veejay LaLa Vasquez, L.A. Sparks center Lisa Leslie and Terrell Owens of the Philadelphia Eagles. They arrived minutes before the show began and fashionably missed all the red carpet traffic.
"It was cooler in the limo," Anthony said. "So we stayed in there as long as we could."
But despite the heat, Page 3 was all over the carpet with our ears and eyes wide open.
We saw racer Danica Patrick stroll down the carpet with that deer-in-the-headlights look, and blush when someone asked her about being a role model for women all over the world.
And we overheard golfer Annika Sorenstam talking about the sub-par round of golf she played earlier in the day, and struggling to answer questions about how it felt to be at the ESPYs with all of those big and beautiful Hollywood celebrities.
Then there was softball sensation Jennie Finch, resplendent in a glittery lavender and lace gown, talking about how disappointed she was about the elimination of softball from the Olympics, as male reporters and a few athletes listened intensely -- and drooled uncontrollably.
Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Ephraim Salaam telling ESPN Hollywood about his new movie, and how at home he is on the red carpet.
"I'm only uncomfortable now because my fiancée is here, and she doesn't like all this stuff," he said. "But this is great! I could definitely get used to this!"
But even though everyone should be rewarded for their efforts, we've singled out the folks who deserve top honors in various categories.
Best Bling: Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who was sporting all three of his Super Bowl rings. It's a wonder he could lift his right hand. Russian politicians everywhere can only drool.
Best Gators: Donovan McNabb and his brown alligator shoes.
Best-Dressed Man: Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat in a taupe pinstriped suit with a white shirt, yellow striped tie and cream-colored wide-brim hat. Smooth, very smooth.
Best-Dressed Woman: Maria Sharapova, the hottest woman on the WTA Tour, in a brown halter jumpsuit that was too sexy for the room.
Serena Williams' self-designed gown left little to the imagination and a bit to be desired.
Worst-Dressed Man: Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. It's not that his suit was whack, it was just a little bland.
Worst-Dressed Woman: Serena Williams in an ill-fitting brown and gold halter dress.
Most Revealing Outfit: Serena Williams. For the second year in a row.
Most Demure: Lisa Leslie in a pale pink form-fitting gown.
Most Casual: Actor Joe Mantegna, who was wearing a Hawaiian print shirt.
Biggest Entourage: Serena Williams, who had a slew of women trailing her.
Biggest Security Force: LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who didn't talk to reporters on the red carpet, was accompanied by six men of various sizes.
Most Unusual Sight: The raccoon tail attached to Andre 3000's (Outkast) pants.
The biggest ovation: Not necessarily for Roddick, McNabb, or Danica Patrick. Instead, it was for Dennis Haskins (that's Mr. Belding of "Saved by the Bell" to you and me), who tried to sneak by the crowd but was stopped by repeated and loud calls of "Mr. Belding! Mr. Belding!" from the adoring ESPY red-carpet gallery. Haskins decided not to stop and talk, much to everyone's disappointment. Seriously, Mr. Belding!
Best Show Stopper: Pats linebacker Roosevelt Colvin was heading quickly into the Kodak when he heard a cry from media row ... "Rosevelt, Vogue Magazine!" Quickly, he turned and stopped. "Who's with Vogue?" He then proudly proceeded to run down his outfit, attributing his sense of style to a fashion conscious sister.
Miki Turner is a segment producer for ESPN Hollywood and can be reached at Miki.P.Turner.-ND@espn.com. Correspondent Brian Kamenetzky also contributed to this report.
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