The #ESPYS play out on Twitter

Tonight, the worlds of sports and entertainment came together at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles for the 2014 ESPYS, which honor a year’s worth of individual and team athletic achievements. As the star athletes and performers gathered to celebrate, the rest of the world conversed about it on Twitter, sending 1.1 million Tweets during the live broadcast on @ESPN.

Twitter buzzed throughout the entire show, and ESPYS host @Drake’s performance ignited a flurry of Tweets:

Throughout the evening fans took time to appreciate the latest and greatest talent in the sports industry, such as the @ussoccer team, the @Seahawks, @RondaRousey and @KDTrey5, who were among many notable winners. But it wasn’t all about the party; people also reflected on those in sports who have battled through adversity. When ESPN broadcaster Stuart Scott (@StuartScott) was recognized with the Jimmy V Perseverance Award, people on Twitter reacted:

The Arthur Ashe Courage Award went to St. Louis Rams defensive end Michael Sam (@MichaelSamNFL) for his courage in coming out as gay before the NFL draft. People showed their support for him on Twitter:

This year’s show theme, #DontEverGiveUp, was coined by the legendary Jim Valvano, who took the stage during the very first ESPYS awards 21 years ago and inspired the crowd with this message. Not only was “don’t ever give up” referenced throughout the night on stage, but also on Twitter:

And here are some other noteworthy Tweets, including reaction to paralympic gold medalist Josh Sweeney winning the Pat Tillman Award:

Until next time!