What Can Cam Do?

Cam Can't Dance Out Of The Media

It seems as though Cam Newton has become the face of media scrutiny recently. In the past, the one that was looked at as this figure was LeBron James. He was ridiculed for his demeanor and cockiness but most of all his media moments. For Cam, the same reasoning is why every time you turn on ESPN or check twitter he's being discussed. From his celebrations, down to his everyday outfits are the topic of discussion.

Dab, Cam definitely likes to, at first was funny and entertaining but of course some things can rub everyone one wrong. The crazy thing is that there's some many other players' celebrations that come off more offensive. For example, Statefarm's spokesperson Aaron Rodgers' discount double check. For some its hilarious, but for others he's definitely bringing attention to an area that should be.......You know private.

Recently, Cam really took some shots from the media for not answering any questions after losing to the Denver Broncos this past weekend.

One can only imagine what's next for the 17-2, Carolina Panthers. But for Cam Newton, its obvious that they were outplayed but the video shows exactly how Cam felt. As the MVP of this past year left with a bitter taste to such a great season of accomplishments.

Is Ronda Rousey The Truth ?

Rousey Proves Shes The Best 

Without reasonable doubt we all know exactly who the best female fighter is on the planet. For the longest, the sports world believed the queen to the throne was none other than daughter of Muhammad Ali, Laila who finished her career undefeated. But as of lately there's a new queen who took the title by force..literally. 

Ronda Rowdy Rousey is hands down the best female fighter on the planet. Her last couple of fights proved  just how dominate she is. Not to mention her last five fights selling more tickets and more Pay-Per View purchases than that of some male UFC fighters.. Ronda Rousey hushed all naysayers this past weekend in her UFC 190 vs Bethe Correia on her own turf in just 34 seconds, by a nice combination of punches. It was such a great victory because UFC fans are used to seeing Rousey dominate her opponents and submitting them via armbar. Most articles include highlights of sports outings, but this highlight is actually the length of the entire fight so that just adds the cherry on top. 

Quite frankly, Rousey is a beautiful badass dominating the sport of mixed martial arts. She is the only female fighter undefeated and leads the UFC in the category of wins by armbar (including men). Many feel that her on screen character is too cocky and arrogant for a "women". But in many opinions, including her own, she carries herself in a unique way that helps her have that one up on her opponent. Similar to that of Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, one can draw the similarities to their bold and in your face mentality. Mike Tyson in many interviews, explained just how important it is to get in your opponents head pre-fight and stay there because you've already won. Additionally, as a UFC fighter you have to have a different kind of swag to your character and added to that as a women you aren't taken as serious. So as a mere sex symbol, Rousey feels that she has to carry herself in a way that isn't like every other female celebrity.  

Her antics are also hilarious, in a interview she was asked whether or not she would ever fight boxer Floyd Mayweather, her response was "unless we ended up dating," an apparent reference to domestic violence allegations against him. Then again, recently at the ESPYS, Ronda won the award for the best fighter and she remarked, "I wonder how Floyd feels being beat by a woman for once."- CNN Sports . 

Its been nothing but pure excitement and watching Ronda Rouse fight. Not only as a female athlete but a woman inspiring others to find something they're good at and perfect it. Out of the ring, Rousey isn't always what she is portrayed to be.




Before the fight, Rousey stated that if she won she would give the belt to a youth Judo School in Brazil, and that's just what she did.

Ronda's next fight could potentially be her arch nemesis Miesha Tate. The two have a fun past of hate four letter word exchanges but Rousey ultimately had the last laugh defeating her for the title in 2013 at UFC 168. So the thought of a round 3 fight between the two is going to great! 

LS

Shaq..Pippen Beef!

Its Only Heating Up

With social media becoming the new way to say what on your mind, Shaq took to Instagram and posted a picture of arguably the best 5 Lakers to play the game of basketball, also included was the best 5 Bulls. From the Lakers from left to right  Irving Magic Johnson, The black mamba Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor,  Shaq Diesel and The Big Fella Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

The Bulls Best 5 from left to right the young gun Derrick Rose, M.J., Scottie Pippen, the wild child Dennis Rodman and Horace Grant. 

The caption reading, "We would beat em by fifty, what you think?" This started a social media frenzy. The sports world is known for daily debates, a large majority of them including the great one..23.. Michael Jordan. But this time it hit the heart of his right hand man Scottie Pippen. 

