Tim and Cassie spent an evening at the star-studded ESPY Award show last night with the likes of Brett Favre, Terrel Owens, the New York Football Giants, Venus Williams, Danicka Patrick, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, etc. Our finest athletes weren’t the only ones in attendance – the show also featured celebs like Samuel L. Jackson, Jet Li, Zach Efron, Kate Walsh, Ashanti, the Beckhams, Will Ferrel, and was hosted by self-proclaimed sports-junkie and international pop star, Justin Timberlake.

JT entertained his audience at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, California with his comical woes about his hometown favorite Memphis Tigers loss to the Kansas Jayhawks in overtime during this years NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. He also poked fun at Favre for his yearly flip-flops with regard to his retirement.

The evening was highlighted by an appearance by former Buffalo Bills tight end, Kevin Everett, who suffered a serious spinal chord injury that ended his career and threatened to leave him paralyzed from the neck down early last season. Everett has defied all odds, and after resolving never to give up and undergoing months of surgeries, physical therapy an indescribable emotional toll, he walked onto the stage at the ESPY’s to face a crowd standing to honor him, applauding his perseverance, and shedding awe-inspired tears at his miraculous recovery.

ESPN struck a wonderful balance last night by awarding tremendous athletic achievement while never forgetting to honor the true heart and soul of sports – the courage, the effort, and the camaraderie that touches the very core of fans and athletes around the world. ESPN brings us sports. Sports brings us all together, gives us a reason to smile and cheer, and inspires us to reach for our individual and collective bests. The power of sports to enlighten, to ignite, and to motivate us to greatness is immeasurable – the ESPY’s gave us a chance to look back on the greatness of this past year and rekindled in us the fire to create the greatness that is to come.