It has now been ten years since we lost legendary SportsCenter anchor Stuart Scott.
Scott passed away in 2015 after a years long battle with cancer. In the year prior to his death, he gave an emotional speech at the ESPYS where he accepted the Jimmy V award.
Earlier this year, his former program celebrated his legacy on the tenth anniversary of his passing. And tributes again poured out on Saturday July 19th on what would have been his 60th birthday.
Scott’s former colleague John Buccigross paid tribute in a post on social media.
“Stuart Scott would have turned 60 today. We were born 6 months apart and I did my very first Sportscenter with him. (Here’s the first 30 seconds in 1997). Our sensibilities and Pop Culture tastes were similar and he was always a great hang-at work, golfing, hooping, concerts. Energy, focus, competitiveness, drive, ambition, fearlessness is how I remember him,” Buccigross posted.
Current SportsCenter anchor Michael Eaves was given credit by The V Foundation for raising over $10,000 for the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund in honor of the iconic ESPN personality.
While Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann are largely recognized as the greatest SportsCenter anchor duo of all time, Stuart Scott’s longtime partnership with Rich Eisen should not stand too far behind. Scott was a huge influence both in his present time and still to this day with his signature catchphrases and the way he was able to incorporate pop culture into highlights.
Even though SportsCenter may be different now and fans can get their highlights anywhere at any moment, it’s done nothing to diminish the legacy of Stuart Scott at ESPN. If anything, fans will always remember him fondly because he represents an era of sports fandom that we will likely never see again.
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