As a young child I was very keen to pick up everything that my father did. One of these things was in fact watching Sports Center in the mornings, with my favorite anchor Stuart Scott.

He was a master with not only with the way he controlled the broadcast, but the style he imposed on the highlight. Catchphrases like “Boo-yah” and “He’s as cool as the other side of the pillow” became fixtures of my childhood.

He changed sports casting forever when he brought hip-hop culture to broadcasting. He revolutionized television and made the characters telling you the news almost as important as the news itself.

I grew up thinking that he was the just as cool as this “other side of the pillow”. I honestly went into journalism and joined the Leaf to try and reach his stage of this profession. That is what makes this next part to write so difficult.

Stuart Scott died Sunday morning after his third battle with cancer. He was only 49 years old. But he did not lose his battle with cancer. I did not know Stuart and he does not know me but, I know just by following his battle with cancer that he would never lose to cancer.

He gave a speech following his presentation of the Jimmy V Perseverance Award was one of the most riveting pieces of television I have ever witness, and if it communicates anything it tells us that he fought with all he had and had no regrets.

He says in this speech that “You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and in the manner in which you live.” Other than Jim Valvano’s original ESPY’s speech there has never been a quote that sheds light on what the fight against cancer really is.

Both of those great gentlemen touched not only thousands of cancer patients, but also those of us that have had the luck to not be hit with cancer.

It has made us realize that you should live life in a way that affects everyone around you positively because you never know when you will need the support of others around you.

Cancer will eventually be beaten and it is people like Scott and Valvano that really are helping to beat cancer.

In one of Scott’s last tweets it reads “Rumor bout me in hospice. Not True. Airball.Swing & a miss. I continue treatment for C & missed some work but Hospice? No. Fighting? YES!”

Prayers out to the family and friends of Stuart Scott and since you never gave up the fight, in honor of you Stuart we will change the final scoreboard. Stuart Scott 1- Cancer 0. Rest in peace.

If you wish to make a donation to the Jimmy V foundation for cancer research you can visit the Jimmy V foundation website here.