Even if you’re not a sports fan, the news of Stuart Scott passing away today at the age of 49 from cancer is a major blow. The longtime ESPN anchor was a staple in sports media and coined catchphrases such as his signature “Boo-Yah!” to “As cool as the other side of the pillow” to “He must be the bus driver cuz he was takin’ him to school.”
Scott had battled cancer on and off since 2007. He talked about his battle in a touching speech this past summer at the 2014 ESPYS, where he was given the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance.
Scott co-anchored ESPN’s sports news show SportsCenter with Rich Eisen from 1996 to 2003. He said on GameDay that he met Scott when he was 26 and that his colleague jokingly referred to himself as his “TV wife.” Watch Eisen’s emotional tribute here.
Scott was remembered through an outpouring of tributes by athletes, colleagues and fans including President Barack Obama.
“I will miss Stuart Scott. 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. Michelle and I offer our thoughts and prayers to his family, friends, and colleagues,” the President said.
