Stuart Scott, a sportscaster and anchor on ESPN's SportsCenter, died Jan. 4 at the age of 49. Here is one local woman's remembrance of a chance encounter.
Thank you, Mr. Scott. My kid listened to you.
Only once in my life have I ever sought a souvenir from a celebrity. It was in a Phoenix restaurant in 2004 where I was enjoying a girls’ weekend with my husband’s sisters.
My chance encounter with fame would never have happened if not for my sister-in-law, Mary, who was sitting directly to my left that night. A lover of all sports, Mary pointed out a young man at the table next to us: "It’s Stuart Scott of ESPN."
I knew nothing about Scott but I knew everything about my son, Charlie.
Charlie, like Mary and unlike me, simply devoured sports night and day. You always knew when Charlie was home by the blaring of the rhythmic opening music for SportsCenter.
At the time of this evening in Phoenix, Charlie was 15. There are few things in the world a mom can do to impress a 15-year-old son but clearly, at the next table, sat one.
Putting myself in pushy mom mode, I passed Scott a note: “Are you the SportsCenter guy? And will you autograph this for our son, Charlie? Thank You!”
Scott asked me over to his table. “Let’s call him.”
My husband had to wake Charlie. I couldn’t hear the conversation, but I did finish the call.
“I don’t think he believes it's you,” I told Scott.
We took a picture together, and he wrote on my humble piece of nightstand notepaper from the Scottsdale Resort & Conference Center: “Charlie, Do your homework BooYah, Stuart Scott. ESPN.”
Scott understood the stratosphere he was placing me as a parent.
On a Sunday night, just after Stuart Scott died, Charlie came over for family dinner. I asked him to bring that piece of paper, which is now framed. Charlie said he told many friends that day about what happened in Phoenix. Once again, I was a cool mom.
Charlie plans on re-framing the note with a nice photograph of Scott and displaying it in his Man Cave of a home he talks about buying someday.
Charlie says his groggy state of that nighttime telephone call hinders much of his memory of his talk with Scott. He does remember it wasn’t sports they talked about - it was school.
The imprint on Charlie is that Scott was a good man with values and standards. He was someone to emulate.
He did his homework. Actually, at age 25, he is still doing it. Charlie will receive a law degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City this May.
To you, Mr. Scott, I can only say: BooYah.
BooYah, indeed.
Debra Skodack Burnes is a mother of three who lives in Westwood, Kan.