Coming back with his own ammo, Pippen posted a picture captioned, "Sorry @Shaq, I don't get caught up in the hypotheticals. All I know is we won 6 titles." 

Shaq felt that Michael Jordan did a majority of the work because he came right back and posted another picture with Pippen's face cut out and Jordan's cropped in instead. The two have going back and forth, creating a hilarious duel via Instagram. The two have even started a debate big enough that Sports Center, First Take and other sports talk specials have added it to their scripts. 

This could be a great situation for the sports world to cover. Its going to lead to more drama and action for the media  and will definitely keep the people talking!

LS

NBA VS Medical Pot

Kevin Durant Sparks Movement!

With the recent video that exposed NBA All Star Kevin Durant dropping what appeared to be medical marijuana while leaving a club in LA, has sparked a movement for medical marijuana to be legalized in the NBA. 

Why ruin an athletes career? There are about 20 states, as well as the District of Columbia, that have legalized marijuana for recreational and/or medical purposes. Many feel if the NBA and NFL legalized the one thing that a large majority of their athletes participate in would save many careers and keep less African American athletes out of jail. 

For the NBA, under their terms players caught violating the anti-drug policy, having that they  test positive for marijuana are subject to a five-game suspension for their first offense and a mandatory entrance into league's substance abuse program.  

If players got legitimate prescriptions for medical marijuana many believe it would solve many problems because technically they could partake in smoking weed if it were legal from a NBA and state regulation perspective. According to TMZ, they talked to several NBA players and they all expressed their opinions saying, "players not only want to see the rule changed, but they want the league to legalize the use of medicinal marijuana." -TMZ

Heres the video of Kevin Dropping his medical marijuana…. 

LS

Famous Jameis In More Limbo

Things Getting Crabby For Jameis Literally 

As much as people say there's no such thing as bad publicity, former FSU QB Jameis Winston definitely creates a new bracket for himself. 

From scandal to scandal, the 2013 Heisman Trophy Winner, has been in the spotlight for almost all the wrong reasons, stemming from his off the field drama.

In light of the situation and scandal over the crab legs he faced at FSU, Jameis was featured on the annual NFL Draft Academy, which is a series of one on one interviews with the top mock draftees for the upcoming NFL Draft. 

Last night's episode dropped a bit of a bomb because, Winston changed up his story and explained that an employee from the store he was accused of stealing from, was actually given to him as a gift. 

Publix however, stands by their original statement that Jameis stole the crab legs and walked out. But its a little shady of a situation because Winston is now saying that it's not the first time he's received handouts from the mystery Publix employee. 

But of course now that the truth maybe being aired, Publix is saying, "after the 2014 arrest, they launched an internal investigation and "never came across any evidence that suggests there was an arrangement that Mr. Winston or any other FSU athlete had with an employee." -TMZ

Another item that sticks out is the surveillance video shown in court and online. From a simple viewpoint, it looks like Winston simply walked into the grocery store and picked up an order of crab legs.One could only imagine that if someone was in fact stealing from a store of that size, that they would have walked out a bit more concealed or walked at a quicker pace in fear of being caught... But we'll leave that to the courts.

LS

Manny Pacquiao Using New Bag?

Pacquiao's Camp Adds New Special Speed Bag to Gym

With the fight coming up on May 2, there has been a great deal of media attention directed towards the fighters.

For Mayweather, he's been seen in the media on a different note. The Undefeated World Champion has switched from his usual cocky and arrogant mindset to a focused and humbled one. He's been noted in interviews to giving genuine respect to his opponent Manny Pacquiao and his camp. 

But Manny Pacquiao took a different route with Floyd's face....

 

Some may feel its not a big deal because typically some fighters or athletes will use the image of their opposition as motivation during training leading up to the competition.. but for a boxing bout of this level, it seems like that little stab Manny Pacquiao took today adding the new Floyd Speed Bag might add additional fire to the fight itself. 

The funny thing fact is that the 'Mayweather Bag'  happens to be a gift given Manny Pacquiao.  So deliberate or not, it definitely makes it interesting that he wasn't hesitant to use it during a morning speed bag session because the bag isn't just for looks it was painted with  a special varnish that can withstand most if not any kind of beating. 

