Stuart Scott Has Passed Away, Here’s ESPN’s Moving Tribute

Stuart Scott passed away this morning at the age of 49 after several bouts with cancer, beginning in 2007. ESPN aired a tribute video this morning, looking back on his life and career and it’s incredibly sad, though it also makes you smile. Scott was awarded the Jimmy V Award at last year’s ESPYs and gave a great speech in which he echoed the award’s namesake: “When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and in the manner in which you live.”

Stuart Scott and Rich Eisen were the next Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann and it worked in every way. Anyone of a certain age remembers clowning on their friends on the basketball court with a “cool as the other side of the pillow,” or “must be butter ’cause I’m on a roll,” and that was all because of Stuart Scott. There’s this weird thing that happens as you get older, and you start to hate the things you once liked because you feel like you outgrew them. I remember being like that with Stuart Scott after a while, oh come on, with the “hater in the house” stuff, man. 

And then, after a long time of not watching SportsCenter regularly (or at all) I started watching again and Stuart Scott was often still calling highlights. Someone would block a shot, or strike someone out—hater in the house—and then it would happen again—more haters, more houses. And, man, it was fun; I was laughing at some random game or clip I otherwise wouldn’t have cared about. Stuart Scott had fun, and made fun for everyone else, and he will be missed.