He also hosted the popular Sunday morning sports roundtable show called the Sports Reporters since 2001. "He bulldozed the envelope.". All rights reserved. Clayton began working at ESPN in 1995 covering the NFL. 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. ", That man is Stuart Scott, and his contributions to the sports lexicon are writ large. The reporter's cause of death was not revealed. John Saunders was a proud Canadian. Four former PetSmart employees are being charged in connection with the death of a CBS Sports reporter's dog that was allegedly strangled during a grooming visit in November. Read more in our, This undated photo provided by ESPN images shows ESPN college football reporter Edward Aschoff. Initial reports indicated Mees had jumped into the pool to save one of his daughters. 2:29. Police later said that was not the case. "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. Thanks for contacting us. 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. Karen Hudson-Samuels, 68, worked for over four decades in Detroit as an anchor, producer . Follow Boston.com on Instagram (Opens in a New Tab), Follow Boston.com on Twitter (Opens in a New Tab), Like Boston.com on Facebook (Opens in a New Tab). Most recently, he worked for the Seattle Sports 710 radio station for the past 14 years. ", Worker. ", His career path took him from Florence to Raleigh, North Carolina, to Orlando, Florida, and in his pre-ESPN clips, you can feel his energy, hear his music and sense his on-camera charisma. 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. They had entertaining chemistry in the nerd vs. jock genre. Raw and honest, powerful and indelible. Saunders stood up too quickly, blacked out, fell backward on the tile floor, and hit his head. He was 49 years old. "In the fall of '95 I asked him if he wanted to go to my high school homecoming football game in Greenwich, Conn., and he said, 'Sure, let's go.' He started giving me advice and I in turn would talk to my wife. Doctors also diagnosed him with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare autoimmune disorder, after bone marrow and lung biopsies. His love for football never wavered from those early days. Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada. (CNN) The death of ESPN reporter Edward Aschoff on his 34th birthday was puzzling to many: How could pneumonia kill a young person who had been in good health? A fast and unbiased roundup of whats happening in the world today. He worked for a year at WECA-TV covering the sports scene, including the Florida State Seminoles and other Florida-area sports teams. 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! So I told my supervisors at ESPN that I was in the hospital for my diabetes, which gave me more incentive to get out soon before I had to blow my cover.. He was 34 . It didn't hit me until that moment that this guy was making an impact.". Sports writer and commentator Frank Deford, who won awards for his work with Sports Illustrated magazine and NPR, has died at 78. Alex Flanagan: (1998-2006), now a reporter for the NFL Network and NBC Sports; Peter Gammons: (1990-2009), MLB reporter for ESPN, now in same capacity for the MLB Network; Hank Goldberg: (1993-2022) Miami-based bureau reporter; died on July 4, 2022; Pedro Gomez: (2003-2021) West Coast based reporter; died on February 7, 2021 Ive often said John would be the guy who would stop everything he was doing to make sure anyone would have everything they needed. pic.twitter.com/6x7HPsZqZn, "I wanted to provide an update about Edwards passing that may help people in processing it and making a little more sense of what happened," she wrote. His ass was too vain." 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. Which non-quarterback group will define each top-25 team's season? I go back out on the floor, say, 'Give me the damn ball,' Stuart D's me up, make the shot, walk off the floor and go to the emergency room because I chipped a vertebrae. He would spell it out B-O-O dash Y-O-W. 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. The Indiana native was prominent in the chronicling of sports in his home state for nearly . Name. 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"Listen to his lead-ins," says Buccigross. SaharaReporters . The two were set to be married in April. Pat has asked theSeahawksto release further information.. Clayton worked for the. (AP file photo) Bill Conlin, the legendary former Philadelphia sports columnist whose career came to a crashing end 25 months ago after he was accused of . Reporter Jeff Dickerson, who covered the Chicago Bears for two decades during his tenure at ESPN, died Tuesday from complications from colon cancer. But after I got out of my car and walked to the side I encountered girders and fences designed to keep people from jumping. I'm not sure the dance steps were up to Baryshnikov, but certainly the intentions were.". They took us to the moon and left the rest of us to fly the space shuttle.". Stephen Smith murder case has recently gotten new attention. Here's everything we know, The paths of KD and Kyrie: How one month changed three franchises and two superstar legacies, From bubble struggles to NCAA seed improvement, why these final weekend games matter, Foden's return to form helps mask De Bruyne's troubles, Nelson sends Arsenal into euphoria with last-gasp winner over Bournemouth. He spent the next six months in therapy relearning how to walk, talk, read, and write. ESPN NFL reporter Jeff Dickerson has died aged 44 from complications of colon cancer. '", The person most responsible for bringing Stuart to Bristol was Al Jaffe, ESPN's vice president for talent, who was looking for sportscasters who might appeal to a younger audience for ESPN2. 