Of course, Floyd's camp wasn't going to not take a punch back at Pacquiao saying, "Have fun with your 'Mayweather' punching bag because its the only way your going to beat up Floyd's face."-TMZ

Floyd Maywetaher's Money Team made it clear that yes it was humorous item but the stunt is just sparking more animosity towards Manny Pacquiao.

May 2nd will truly be a spectacular day when the bell rings for the start of the first round, because the entire world will be able to see what this fight means to the two camps. 

LS

Former Patriots TE Now Felon!

Aaron Hernandez Given Guilty Verdict 

Following the Aaron Hernandez Case, today he was found guilty of 1st degree murder for killing Odin Lloyd.  

With the conviction, Hernandez was automatically given a life sentence without the possibility of parole. 

It's very saddening to see a player with such great talent and potential throw it all away over something that was probably so minute it could have been avoided. 

The jurors looked into the case for 6 days and had multiple breaks asked for due to the complexity of the case but ultimately came to a conclusion for the former New Patriots TE. 

Over the years with the New England Patriots, Aaron Hernandez was one of Tom Brady's favorite targets, lining him up at a bunch of different spots to give him the ball and let him work his magic downfield. 

The media attention around the case is similar to those of the Ray Lewis and infamous OJ Simpson, but their cases were on the other side of the fence. 

For Hernandez's fiancé,  Shayanna Jenkins, she was granted immunity for her testimony in court after initially pleading the fifth, she was given the choice to either testify or face jail time for contempt. 

Aaron Hernandez's friends that were also with him at the time of the murder, Carlos Ortiz and Ernest Wallace were also convicted of murder charges. 

More details about the case are to be expected. Condolences go out to the Lloyd family and may his soul rest in peace. 

LS

Complete Rebuild?

Lakers Need All The Help They Can Get

With their fearless leader Kobe Bryant out, the Lakers are in a complete jam not on the court but also from a venue standpoint. The Lakers have been struggling to fill seats in the Staples Center.

Sitting a whopping 22-55 for the regular season, its become apparent that no ones showing up to watch the Purple and Gold. The Lakers organization and the Staples Center have come together to make the executive decision to just cut ticket prices, in hopes of people coming by the mass to watch a game.

The organization has announced they will continue to cut higher priced tickets to have the arena filled.
For an example, the usual $400 tickets -- right behind court side seats -- are going for $119. -TMZ Sports

The idea of cutting the prices down is a simple but great one because if you look at teams like the Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Atlanta Hawks or Cleveland Cavaliers whom are doing well this season all have significantly cheaper ticket prices and tend to relatively have packed arenas for home games.

It wouldn't be logical to make the tickets too cheap but from the standpoint of a team struggling on the court and suffering to have the minimum amount of fans in their arena, it's a great marketing decision for the Los Angeles Lakers to finally make because their average ticket price of 130.00  is up with the New York Knicks, another team struggling on the court.

If this works for the Lakers, the New York Knicks should definitely lower their ticket prices. Although the venue of MSG is indeed a great one, more people would be able to enjoy a Knicks game.

LS

The Game Pushing the Limits Literally

The Game Might Face Big Charges

Rapper the Game might be facing battery charges after punching on off duty police officer in a basketball game. 

TMZ covered the story, states that The Game and the cop were going back in forth during the game but matters quickly escalated when the Game says the cop threatened to get his firearm from his bag. 

Moments later, the Game then punched the officer. Police were called to the scene and investigated the incident.

The funny thing is that celebrities in general, are so quick to flare their tempers and react to situation in irrational ways. Little did Game know who he had punched. Game was under the impression that the individual his attacked was a typical person but it happened to be a L.A.P.D off-duty officer.

On the flip side, the off-duty officer also has issued a statement saying that it was The Game whom issued the threat and punched him and fled the scene.

If the first year officer was actually the one doing the threatening, he could be facing some extreme legal trouble and be in danger of losing his job to say the least. This story could pan out to be extremely interesting.. 

LS

Neymar Angered by Gary Medel's foul

Neymar Calling Match A UFC Fight

With a sport like Major League soccer, the players are known for their Grammy performances leading up to the referee issuing a card. Constantly the players fall over dramatically to the turf for the softest fouls. But as fans of the sport, many still feel the game is one of the most premier and exciting events to witness from a television screen.

