On a personal level, John was incredibly generous to me when I succeeded him as the Seahawks beat reporter at the Tacoma News Tribune many years ago. ", Poet. She is a regular contributor to ESPN's "The Jump" and NBA Today, where she serves as a co-host alongside Michael Wilbon. On August 10, 2016, John Saunders collapsed on his bathroom floor and died. Warrior. Guillermo Celis. For much of those twenty years, public service and campaigns have kept me from my family -- but wherever I went, I could flip on the TV and Stu and his colleagues on SportsCenter were there. His marriage to Kimberly Scott, the mother of their daughters, came to an end. Our friendship was special. It was the Wild West of sports coverage. I just liked it. "I never ask what stage I'm in," Stuart told Sandomir. Clayton's appearance included a spot where he appeared as he would on SportsCenter, in a coat and tie, before he tore both off to reveal a Slayer T-shirt, let down his long hair, jumped on a bed and shouted, "Hey ma, I'm done with my segment.''. And Mees, along with Chris Berman and Bob Ley, would be the trailblazers. He was 67 years old. the double nickel that sliced the knicks at their knees The best insights from the ultimate insiders, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, ESPNs First Take completely dismisses Rangers, ESPN star calls out Deion Sanders over parent comments, Penny Hardaway slams ESPN analysts unfair joke about Memphis star, ESPN anchor defends himself after misogynistic clip surfaces. We loved John. Our friendship was special.. From 1979 to 1987, Mees worked exclusively as a lead anchor for the networks nightly highlight news show, SportsCenter. WAIT Her death was announced on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017 by The Associated Press. The Steelers called Clayton "a Pittsburgh media icon.". ESPNs Linda Cohn Makes Millions Annually and Has a Substantial Net Worth. Cari is an American broadcast journalist who has worked as an anchor for ESPN's flagship program, SportsCenter, and as the host of ESPN2's First Take. McClure died at his home near Atlanta, Georgia, this week, ESPN announced on Thursday. The two were set to be married in April. ", "Yes, he brought hip-hop into the conversation," says Harris, "but I would go further than that. Joe Valerio, who produced The Sports Reporters for nearly three decades, has died at the age of 71, from cancer. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. I found him to be one of the few people in this business who is actually much nicer off TV than he is on. He died three days after being moved to intensive care. He was publishing stories as recently as last week. Stuart Scott, a longtime anchor at ESPN, died at the age of 49. The confines of a studio could not hold Stuart. Relive one of the best This is SportsCenter commercials of all time, featuring hard rock fan John Clayton. He had a spirit and energy, and, dare I say, a sense of purity in his love of sports and his delivering of the evenings news through the TV to his fellow sports fans that all of us envy to this day. Among the features of the new ESPN studio in Bristol is a wall of catchphrases made famous by on-air talent over the . Soccer Play-By-Play Voice. "It has helped me knowing that his passing was inevitable, and Im at least grateful he didnt have to go through the painful treatment and drawn out process of battling the disease,'' Katy Berteau wrote about Edward Aschoff's condition. "He was that good. Recalls Eisen: "He would write down the catchphrases on the specific portion of the highlight, so I would watch him do this, and it wasn't 'Boo-Yah,' it was 'Boo-Yow.' NFL commissioner Roger Goodell honored Clayton as a "wonderful person" who "earned my tremendous respect and admiration as a journalist. not scoring titles and-MVPs, He was a natural morphing between an anchor on SportsCenter to doing play-by-play on a variety of sports, including college football, college basketball, and the NHL. Stuart Scott, the ESPN anchor and reporter whose catchphrases became part of the American popular sports vernacular for the past two decades, died Sunday morning after a lengthy battle with. In 1972, after graduating from the University of Delaware, Tom Mees took a path similar to other aspiring sports journalists when he started his career as a sports reporter for WILM-AM radio station in Wilmington. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. Stuart and Steve Levy share one personal career highlight: Taking "SportsCenter" to Camp Arifjan in Kuwait in 2004. His brain was donated to Mt. Olivia Harlan Dekker via Facebook. Dylan Lyons, a Spectrum News 13 reporter, was killed on Feb. 22 when a gunman opened fire on him and photojournalist Jesse Walden who was critically injured as they sat in their car in the Pine Hills neighborhood of Orlando. He spoke to the very athletes he was talking about with a flair and a style that ESPN president John Skipper says, "changed everything. Jon Champion. "I never found him without a statistic to back up what he was saying," says Patrick. It became must-see TV. Clayton also wrote for several outlets, including the Washington Post, in recent years after his long stint at ESPN, and had been the sideline reporter for the Seahawks radio network for five seasons. Clayton spent over a decade at the Tacoma (Wash.) News Tribune before a more than 20-year run at ESPN. Clayton worked for the. He was 49. But they are only one aspect of his legacy. While Mees focused on hockey, he also worked in other sports, including college basketball, college football, and MLB. She was honored with the prestigiouc Croix de Guerre. A Manson Family follower, she helped put Charles Manson behind bars. Alexander COVID News-Dr. Paul Elias Alexander's Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. "He had that great balance of being entertaining and being right.". John