This is a summary of the discussion among MLB legends regarding the repeated inappropriate treatment of Shohei Ohtani at the ESPY Awards Ceremony hosted by the American sports media giant ESPN. YouTube’s video description section (summary section) is designed to be easy for viewers to view, and is optimized for search engines (SEO measures), with a length of approximately 2,000 characters.[Video summary]Lack of respect for Shohei Otani? ESPN flooded with criticism from all over the US! Legends are furious over Tyson’s gaffe and past “tampering with the Ippei incident” In this video, we will thoroughly explain the handling of Shohei Ohtani at the ESPY Awards ceremony, which is currently causing a big debate in the American sports world, and the fierce criticism of the major sports media “ESPN”, based on sharp analysis and comments from MLB legends David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez, former great general Joe Maddon, and others. Why does this kind of problem keep coming up at the awards ceremony for Otani’s historic performance? The legends have a real talk about their responsibilities as media and the importance of respect in the sports world.[Table of Contents/Timestamp]00:00 Today’s theme: Issues surrounding ESPN and Shohei Ohtani that are under fire in the United States 01:30[Topic 1]Mike Tyson’s gaffe and organizer ESPN’s responsibility for selecting personnel 06:15[Topic 2]The past of offensive jokes and biased coverage of the “Ippei Mizuhara Incident” at last year’s ESPY Awards 11:45[Topic 3]ESPN’s constitution of not respecting Shohei Ohtani while gaining ratings 16:20 Summary: Future relationship between MLB and ESPN and the future of sports media[Detailed summary of discussion content]■ Topic 1: Tyson’s gaffe and ESPN’s casting problem At the 2026 ESPY Awards Ceremony, Shohei Otani received the “Best Single Game Performance Award” for his historic performance in Game 4 of last year’s league championship series. However, right after the boxing legend Mike Tyson, who served as the presenter, read Otani’s name out loud, he said into a microphone, “Is Otani a man?” This was broadcast live across the United States. David Ortiz’s opinion: I’m not blaming Tyson personally, as he’s not in the baseball world. The problem lies in ESPN’s lack of preparation and respect for the presenter, who did not adequately inform the award recipient in advance of the award for Otani, who is one of MLB’s greatest stars and someone who changed history. The organizers bear a heavy responsibility for choosing winners based solely on their topicality and putting respect for the award recipients second. Joe Maddon’s take: ESPN has long had a tendency to prioritize ratings and numbers and treat players as mere “content.” It is an insult to the sport of baseball itself to make such a mistake in selection at a sacred venue that celebrates the historic game in which Otani single-handedly led the team to victory. Pedro Martinez’s opinion: Even compared to Jake Paul, who professionally conveyed Otani’s message at the venue, the presenter selected by ESPN was extremely inadequate, and the management system as a major sports media company is shameful. ■ Topic 2: The repercussions of the “Ippei incident tampering” at last year’s ESPY Awards This is not the first time that Otani has been treated unfairly at an ESPN award ceremony. At the award ceremony last year (2025), the comedian who served as the host caused controversy by making a series of malicious jokes that made fun of the “Ippei Mizuhara Incident,” in which Otani was defrauded of a huge sum of money by someone he trusted. Mr. Ortiz’s anger: Even though Otani was the victim of a serious crime, it is inexcusable that he tried to make fun of the tragic incident by making it into a live broadcast. Furthermore, ESPN was the one that ran a report that gave the impression that Otani himself was involved in the money transfer without providing sufficient evidence when the incident was first discovered. Otani had every right to unfollow ESPN and refuse to interview him in response to the company’s response to making the story a joke again at his company’s event without an official apology. Maddon points out: The comedian’s offensive jokes were directed at other players and were heavily criticized by the media at the time, but ESPN remained silent. The fundamental nature of the organization is reflected in the fact that even when a problem occurs, the organization does not reflect or apologize and repeats the blunder in a different form the following year. ■ Topic 3: The economic effects of Otani and the loss of media exclusivity ESPN’s MLB coverage, especially for Dodgers games in which Otani joined, has been recording high viewer ratings and generating a large amount of advertising revenue. Mr. Pedro’s argument: It is unacceptable to take the full advantage of the high level of interest and economic impact that Otani brings, yet show no respect for him. The arrogance of the media is clearly visible, and I fully support Otani’s refusal to be interviewed. Ortiz’s recommendation: Currently, the partners that hold MLB’s broadcast rights are diverse, including FOX, TBS, NBC, and even Apple and Netflix. The era when only ESPN was special is over, and the time has come for MLB to fundamentally reconsider its relationship with the media that does not respect players.[Question for everyone]What do you all think about the events at this year’s ESPY Awards and ESPN’s past coverage and response to Shohei Otani? Please let us know your opinions in the comments section about the kind of respect that sports media should have for athletes. If you like the video, please give it a high rating and subscribe to the channel. ■About the production policy for this video (Important) The videos on this channel are original content that focuses on audio commentary, structure, and discussion. The videos, images, and audio materials used are structured with consideration to YouTube’s guidelines and the scope of quotation, and are based on the premise of short-term use, processing, editing, and contextual necessity. 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