Similar to other sports individuals watch, one finds themselves in deifying with their favorite teams and player. With most sports you can almost guess who's going to win. But with professional soccer, it almost forces you to sit and watch in anticipation of a Renaldo goal or Neymar getting heckled before issuing an amazing pass to a teammate finishing through the net.

During the FIFA Worldcup, match after match Neymar was being pushed around on the field. Yesterday, during a friendly match of Brazil vs Chile, Neymar found himself being fouled extremely hard again by Chile's Gary Medel.

Neymar regarded the foul to be of the same aggressiveness as a UFC match. He stated that, "That can't be considered part of the game, no. If we say that is part of the game, then the name [of the sport] is wrong. We can't call it football -- we should call it UFC." -ESPN

LS

Michael Sam Back At Again

Michael Sam Claims He's Not Alone

With as much controversy that has around the National Football League in the past two years, nothing trumped the moment of its first openly gay player reaching the media on a large scale. 

When the news broke that the former SEC Defensive Player of the year was openly gay, it had the sports world shocked because not only was Michael Sam from one of the hardest college football conferences in the nation, he had a great chance to get drafted into the NFL. Some felt that Michael Sam coming out may have hurt his chances of being drafted higher but after his performance at the NFL combine, many felt it showcase he got taken right where he should have been in the 7th round. 

During the draft process, the media was undeniably only focused on Michael Sam being the first openly gay football player. They had little interest in his skills that brought him the title of SEC Defensive Player of the player. The obvious issue was that the NFL isn't a place to be mixed up with the idea of homosexuality and it stirred up huge controversies because of the NFL broadcasting Sam being drafted by the rams and his emotional reaction with his partner.

But this past Friday, Michael Sam hit the sports world with another jaw dropper. Sam in an TMZ interview claimed that he obtained information from a handful of players stating their sexual preferences. 

Michael Sam in the interview stated that, "there are a lot of gay players in the NFL, including some famous people." But Sam says he is swore to secrecy and wont give up any names. -TMZ

He stands behind his claim that there are numerous players in the NFL that have hidden their sexuality for the longest in fear be being ripped by the media and belittled as men. 

Michael Sam's solicitation definitely raises more eyebrows around the league. Now one must ponder if their favorite QB or Defensive Lineman have something big to hide.. Many understand that in life to each its own, but as a huge sports fan, I know personally and worldwide, fans would look at their favorite athlete much differently if they were to come out.. but that's just the society we live in.

LS

Defeated or Undefeated

Princeton Women's Basketball Perfect 

When dealing with women in the sports world, they tend to be overshadowed by their counterparts in that of men's sports. For the longest, women have been trying to preach their importance in what they have to offer to the sports world. As an example of this struggle, you can look at the Princeton women's basketball team.

Most people unless they followed the team intensively wouldn't know that they finished a perfect regular season, winning 30 games by large margins in each outing.Princeton in conference play, won its first half of their games by an average margin of points..but they haven't been all over Sports Center headlines like Kentucky men's basketball team.

On Tuesday, they beat UPENN 55-42 to clinch the IVY Championship. To make matters more interesting, Princeton isn't the only unbeaten women's basketball team that will take part in the NCAA Tournament. After clinching their Ivy League Championship and punching their ticket to the tourney, Princeton became the 15th unbeaten team in.

In a world already consisting of male dominance, many feel sports should be a platform that unites our society instead of adding to the division.

LS

Whats The NFL Off-Season Like?

NFL Off-Season

For most, the goal of reaching the NFL are slim. Once you reach the professional level of any sport, you have the obstacle or remaining with your team or keeping certain endorsements. 

NFL players hate this time of the year because they have to most likely deal with the terms of their contract terms. 

When speaking on terms of being an NFL player, the off-season can be a scary time period, unless your contract is secured and settled. 

During the NFL off-season, many players have surgeries, have to find other means of work to survive a certain lifestyle, and some find themselves in limbo after their contracts are up. They must hope their agents and their seasonal play will either help them keep their jobs or assist them in making more money. 

This season has been a whirlwind for a large majority of players dealing with contracts.

For the Houston Texas all-time career leader (receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns), Andre Johnson has to now find a new home, after spending his entire career with the Texas. 

