ESPN’s Stuart Scott, the awesome man that made covering sports cool, lost his fight with cancer a year ago today. His daughter’s created a great tribute video in honor of the anniversary of his death.
By Jeff Weisinger
I’m sure that I can speak for many people in sports media and those who are aspiring to be in sports media – print, television or radio – that Stuart Scott is truly missed.
In ways, he was a pioneer. Not as someone who “created” sports media, but as someone who made it cool and not so news-like. In ways, he helped put ESPN on the map in modern pop culture.
Guess that really makes him “cooler than the other side of the pillow.”
Monday marks the one-year anniversary that Scott lost his battle with cancer, a battle of which he fought since 2007, passing away just six months after accepting the Jimmy V perseverance award at the 2014 ESPY’s, and giving one of the more powerful speeches in which he spoke lovingly about his daughters.
His daughter’s Taelor (20) and Sydni (16) returned the favor on Monday, putting out a video in his tribute on the Dear World website.
In the journal entry on the site, they wrote:
Dear Dad,
Growing up we thought all Dads worked “inside the television.” This last year, we realized the full impact you’ve had on the world, and how important you wre to so many. A whirlwind year of appearances and accepting awards on your behalfs, Lifetime Achievement Awards, Hall of Fame Inductions, your book launch and even a visit to the White House – has given us great insight into the mark you left during your lifetime. We are truly grateful for the opportunity to meet many people whom you profoundly impacted, share our grief and our memories while giving back on your behalf and continuing the legacy you started in raising cancer awareness.
You lived your life with a fierce sense of authenticity, passion and competitiveness, giving it your all and reaching for the best in everything you did. When you were diagnosed with cancer, you showed the world how to fight with that same fierce passion, instilling a sense of hope and inspiration to so many. And in the end you taught us all how to win – live or die – by how you live, why you live and the manner in which you live.
From you Dad, we’ve learned to reach for the fight we possess inside and apply it with passion to our lives. It was through your vulnerability, that you taught us the real value of strength in never giving up.
Love Tae & Syd
(Your heartbeats)
Scott’s death was felt all throughout the sports world. There were moments of silence throughout NFL fields during wild card weekend, all across the NBA arenas and even at his alma mater, the University of North Carolina.
It has been a year since we lost Stuart Scott. We miss you, Stuart. #DearStuartScott https://t.co/QCeXZEyTEH
— Mike & Mike (@MikeAndMike) January 4, 2016
He created an energy that was unseen in sports broadcasting prior to his arrival. Scott was enthusiastic about his career and lived it to the fullest.
Outside of the sports media world, Scott made an impact on everyone that he came across, celebrity or civilian.
#DearStuartScott you acknowledging & appreciating the hard work I did in hosting SportsCenter meant the world to me. pic.twitter.com/lADgSyKo4Z
— Ken Jeong (@kenjeong) January 4, 2016
Since his passing, Scott has been honored and inducted into the Hall of Fame for the UNC School of Journalism and the National Association of Black Journalists, who partnered with ESPN to form an internship position in his name.
The Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund raised more than $2 million in the first year, continuing his fight against cancer and assisting the most vulnerable communities battling the disease.
