In a truly wholesome moment, a sports presenter was reduced to tears on TV after his son’s appearance for World Autism Awareness Day.
Things got very emotional for Dan Orlovsky yesterday, as the ESPN football analyst was joined by his son, Madden, to ‘showcase his superpowers’ during the NFL Live broadcast.
‘We’re gonna celebrate anyone who’s touched by autism,’ introduced co-presenter Laura Rutledge, explaining that 14-year-old Madden had created all the doodles and artwork that were displayed around the studio for the occasion.
This marked the second time Madden had been involved in the programme, having worked on new drawings over the past year, filling dad Dan, 42, with pride for how his creativity allowed him to ‘thrive under his own rules’ and ‘step out of the label’.
‘We work in sports,’ he explained to his co-host. ‘So kids have their own, “Oh, I’m great at this sport or that sport,” but this is his.’
After just a few minutes of talking about his teen son, Dan, who also has kids Noah, Hunter, and Lennon, got choked up, saying how ‘thankful’ he was for the segment, declaring Madden a ‘special, special human’.
‘It’s OK to be emotional about this,’ fellow broadcaster Laura told him. ‘It’s really cool. We’re all emotional right along with you, and I know Tiffany and the rest of your family are watching at home.’
As the episode progressed, viewers saw Madden add more illustrations to a whiteboard and the studio’s large screens of various characters, which Dan said is when he’s ‘at his happiest’.
Madden even got a go at operating the camera and took the spotlight when he and his dad duetted on a sweet rendition of the Eagles’ song, which is his favourite team.
While you could argue that Dan was holding it together throughout the show, it’s fair to say this is what finished him off, as he burst into tears when Madden stopped singing, telling him he loved him.
‘Thank you, ESPN, for inviting me here,’ Madden said to the camera in a solo shot. ‘I think drawing is really great.’
‘You’re great at it,’ praised Laura, while Dan ducked his head, crying.
‘I have great artwork, colouring, great handwriting, and, also, I love other things. I love playing video games, I love the Eagles, I love eating pizza, cheeseburgers, French fries, hot dogs, and chicken nuggets, and also chocolate ice cream,’ Madden continued.
He then walked closer to the camera, telling his mum and siblings at home that he loves her, with his dad wiping his eyes, sobbing uncontrollably.
‘Thank you all for supporting me,’ he finished, going over to hug his dad while reporter Adam Schefter called him a ‘hero’.
What is autism?
The National Autistic Society explains that autism is a ‘lifelong neurodivergence’. It ‘means you may feel things and react to them differently to non-autistic people’.
‘You may find socialising confusing or tiring, and you may become overwhelmed in loud or busy places. You may have intense interests, prefer order and routine, and use repeated movements or actions to calm yourself or express joy,’ the organisation says.
Autistic people might also ‘mask’ discomfort to fit in. This is ‘a strategy used by some autistic people to appear non-autistic’, and it can have a devastating impact on mental health and sense of self.
It is thought that at least one in 100 people is autistic, and there are at least 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK. However, the actual figures are likely to be higher, as these are not the same as those with an autism diagnosis.
Celebrities including Cat Burns, Chris Packham, and Christine McGuinness are ambassadors for the charity.
The episode finished with Madden doing one final drawing on an iPad before the studio applauded, Dan wearing a massive smile on his face.
It didn’t take long for the footage to clock up thousands of views online, with YouTube commenters, such as @KelvinMcNeil, calling it ‘easily my favourite ESPN segment of all time 🥹’
‘In 30 years of watching ESPN, this was by far the best show they’ve ever put on air’, said @Campjohnbobb.
‘As the father of a nonspeaking autistic son – this moves me to tears,’ added @DavidKaufer. ‘Well done ESPN for showcasing this amazing human’.
‘Dan seems like a terrific father’, hailed @theonewhohasrisen2152, while @JorgeMartinez-zx7tg called for it to become a ‘yearly episode’.
‘It melts my heart to see this. Dan is a proud dad watching his son thrive and its amazing. Im tearing up just seeing the pride is a dad’s face’, commented @newguycanada.
Speaking previously about their son, former footballer Dan’s wife Tiffany, whom he wed in 2009, told USA Today that Madden ‘expresses himself’ through his art.
‘Sometimes, even his emotions are shown in it,’ she said, adding that he creates ‘at least three new drawings or cartoons’ every day.
‘He’s very creative with his characters’ facial expressions, so that’s neat to see, how intuitive he is with emotions and other people’s emotions.
‘Honestly, it just creates a conversation or a starter for us to kind of relate to him.’
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