His trademark was his sense of humor: Eight interesting facts about Stuart Scott

His trademark was his sense of humor: Eight interesting facts about Stuart Scott

By Joshua D. Copeland

      After a long and uphill battle with cancer, ESPN’s sports anchor Stuart Scott passed away at the age of 49.

His death affected friends, family, and countless fans.  The world has lost yet another great soul who was able to impact millions of lives. It is tragic and unfair that it was his time to go.

But Stuart Scott had said something to us that will forever resonate in our hearts – to never give up, and to fight like hell.  But thanks to him being the phenomenal person that he was, it will never be a fight, but a pleasure to keep his memory alive for all time.

As tribute, I present to you eight interesting facts of the great Stuart Scott.

1.) Stuart Scott had been a sports anchor for ESPN since 1993.

He joined ESPN2 and was the host for Sportsnight back in 1993.  Shortly after joining ESPN2 he was promoted to the anchor’s desk on Sportscenter, where he became a staple of the show, according to heavy.com.  Thanks to his contributions, Sportscenter had colossal ratings that competitors have never been able to keep up with.

2.)  He has two daughters.

Scott is survived by his two daughters – Taelor, 19 and Sydni, 14.  They were conceived during his marriage with his now ex-wife Kimberly Scott.  They were married from 1993 to 2007.

3.)  His latest girlfriend was Kristin Spodobalski.

They started dating after Scott was diagnosed with cancer.  As his health began to decline and he was no longer able to work, Spodobalski stayed by his side, never intending to leave it.

4.) Scott’s trademark was his sense of humor.

One of the reasons why Sportscenter was so entertaining to watch was because of Stuart Scott. He was so funny that he was often in Sports-center commercials and even a regular guest on VH1’s I Love the 90’s.

5.) He accepted the Jimmy V Perseverance Award at the ESPYs. on July 16, 2014.

After receiving this award, Scott let out one of the most iconic speeches of the decade.  He received the award as recognition of his fight against cancer and because he became one of the most inspirational icons of 2014. One of his most memorable quotes of his speech:

“I said, I’m not losing. I’m still here. I’m fighting. I’m not losing. But I’ve got to amend that. When you die, that does not mean that you lose to cancer.  You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and the manner in which you live. So live.  Live. Fight like hell.”

6.) Stuart Scott was known for his iconic quotes.

Scott had a knack for saying things that really stuck with the audience. One of his famous references was  being as “Cool as the other side of the pillow.”

7.) He was diagnosed with Abdomen Cancer in 2007.

His long and hard fight with abdomen cancer lasted seven years.  His cancer went in remission in 2012, but returned again in 2013.  He remained optimistic and fought til the very end.

8.) His death effected the entire sports industry.

Scott’s death has affected everyone, everywhere. Athletes like Lebron James, Tiger Woods, Russell Wilson and others have responded to the death of the legendary sports anchor. Rich Eisen gave a heart-breaking speech on his passing: “A groundbreaking broadcaster in the world of sports television. I love this man. I still love this man. And the fact that he has passed away is absolutely mind-boggling and a travesty.”

He was not the only one who gave kind words. Hannah Storm also broke down in tears after learning of Scott’s death: “Today we choose not to say that Stuart lost to cancer at the age of 49. Instead, we’ll simply say we all lost Stuart.”

I still can’t believe he’s gone.  Please pray for Scott and his family. Share your thoughts.