I’m ready to talk about Stuart Scott. Much has been said about the man that brought soul to Sportscenter. As a black man, the culture of my people, the soul and essence of how we communicate with each other that seeps into the music world and sports world had never before crossed the barrier into the news world. Stuart Scott did that.
Without Scott there would be no ‘Come on, man!‘ There wouldn’t be the acceptance of slag and a relaxed demeanor towards such language and expression that there is. In truth, he was a pioneer. My appreciation for Stuart Scott isn’t so grandiose as that. Scott was a guy on TV that made me feel good about myself and the things I watched and the feelings I had about sports and athletes. It was a great deal more than making it cool. He made it accessible, believable, and down to earth. As an athlete all I wanted to do was to make one highlight that would make that dude say ‘boo ya!’ It didn’t happen, but it didn’t have to. All I had to do was watch and the day was instantly better.
So, to Stu I say thank you for living, and loving what you do. Thank you for bing a fighter and an inspiration to us all.
Some Thoughts:
- I think it was the moment I started quoting WWE wrestlers that I realized I’d slipped into some weird fugue state where I’m the most neurotic version of myself. Of course this is another step towards that ideal self I slipped away from some time ago. Gotta keep going down that road…