He requested a trade after slowly finding himself in the passenger seat to that of the young and talented DeAndre Hopkins.



Another eye opener is the LeSean McCoy trade. After spending his entire career, college included in the state of Pennsylvania, the former Philadelphia Eagles RB, that holds the single reason rushing record in 2013 of 1,607, is headed to the Buffalo Bills.  

For the Chicago Bears, their standout WR Brandon Marshall is headed to the NY Jets..

It seems like this year a lot of teams feel they need to rebuild and sign younger players to replace living legends.

So for NFL, this time period between the last game of the season and when OTA's being (organized team activities) start can be extremely stressful to manage.

But for veterans who have been in the NFL for a while, know how difficult the process is and try to to gradually teach younger NFL players the ropes.

LS

Dez Finally Getting Franchise Money !

Dez Is Getting Paid

This past season was only a bit short of greatness for Dallas Cowboys' Allstar WR Dez Bryant. 

From start to finish, Dez was making miraculous catches one after another. Dez Bryant finished the season with a stunning 88 catches for 1,320 yards and 16 touchdowns, which would land him his second Pro Bowl Selection. 

Battling beside the league's best RB DeMarco Murray, Dez Bryant was able to be another standout player in a Cowboys Uniform. 

Some may think Dez was a bit out of line and out of control at times on the sidelines and in the media, but he was trying to get his point across that he should be paid like a franchise receiver because of his stellar play. 

The Cowboys and Bryant were almost on the breach of a nice multi year deal but with the change of Bryant's agents, the two couldn't come to terms. 

So following the 2nd round of the playoffs of this past year, Dez took to social media to explain why he should be paid or be a franchise player. 

Today, Dez got his wish. He is now a franchise WR for the Dallas Cowboys. 

Under the terms of being a franchise player, Dez will be guaranteed a nice $12.823 million. 

Last year, Dez also successfully launched his brand and clothing line titled, "Throw Up The X." 

LS

D. Rose out again?!

 Derrick Rose Tears Meniscus in Right Knee

Over the course of his career, Derrick Rose has battled a bunch of different injuries. 

From his torn ACL to his battles with hamstring and ankle strains, D. Rose has been branded as one of the best point guards to play the game because of his tenacious in game play. 

From his laser sharp awareness and unbelievable jumping ability or unbelievable speed for a 6 ft 3 point guard, he's regarded as a great.

But for some sad reason, D. Rose has been one the athletes pummeled with injuries at the worst times.

This morning more sad news was released by ESPN that Derrick Rose would undergo yet another knee surgery to fix a torn Meniscus in his right knee, just after battling a hamstring and ankle injury recently.

Bulls' Head Coach Tom Thibodeau said this morning that, "I don't know what to say other than it's just so unfair. A guy's been through so much and you know what he's put into it. This one, any time you have surgery it's tough, but hopefully this one will be much shorter than the other ones." 

As a student athlete that has been riddled with different injuries over the course of 4 & 1/2 years of Varsity athletics, I definitely feel the pain that Derrick Rose is going through.

When you battle through so much, it takes a lot out of you to want to keep going..But Derrick has a huge fan backing because of his background, what he does for his neighborhood and his ability to be a great role model on and off the court.

So one can only pray and hope Derrick Rose Bounces back from this knee injury and disappointment. Not only for himself and the Chicago Bulls Organization, but for the game of basketball, we all love to see great athletes compete for the Championship in the summer.

LS

 

Snoop Doggy Dog Goes All Out!

Snoop Dog Throws a Birthday Bash For All-star Son

With all the media attention that stems from being the son of the California Rap Legend Snoop Dog, his All-Star son Cordell Broadus got more limelight thrown his way this weekend. 

Following Cordell Broadus, he just signed his National Letter of Intent to attend UCLA on a football scholarship. Some people feel that it was a publicity stunt, solely because of the other teen mogul Justin Combs, Son of Diddy, who also attends UCLA..But Cordell wanted to start his own way instead of staying so close to home to attend to USC.

Fast forwarding to this weekend, Snoop felt it was only necessary to trow the party of the year for his imminent son of the year. To celebrate Cordell's success, snoop threw a "Coming to America," themed party, based off the Eddie Murphy comedy classic. 