Clayton, whose list of contacts in the NFL was matched only by his attention to detail and dedication to his craft, died Friday in Washington after a brief illness, his family said. He defied convention and criticism to help bring this network into a new century. Clayton wrote for multiple newspapers early in his career, including The Pittsburgh Press and The Tacoma News Tribune in Washington, before joining ESPN in 1996. He has been a regular contributor for TODAY.com since 2011, producing news stories and features across the trending, pop culture, sports, parents, pets, health, style, food and TMRW verticals. He brought so much to the party, and he will continue to do so, through the people he inspired, and the language that he liberated, and the audience that will remember him. "No matter how big he got, no matter how bad it got, he never changed. The Seahawks also confirmed the news and expressed their condolences. Over time, as the network adjusted its coverage, Mees found himself working in different capacities. ", That man is Stuart Scott, and his contributions to the sports lexicon are writ large. He was one of the early advocates for the NCAA Ice Hockey on ESPN and was influential in the growth of the Frozen Four, the NCAA Hockeys championship tournament. Below is a list of former ESPN employees who have confirmed their departures via social media (this list will continue to be updated). Clayton's close friend Jeff Muzzy announced the news of Clayton's death on Twitter on March 18, 2022, in an emotional statement. He was 38. Stuart and I were both patriotic, but this took it to a whole new level of respect for what our men and women in uniform go through. Stuart would bring you a beer and introduce you to Tiger or Michael or Peyton. All of this combined is what led to his very rapid decline those last few days, and ultimately his passing.. "I will miss Stuart Scott. Coffins of the victims of last Sunday's shipwreck are lined up at the local sports hall in Crotone, southern Italy, Wednesday, March 1, 2023. He never slipped. In addition to that, as a Tennis Channel reporter too. He was also a mainstay during ESPNs coverage of the biggest sporting events like the college football national championship, where he would stand on the stage under the falling confetti and interview the winning coach and players. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images) John. John Clayton, one of the most prominent national NFL reporters who worked at ESPN for over 20 years, died on Friday. Our condolences to his wife Pat, family, colleagues and his many friends.". The Nigeria Police Command in Rivers has confirmed that 12 persons died in an early Friday morning explosion in the Rumuekpe community of Emoha Local Government Area of the state. [Later] I said, 'Stu, maybe you were the Swami. Once the century rolled over, he did pretty much everything, hosting game shows and New Year's Eve specials, sitting down with President Obama, and becoming the guiding light for NBA and NFL coverage. '", His offer of friendship took on a deeper meaning for ESPN vice president Tim Scanlan: "When he found out that my wife had the same type of cancer he had, he was one of the first people to reach out to me and offer help. Police later said that was not the case. He inspired his colleagues with his sheer talent, his work ethic and his devotion to his daughters, Taelor, 19, and Sydni, 15. She is publicly vocal but equally powerful. He later covered the Indiana Pacers for the Indianapolis . An amazing nine of them belong to one man -- from his signature "Boo-Yah!" The fiance of ESPN college football reporter Edward Aschoff shared that his sudden death at 34 on Christmas Eve was actually caused by stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and not pneumonia, as doctors previously thought. But I wasn't. The perfect tummy control bodysuit, a popcorn gadget, more bestsellers starting at $8. "It has helped me knowing that his passing was inevitable, and Im at least grateful he didnt have to go through the painful treatment and drawn out process of battling the disease,'' she wrote. People were stopping us every two feet. IE 11 is not supported. He was 61. When I realized I could do it, that I could jump from the bridge, I got scared. In 1987, when ESPN signed a contract with the NHL, Mees took on the responsibility of host for NHL broadcasts. To this day no one knows exactly what happened. Fellow anchor Chris Berman remembered Mees years later as ESPN celebrated its 50,000th SportsCenter. John was family to me. He was just one of the first guys to say, 'Hey, I'm going to play golf, wanna come with me? It's this ineffable way Stuart had of welcoming you to the party, bringing you into his confidence, making sure you were having a good time. Fontaine's former club Reims announced Fontaine's death on Wednesday, March 1, 2023. We will miss you, John.. I made my way through the first layer of obstruction and got close enough to see the river below. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer that forms in the lymph system, which is part of the immune system that helps the body fight infection and disease, according to the National Cancer Institute. For full obituary and coverage from Legacy.com, click . In announcing the findings of a post-mortem lung biopsy, fiancee Katy Berteau said Wednesday: He would have wanted everyone to know that something way bigger than pneumonia took him down., Both pneumonia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma can trigger HLH in the body, and that is seemingly what happened with Edward, she said. In 1978, Mees moved to Tallahassee, Florida, and simultaneously moved to another medium. When she arrived next door, she discovered her husband lying on the bottom of the pool. ESPN's Rachel Michele Nichols is an American sportswriter, reporter, and TV journalist. ", "He's a great, great