CBS Sports’ Gottlieb: Jenner ‘Courage’ Award a Ratings Ploy

During Monday’s “The Doug Gottlieb Show” on CBS Sports, host Doug Gottlieb reacted to the report that former Olympic gold medalist and now-named “Caitlyn” Jenner is being awarded the 2015 Arthur Ashe Courage Award at this year’s ESPY awards, presented by ESPN.

Jenner, formerly named Bruce, underwent a sex change and is winning the award a year after Canadian Football League’s Michael Sam announced his homosexuality.

Gottlieb believes that Jenner being given this award is nothing but a ratings ploy because the ratings for the ESPYs has dropped while the more deserving person is Lauren Hill, who played college basketball despite being diagnosed with an incurable brain tumor.

“I think it’s more about getting eyes on the ESPYs than I do giving out an award for somebody who has earned it. The ESPYs have moved to ABC. They weren’t rating and they were thinking about canceling the ESPYss. They changed hosts because they were thinking about canceling the ESPYs. They need to bring attention to it. They give an award to somebody that’s gonna bring attention to it. Whereas, in terms of sports, courage. Lauren Hill should have won that award.”

Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent

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