Rich, Max & Stu

It’s been a rough 7 months for sports media, especially in the Dallas-Ft. Worth market. Today, it got even tougher with the news that longtime ESPN anchor Stuart Scott has passed away. I didn’t always like what Stuart did as far as his on air catch phrases, but I never hated him. He tried things, some I loved, some I didn't. Looking back he was finding himself on air and now I realize that I was witnessing a great man finding his own voice right in front of me. He wasn’t afraid to experiment right in front of millions on television. That took guts. The kind of guts he displayed in his everyday life and his battle with cancer. The loss of Stuart Scott is a tremendous one for anyone who watched ESPN regularly or any of us that grew up watching him nightly on SportsCenter with Rich Eisen.

I admire Stuart for what he did both in front of us on tv and how he dealt with his illness, loved his daughters and the stories we hear about how he treated people everyday. The outpouring of love is tremendous today. As my friend Mac Engel said, “It’s too bad he [Stuart] never did hear all of the great things said about him.” From all accounts Mr. Scott was an amazing man; the type of person any sports fan would want to meet.....me included. Stuart Scott changed ESPN, for the better.

We also lost Max Morgan in the past few months. Max was a huge talent on the news at FOX 4 in Dallas. A staple of sports reporting for many, many years. Max was a beloved figure who always had a smile on his face. Max Morgan was always welcome in my home via the television and someone who always entertained me with his knowledge of sports and his style which was friendly. That booming voice was music to my ears. That smile warmed my heart. That catchphrase: “Hello Dallas-Ft. Worth, let’s talk sports,” warned me it was time to pay attention. We miss you Max.

And of course we lost Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com, a friend of mine. I’ve already told my stories of Richard including interactions we had and discussions on the phone with him. It still bothers me. It really bothers me. As a matter of fact I haven’t gotten over it. I find myself drifting to things Richard wrote or said to me. Lately it’s been more and more often. I’ve been short and irritable lately. The fact I’m not closer to Dallas compounded with the fact I was unable to attend any of the services or tributes to Richard eats at me like a sickness. Which is exactly what Richard wouldn’t do. I miss you, buddy. I’ll do better.

The loss of these men is hard to take. If you are an aspiring journalist, you can learn a lot from these three amazing people.

Today, somewhere in Heaven, there is a football game. Stuart Scott is hosting the pre-game show. Richard Durrett will write a column about the game and Max Morgan will tell everyone about it on the evening news.