dad," says Ramsey. VETERAN NFL and ESPN reporter John Clayton, who appeared in a famed SportsCenter commercial, has passed away at 67. Clayton continued to cover the Seahawks for ESPN Radios Seattle affiliate after departing the Mothership. Since that night, "You beat cancer by how you live" has become a rallying cry for millions of patients and their families. XFL Week 3 preview: Can AJ McCarron, Battlehawks continue their fourth-quarter heroics? His plan B was the next best thing to playing sports, and that was covering them. Olivia Harlan Dekker. I'll never forget when one person went up to Stuart and me and said, 'Hey, wow, Stuart Scott!' For those not up on their Tchaikovsky, Uncle Drosselmeyer is the toymaker who brings the tableau to life at midnight -- sort of what Stuart did in Bristol. ", "John Clayton, one of the first 'Insiders,' helped bring fans closer to the game they loved," Goodell said in a statement. Unfortunately, the injury in 2011 and the mistakes that followed exacerbated his depression. For years, he and Rich Eisen would do just that on the 1 a.m. "SportsCenter," a show that made its way to the next day's water cooler thanks to their chemistry -- and repeated viewings. ", Father. And one of his best moments off the air came when a producer suggested he change a reference on his NBA show from Omega Psi Phi, the fraternity of Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal, to something more universal, like Animal House. "I have friends who have no idea what that movie is about," Stuart told him. And he sat there for my kid. At least 67 people, including 14 minors, died when . Yes, there was an Ebony and Ivory theme to their show, but more importantly, they were two young sports nuts playing off one another for the benefit of other young sports nuts. Once he got into the show, you just forgot about everything, and it was just Stuart Scott doin' 'SportsCenter,' havin' fun. FILE - Soccer legend Pele, of Brazil, feeds French soccer legend Just Fontaine, left, with a soccer ball cake Sunday, July 5, 1998 in Paris.French soccer great Just Fontaine, whose 1958 record of 13 goals scored during a World Cup still stands, has . "But once he sat down in the chair he would just start to click in and get that zero focus 'Where's this guy from?' Rosaforte was only . He had recently contracted pneumonia, according to his social media posts. "Both pneumonia and non-Hodgkins lymphoma can trigger HLH in the body and that is seemingly what happened with Edward. I realized that killing myself this way would take more effort than I had anticipated. He was 67. Ted S. Warren/AP File Photo. For all his fame, Stuart was buds with everybody in Bristol, be they production assistants or co-hosts or executives. (Rich Arden/ESPN Images via AP), CNN Anchor's Baby Arrived in Most Surprising Way, Report: Fox Has 'Soft Ban' on Trump Appearances, Florida Looks to Crack Down on Political Bloggers, Trump Responds to Rupert Murdoch's Testimony, Radio Station Shares 'Incredibly Worrisome' Update on Missing DJ, Murdoch Acknowledges Hosts Endorsed False Election Claim, Kimmel Responds to Report Trump Tried to Censor Him, Elon Musk Weighs In as Dilbert Fallout Continues, Newspapers Cancel Dilbert Over Racial Commentary, Patricia Heaton Has Incredible Response to Don Lemon, Shooting Victim Credits Fellow Journalist for Saving His Life, initially hospitalized with multifocal pneumonia, Judge's Sentencing Remark Shows Murdaugh Family Pull, Looks Like It's the End for One of DC's 'Greatest Mysteries', 'It Looked Like He Was Basically Sliding Down the Mountain', Woman Declared Dead Decades Ago Suddenly Turns Up. Despite his digital critics, Saunders pushed forward. ESPN's Linda Cohn Makes Millions Annually and Has a Substantial Net Worth On August 14, 1996, Tom Mees and his two young daughters headed next door to the neighbor's house for some fun in the sun at the swimming pool. https://t.co/QbBsi9bg4j, Also memorable were Clayton's appearances on "This is SportsCenter" commercials for ESPN, which to this day are among the best of the popular segments. "Listen to his lead-ins," says Buccigross. Grant Wahl, one of the best known football writers in the United States, died early Saturday while covering the World Cup match between Argentina and the Netherlands. 1. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Then the guy looks at me and goes, 'And the white guy. But then you think to turn the pillow over, and, wow, it's cool, and it feels so good. He was only the second former NFL player to own a team. Even I encouraged him to maybe take a more traditional approach, but he had a strong conviction about who he wanted to be, and the voice he wanted to project, and clearly, he was right, and we were wrong. "It's the highest honor any writer covering this sport can receive,'' Clayton said at the time. Learning the new information seemed to bring some comfort to Berteau. Clayton was also a longtime member of the Board of Selectors for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I'm trying to fight it the best I can. to "As cool as the other side of the pillow" to "He must be the bus driver cuz he was takin' him to school. Then along came the Apollo astronauts, like Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick, Rich Eisen and Stuart. He went out and did a piece on the rodeo, and he nailed it just like he would nail the NBA Finals for ESPN. "He just takes so much pride in the girls, and you can't see him without him taking out his phone and showing you a video of Taelor or Sydni singing or dancing or playing soccer. '', Clayton received the profession's highest honor, now known as the Bill Nunn Memorial Award, in 2007. That's partly why he starred in so many "This is 'SportsCenter'" commercials, alongside Tiger, Kobe, Keyshawn, LeBron, Mr. Met and Chad Johnson, who rejected Stuart's idea for a touchdown celebration with "Boo-No!