July 12, (THEWILL) – At the recently held 2021 ESPY Awards, an annual ceremony organised to recognise individual and team athletic achievements and other sports-related performances, American actor Anthony Mackie mounted a humorous but honest defense of American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson and Naomi Osaka, the Japanese tennis player.
THEWILL recalls that the 21-year-old track and field sprinter was suspended from the Olympics for failing a drug test, while the 23-year-old four-time Grand Slam singles champion is currently out on a self-imposed break after falling out with the Grand Slams over a media boycott.
Mackie dedicated a portion of his opening speech, at the occasion, to the defense of both, starting off with Richardson’s predicament, whose positive test for a psychoactive component in cannabis, THC, at the US Olympic Team Trials led to her suspension from competing at the Tokyo Olympics, though she was the fastest woman at the trials.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe actor said, in humour: “The greatest celebration of sports is back! We up here on a rooftop in New York City! Man, we’re so high they wouldn’t let us compete in the Olympics.
“USA Track & Field: How you mess it up, dog? How do you justify banning Sha’Carri Richardson for smoking weed? Weed is a de-hancing drug — it doesn’t make you do anything but want to watch another episode of ‘Bob’s Burgers.’ You never saw Snoop Dogg run anywhere! I don’t know how you justify not letting her run.”
Turning to the case of Osaka, Mackie started off his defense of the Japanese, who took home the ESPYs gong for Best Athlete in Women’s Sports with the remark: “I don’t know how you punish Naomi Osaka for prioritizing her mental health.”
And continued with an exoneration that included himself at the end: “That’s crazy. I’m no tennis exec, I don’t know, but if my sport had one of the most popular and marketable athletes on the planet, you know what I would do? I would probably make sure she felt comfortable and respected.
“But hey, what do I know, right? I’m just Captain America.”
As THEWILL reported, Osaka, who have won titles at the US and Australian Open majors, was fined $15,000 for refusing to attend a press conference at the French on mental health grounds. She ultimately forfeited the competition following threats from the four Grand Slams that she was liable to be defaulted if she continued to avoid the press conferences.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
