The Best Game ESPY Award has been conferred annually since 2002

2002 in sports

2002 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Stephan Eberharter, Austria** Women's overall season champion: Michaela Dorfmeister, Austria-American football:...

 on the single regular season or playoff

Playoff

The playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S...

 game contested professional

Professional sports

Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...

ly under the auspices of one of the four major North American leagues or collegiately under the auspices of the National Collegiate Athletic Association

National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

 adjudged, in view of its quality, competitiveness, excitement, and significance, to be the best.

Between 2002 and 2004

2004 in sports

2004 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* College football Bowl Championship Series :**January 1 – Rose Bowl – USC 28, Michigan 14...

, the award voting panel comprised variously fans; sportswriter

Sports journalism

Sports journalism is a form of journalism that reports on sports topics and events.While the sports department within some newspapers has been mockingly called the toy department, because sports journalists do not concern themselves with the 'serious' topics covered by the news desk, sports...

s and broadcasters

Presenter

A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...

, sports executives, and retired sportspersons, termed collectively experts; and ESPN personalities, but balloting thereafter has been exclusively by fans over the Internet

Internet

The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...

 from amongst choices selected by the ESPN Select Nominating Committee. The ESPY Awards ceremony is conducted in June and awards conferred reflect performance and achievement over the twelve months previous to presentation.

