Shane Gillis' ESPYs Monologue Took Aim at Everyone — from President Trump to Shedeur Sanders
The 37-year-old comedian's monologue in front of the world's biggest sports stars took aim seemingly at just about everyone — from WNBA star Caitlin Clark to former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
It seemed as though Gillis was going for the jugular the entire night, and he even zeroed in on a subject that has captivated the entire nation: the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Gillis first set up the joke with a jab at President Donald Trump, which drew huge laughter from the crowd at the Dolby Theater in downtown Los Angeles.
"Donald Trump wants to stage a UFC fight on the White House lawn. The last time he staged a fight in D.C., Mike Pence almost died," he joked.
Gillis added, "Actually, there was supposed to be an Epstein joke here, but I guess it got deleted. Probably deleted itself, right? Probably never existed, actually. Let's move on as a country and ignore that."
Gillis then went after Deion Sanders' son, who earlier this year shockingly slid in the NFL Draft. The Cleveland Browns finally selected him in the fifth round with the 144th overall pick.
"Shedeur Sanders had his jersey retired at Colorado this year. People are saying it's because of nepotism, because of his father," Gillis said. "And it's not. It's because he went 13-12 over his career and he almost won the Alamo Bowl."
Gillis also walked down memory lane during his monologue, as he conjured up Norm Maconald's controversial bit for an eerily similar joke about two-way Jacksonville Jaguars star Travis Hunter.
"Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy this year. He is the first defensive player since Charles Woodson to win the Heisman," Gillis said. "Congratulations, Travis Hunter, winning the Heisman is something they can never take away from you — unless you kill your wife and a waiter, in which case, they can take it away from you."Macdonald made the same joke about former Michigan two-way star Charles Woodson during the 1998 ESPYs. And both times the joke got mixed reactions.
As for Clark, the Indiana Fever star, Gillis' joke about her made people uncomfortable.
"It's a big year for the WNBA. I love Caitlin Clark," he said. "Caitlin Clark, she and I have a lot in common. We're both whites from the midwest who have nailed a bunch of threes."
He then winced and added, "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."
Shane Gillis' ESPYs Monologue Took Aim at Everyone — from President Trump to Shedeur Sanders first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 17, 2025
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Fantasy Football NFL Training Camp Roundup: The Kyle Pitts hype-train starts up again, Justin Fields returns and more
Do you smell that? It's football. It feels like every year, we blink in February and bam, it's the end of July and training camps are starting up. It's a beautiful thing really. Teams and players began opening camps this week and we've been getting a flurry of news so far. With that comes the impact that news has on fantasy football and how we approach drafts during August leading up to Week 1. Below is a recap of all the top news stories from this week and how it impacts fantasy football. Fantasy Football NFL Training Camp Roundup Kyle Pitts' hype is back again like a bad horror villain Are we really going to fall for this again? What's the saying? "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, can't get fooled again." No, that's the George W. Bush quote that's in J. Cole's "No Role Modelz" track. Anyway, Atlanta Falcons' second-year QB Michael Penix Jr. started off his presser at camp on Thursday by saying, "See, we got KP (Pitts) the ball. There's gonna be a lot of that." Here we go again. We've heard this before. The fourth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Pitts burst on the scene as a freak athlete and touted prospect, going for 1,026 receiving yards and a TD as a rookie. That's when the hype train began. Since then, we've been waiting for Pitts to make due on his potential. He played just 10 games in his second NFL season and only had 356 yards and two TDs. In the past two seasons, he's finished as the TE13 and TE14 in fantasy football. Is the elusive fifth-year breakout coming? Temper your expectations because we've seen this before. However, there's some reason to believe Pitts could have an OK season. Penix showed some promise late last season and could take a big step forward in 2025. Aside from Drake London and Bijan Robinson, Darnell Mooney is the only competition for Pitts in terms of targets. Pitts had 90 and 74 targets, respectively, in the past two seasons. He just wasn't very good at converting those targets. I'm not saying go nuts and reach for Pitts as your TE1. But he's ranked TE20 in Yahoo's consensus rankings going into August. As long as Pitts can stay healthy and the passing game gets going, there's no reason he can't be a decent target as a backup TE on your bench. It won't take a massive jump from what he did last season for Pitts to enter the top-12 TE realm this season. Terry McLaurin holding out Washington Commanders WR Terry McLaurin has decided not to report and is holding out to begin training camp. Here's a quick snippet from Commanders GM Adam Peters on the situation: ESPN's