One of the biggest sports awards shows will air on CBS the day after Christmas. CBS Sports has become the official television partner for the Musial Awards, and the ceremony will air throughout the country on Saturday, Dec. 26 at 3 p.m. ET. The one-hour show will also air twice on the CBS Sports Network, and NASCAR star Bubba Wallace, as well as baseball legend Hank Aaron, will be two of the honorees.
Wallace is getting the San Musial Award for Extraordinary Character. The 26-year-old has been the most outspoken NASCAR driver when it comes to racial injustice due to him being the only Black full-time driver in NASCAR. He was responsible for getting NASCAR to ban Confederate Flags at races, and his fellow drivers stood by him when it was thought he was the victim of a hate crime.
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“One reason the Black community wouldn’t come (to races) was the Confederate flag. So, it was the perfect time to put our foot down,” Wallace told Rolling Stone via the Musial Awards official website. “They followed up right away. I thought that was pretty powerful.” Next season, Wallace will be seen with a new team as he will drive for 23XI Racing, which is owned by NASCAR veteran Denny Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan.
Aaron will be the recipient of the Stan Musial Lifetime Achievement Award for Sportsmanship. The Award recognizes an “iconic sports figure who exemplifies sportsmanship and embodies the class, dignity, generosity, excellence, civility, and integrity for which Stan The Man was known.” Aaron is one of the best players in baseball history record 755 home runs, 2,297 RBIs and 6,856 total bases. And Aaron did this without being ejected from a single game.
“I’ve received many awards in my lifetime, but to receive an award in the name of Stan Musial probably is the greatest I’ve ever had,” Aaron said. “I’m so thankful, not only because it means so much but because it’s in the name of someone I’ve always had a lot of respect for.” The Musial Awards is named after baseball legend Stan Musial, who died in 2013. Musial spent his entire career with the St. Louis Cardinals and helped the team win three World Series. He was a 24-time All-Star and is a member of the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.