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. The sports network said Aschoff died after "a brief illness," and called the reporter's death "devastating" in a statement. Take a look at these 30 hottest ESPN female reporters who may not be famous names yet, but they are rising in the industry thanks to their good looks and great reporting skills. "I mean his girls mean everything to him. "We will all miss your words and brilliance @JohnClaytonNFL #RIPJohnClayton," Wilson wrote in a tweet, as he and former colleagues and friends of Clayton took to social media Friday night to offer remembrances. There's so much information and analytical stuff, it's phenomenal.''. He has been a weekly guest on my radio show for years. General. In those early days, as ESPN would lose, then regain its contract with the NHL, Mees served as the main NHL host during the season, while anchoring the SportsCenter desk during the offseason. 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 wife Pat and sister Amy were at his side and communicated. Taylor Twellman is leaving ESPN, so what will he do next? Clayton, nicknamed "The Professor," was one of the country's foremost NFL insiders in a five-decade career that included over 20 years with ESPN. BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) ESPN college football reporter Edward Aschoff, known for his outgoing and friendly personality, dapper dress and great love of sports, has died. 'Who has the most triples of all time?' LOS ANGELES ESPN reporter Ed Aschoff, who covered the Southeastern Conference college sports for the network, died Tuesday after a battle of pneumonia. Alexander COVID News-Dr. Paul Elias Alexander's Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. We got there mid-first quarter, and we just kind of walked up to the sidelines, and one by one, the kids start comin' over to him. Edward Aschoff's fiancee, Katy Berteau, took to Twitter to explain the sequence of events that led to Aschoff's sudden decline and Christmas Eve death, USA Today reports. ", Occasionally, Stuart would give a shout-out to Sydni's soccer team, but that was easy compared to another commitment he made to his daughters. Michael Dwyer - staff, AP. ESPN issued a statement, . We will all miss John greatly. We've received your submission. On August 10, 2016, John Saunders collapsed on his bathroom floor and died. David Benner, who spent nearly 30 years as the director of media relations for the Indiana Pacers, died Wednesday after a long illness. ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz confirmed Durrett's death Tuesday night, but said . NBA and Men's College Basketball Analyst. What I love about it is there's so much more stuff we didn't have access to years ago and now we do -- the salary information, NFL Game Rewind where you can watch coaches tape. 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. "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?' According to ESPN, Dickerson died at the same hospice facility where Caitlin died. He inspired his colleagues with his sheer talent, his work ethic and his devotion to his daughters, Taelor, 19, and Sydni, 15. 'The Professor' was a friend to so many in our business. [Later] I said, 'Stu, maybe you were the Swami. But then you think to turn the pillow over, and, wow, it's cool, and it feels so good. I will miss him deeply. Nobody could ever say he didn't work hard, or labor over his "SportsCenter" lead-ins. "NBA Countdown" anchor Sage Steele remembers the day last year when her family moved from Connecticut to Arizona to be closer to her show in Los Angeles: "The moving trucks were at my house, and Stuart was there with his girlfriend Kristin to say goodbye to us, and my 10-year-old son Nicholas had to say goodbye to his best friend across the street, and he came back sobbing, sobbing, leaving his best friend in the world. He brought in the barber shop, the church, R&B, soul music. The Seahawks also confirmed the news and expressed their condolences. Clayton's close friend Jeff Muzzy announced the news of Clayton's death on Twitter on March 18, 2022, in an emotional statement. XFL Week 3 preview: Can AJ McCarron, Battlehawks continue their fourth-quarter heroics? At the time of his death, Mees was just 46. I just liked it. Behind the scenes, no one knew, including his co-workers and management at ESPN, that John Saunders battled life-long depression. As a youth, he was very successful and received a hockey scholarship to play at Western Michigan University. A memorable