The ESPY Awards have provided yet another opportunity for a comic to make some jokes about the biggest storylines in the sports world. This time, a joke focused on Tiger Woods and his legal troubles.
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Marcello Hernandez, a Saturday Night Live cast member known for his impression of comedian Sebastian Maniscalco, hosted the ESPY Awards and used his monologue to poke fun at numerous people. This included Woods, who authorities arrested for driving under the influence after a rollover crash back in March.
"I want to congratulate Caleb Williams, the quarterback for the Chicago Bears, who will be on the cover of the new Madden video game. Congratulations to Caleb," Hernandez said.
"And Tiger Woods will be on the cover of Grand Theft Auto. ...I love you, Tiger. I'm a big fan. It was just written so well."
Marcello Hernández: "I want to congratulate Caleb Williams, the quarterback for the Chicago Bears, who will be on the cover of the new 'Madden' video game... And Tiger Woods will be on the cover of 'Grand Theft Auto.'" #ESPYs pic.twitter.com/GJfVU7Q6dd
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 16, 2026
Hernandez making light of Woods' arrest is not the first time that an ESPY Awards host has made a joke about a prominent athlete getting in legal trouble.
The late Norm Macdonald, who also starred on Saturday Night Live, hosted the awards show in 1998. He celebrated future Hall of Famer Charles Woodson by talking about one of his favorite topics, the OJ Simpson trial.
"And there's Charles Woodson," Macdonald said. "How about that? What a season he had. He became the first defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy.
"Congratulations, Charles, that is something that no one can ever take away from you...unless you kill your wife and a waiter. In which case, all bets are off."
Fast-forward to the 2025 ESPY Awards, when comedian and host Shane Gillis brought this joke back.
He proclaimed his love for Macdonald's joke, and then he delivered an updated version of the joke that celebrated Travis Hunter becoming the first defensive player since Woodson to win the Heisman Trophy.
Of course, Woods' arrest is far from the only sports story that Hernandez used as the punchline of a joke. He also took aim at North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick and his girlfriend, Jordan Hudson, while talking about the Knicks winning their first championship since 1973.
"In 1973, hockey players didn't wear helmets," Hernandez said. "Basketball had no three-point line. And in 1973, Bill Belichick was the age his girlfriend is now."