Jeremy Fowler also believes that McLaurin is seeking a deal that would pay him $30 million per season and the two sides aren't close. McLaurin is certainly deserving of a sizable contract as one of the more consistent wideouts in the NFL. He's coming off a fifth consecutive 1,000-yard season with 1,096 and a career-high 13 TDs. McLaurin was far and away rookie QB Jayden Daniels' favorite target all of 2024. It seems foolish not to want to bring back your young QB's top receiver but the NFL is a business. We've still got a ways to go until Week 1 on Sunday, Sept. 7 when the Commanders open the season vs. the New York Giants. So again, it would be surprising to see the two sides not resolve this and hammer out a deal. Washington did bring in veteran WR Deebo Samuel Sr. via trade from the 49ers this offseason. But behind McLaurin and Deebo, there are a lot of question marks as to who would be catching passes. Because of the TDs, McLaurin finished as the WR6 last season in fantasy. This season, McLaurin ranks 17th among wideouts in Yahoo's consensus rankings. His ADP on Yahoo right now is also 35.5, which puts him at around the end of the third round/beginning of the fourth round in 12-team leagues. The TD regression and presence of Deebo is baked into McLaurin's stock going into this season. Monitor the situation, but there's no need to be worried as of now. A lot of question marks surrounding 49ers' WR room We all know that 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk, coming off a torn ACL/MCL suffered last season, will start 2025 on the PUP list. Ricky Pearsall is dealing with a hamstring injury but should be back at practice soon. Breakout WR Jauan Jennings wants a new deal and could request a trade given his leverage, though he is at camp. And there's always question marks surrounding RB Christian McCaffrey's health. So things are a bit chaotic when it comes to San Francisco's receiver room. So much so that Quintez Cephus and Equanimeous St. Brown have been brought in to compete at camp. Pearsall (WR39, 117.2 ADP) and Jennings (WR40, 108 ADP) should start the season at WR pending these injury/contract situations. So, based on their rankings and ADP, there appears to be some value to be had. We know Aiyuk will be back at some point but in what capacity? Jennings was great last season with 77 catches on 113 targets for 975 yards and six TDs. He finished as the WR27, just shy of a WR2 in 12-team leagues. Pearsall showed some flashes and had 14 catches on 18 targets for 210 yards and two TDs in the final two games of his rookie season. Targeting each late in drafts at their current draft-price tag feels advantageous. CMC is healthy but for how long? And we know how players can perform in a Kyle Shanahan offense. Justin Fields gives us an injury scare The New York Jets feel cursed at times. That's likely how a lot of members of the organization and fans felt when Fields left practice on Thursday due to a toe injury. It turned out to be a dislocated toe and Fields was considered day-to-day. Now, early Friday, we saw Fields out on the practice field running around, looking completely fine: So it seems a crisis has been averted. For now. Fields was brought in this offseason to run the Jets' new offense under first-year head coach Aaron Glenn and OC Tanner Engstrand, coming over from the Lions. Expectations are pretty high for Fields and he's become a trendy sleeper candidate at QB for fantasy football. He'll enter 2025 as a top-10 QB in terms of Yahoo's consensus rankings at ninth at the position. That could change over the course of camp and preseason. But we know the upside Fields brings with his ability to run and extend the play. So we'll want to monitor this situation leading up to Week 1. If you're looking to draft Fields, maybe consider an insurance policy by drafting another capable QB. How will Colts' QB battle shake out? The competition between Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson Sr. for the starting QB job in Indy is going to be one of the more polarizing stories out of camp. Everyone seems to believe that Jones has the fast-track to being QB1. That was after it was revealed Richardson was dealing with a shoulder injury this spring. Well, Richardson is healthy entering camp but will need to prove himself (again) to earn the role of starter (again). Jones got the early reps as the QB1 to start camp this week. We all know what Richardson can do with his legs but he'll need to prove he can be a capable pocket passer in order to win over head coach Shane Steichen and the rest of the offensive staff. Jones isn't the best passer in the world but should be a clear upgrade over Richardson and some of the starters Indy has used the past few seasons (Joe Flacco, Gardner Minshew, old Matt Ryan). Jones was also coming from a dysfunctional situation with the New York Giants, and even then, he was able to find some success in 2022, finishing as the QB7 in fantasy. This competition is so polarizing for fantasy because it will have a big impact on how we approach the Colts' skill position players. If Jones wins the job (like many believe will be the case), then we can feel good about targeting WRs Michael Pittman Jr. (WR48 rank) and Josh Downs (WR43) as decent sleepers. Alec Pierce (WR71) feels like more of a stretch pending an injury. Rookie TE Tyler Warren (TE16) would