Remembering ESPN’s Stuart Scott

It’s been almost a decade since we lost Stuart Scott to cancer, and even though it would be easy to sit here and talk about how tragic his death was and how his life was cut short, I’d rather talk about his legacy as a broadcaster.

One of my life regrets is not walking up to him during his appearance at a journalism conference in Birmingham. I had a chance but chickened out, and I regret that to this day.

This man will always be an icon in our profession because he changed the way we watch sports and sports highlights. His references like “BOO-YAH,” and “Cooler than the other side of the pillow” are iconic to this day.

He turned watching everyday sports highlights into events because of the hip-hop references that he made. At first, the old heads hated it. They were like, “I just want to watch the highlights,” but it became more than that for many of us. For a young black audience, we felt included and seen. He also hipped a lot of white folks to black culture.

It was a cultural shift. ESPN had “The Big Show” with Keith Olberman and Dan Patrick, but that was fun and different when Stuart came on.

When Scott passed away in 2015, even Patrick praised him for pushing the envelope.

At the time of his death, President Barack Obama talked about how Scott changed how America watched sports.

“Twenty years ago, Stu helped usher in a new way to talk about our favorite teams and the day’s best plays. For much of those twenty years, public service and campaigns have kept me from my family — but wherever I went, I could flip on the TV, and Stu and his colleagues on SportsCenter were there. Over the years, he entertained us, and in the end, he inspired us — with courage and love,” he said.

I remember former ESPN anchor Craig Kilburn being one of the first to make pop culture references when he did highlights, but Scott kicked the door open for others. Scott Van Pelt, Stephen A. Smith, Mark Jones, and others can thank Scott for making it possible for them to use hip-hop references during games.

Although some fans still may not like it, it’s here to stay. Scott’s references will forever be in our culture. He, along with Van Pelt and former ESPN anchor Rich Eisen, turned into the new Dan and Keith, and it was must-watch TV when Scott was paired with either one of them.

How important was he? ESPN announced they will be doing a documentary on him soon.

“He was a trailblazer,” said ESPN anchor Stan Verrett, “not only because he was black — obviously black — but because of his style, his demeanor, his presentation. He did not shy away from the fact that he was a black man, allowing the rest of us who came along just to be ourselves.”

But maybe most importantly, he was a good man who was beloved by not only fans but also colleagues. He was funny, interesting, smart, and a huge part of not only black culture but also the culture in general. His impact will never be forgotten, nor should it be, and we will never forget him.

Thank you, Stuart.

{ESPN}