Athletes Play On The ESPY Red Carpet

(From The USA Today -- By William Keck)

Five months after the boxing movie MILLION DOLLAR BABY knocked out its competition at THE ACADEMY AWARDS, THE KODAK THEATRE rolled out its red carpet to honor sports' greatest sluggers, slam-dunkers and swingers. Wednesday night's 13TH ANNUAL ESPY AWARDS (airing Sunday at 9 pm on ESPN) gave athletes the chance to ditch their sweats for designer duds. (But MILLION DOLLAR BABY lost out to FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS as best sports movie.)

RUSSIAN WIMBLEDON CHAMPION MARIA SHARAPOVA, voted BEST WOMEN'S TENNIS PLAYER, looked part movie star/part CLEOPATRA in a low-cut, open-back pantsuit accessorized with a gold serpent armlet wrapped around her bicep. "I've never worn anything like this before," she said. "I don't know what vibe I'm going for today. I'm classy, yet sexy."

JENNIE FINCH had to share the award for BEST FEMALE OLYMPIC PERFORMANCE with her fellow TEAM USA SOFTBALL PLAYERS. But her sexy purple JENNY PACKHAM GOWN won her individual recognition. "Being an athlete, you don't often get to do your makeup and hair, go dress shopping and walk a red carpet," she said. "Usually it's just tennis shoes and gym clothes."

Married presenters JESSICA SIMPSON and NICK LACHEY sprinted hand-in-hand down the carpet, allowing the athletes to take the spotlight. Later on stage, after Simpson didn't quite nail her joke, Lachey patted his wife's shoulder. As a clip package played, the couple shared a private laugh on the darkened stage. They returned to their seats to watch the show for an hour before making an early exit.

MATTHEW PERRY hosted the show, and in his monologue, he skewered fallen boxing star MIKE TYSON. He advised attendees, "Please don't forget to tip (Tyson) as you exit the restroom." The jab registered mostly laughs and applause.

NICOLLETTE SHERIDAN, back in town from her EUROPEAN TRAVELS to begin work this week on DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES' sophomore season, enjoyed an onstage reunion with PHILADELPHIA EAGELS star TERRELL OWENS. The two made fun of their controversial November 2004 MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL skit that found Sheridan, clad in just a towel, putting the moves on Owens. "So this is what you look like with your clothes on," Owens cracked to Sheridan, who now sports a shorter 'do.

Sheridan's Housewives co-star JAMES DENTON had just returned from DETROIT, where he took part in Sunday's celebrity softball face-off for THE ALL-STAR GAME. His AMERICAN LEAGUE lost to BILLY BOB THORNTON's NATIONAL LEAGUE, but Denton said he felt like "a kid at CHRISTMAS. I was the only guy to hit two homers."

Denton was due back on WISTERIA LANE Thursday to shoot a season-premiere scene with TERI HATCHER and CODY KASCH that begins with "the gun going off."

The ESPYs closed with DESTINY'S CHILD introducing a fourth member, just for the night -- Tennis champ SERENA WILLIAMS was grinding right alongside BEYONCE KNOWLES, KELLY ROWLAND, and MICHELLE WILLIAMS.

But the most emotional moment of the night, according to presenter and GREY's ANATOMY star PATRICK DEMPSEY, was when OPRAH WINFREY bestowed THE ARTHUR ASHE COURAGE AWARD to two champs who refuse to allow physical handicaps to block their dreams -- Bicyclists JIM MACLAREN, now a quadriplegic, and EMMANUEL OFOSU YEBOAH, born in GHANA, WEST AFRICIA, with one malformed right leg, are using their voices to empower other disabled athletes.

After the show, Yeboah shared a private moment with Winfrey, whose voice will be heard narrating Yeboah's life story in the upcoming documentary EMMANUEL'S GIFT.

"Oprah said she's very proud of me," Yeboah beamed. "She wanted me to say hi to all of GHANA's PEOPLE who watch her show at 12 am."