The party was decked out with a lavish dancers, crazy lighting, peddle throwers and a impeccable throne. 

This certainty tops any party most people have seen.  The President of the United States gets a few bottles of nice wine..

Here's the TMZ footage..

LS

 

More Drama from Brennan Clay

Months back,  former Oklahoma Sooner running back accused his former team mate, All-Pro Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray of having  an affair with his wife. 

Like a young person, Clay took to social media, posting tweets and images of what he believed to be text messages being exchanged from his wife and DeMarco Murray during the summer.

It seemed like the drama was over, but yesterday the media learned that Brennan Clay lost it literally! TMZ covered the story, saying that Clay reportedly,  was arrested for assault after allegedly terrorizing his spouse. 

On January 27th, Brennan Clay was arrested in Dallas. Cops on the scene and were told by his wife that Clay, broke into the room and began beating the life out of her, for a better choice of words. 

The office police report states that Brennan Clay, threw her on the kitchen counter, dragged her downstairs, dragged her through shrubbery and then began to choke her. 

Clay then, "brought her back into the house and "began punching and throwing her around the residence." 

Luckily, Brennan Clay's wife Gina was able to reach a phone and call the authorities. The police were able to later locate Clay and arrest him on assault charges. 

The NFL will definitely have their hands full with yet another domestic assault case. 

LS

Maurice Clarett Free At Last !

Former College Football All-star Maurice Clarett Off Probation

Many may remember Clarett as the former Ohio State football superstar. Today he was released from his 5 year probation sentencing stemming from robbery and weapons convictions in 2006. 

Maurice Clarett said in court today that he is "finally ready to start the "next chapter" of his life." Whether it be trying to get his sports career back on track, try a corporate job or even try working in a department store, its great to see a man that was shackled with everything that could go wrong change his life and think positively. 

In his era, Maurice Clarett  was collectively considered the best NCAA football player in the country. Clarett robbed two people at gunpoint in 2006,  allegedly, with a .45 caliber handgun, Clarett robbed two people and then escaped in a white SUV with two unidentified persons. Clarett reportedly got away with only a cell phone valued at $150 belonging to one of the victims. Later that year Clarett got busted with 4 guns and a hatchet in his car.  

The  former Ohio State Buckeyes running back was then sentenced to more than 7 years in prison, but was released in 2010 and given 5 more years of probation. 

But today, the 31-year-old appeared in an Ohio courtroom where the judge officially ended his probation two months early. 

According to the Columbus Dispatch, the judge praised Clarett during the hearing as one of the "truly, truly wonderful success stories I've had as a judge." 

The judge also added, "I am not rewarding Mr. Clarett ... Mr. Clarett is rewarding himself by what he accomplished during probation." 

LS

More Than a Kiss Coach? Bill Belichick Locks Lips with Daughter

Growing up some parents found a simple kiss on the lips of their children to be a nice expression of love. Over time, some still have continued this behavior until their children reach the age where its more acceptable to give cheek kisses. 

But for Superbowl XLIX winner, Bill Belichick it was a different story. From the outside looking in, many were at awe and some even a bit grossed out from his actions during the post game celebration. 

A normal person would think this image appears very controversial, as if there's extremely more than a lovingly father daughter type of relationship. To me it seems extremely weird because they look to be into it alittle more than a small child and their father.

NY Post covered the story from the angle of Bill Belichick being just very "emotional after such a hard fought game." But the type of kiss he gave his 30 year old daughter ! The kiss he gave his daughter was one maybe given to his spouse.

Some people went to Twitter to express their disgust and loss of respect for Bill Belichick saying, "That’s not right..." , "Lost all respect for Bill Belichick after that kiss." 

I understand kisses and hugs are great expressions of emotion, but in this case one eyebrow is definitely raised at one of the greatest coaches ever.

LS

Stuart Scott, Gone but Never Forgotten

The Sports World Mourns it's love one, Stuart Scott

Growing up, I became a bit of a sports junkie.  Waking up and sitting on the couch to watch Sports Center, became a every weekend thing. There was a guy on the show that seemed to be very different compared to the other anchors, but he seemed to draw you in. I grew up play a bunch of sports. Anything sports related or that you kept score in, my friends and I were involved in. From watching Stuart Scott and the urge to one day be on Sports Center, I made it my lifetime goal to go on a play college sports and make it to the pros in some form or fashion. 

