Sports fans across America feel the effects of watching ESPN without Stuart Scott.
Photo By: Isabella Rivera, Photographer.
By: Jillian Lachcik, Sports Manager
Over the past 22 years, ESPN sportscaster, Stuart Scott, became one of the most influential and passionate reporters on air, not only for sports journalism, but for journalism as a whole. However, on January 4, 2015, the world received the tragic news that Scott had passed away due to long-term cancer.
Stuart Scott began his career as a reporter on his local news stations in his hometown of Florence, South Carolina, and became a TV personality by being creative, energetic, and humorous. His fun approach to various topics led him to land a spot as a sportscaster on ESPN2 when it first launched in 1993. Scott was brought in by Al Jaffe, ESPN’s vice president, to appeal to a younger audience.
After beginning on a late night program called SportsSmash, he received a promotion as a regular host on ESPN’s most popular show, SportsCenter. There, he created his own style of reporting, one that had never been demonstrated previously. He brought in a jovial and energetic persona to the show. Scott blended hip-hop culture and sports like never before, and reached out to a much younger, particularly African-American demographic. He spoke about sports similar to a regular sports fan would in the comfort of their own home, not just reading off of a teleprompter.
Senior Devonte Richardson says, “He changed the game of sports casting. I want to be a sportscaster when I grow up, and he was my favorite person to watch on SportsCenter. He is still my role model.”
Scott combined his interesting personality with his knowledge of sports and made many catchphrases such as “cooler than the other side of the pillow,” “call me butter because I’m on a roll,” and “boo-yah!” Off-screen, Scott was known for his respect and love for everyone around him, his passion for his job, and his down-to-earth ways. While some disliked his hip-hop style, he never changed and loved who he was, and for that, ESPN kept him on the air.
Freshman Elyse Moorhead says, “I think he was so popular because he was always so positive and never changed no matter what anybody said about him.”
Unfortunately, in 2007, Scott experienced abdominal pains, and then received the devastating news that he had cancer. Although he faced one of the hardest diseases known to man, he approached it with a smile, and never wanted to know what stage of cancer he was in. Scott received the Jimmy V Perseverance award, an award known for excellence in the sports world, at the ESPY’s in 2014. He told the audience during his speech, “When you die, it does not mean you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and the manner in which you live.”
Senior Brandon Allan says, “He had such a strong character even when he was battling cancer, and he was one of the best at presenting sports news.”
Stuart Scott was, without a doubt, one of the most passionate, influential, and hard-working sportscasters in the industry and will forever go down as one of the best TV personalities in history.