The biggest names in sports trekked to Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the 33rd ESPY Awards, the “Academy Awards” of sports.

Athletes with Colorado connections struck out.

Comedian and host Shane Gillis made jokes about the New York Knicks, the Jeffrey Epstein files and a couple on ex-Colorado football stars.

“Shedeur Sanders had his jersey number retired at Colorado this year. People are saying it’s because of nepotism because of his father, and it’s not,” Gillis said. “It’s because he went 13-12 over his career and he almost won the Alamo Bowl.”

The second joke was about Travis Hunter, one in which Gillis tried to emulate the late Norm McDonald when he hosted the ESPYs in 1998.

“Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy this year. He’s the first defensive player since Charles Woodson to win the Heisman. Congratulations, Travis Hunter,” Gillis said. “Winning the Heisman, that’s something they can never take away from you, unless you kill your wife and a waiter, in which case they can take that away from you.”

The awards ceremony pressed on and the winners of each category were revealed.

Here’s how the seven Colorado athletes faired at the 2025 ESPY Awards:

Colorado-connected athletes had a 75% chance to win the ESPY for Best Comeback Athlete: Gabriel Landeskog, Lindsey Vonn and Mallory Swanson.

Gabriel Landeskog (Avalanche): Landeskog’s knee was injured in a playoff game against the Dallas Stars during the 2020 NHL ‘bubble’ Stanley Cup playoffs. The Avalanche captain played through pain up until his last game on June 26, 2022, when he and the Avalanche beat Tampa Bay to win the Stanley Cup.

On April 23, Landeskog returned to the ice at Ball Area for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Ovations from the crowd, and chants of “Landy, Landy, Landy” resonated upon his return. There were signs all over the arena, including one held up by his kids that read, “So proud of you Daddy!” The team also played a video tribute, with Landeskog tapping his heart in appreciation.

Mallory Swanson (Littleton): Swanson’s rise to fame in professional women’s soccer started at an early age.

She debuted for the USWNT at the age of 17 in 2016, later becoming the youngest American to play and score in the Summer Olympics.

Swanson was a member of the USWNT squad that won the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

However, a knee injury sidelined Swanson in April 2023, before the start of the 2023 Women’s World Cup. She made a strong recovery, however, returning to play forward for the Chicago Red Stars on March 16, 2024, and for the USWNT in April 6, 2024.

Lindsey Vonn: The former Vail resident retired from alpine ski racing after the 2019 FIS Alpine World Cup season. She finished third in her final race — the women’s downhill at the World Championships in Sweden.

Vonn suffered multiple injuries, mainly to her knees, over the course of her ski racing career.

After five years of retirement and a successful partial knee replacement, Vonn came out of retirement ahead of the 2024-25 World Cup season, making her comeback debut at Copper Mountain on Dec. 7.

She was back on the World Cup circuit on Dec. 21 in St. Moritz, finalizing her return to the highest level of women’s ski racing.

However, as luck would have at, gymnast Suni Lee won the Best Comeback Athlete award.

Suni Lee: Lee was diagnosed with two kidney diseases in 2023. She was having issues on the uneven bars, once her best event, due to swelling in her hands causing her to lose her grip on the bars.

The symptoms also included, headaches, hot flashes, cold spells and cramping, all of which had mental impacts on Lee.

Lee began a medication regiment that included infusions, causing her to have to retire from college gymnastics. However, after a five-month training break, Lee returned to gymnastics training on a modified schedule, and by January 2024, she was back to training full time.

At the U.S. Olympic Trials in June 2024, Lee officially qualified for the Paris Games.

When interviewed following the announcement, Lee said: “A year ago, I didn’t even think this was possible.”

Lee went on to win three medals at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris: gold in the team all-around and two bronze.

At Wednesday’s ceremony, Lee said, “Winning this award means so much more that I can say and to my fellow nominees you inspire me and I am so honored to stand here with you. When I was diagnosed with two rare kidney diseases, I was told I would never compete again, but I refused to believe that. There were days when I felt scared, defeated and alone, but I always found strength around me.”

As for the other four athletes representing Colorado… well, they were skunked, too.

Best NBA Player: Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander beat out Nuggets center Nikola Jokić

Best NHL Player: Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl beat out Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar

Best NFL Player: Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley beat out Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II

Best College Athlete – Men’s Sports: Duke basketball’s Cooper Flagg beat out Hunter, the former Buffaloes star

Here are the other award winners from Wednesday’s ceremony:

Best Championship Performance: Simone Biles, 2024 Summer Olympics gymnastics all-around

Best Play: Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley’s backwards hurdle, Nov. 3, 2024, against the Jacksonville Jaguars

Best Athlete – Men’s Sports: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Best Athlete – Women’s Sports: Simone Biles, USA Gymnastics

Best Record-Breaking Performance: Alexander Ovechkin, NHL all-time goals leader

Best Team: Philadelphia Eagles – NFL

Best Breakthrough Athlete: Ilona Maher, Rugby‬

Best College Athlete – Women’s Sports: JuJu Watkins – USC Basketball‬

Best WNBA Player: Caitlin Clark, Basketball, Indiana Fever

Best MLB Player: Shohei Ohtani – Los Angeles Dodgers

Icon Award: Diana Taurasi and Alex Morgan

Best Athlete with a Disability: Noah Elliot, Snowboarder, U.S. Para Ski & Snowboard

Best Driver: Max Verstappen, F1

Best UFC Fighter: Merab Dvalishvili

Best Boxer: Katie Taylor

Best Soccer Player: Christian Pulisic, AC Milan, USMNT

Best Golfer: Scottie Scheffler

Best Tennis Player: Coco Gauff

Jimmy V Award for Perseverance: Katie Schumacher-Cawley

Capital One Cup – Men’s: Ohio State University (OSU) Men

Capital One Cup – Women’s: University of North Carolina (UNC) Women

Pat Tillman Award for Service: Los Angeles County firefighters David Walters and Erin Regan

Arthur Ashe Award for Courage: Oscar Robertson

Gatorade Players of the Year: Jane Hedengren and Cameron Boozer

Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award: Sloane Stephens

Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year winner: Indianapolis Colts

Sports Philanthropist of the Year Award honoree: Michele Kang

Corporate Community Impact Award winner: Buffalo Wild Wings

Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award honoree: Billy Bean, former Major League Baseball player and executive

Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award honorees: Maegha Ramanathan, Rishin Tandon, Ian Waite

The Associated Press contributed to this report.