Dan Le Batard questioned how willing Shane Gillis will be to make fun of athletes during the ESPYS. Screen grab: ‘The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz’

The announcement that Shane Gillis is hosting the 2025 ESPYS was met with an unusual amount of excitement not typically associated ESPN’s mid-summer awards show.

But when it comes to the prospect of the Tires star roasting a room full of athletes, Dan Le Batard isn’t holding his breath.

On Monday’s episode of The Dan Le Batard with Stugotz, the ex-ESPN star discussed Gillis’ upcoming hosting gig, which will take place on Wednesday, July 16. And while Le Batard conceded that the Pennsylvania native’s star power might make him a bigger draw than some of the award show’s recent hosts, he also questioned whether he’ll be willing to make fun of the athletes in attendance.

“I know that the ESPYS and award shows and televised appointment viewing is sort of a thing of the past. But it is the biggest thing going right now in comedy,” Le Batard said of Gillis. “I would assume that people [are] wondering if Shane Gillis will ‘Norm Macdonald it,’ whether he’ll do anything to make it maximum awkward. He’s such a big sports fan that I doubt he’ll be anything other than respectful. He’s not gonna – I doubt he’ll go into Norm Macdonald.”

Macdonald famously hosted the ESPYs in 1998 in what marked one of the most memorable – and at times, uncomfortable – hosting performances in awards show history. In the years since, ESPN has traditionally relied on celebrities and athletes to host the show, with none of the occasional comedians used being anywhere nearly as edgy as Macdonald was.

Gillis, however, marks a change in that approach, as his style of comedy isn’t what you’d typically expect for an awards show that will air on Disney airwaves. And as Le Batard Show producer Billy Gil was quick to point out, the Beautiful Dogs star’s sports fandom hasn’t prevented him from mocking those in the industry, including a memorable back-and-forth with Nick Saban during an episode of College GameDay last year.

While Shane Gillis is obviously a big sports fan who is friendly with plenty o athletes – some of whom will undoubtedly be in the room next Wednesday – a significant portion of his appeal stems from his eagerness to roast his friends. And considering the expectations set by him being one of the first true comedians since Macdonald to host the ESPYS, it’s hard to imagine the Matt & Shane’s Secret Podcast co-host shying away from such jokes in order to ingratiate himself with athletes he views as friends.

About Ben Axelrod

Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.