List of winners

Year

Game or event	Date contested	League Sports league League is a term commonly used to describe a group of sports teams or individual athletes that compete against each other in a specific sport. At its simplest, it may be a local group of amateur athletes who form teams among themselves and compete on weekends; at its most complex, it can be an...  or governing body	Sport	Winning team	Losing team	Final score
2002 2002 in sports 2002 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Stephan Eberharter, Austria** Women's overall season champion: Michaela Dorfmeister, Austria-American football:...	2001 World Series, game seven	November 4, 2001	Major League Baseball Major League Baseball Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...	Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...	Arizona Diamondbacks Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...	New York Yankees New York Yankees The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...	3-2
2003 2003 in sports 2003 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season championship: Stephan Eberharter, Austria** Women's overall season championship: Janica Kostelić, Croatia-American football:...	2003 Fiesta Bowl 2003 Fiesta Bowl The 2003 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl took place on January 3,2003 in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil Stadium. The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Miami Hurricanes by a score of 31–24 in double overtime. It also served as the BCS National Championship Game for the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season...	January 3, 2003	National Collegiate Athletic Association National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...  Division I-A	American football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...	Ohio State University Buckeyes 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes football team The 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes football team was the national champion of the 2002 college football season. The team was the first in Division I-A history to finish its season at 14–0, and the second to win 14 games, following BYU's 14–1 season in 1996...	University of Miami Hurricanes	31-24 (double overtime)
2004 2004 in sports 2004 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* College football Bowl Championship Series :**January 1 – Rose Bowl – USC 28, Michigan 14...	Super Bowl XXXVIII Super Bowl XXXVIII Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game played on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 2003 regular season....	February 1, 2004	National Football League National Football League The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...	American football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...	New England Patriots New England Patriots The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...	Carolina Panthers Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...	32-29
2005 2005 in sports 2005 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Bode Miller ** Women's overall season champion: Anja Pärson -American football:...	2004 American League Championship Series, game five	October 18, 2004	Major League Baseball Major League Baseball Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...	Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...	Boston Red Sox Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...	New York Yankees New York Yankees The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...	5-4
2006 2006 in sports 2006 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* January 2, Fiesta Bowl – Ohio State 34-20 Notre Dame* January 2, Sugar Bowl – West Virginia 38-35 Georgia...	2006 Rose Bowl 2006 Rose Bowl The 2006 Rose Bowl Game, played on January 4, 2006, was a football game that served as the national championship of the 2005-2006 Bowl Championship Series...	January 4, 2006	National Collegiate Athletic Association National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...  Division I-A	American football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...	University of Texas Longhorns	University of Southern California Trojans 2005 USC Trojans football team The 2005 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in the college football season of 2005–2006, winning the Pacific-10 Conference , and playing for the NCAA Division I-A national championship...	41-38
2007 2007 in sports 2007 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* February 4 – Indianapolis Colts beat the Chicago Bears 29-17 to win Super Bowl XLI at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The win was the Colts' first Super Bowl Championship since their 1970-71 team, when...	2007 Fiesta Bowl 2007 Fiesta Bowl The 2007 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl was a college football bowl game played as part of the 2006–2007 Bowl Championship Series of the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season...	January 1, 2007	National Collegiate Athletic Association National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...  Division I FBS	American football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...	Boise State University Broncos 2006 Boise State Broncos football team The 2006 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University in the 2006 college football season. The Broncos won the Western Athletic Conference championship with an undefeated 12–0 regular-season record , their second unbeaten regular season in the past three years...	University of Oklahoma Sooners 2006 Oklahoma Sooners football team The 2006 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 2006-2007, winning the Big 12 Conference Championship...	43-42 (overtime)
2008 2008 in sports 2008 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* Louisiana State University Tigers defeat The Ohio State University Buckeyes 38-24 in the 2008 BCS National Championship Game, thus becoming the first two-time BCS National Champions, and the first BCS titlists with two...	Super Bowl XLII Super Bowl XLII Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...	February 3, 2008	National Football League National Football League The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...	American football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...	New York Giants 2007 New York Giants season The 2007 New York Giants season was the 83rd season for the New York Giants in the National Football League. The Giants finished the regular season 10–6 and in second place in the NFC East, improving upon their 8–8 record in 2006 in which they finished third in their division...	New England Patriots 2007 New England Patriots season The 2007 New England Patriots season was the 38th season for the team in the National Football League and 48th season overall. They finished with a perfect 16–0 regular season record but lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII....	17-14
2009 2009 in sports -Alpine skiing:* Alpine World Ski Championships 2009 held at Val d'Isère, Savoy, France-American football:* The Florida Gators defeat the Oklahoma Sooners 24-14 in front of a Dolphin Stadium record crowd of 78,468 to win the 2009 BCS National Championship Game...	Super Bowl XLIII Super Bowl XLIII Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...	February 1, 2009	National Football League National Football League The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...	American football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...	Pittsburgh Steelers 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 76th season in the National Football League . The season concluded with the team winning Super Bowl XLIII to become the first franchise in the NFL with six Super Bowl titles....	Arizona Cardinals 2008 Arizona Cardinals season The 2008 Arizona Cardinals season was the 89th season for the team in the National Football League and their 21st season in Arizona. The season marked the Cardinals' first-ever Super Bowl appearance, coming as a result of their victory against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship.The...	27-23
2010 2010 in sports 2010 in sports will describe the year's events in world sport.-January:* Alabama defeats Texas 37–21 in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, thereby claiming the 2009 National Championship in College Football....	Winter Olympics men's hockey gold-medal game	February 28, 2010	International Olympic Committee International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...	Ice hockey Ice hockey Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...	Canada 2009–10 Canada men's national ice hockey team The Canada men's national ice hockey team will participate in various events during the 2009-10 ice hockey season.-News and notes:*June 29, 2009: Hockey hall of famer Jean Beliveau was named an honourary Team Canada member and honourary captain of Canada's 2010 Men's Olympic Hockey Team. Béliveau...	United States	3-2 (overtime Overtime (ice hockey) Overtime is a method of determining the winner and loser of an ice hockey match when the scores are tied after regulation. The two main methods are the overtime period and the shootout.-Overtime periods:... )
2011 2011 in sports 2011 in sports will describe the year's events in world sport.-Alpine Skiing:* October 23, 2010 – March 20, 2011 –2011 Alpine Skiing World Cup**Men Overall Title: Ivica Kostelić of Croatia**Women Overall Title: Maria Riesch of Germany...	NFL Week 15 game Miracle at the New Meadowlands The Miracle at the New Meadowlandsalso called "New Miracle at the New Meadowlands and "Miracle at the Meadowlands III" is the term used by sportscasters and Philadelphia Eagles fans to refer to an improbable come-from-behind win by the Philadelphia Eagles over the New York Giants on December 19,...	December 19, 2010	National Football League National Football League The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...	American football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...	Philadelphia Eagles 2010 Philadelphia Eagles season The 2010 Philadelphia Eagles season was the 78th season for the team in the National Football League , who looked to improve on their 11–5 record from 2009. They finished with a 10–6 record, but lost to the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card playoffs. For head coach Andy Reid, this was his 12th...	New York Giants 2010 New York Giants season The 2010 New York Giants season was the 86th season for the team in the National Football League and the team's inaugural season in New Meadowlands Stadium. The Giants improved on their 8–8 2009 record by finishing 10–6 and second place in the NFC East...	38–31

See also

• Best Upset ESPY Award
  Best Upset ESPY Award
  The Best Upset ESPY Award was conferred once each in 2004 and 2005 and annually since 2007 to the team in a regular season or playoff game or series contested professionally under the auspices of one of the four major North American leagues or collegiately under the auspices of the National...
  
  
• Outstanding Team ESPY Award
  Outstanding Team ESPY Award
  The Outstanding Team ESPY Award, known alternatively as the Best Team ESPY Award, has been presented annually since 1993 to the professional, collegiate, or national team, irrespective of nationality or sport contested, adjudged to be the best in a given calendar year...
  
  
• The Game of the Century
  The Game of the Century
  The Game of the Century is a name frequently given to outstanding matches of some sport or competition. Some of them include:*The Game of the Century , a chess game between Donald Byrne and Bobby Fischer in 1956...