also be a good sleeper target if you're waiting on the position. If Richardson is the starting QB, all bets are off. It would be difficult to trust the Colts' receivers and, really, RB Jonathan Taylor (RB7) would be the only player we'd feel comfortable drafting. We know Taylor will handle the bulk of the carries but even he has injury concerns. Now that you think about it, the entire situation in Indianapolis feels pretty volatile. Keep an eye on this QB comp going into your draft but fading may be the way to go. Tyreek Hill-Tua Tagovailoa mending relationship We all remember the offseason saga where WR Tyreek Hill said "I'm out" as a declaration he wanted out of Miami. Hill wasn't traded this offseason and he and QB Tua Tagovailoa are at training camp working on their relationship. Tua said "It's a work in progress" and that Hill is "working on himself." It may take some time for the two to get back on the same page; Samantha James did say, "Forgiveness is more than saying sorry." We'll see if the two can rekindle some of the chemistry that led to that 2023 season, when Hill led the NFL in receiving yards with a career-high 1,799 and 13 TDs (also NFL-leading). Tagovailoa would lead the NFL in passing yards (4,626) that season and finish as the QB10 overall in fantasy. Tua has been through A LOT with concussion issues since then so it's unclear if he'll ever be able to push the ball downfield for Hill like that again. Hill had his worst NFL season since he was a rookie in 2024, finishing with 959 yards and six TDs, barely inside the top-20 among wideouts. Hill enters 2025 as the WR18 in Yahoo's consensus rankings and even that feels generous. If any more drama comes out of Dolphins' training camp, this situation could blow up very quickly. A trade might be the best thing for both sides in the end but we'll see what develops. If Tua and Hill can get on the same page and Hill continues to fall down draft boards, it could create a better situation for fantasy managers. Jaylen Waddle (WR29 rank, 84.9 ADP) may be a better option given his draft-price tag.
Yahoo
3 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Key players who could see better roles after the MLB Trade Deadline
With less than a week to go until the MLB trade deadline, this is a great time for fantasy baseball managers to be as active as possible on the waiver wire. There are several potential contributors listed below, but managers should also pay close attention to the news so that they can grab someone who moves into a better role when a real-life deal occurs. Slade Cecconi, SP, Guardians, 21% Cecconi may be the latest example in a long line of successful development of pitchers by the Guardians organization. The 26-year-old has been effective since the beginning of June, posting a 3.33 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP and a 43:15 K:BB ratio in 54 innings. Those in points leagues will enjoy learning that Cecconi has thrown at least six innings in each of his past four starts. The righty is heading into an appealing two-start week, where he will face the Rockies (28th in runs scored) and the Twins (19th in runs scored). Brandon Walter, SP, Astros, 26% Walter has dominated the strike zone since joining the rotation on May 20, which has enabled him to post a ridiculous 52:4 K:BB ratio in 53.2 innings. Fantasy managers have been slow to take notice, but there is no reason for a starting pitcher on a contender with a 3.35 ERA and 0.93 WHIP to remain on waivers. His next start is a reasonable home matchup against the Nationals. Landen Roupp, SP, Giants, 34% Roupp has plenty of upside, thanks to his solid swing-and-miss skills and heavy groundball lean. And he has started to turn that potential into production by posting a 1.15 ERA in his past six starts. Unfortunately, the outstanding run prevention has come with a 1.37 WHIP, as the 26-year-old sometimes struggles to limit walks. Roupp is worth the risk next week though, when he will face a Pirates offense that ranks last in runs scored before taking on a top-heavy Mets lineup that has been less productive than expected this season. Griffin Jax, RP, Twins, 22% Wise managers will ignore the 4.09 ERA that Jax carries right now and instead focus on his outstanding 68:12 K:BB ratio. The right-hander has been plagued by a .376 BABIP, but he remains one of the best relievers in baseball. There are two scenarios at the trade deadline that could instantly turn Jax into a top-15 reliever: He could be traded to a contender that needs a closer, such as the Phillies or Dodgers, or, Twins closer Jhoan Duran could be shipped out of town, leaving Jax to work the ninth inning in Minnesota. Dylan Lee, RP, Braves, 7% Amid a disappointing season, the Braves are expected to trade their pending free agents while holding onto those who can help them rebound next year. Raisel Iglesias fits into the former category, and there is a good chance that he spends the stretch run on a different team before heading to the open market. Lee has excellent ratios (2.62 ERA, 0.94 WHIP) and a pair of saves, and he will either own the ninth inning or share it with Pierce Johnson once Iglesias departs. Luke Keaschall, 1B/2B/OF, Twins, 27% Keaschall is someone to stash, as he could be quite valuable after the trade deadline. The youngster is currently wrapping up a rehab assignment, and he could