“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.”
– Stuart Scott
When a boy dreams of becoming a sports anchor, he does it for the love of the games. As he matures, he questions his lifelong dream. Why do I want to do this? Are there more important professions out there for me?
And then he looks at the late Stuart Scott, and understands the magnitude of his position.
Like many other children, I was greeted every morning with a “Booyah!” Scott’s presence in my day was like John Williams’ scores in the Star Wars movies. The end product would essentially be the same, but the journey would lack the substance and the color that he provided.
Sports anchors can be intrusive. They can be over-the-top and annoying. Scott was different. His flare was appropriate, and his touch was intimate. I knew him without ever meeting him.
I scrolled through Twitter this morning, and discovered that Scott had passed away this morning after a long battle with cancer. I didn’t cry, and it didn’t ruin my day, but I stopped to reflect. After seeing the numerous #RIPStuartScott tweets from my friends, I realized a part of him lives in all of us. His impact is eternal, and although I know it won’t ruin your day, take a minute and realize that we lost a great man, and understand that the world is a better place because he was in it.
