Top Ten ESPY Auction Items
By Kevin Gamgort
With the 2019 Espy Awards around the corner, the ESPYS Auction items have officially been released on eBay. The auction items include a variety of once-in-a-lifetime experiences with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the V Foundation for Cancer Research. With the auction now live, 95 unique auction items are up for grabs. If you have the interest and a deep-pocket, let the bidding wars begin.
Let’s take a look at the ten best ESPY auction items available now on eBay.
10. Announce an NFL Draft Pick
Over the past few years, the NFL Draft has emerged as one of the premier offseason spectacles in all professional sports. If you’re an avid NFL fan, this is a one-and-a-lifetime experience to attend the 2020 NFL Draft in Las Vegas, Nevada and announce a selection in the draft.
The best part of it all, thanks to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, you may even get the lucky enough to be booed by thousands of fans as you walk on the stage. The package also includes a chance to meet ESPN’s NFL Draft broadcast team and get a behind-the-scenes tour of their broadcast production set for the draft. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s being held in Las Vegas.
9. Appear in a “This is SportsCenter” Commercial
If you’ve ever wanted to appear in a commercial, here’s your chance. ESPN’s popular “This is SportsCenter” commercials have finally given a fan the chance to visit the set and appear in one of their upcoming commercials. In this auction, the fan will visit either ESPN Studios in Bristol, Connecticut or Los Angeles, California and spend the day on the set of a commercial shoot.
Although the athletes in the commercial have not been released, the winner will work alongside them and other ESPN talent to produce the commercial. The auction item also comes with a guaranteed photograph with ESPN talent and athletes involved in the commercial, as well as a personalized tour of the studio and $100 gift card to the ESPN store.
You never know, this could be the perfect time to launch the acting career you’ve always dreamed of.
8. Golf with Andy North at Whistling Straits
If you are a true golf fan, this is a unique and intriguing option. With a starting bid of $10,000 dollars, one lucky fan will shell out an enormous amount of money to play one of the famous and most difficult courses on the planet with a two-time U.S. Open champion.
Whistling Straits is the host of the 2020 Ryder Cup and has hosted a variety of other famous tournaments, including 2004, 2010 and 2015 PGA Championships. This event provides a fan with the chance to shank balls alongside a former professional in Andy North. Whether you are hoping to learn some tips or hear about life on the PGA Tour, this is a memory that will last a lifetime. Even though you’ll want to throw your scorecard out at the end of the match.
7. The First Take Experience
If you are an avid fan of ESPN’s First Take! and personality Stephen A. Smith, this is the perfect opportunity for you. This auction item lets a fan sit in pre-show production, watch an episode of First Take! live and get a tour of the facility. In addition, you will have a chance to sit at the desk and debate approved sports topics with Stephen A. and Max Kellerman themselves. Whether you love them or hate them, this is your chance to go back-and-forth with two of the most polarizing figures in sports media.
The package also includes a picture with Stephen A, Kellerman and co-host Molly Qerim on the set of the show. Get your argument ready, because Stephen A. and Kellerman will be firing back with fury. If you’re a Knicks fan, drop the dough so Stephen A. has a friend in this trying time.
6. Dine with Michael Strahan
A Super Bowl Champion, seven-time NFL Pro Bowler and two-time Daytime Emmy Winner, Michael Strahan is one of the biggest celebrities in the entire Country. This auction item provides an hour-long lunch with Strahan in New York, City along with a pair of VIP tickets to Good Morning America on the same day.
Whether you’re an avid New York Giants fan or enjoy Strahan’s work on television, it would be quite an encounter to chat with one of the most charismatic and recognizable celebrities today.
5. Duke Experience with Coach K
This auction item provides a fan with the chance to be around one of the greatest coaches in sports history for an entire day. A five-time NCAA Championship winning coach, Mike Krzyzewski is already a member of the Naismith Hall of Fame. Entering his 40th year at the helm at Duke, this auction item provides a fan with four tickets to a Duke Men’s Basketball Game at Cameron Indoor Stadium and the chance to have a meet and greet with Coach K.
The fan will also receive a tour around the Duke Basketball facility and leave with an autographed copy of Coach K’s book “Leading with the Heart.” It’s not often that a fan has the chance to converse with one of the greatest coaches in sports history, making this auction item one of the most coveted on the market. Unless you’re a UNC fan, of course. In which case you can be be the first person to drop this kind of money only to stand up Coach K.
4. Party with J-Lo
In honor of Jennifer Lopez’s 50th birthday, two lucky fans will attend her concert and celebrate her birthday in Miami. This auction item will provide two fans tickets to J Lo’s “It’s My Party” concert and a meet and greet with J-Lo herself.
Since the concert is honoring one of the most famous pop singers of all-time’s birthday, don’t be surprised if a plethora of other celebrities are in attendance. Fans are only guaranteed a meet-and-greet with J-Lo herself, but this could also lead to an encounter with her fiancee, Alex Rodriguez, who will likely also be in attendance. Sign me up.
3. Spent a Night in Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom
Have you ever wanted to know what it feels like to be royal? Well, here’s your chance. With the current bid at $26,100, a night at Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom is arguably the most coveted item on the market. With only a limited number of people ever staying in the Castle Suite, and the majority being celebrities, this is a must for avid Disney Parks fans. It’s a Disney vacation in one full package that also includes a night in the signature Cinderella Castle.
Once the thousands of guests flush out of the park at closing, the winner will be able to look upon an empty Magic Kingdom park, something that only a limited number of people have ever encountered. Although the price is quite steep, if you are an avid Disney fan and have the pocket (or can convince yourself you do), this is a can’t-miss experience.
2. Mark Cuban Lunch and Pitch
Not often can a person dine with a billionaire. With this auction item, not only does it provide lunch with billionaire Mark Cuban, but also the opportunity to pitch a business idea. The owner of the Dallas Mavericks and cast member of the popular Shark Tank, Cuban has provided many entrepreneurs with assistance in helping to launch there product.
If Cuban likes your idea, there’s a chance that he invests and helps make you millions of dollars. If not, Cuban could help provide insight and advice on where the product could improve upon. Among all the items on the ESPY auction list, this one provides the biggest odds to gain something valuable out of the experience.
And for those reasons, I’m in.
1. 10-Day National Geographic Expedition to Galapagos
One of the most captivating and beautiful destinations on the entire planet, the Galapagos Islands is a volcanic archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. It is home to some of the most unique terrain and a variety of animals that are only native to the islands. This auction item lets the winner travel with National Geographic to the Galapagos Island on a 10-day cruise for two. The cruise includes a variety of experts who will provide their insight into the wildlife, landscape and culture of the islands.
If you are a fan of nature and sightseeing, this truly is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Oh, and with National Geographic on board the entire time, you’re guaranteed to get some remarkable pictures in one of the most beautiful places.