return to the team as the starting second baseman if pending free agent Willi Castro is traded next week. Keaschall looked ready for the majors in 26 plate appearances before suffering a forearm fracture, as he hit .368 with two strikeouts, five walks and five steals. He also accumulated 19 homers and 40 steals in 153 career minor league games and could make a big impact in multiple categories down the stretch. Chandler Simpson, OF, Rays, 38% I've promised myself that I won't write about Simpson again, so I'll keep this brief. He's going to lead the majors in second-half steals, which means that he should be rostered in every roto league. The .308 hitter is also batting leadoff, which will lead to plenty of runs. And he rarely strikes out. He is a better points league option than many managers realize. Isaac Collins, OF, Brewers, 4% Although few fantasy managers have noticed, Collins has been an asset for the Brewers in recent weeks. The 28-year-old has hit .299 with five homers, four steals and an .873 OPS since the beginning of June, becoming a full-time player in the process. Milwaukee has bigger needs than outfield at the trade deadline, which means that Collins could keep his regular role by staying hot. And after compiling 14 homers and 24 steals in 113 games in Triple-A last year, Collins has proven that he has the diverse skill set that roto managers covet. Mickey Moniak, OF, Rockies, 17% Sure, it took nine years since he was selected first overall in the 2016 draft, but Moniak is finally in the midst of a career season. The outfielder has reduced his strikeout rate and raised his average exit velocity, which has resulted in an .865 OPS. Granted, he has had most of his success against righties and at Coors Field, but the predictable nature of Moniak's production makes him easy to stream in leagues with daily transactions. The Rockies are on the road for a week but, beginning on August 1, they will play 14 of 20 games at home. Drake Baldwin, C, Braves, 20% Baldwin has become a full-time player for the Braves, and his role should be even more secure after Marcell Ozuna is traded next week. The catcher is handling a heavy workload by mixing in starts at DH, which has allowed him to accumulate six homers and 26 RBIs since the beginning of June. And with a .284 average that is well-supported by a .285 xBA, Baldwin is one of the few catchers who can be an asset in the batting average category.
Yahoo
3 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Raider DT's Release Shows Holes in NFL ‘Guaranteed' Money Deals
The Las Vegas Raiders released defensive tackle Christian Wilkins on Thursday, calling the decision in the 'best interests of the organization' in a statement. The 2019 first-round draft pick was entering the second year of a four-year, $110 million contract, with $35.2 million in 'guaranteed' money left that the Raiders voided. Shortly after, the NFL Players Association filed a grievance on behalf of Wilkins. This situation is the latest reminder that the headline numbers in NFL contracts are often imaginary, with the league lacking the same level of guarantees in its contracts that exist in the NBA, MLB and NHL. More from WNBA Players Test Power of Social Pressure in Labor Negotiations 'Irretrievably Broken': Divorce Preceded Howell's NFLPA Troubles Sporticast 468: What Is Gotham? Batman's Home, or New York City? Wilkins suffered a Jones fracture in his left foot early in the 2024 season. He had surgery, but a dispute arose this summer on whether the defensive tackle should have another surgery or continue rehabilitation. The Raiders placed Wilkins on the physically unable to perform list last week at the start of training camp, before waiving him Thursday. The NFL CBA includes a notice of contract termination in its appendix. Clubs can check one of five boxes that range from unsatisfactory performance to personal conduct that adversely affects the club. According to ESPN, Wilkins' termination was a result of the first choice in the notice: 'You have failed to establish or maintain your excellent physical condition to the satisfaction of the Club physician.' The CBA has detailed language regarding its Injury Protection Benefit. It states that a player must undergo 'reasonable and customary rehabilitation treatment the club required of him.' The question about guaranteed money in the NFL has been at the forefront of the league over the past month. A January arbitration decision, which was unveiled in late June on the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, found the league's management council 'encouraged' owners in 2022 to reduce contract guarantees after the Browns signed Deshaun Watson, but that owners didn't collude in violation of the collective bargaining agreement. An arbitrator will now determine whether Wilkins is entitled to his $35 million. His grievance falls under 'non-injury' category, which covers fines, suspension and prior-year injuries that invoke the collectively bargained Injury Protection Benefit. The NFLPA's website say it is successful in 'considerably more than half' of the overall grievances filed, which also includes injury cases. Best of Tennis Prize Money Tracker: Which Player Has Earned the Most in 2025? Browns Officially Get Public Money for New Stadium in Ohio Budget WNBA Franchise Valuations Ranking List: From Golden State to Atlanta
