January 4, 2015; ESPN lost a beloved broadcaster. Stuart Scott died at the age of 49 after a seven year fight with cancer. Scott was an anchor for ESPN for over 20 years, and his death touched more than just the hearts of his co-workers at ESPN. Scott was mostly known for his clever lines like, “Boo-yah” or “as cool as the other side of the pillow,” and his ESPY speech, which would be the last time he would be on air.
Scott was born in Chicago and graduated with a degree in speech communication. ESPN’s vice president, Al Jaffe was looking for casters to cover ESPN2 and signed Scott due to the fact that he also wanted sportscasters who would appeal to a younger audience. In an article on ESPN, Jaffe explained that he liked Scotts’ stage presence and felt that people would quickly notice him.
“One of the producers on a story we were doing on the Orlando Magic told me about this young guy he really liked,” Jaffe said. “I followed up and found out that Stuart’s contract was up soon. He sent me a tape, and even then, he had an amazing presence. I felt the viewer would sit up and take notice when he was on the air.”
Stuart Scott’s first assignment for ESPN was for, “SportsSmash,” a sportscast for, “SportsNight.” Scott took over the anchor chair for Keith Olbermann on, “SportsNight,” when Olbermann took over, “SportsCenter.”
When you die, that does not mean you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live and the manner in which you live. So live, live. Fight like hell. And when you get too tired to fight, lay down and rest and let somebody else fight for you. –Stuart Scott
In ’95, producer, Gus Ramsey, asked Scott to join him in attending his high school homecoming football game. As they approached the sideline, kids started coming over to them. At this moment, Ramsey knew that Scott had the potential to make a huge impact. Despite the popularity, Scott also received anonymous hate mail due to his color and style. He also had a reputation for being old school when it came to preparation and a reputation for being right.
On top of his popularity on ESPN, Stuart Scott was known for his touching ESPY speech in 2014, when he accepted the Jimmy V Perseverance Award, which involved serious points along with a splash of humor. During his speech, Scott mentioned that there are way in which you can beat cancer.
“When you die, that does not mean you lose to cancer,” Scott said. “You beat cancer by how you live, why you live and the manner in which you live. So live, live. Fight like hell. And when you get too tired to fight, lay down and rest and let somebody else fight for you.”
Scott also had two daughters, Taelor and Sydni. During his ESPY speech, he gave credit to them and said that it was because of them, that he was standing on the stage.
“The best thing that I have ever done, the best thing that I will ever do, is be a dad to Taelor and Sydni,” Scott said. “Taelor and Sydni, I love you guys more than I will ever be able to express. You two are my heartbeat. I am standing on this stage, here tonight, because of you.”
Unfortunately, less than six months after his moving speech, Stuart Scott passed away at the age of 49. For his one year anniversary, his daughters made an emotional tribute video in honor of their dad. Stuart Scott was one of the most loved broadcasters and will forever be missed not only by his co-workers, but also by his fans.
This author can be reached via Twitter: @nick_leblanc1 and via email: Nick LeBlanc.
