Rest Well Stuart Scott

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I never met, nor knew Stuart Scott personally. Like many sports fans, I came to know him through his various ESPN gigs and his more 'hip' style of commentary and reporting ("Boo-yah" and "As cool as the other side of the pillow" are classics which everyone knows).

Making a connection with someone through a TV screen is a difficult task for even accomplished actors, and yet Stuart found a way to connect with millions. So, like many today, it made my heart heavy this morning to hear of his demise in his 3-round fight with cancer. Just like Jimmy Valvano, Stuart brought a graceful elegance combined with an absolutely fierce determination to beat back the insidious disease taking his life slowly from him. Those souls are rare. Sure there are thousands who fight just as hard, I am not seeking to in any way diminish their efforts, but rarely does someone get a public platform to share their fight with the world, and in turn inspire many hundreds and hundreds more to fight the big fight. 

Stuart, thank you. I will be honored to pray for your loved ones, your friends, and the many souls your public grace has inspired. It feels only fitting to close this with one of your best quotes. 

"When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and in the manner in which you live."

RIP Stuart Scott!

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