Every Day I Fight by Stuart Scott

I spent my childhood watching my dad scream at the television set during most football and basketball games. So I do know a thing or two about professional sports. But unfortunately, I did not know Stuart Scott. I only found out about him after he had passed away, when President Obama said Scott “inspired us – with courage and love.” I wish I could have seen Scott on ESPN’S SportsCenter shouting out “Booyah!” His book “Every Day I Fight” is the story of a man determined to fight his rare form of appendix cancer. In the end, before he loses this seven-year cancer fight, he learns to appreciate life and become a better person. This book smacks sweetly of Lance Armstrong’s book “It’s Not About the Bike.” Both man faced cancer and used mental strength, hard-core exercise and determination to combat evil. (Even Scott says that while Lance cheated on the bike, he beat brain and testicular cancer so you can still applaud that.) In Scott’s book, we get to meet his family, his friends, his girlfriend and his two beloved daughters. When he was little his mother would put on show tunes from “West Side Story” and “The Whiz” and make her kids clean the house. His revered father was a postal inspector who carried a gun. He went to the University of North Carolina where he met a young Michael Jordon, and was forever proud to be a Tar Heel. He tried playing football until serious eye issues shortened his career. His shift into sports broadcasting made sense and his charm and ambition took him far and included friends like Tiger Woods. Unfortunately, appendix cancer was something Scott and his doctors could not beat. At one point, Scott spent 75 days in the hospital, with his girlfriend Kristen sleeping on a cot by his side the whole time. The tragedy of this book is that Scott died at the age of 49, but that is not the point of this book. The point is that his cancer made him appreciate his friends and family and to live life to its fullest. He and Kristen shared a favorite phrase: “Life consists of two dates, with a dash in between.” The point is to make that time in between count and Scott certainly did. “Every Day I Fight” should be read by thousands, and hopefully will inspire others to live the same way he did.  I like reading books about sports because it gives me things to talk about with my boyfriend, brother and dad – all of whom knew Stuart’s story before I found him.  How frequently do you watch SportsCenter and what is your favorite Booyah moment? To purchase this book on Amazon click here.