*By Max Godnick*
Nearly 150 survivors of Dr. Larry Nassar's sexual abuse accepted the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at the ESPYS on Wednesday night. The women, who call themselves "sister survivors," directly addressed their encounters with the former USA Gymnastics team doctor, who was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison in February.
"To all the survivors out there, don't let anyone rewrite your story," said Aly Raisman, the three-time Olympic gold medalist who was abused by Nassar. "We may suffer alone, but we survive together."
This group of womenー141 in totalーare the latest to inspire the ESPYS' audience. Traditionally, The Ashe Award honors risk-takers and survivors of traumas, which have ranged from illness to social prejudice. Previous winners include Caitlyn Jenner in 2015, Michael Samーthe NFL's first openly gay playerーin 2014, and news anchor and breast cancer survivor Robin Roberts in 2013.
"It was probably one of the biggest ESPY moments that we've ever seen," said Josh Hill, senior editor at FanSided, in an interview with Cheddar on Thursday.
The acceptance speech comes amid criticism that networks and athletes should "stick to sports" and not comment on polarizing social or political issues. In February, Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham told LeBron James to ["shut up and dribble"](https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/19/587097707/laura-ingraham-told-lebron-james-to-shutup-and-dribble-he-went-to-the-hoop) after he criticized President Trump during an interview on ESPN.
The survivors' moment onstage was the most buzz-worthy part of an evening that mostly features awards such as "Best Team" and "Best Championship Performance." Hill said that those prizes, unlike the Arthur Ashe, fail to generate conversation because generally speaking, the ESPYS are "an award show that awards people for already winning awards."
"It's something that I think needed to happen," Hill said. "ESPN and sports in general can't just keep going on pretending like these things aren't issues."
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/nassar-survivors-define-courage-at-the-espys)
The fantasy sports platform is already building out a product that would allow sports betting, pending a decision from the Supreme Court, says DraftKings CEO Jason Robins.
Rex Tillerson is out as Secretary of State and CIA director Mike Pompeo is in. President Trump issued an executive order blocking Broadcom's hostile takeover bid for rival chipmaker Qualcomm. Olympic gold medalist and author Scott Hamilton joins us to talk about his figure skating career and his new book. Plus, Kristen Scholer sits down with Brooklyn Decker and Whitney Casey at SXSW to talk about their start-up Finery.
There is big money in college hoops. Jordan Schultz, Sports Analyst at Yahoo Sports, was with us to discuss the business of the NCAA.
Handstand is a fitness app that is making it easier than ever to work out with a personal trainer. And the female-founded app is also trying to change the way women and men view fitness.
Vanity Fair's Hive + Between Bells. We’re joined by the crew at Vanity Fair's Hive to discuss Kushner, Cook, and Cohn. Between Bells celebrates International Women's Day with Cosmopolitan. Madame Noire, and more.
You don't hear sports and mental health mentioned together often, but that's changing, thanks to a new essay from NBA All-Star Kevin Love. Chat Sports' James Yoder joins Cheddar to discuss how the revelations might change the way we talk about sports.
Athleisure is a competitive industry dominated by giants such as Nike, Lululemon, and Under Armour, but Rhone is betting that it can keep up. Nate Checketts, CEO & Co-Founder of Rhone, a line of men's activewear, was with us to share the company's plan to be a winner in the space.
Pizza Hut is resurrecting its Pie Tops sneakers to celebrate March Madness. Chief Marketing Officer Zipporah Allen joins Cheddar to discuss the kicks' new-and-improved features.
For years, online gaming has been a boys' club. Now women like Emmalee Garrido and Carolyn Noquez are trying to change that.
Emmalee Garrido and Carolyn Noquez have had to work hard to achieve their status as professional gamers, juggling full-time jobs and staying physically healthy for competition.
