Two very different reactions to Watford’s ESPY award

Indiana’s Christian Watford won the 2012 ESPY for ‘Best Play’ for his buzzer-beater that lifted Indiana past No. 1 Kentucky. Thanks to a fan vote, he beat out 15 other plays and was presented the award Wednesday in Los Angeles.

The reactions of Tom Crean and John Calipari are simply, priceless.

The play:

17 Responses to Two very different reactions to Watford’s ESPY award
  1. Adam Garrison
    July 12, 2012 | 12:23 am

    HAHA!! Love it!! HOOSIER NATION BABY!! Congratulations Christian Watford!!

  2. Craig
    July 12, 2012 | 12:29 am

    Way to capture this moment. This is beautiful.

  3. Jamie Coople
    July 12, 2012 | 12:39 am

    We are all SOOOOOOO proud of Christian and all the boys. what they did this year was so neat!! we have turned the corner, thats for sure.

  4. IU83
    July 12, 2012 | 12:48 am

    Love how IU was highlighted across the Nation. What a special moment, a special day. I watched it all unfold live from sec E row 13.

  5. Scott
    July 12, 2012 | 2:48 am

    NC > Espy
    I’d rather be sad with an NC than happy with an Espy

    I’d love to be nominated for the Best Team category next year though!

  6. The Morning Mix | CollegeBasketballTalk
    July 12, 2012 | 8:00 am

    […] Watford won “Best Play” for well, you know, the best play of the year. Wanna see the reactions of both Tom Crean and John Calipari during the announcement? […]

  7. detour
    July 12, 2012 | 9:05 am

    Suck it Cal

  8. Jane senior
    July 12, 2012 | 10:49 am

    Priceless!

  9. Matt
    July 12, 2012 | 12:57 pm

    Definitely should have been the punt return. He broke so many tackles on his way. Im sure Watford hit some other threes in the game just one happened to be at the end of the game. NOT IMPRESSED!

    • Guest
      July 12, 2012 | 1:33 pm

      Then you’re an idiot.

    • Paulie
      July 12, 2012 | 3:21 pm

      Matt,

      I think you are missing the full meaning of the shot. Watford’s basket was great in it’s own right. Think of the pressure he had to deal with when he got the pass.
      But the real significance goes much further.

      That moment solidified the comeback of one of the most storied sports programs in history. Was Indiana really back after nearly a decade of disappointment? Beating the #1 team in the nation answered the question.

      So it’s legitimate to argue that some “plays” may be better or tougher – none was more significant.

      • Matt
        July 12, 2012 | 10:39 pm

        I just dont think that one shot means that now they are a great program now. Ill give it to them it was a nice win but i dont think it had as much meaning.

        • Rando McGee
          July 12, 2012 | 11:45 pm

          Now you’re just being stubborn now. But seriously, only time will tell. As a Hoosier fan I believe we’re back and in for a great year but as a realist I know that we won some games we shouldn’t have this past season and we also lost some games we shouldn’t have. Luckily we have Coach Crean to thank for the clear turnaround of our program. Even if you think we’re not a national championship contender we have made a serious step in that direction, especially with this year’s recruiting class and the fact that we’re keeping many of our top athletes from last season. And as for the argument that the play itself wasn’t great, imagine yourself in a stadium like assembly hall with debatably the nation’s loudest and most critical fans screaming at the top of their lungs while you’re neck and neck with the uncontested number one team in the nation and you have seconds to shoot a basket. It’s called pressure and you can’t just say it’s another shot. For that matter, it was just another punt return.

          • Matt
            July 13, 2012 | 8:50 am

            How often is a punt actually returned for a touchdown?

    • Brittany
      July 13, 2012 | 8:33 pm

      I agree with Matt. I believe that Watford’s shot was a great “Moment”, not an unforgettable “Play”. Game winning shots like that happen every year. You don’t get a punt return like that every year. Go Hogs!

  10. Robert Sales
    July 15, 2012 | 9:40 am

    Matt, you have missed the point of the ESPY award. Although we all appreciate your opinion, the voters made the right decision and the books are closed on this one.

  11. Robert Sales
    July 15, 2012 | 9:48 am

    Brittany, you too have missed the point of the ESPY award. Not sure if you are aware, to be a team that was 6-25 to beating a number 1 team in less than 2 years later is incredible. You may call it a moment, but it was a play that won the game against a team that put 5 players in the NBA draft.

    Also, I have been to plenty of football games where a punt has been returned for a touchdown. How many unranked (at the time) basketball teams knock off a number 1 at the last second? Not many.

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