The more I watched Sports Center, the more my love for sports grew. Eventually, I found myself as a full scholarship athlete at one of the most prestigious Universities in the United States. At Fordham University I pushed my way to a significant roll as a football squad and a participant of the Track & Field Team.

But mainly, Stuart Scott taught me that you should be different. He influenced me greatly to pick something your good at and succeed in it and don't pay too much attention to your naysayers but mainly to the people who genuinely support you. Throughout my sports career, I've kept that message in the back of my mind. Similarly to Stuart Scott, I've had my fair share of ups and downs. From season ending injuries, to loved ones passing in crucial times of my life. From his work as an African American journalist, I grew a passion for writing and chose a major that would help me broaden my skills. As a near college graduate, majoring in Communications and Media Studies, Stuart Scott gave me the motivation to create my blog. With Stu, he wasn't afraid to take risks and he was extremely real. I've learned you have to be very opinionated and genuine. From watching Stuart Scott, I realized that anything is possible. He was able to survive and put his twist on journalism as a whole.

From his "radical" approach to sports, his urban mannerisms, rap references and just great at being cool, Stuart Scott became an important part of Sports Center. Through his work, he not only made a young kid from Ft Worth, Texas laugh and love sports, but everyone who watched him grew a liking for his work.

Stuart Scott paved his way with his crafty catchphrases, like "Booyah and Cooler than the other side of the pillow." Some people viewed his style of journalism and urban way of speaking as way left. Compared to his counterparts on a white American sports journalism network, he was dramatically different in his approach to Sportscasting. Stuart Scott never once faked who he was. On and off air, Stuart Scott can be recognized as one of the most influential, charismatic, energized, heart warming human beings on Sports television.

Stuart Scott was brought to ESPN to appeal to a more youthful and diverse audience, and he nailed it! From any point of view, when you think ESPN, you think Stuart Scott. As an african American , he became one of the most influential and popular faces of sports journalism. Over his close to 20 years on ESPN, he quickly grabbed the attention and appeal of its millions of viewers from every demographic you can think of.

Stuart Scott would typically cover sports with most African Americans, like the NFL & NBA but transitioned to covering any sport featured on ESPN.

The Vice President of ESPN, Al Jaffe,  knew that Stuart Scott's style was dramatic and different but people would just have to learn to adapt and love because he simply was changing how they covered sports. His right hand man, buddy on air and fellow news anchor described Scott to be nothing short of greatness. Stan Verrett called him a trailblazer, " Not only because he was black obviously, but because of his style, his demeanor, his presentation. He did not shy away from the fact that he was a black man, and that allowed the rest of us who came along to just be ourselves." --ESPN

This past Sunday, January 4, 2015, was one of the saddest days in history next to the death of Michael Jackson. Stuart Scott had been dealing with Cancer for close to 7 years. Time after time, Stu was able to kick Cancer's ass and continue the good fight as one of the most popular newscasters ever. But during his speech at this past years ESPY Awards, many knew it was only a matter of time because he didn't look like the same strong and energetic Stu. In fact, he had had several surgeries leading up to the awards ceremony and many didn't think he'd be able to make the trip. But knowing who we were dealing with, many weren't surprised to see Stuart Scott walk up that stage and deliver a momentous message.

He left us with the words,"When you die, that does not mean that you lose to cancer," he said that day. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live and in the manner in which you live. So live and fight like hell. And when you get too tired to fight, then lay down and rest and let somebody else fight for you. That’s also very, very important. I can’t do this 'Don’t give up thing' all by myself."-- Stuart Scott

Stuart Scott's ESPY speech was very influential and heartwarming. As an African American, his words were dramatically touching. As a mentor and an icon for the African American community, he was able to create the message that we should all have hope in any circumstance and continue our paths to success. Stuart Scott embraced raced and a sense of style that every person could relate to. He created a much different view of blacks in the mainstream media and proved that anything is possible.

Hit hard and saddened by the loss, many feel the sadness as one of our angels taken to Heaven. Stuart Scott left a legacy that many can only strive to touch the surfaces of. Prayers and deepest condolences go out to his family and loved ones. May God bless his soul and the people he touched.

Rest Easy Stuart Scott.

July 19, 1965 - January 4, 2105

LS