and original voice over the past two decades, Scott was known for his colorful. He won gold medals in pole vault at the 1952 and 1956 Summer Olympics. Patrick remembers an epic basketball game at the YMCA. "I never found him without a statistic to back up what he was saying," says Patrick. He was a technician when it came to that sort of thing. "After his passing, the hospital received the final results from his lung biopsy. He also contributed stories for KKFN-FM (104.3 FM) in Denver since February of last year. but the THING that makes "best ever" SING 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. "He'd be tired," says anchor John Buccigross. Stuart Scott, a longtime anchor at ESPN, died at the age of 49. Edward Aschoff's fiancee shares the full story of his untimely death. The Jupiter resident was 66. 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. "I recently told that story on the air. A popular television news anchor with NBC New York, Katherine Creag, has died suddenly, the station announced. And he took Nicholas aside and just sat down with him and described his moving away as a kid, losing his best friend as a 10-year-old boy and how he handled it. There were a few downs mixed in with the ups, though. He went out and did a piece on the rodeo, and he nailed it just like he would nail the NBA Finals for ESPN. '", 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. "Both pneumonia and non-Hodgkins lymphoma can trigger HLH in the body and that is seemingly what happened with Edward. Asking for two friends my lungs.. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. After graduating in 1987 with a degree in speech communication, Stuart was hired by WPDE-TV in Florence, South Carolina. And as cocky and brash as he was, he liked nothing better than to sing a good duet every night. God bless whoever it was who thought to rearrange the bedding at ESPN. In addition to that, as a Tennis Channel reporter too. Eisen, now the lead anchor for the NFL Network, says, "Who would have thought the perfect guy for me, a Jewish kid from Staten Island, would be an African-American guy with North Carolina roots? I realized that killing myself this way would take more effort than I had anticipated. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Bay Area weather: After thunderstorms and hail, snow could be on the way this weekend, ESPN reporters sudden death at 34: The surprise that autopsy revealed. 25 views, 1 likes, 0 loves, 0 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from West cameroon state news: She die for lack of care in the Buea general hospital. He spent 20 minutes sitting there with Nicholas, helping him feel better. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell honored Clayton as a "wonderful person" who "earned my tremendous respect and admiration as a journalist. I drive to the hoop, he undercuts me, I fall on my back and nearly pass out. John Clayton, a former ESPN NFL writer and current contributor to Seattle Sports 710 AM, died Friday. He later covered the Indiana Pacers for the Indianapolis . "His daughters and my daughters danced at the same studio," says Anderson. 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. Rosaforte was only . When she arrived next door, she discovered her husband lying on the bottom of the pool. His wife Pat and sister Amy were at his side and communicated earlier he passed peacefully after a brief illness, his longtime ESPN colleague Chris Mortensen tweeted. Stuart and Steve Levy share one personal career highlight: Taking "SportsCenter" to Camp Arifjan in Kuwait in 2004. He wrote the story for Flipper and directed many episodes of the TV show. '', Clayton received the profession's highest honor, now known as the Bill Nunn Memorial Award, in 2007. We use cookies. What happened next to Mees was something that hadnt ever happened to another sports reporter in the history of broadcast television. XFL Week 3 preview: Can AJ McCarron, Battlehawks continue their fourth-quarter heroics? Among the features of the new ESPN studio in Bristol is a wall of catchphrases made famous by on-air talent over the years. Longtime ESPN reporter Pedro Gomez died unexpectedly at his home Sunday afternoon, the company announced. I remember being jarred, and when I asked him about it, he thought I was making fun of him. He was just one of the first guys to say, 'Hey, I'm going to play golf, wanna come with me? ", Stuart was born in Chicago, but he, along with two sisters and a brother, spent his formative years in North Carolina, where their father was a postal inspector who always had time to play after work. "John was the PFWA's 19th president (1999-2000) and the organization's 2007 Bill Nunn Jr. Award recipient. For 30 years sports fans turned on their televisions and watched John Saunders on a variety of ESPN shows. Moments of silence were held at sporting events around the United States on Sunday, including the NFL wild-card games between the Cincinnati Bengals vs. Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions vs. Dallas Cowboys; the Mavericks-Cavaliers NBA game in Cleveland and at several college basketball games.