This meme about a disabled Army vet losing to Caitlyn Jenner for an ESPN award is taking over the internet - and it's completely bogus
A meme that says Army vet Noah Galloway was the runner up for Caitlyn Jenner's ESPY award has been making the rounds on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
The only issue: ESPN has confirmed that it's completely untrue.
Here's the photo and text in question:
Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Bruce, was named as the recipient of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award yesterday. The announcement came just after her Vanity Fair cover - the first instance of Jenner appearing publicly while presenting as a woman - hit the internet. She'll accept the award at the televised ESPY award show on July 15.
It took a few hours for people to become angry that Galloway, who lost parts of his arm and leg in an explosion while on active duty in Iraq and took third place in "Dancing With The Stars," wouldn't be receiving the award.
Instead, it's going to Jenner, a former Olympian who is also a transgender woman and TV personality whose fame was reignited back in 2007 thanks to her family's TV show, "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," now in its tenth season.
Noah Galloway ???? pic.twitter.com/svsHE4IFAH
- Earl Dibbles Jr. ™ (@EarlDibblesJr) June 2, 2015
This is real courage. #NoahGalloway not #CaitlynJenner pic.twitter.com/NgDKBrmews
- Tim Walton (@RealTimWalton) June 2, 2015
The guy on the left won Arthur Ashe Courage Award. The guy on the right was runner up. RT 2 make Noah Galloway famous pic.twitter.com/iuR7d2Fikp
- Nurse Patriot (@LANURSE1) June 3, 2015
@LANURSE1 @marklindesr Obama continues to diminish America's culture by declaring transgender people heroes
- JP (@Pogo407) June 3, 2015
We've also contacted Noah Galloway's camp for comment, but have yet to hear back.
So where did the idea that Jenner swiped the title from Galloway come from? Snopes traces it back to a tweet from Boston radio personality and columnist Gerry Callahan, sent at 4:46 p.m. on June 1:
Caitlyn Jenner wins Arthur Ashe Courage Award.And the runner-up is .... pic.twitter.com/DKUdnPT8Gx
- Gerry Callahan (@GerryCallahan) June 1, 2015
It's unclear whether Callahan was being sarcastic or not, but either way, what he said in the tweet is untrue, but the idea clearly picked up steam.
With all due respect to Caitlyn Jenner, the RUNNER UP to the Arthur Ashe award is @Noah_Galloway? Seriously? Thanks for being you Noah!
- Laura (@lauralynn1083) June 2, 2015
People also named Lauren Hill, a college athlete who played basketball despite an inoperable brain tumor and died earlier this year, as a more worthy recipient of the award.
For anyone other than Lauren Hill or Noah Galloway to win the ESPY Arthur Ashe Award for courage is a travesty.
- Jim Dabbelt (@JDabbs86) June 2, 2015
In fact, ESPN usually honors those who are fighting cancer with the Jimmy V Perseverance Award, which is named after Jim Valvano, a North Carolina State basketball coach and ESPN commentator who died of cancer in 1993.
- Luxury “floating” beach unveiled in France; Critics term it an “ecological aberration”
- Scientists think they’ve spotted 60 potential alien power plants in the Milky Way!
- Bread, butter, milk-based health drinks, cooking oils classified as ultra-processed food, ICMR advises restriction
- Debt, equity holders approve merger of IDFC with IDFC First Bank
- Sunrisers Hyderabad to take on Punjab Kings as they look to grab the second spot in IPL points table
- Nothing Phone (2a) blue edition launched
- JNK India IPO allotment date
- JioCinema New Plans
- Realme Narzo 70 Launched
- Apple Let Loose event
- Elon Musk Apology
- RIL cash flows
- Charlie Munger
- Feedbank IPO allotment
- Tata IPO allotment
- Most generous retirement plans
- Broadcom lays off
- Cibil Score vs Cibil Report
- Birla and Bajaj in top Richest
- Nestle Sept 2023 report
- India Equity Market