Jimmy Valvano

On March 4th, 1993, Jimmy Valvano delivered an impassioned speech at the first ever ESPY awards, an award ceremony featuring many of the greatest athletes and sports figures on the planet. Jimmy Valvano was a legendary college basketball coach who had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer nine months prior to the ESPYs and was given a prognosis of roughly one year to live. In his limited time left, Valvano knew he had to make a lasting impact. He did this during his speech at the ESPY awards when he attempted to inspire his audience of celebrities, athletes, and the public to lead an inspired life and, most importantly, contribute to cancer research. In his speech at the ESPYs, Valvano first acknowledges the many things he has learned throughout life, before advising people to maintain a positive attitude, and finally urging his audience to contribute to curing cancer.

First, Valvano acknowledges the life experiences, views, and perspectives that have shaped who he is in order to build his ethos. He begins building his ethos when he says, ‘I can’t tell you what an honor it is to even be mentioned in the same breath with Arthur Ashe.’ In acknowledging Arthur Ashe, a famed social activist and the man who Valvano’s award was named after, Valvano aims to express his humility and gratitude to even be mentioned in the same name as such a courageous figure. By doing this, Jimmy V hopes that the audience will perceive him in a more positive manner, and as a result pay close attention to his words and message. Valvano continues, using enumeration, when he writes, ‘To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. Number three is you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy’. In listing these seemingly simple actions that people should do everyday, Valvano emphasizes his new found appreciation for life as a result of his vulnerability. This allows Valvano’s audience to sympathize with him so that later on they will feel more motivated to contribute to his cause.

Valvano then goes on to urge his audience to live their life to the best of their ability so that they can understand the true joy associated with life. He first does this through an anecdote in which he recounts one of his first coaching experiences at Rutgers. He comically recounts a tale in which he tried to emulate legendary football coach Vince Lombardi but instead failed epically. This anecdote helps to establish the upbeat outlook Valvano has on life. As a result, Valvano hopes that his audience will recognize that if a man who is about to die of cancer is able to maintain an upbeat tone, they should too. He continues in this section by using pathos when he states,’ I just got one last thing; I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have. To spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get your emotions going. To be enthusiastic every day, and Ralph Waldo Emerson said, ‘Nothing great could be accomplished without enthusiasm,’ to keep your dreams alive in spite of problems whatever you have. The ability to be able to work hard for your dreams to come true, to become a reality.’ This appeal to emotion inspires the audience to take advantage of their life and make it full of happiness. By doing this, Valvano attempts to leave the audience with a sense of hope so that they can work together to better themselves and also improve cancer treatment.

Finally, Valvano portrays cancer as a universal enemy in order push his audience to contribute to the recently founded Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research. He first does this using logos when he writes, ‘Arthur Ashe Foundation is a wonderful thing, and AIDS, the amount of money pouring in for AIDS is not enough, but it is significant. But if I told you it’s ten times the amount that goes in to cancer research. I also told you that 500,000 people will die this year of cancer. And I also tell you that one in every four will be afflicted with this disease. And yet somehow, we seem to have put it in a little bit of the background. I want to bring it back on the front table.’ This logos highlights the fact that the research for cancer is severely underfunded, especially for a disease that affects so many people. By doing this, Valvano hopes to force his audience to understand that cancer research has been severely overshadowed so that people will make a change to this.

Valvano employs an appeal to fear in concluding his speech when he writes, ‘It may not save my life. It may save my children’s lives. It may save someone you love.’ Through this appeal to fear, Valvano is able to point out that cancer can affect the audience’s loved ones. By doing this, Valvano hopes to make his audience feel as if the only way they can protect themself from cancer is by donating to cancer research. This is especially important, because his audience is comprised of many famous athletes and celebrities who have the platform and economic means to promote his foundation even when he is dead.

Jimmy Valvano was a man revered for his passion and hope. Both of these traits were present in his speech at the 1993 ESPY awards, in which he simultaneously attempted to leave his audience of athletes, celebrities, and regular people with hope and a drive to contribute to cancer research. In his speech at the ESPYs, Valvano first appreciates the many things he has learned throughout life, before advocating that people maintain a positive attitude, and finally urging his audience to contribute to curing cancer.