Stuart Scott Tribute

                 I know the topic of this blog is to bring you the latest in sportswear fashion, but today I wanted to bring you the latest from the sports world. An ESPN great, Stuart Scott, fought valiantly in his battle against cancer, and passed away this past Sunday. If you tuned in to any sports network these past few days you have probably seen numerous tributes that are celebrating the amazing life he lived. The best one by far was this tribute aired on Sportscenter that was narrated by Robin Roberts:

             When the news first broke, I was shocked. I don’t know why I was hit so hard by the death of somebody who I only knew because of watching him on TV. Every day as I got ready for school, I would turn on Sportscenter, and watch him explain the latest news in the sports world with great enthusiasm. You could tell he loved what he was doing. There wasn’t a personal connection, but it felt like there was one.

            Immediately I turned the channel to ESPN and all they were talking about was Stuart Scott and the great memories he left behind. They didn’t care to talk about the impending NFL Playoff games that were coming up in a few short hours. They didn’t care to talk about the results of the first ever College Football Playoffs. They cared to talk about, for the entire show, the great legacy Stuart Scott left behind. Watching the numerous tributes by all the different ESPN analysts was moving. I remember one analyst, Sage Steele, who worked very closely with Scott and saw him as a mentor, call in to ESPN and share her memories with him and I teared up listening to it. I think that is a testimony to how great of a person Stuart Scott was and how many lives he touched because me, a random teenage girl from the Midwest, was deeply touched by his death.

             Personally, I have had many people around me fight their own battle against cancer including my grandparents, and a friend on my basketball team. I’ve seen, first-hand, the way it knocks you out. The chemo, the medicine, the fight; it’s a hard, tiring battle. His speech at the ESPY’s this past summer described it all perfectly. My favorite quote of his from the night was, “When you die, it does not mean you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and the manner in which you live.” Even though, I have not had to face the wrath of cancer, this quote hit me hard and made me really think about my own life. The last sentence should be the way anybody should live their life whether they have cancer or not. I feel like in order to live and full and happy life, you need to have a purpose for why you live. For Stuart Scott it was the love he had for his family. For you, it may be something totally different, but in life there needs to be something that pushes you forward, something that gives you a reason to live, something that makes life beautiful for you.
            Stuart Scott touched the lives of millions, myself included, without even meeting them in person. His joy for life was contagious, and it has made me reevaluate how I’m living my own life. I hope one day I can be like him, and positively impact the lives of those around me. Rest in peace Stuart Scott. Thank you for showing me how to live a full and beautiful life.

Video Courtesy of Sports Cast via www.youtube.com