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Stuart Scott died 6 years ago today.
I had the honor and privilege of working closely with Stuart on the 11pm SC, Monday Night Football and the NBA.
The last time I worked with Stuart was also his last event working: the 2014 NBA Finals.
I had the honor and privilege of working closely with Stuart on the 11pm SC, Monday Night Football and the NBA.
The last time I worked with Stuart was also his last event working: the 2014 NBA Finals.
On the day of Game 4 in Miami, the mood in the production truck just seemed off. Everyone was tired and the energy level was just not like you’d expect at the Finals.
Stuart showed up with one of his daughters and sat down to get started on his scripts.
Quick aside...
Stuart showed up with one of his daughters and sat down to get started on his scripts.
Quick aside...
For really big games either on the road or in studio for postgame SportsCenter, Stuart always asked for a one sheet of nuggets that were completely original and hadn’t been used anywhere else. He has his “singles” which were simply legendary.
“You want an entire sheet of things nobody has said... anywhere?!?!”
At a 24/7 place like ESPN with shows across every platform, that was sometimes harder than you’d think.
Some talent ask questions that take lots of work but don’t use them.
Not Stuart.
He used EVERYTHING.
At a 24/7 place like ESPN with shows across every platform, that was sometimes harder than you’d think.
Some talent ask questions that take lots of work but don’t use them.
Not Stuart.
He used EVERYTHING.
If he asked how long it took to canoe from Tokyo to Seattle, it’s because he already knew exactly how and where he would use it.
Anyways, that day I worked up Stuart’s one sheet with as much as I could possibly look up.
Stuart gets to writing.
Anyways, that day I worked up Stuart’s one sheet with as much as I could possibly look up.
Stuart gets to writing.
After about 5 minutes, he stopped, took a deep breath and looked around the trailor.
There were maybe 5 of us in there. Tops.
“Can you believe how lucky we are? We watch basketball. And actually get paid to do it.”
There were maybe 5 of us in there. Tops.
“Can you believe how lucky we are? We watch basketball. And actually get paid to do it.”
He continued to talk uninterrupted about how important it is to always take a step back and reflect on the joys of every day life. How jazzed and excited he was to work that day. How lucky we all were.
It was incredible. The mood in that truck immediately changed.
It was incredible. The mood in that truck immediately changed.
We had our best show of the entire postseason that night.
And it’s because Stuart, in the fight of his life, picked everyone up.
That was Stuart.
Unbridled and unmatched passion. An electric energy contagious to anyone and everyone.
Here’s the thing about Stuart.
And it’s because Stuart, in the fight of his life, picked everyone up.
That was Stuart.
Unbridled and unmatched passion. An electric energy contagious to anyone and everyone.
Here’s the thing about Stuart.
Everyone that worked with him... anchors, producers, researchers, PAs, makeup, stage managers, runners... everyone had a Stuart story.
It might be 20 seconds or 20 minutes but he always took the time to personally engage.
I was a Dukie. He was a Tar Heel.
It might be 20 seconds or 20 minutes but he always took the time to personally engage.
I was a Dukie. He was a Tar Heel.
My dad died of cancer when I was 8, something we talked about a few times over the years.
There are countless things I look back on, mostly involving questions he’d ask 5 seconds before coming back from commercial break, that make me smile.
There are countless things I look back on, mostly involving questions he’d ask 5 seconds before coming back from commercial break, that make me smile.
Looking at a show rundown, if you saw Stuart as a researcher you had absolutely no clue what might be asked of you that night.
It was an adventure!
But nothing makes me smile more than that pick me up in Miami, when at his worst he still found the words to bring out our best.
It was an adventure!
But nothing makes me smile more than that pick me up in Miami, when at his worst he still found the words to bring out our best.
Stuart used every single note on his one sheet that night.
Just like he always did.
Boo-yah.
Just like he always did.
Boo-yah.
