ESPN SportsCenter anchor Stuart Scott passed away Jan. 3 leaving behind a legacy in sports media that will never be forgotten.
Scott revolutionized the field of sports broadcasting by joining ESPN in 1993. Being African American, Scott created his own place in pop culture as he introduced the diversity that the world of sports media was lacking. He was first known for adding flare to the language of sports as he deviated from the norm people were used to. He came up with on-air catch phrases that will never escape our minds, the most famous being “Booh yaah,” a quick, energetic response to three-point hoops and home runs. The other was “cool as the other side of the pillow,” which referred to when an athlete calmly takes charge at a key time during a game. It was through these words that Scott connected with his audience without artificiality.
Even though he was criticized for this, he was genuine. “It’s a natural way for me to communicate. It’s not an act,” Scott said once in response to criticism of his on-air language.
Scott’s role expanded over the years while he maintained his presence in SportsCenter. He interviewed two presidents Barrack Obama and Bill Clinton and conducted one-on-one interviews with important sports figures including Tiger woods and Michael Jordan. His presence grew when he hosted Monday night countdowns and NBA finals.
In November 2007, Scott found out he had cancer. While covering a Monday night game between the Steelers and Dolphins, he had to have an emergency appendectomy and a tumor was discovered. He underwent two surgeries and months of chemotherapy and believed he defeated cancer. Four years later in 2011, the cancer returned and Stuart had to face it again. Again, it returned in 2013, each recurrence being worse than the last. But he didn’t want to know what stage of cancer he was at; he wanted to live his life with its ups and the downs. For years, Scott had masked his pain when the cameras came on to the point where very few people knew he had cancer.
He was determined to not let his illness define him by trying to treat his body with mixed martial arts in the midst of chemotherapy treatments and medications. This was his way of continuing the battle — symbolically and physically.
Who could forget Scott’s words on Jul. 16, 2014, as he gave a signature speech in response to the Jimmy V perseverance award he received: “You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and the manner in which you live.”
From his language to his personality and passion, Scott connected so well with the audience and “Booh yaah,” remains the echoing sound of excitement in sports. Being so good at what he did, he influenced many young people to follow their dreams and get into the world of sports media. He taught many of us that chasing after our passions is worth it, whether we live to 49 or 99.
You will be missed Scott. You were as cool as the other side of the pillow. Farewell.
