On Jan. 4, 2015, well-known sportscaster and ESPN anchor Stuart Scott passed away at the age of 49 after a long and courageous battle with cancer.
This man had a huge impact on the sports world, his colleagues and aspiring sports journalists such as myself. His absence on this planet will surely be noticed.
There are many things Scott will be remembered for, starting with his catchphrases. When they came out of his mouth and became popular since people began repeating them, it showed he was doing something right. Scott was drawing in the audience while creating his own market and fan base.
“Boo-Yah!”
“As cool as the other side of the pillow.”
“He must be the bus driver cuz he was takin’ him to school.”
These are all phrases Scott made famous. If any sports fan were to hear these, they would know the brilliant mind that came up with them.
His impact was seen in various ways: during moments of silence held at sporting events all over the United States, tearful coworkers saying goodbye to him on television, along with heartfelt tributes from athletes, fans and friends on social media.
ESPN’s Hannah Storm had the hard task of reporting Scott’s death on Sportscenter. Watching this broadcast brought tears to my eyes. Seeing those that loved Scott so much publicly mourn his death makes it even more heart-wrenching.
It’s truly something special when you can find a sportscaster that we can relate to and admire. As a sports journalist, I look at those who have made it in the industry and wonder how they reached where they are. Then, I think about what it would take to be where people like Scott were.
It’s not easy to become a sports broadcaster. Not many positions are available, making it an even harder goal to accomplish. It takes someone with a special kind of personality to earn a spot on the air like that. There’s a certain kind of charm needed to endear yourself to others, and that’s exactly what Scott had. He forever changed the personalities of successful future sportscasters.
He knew exactly what to say, had an amazing work ethic and was a family-oriented man. Scott was down-to-earth and knew how to make people laugh just by being himself. He was truly a good man.
Some people may say you admire a person after they die because of what they went through. But for Scott, he’s someone you admire because of what he accomplished while fighting one of the toughest battles life can throw at you — for nearly eight years. He touched people with his humor and energy, and he will surely never be forgotten.
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*Section Photo credit to Christopher Polik. Getty Images; Featured Photo (above) credit to Kirby Lee, USA Today Sports.
