Stuart Scott was famous for his cheeky quips But the legendary ESPN anchor didn’t always enjoy support from management, according to one of the network’s veteran former anchors.
ESPN’s “30 for 30” documentary about Scott, who passed away due to cancer in 2015, is set to premier Wednesday night. In anticipation, many ESPN personalities have paid homage to the king of the catchphrase over the last several days.
“Stuart Scott didn’t just cover basketball, he brought style, flair and something entirely his own,” posted NBA Today host Malika Andrews.
Stuart Scott didn’t just cover basketball, he brought style, flair and something entirely his own. Shortly after his diagnosis, he anchored ABC’s Christmas studio coverage with so much joy.
He paved the way for so many of us. I can’t wait to watch his 30 for 30 tonight. pic.twitter.com/0TphJmHkrR
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) December 11, 2025
Though Scott is lionized today for his charisma, he was often told to tone it down. Trey Wingo revealed the inside story during an appearance on the YouTube channel “Hoodie Chroniclez.”
What Did Wingo Say?
Back in its heyday, ESPN dissuaded SportsCenter anchors from exhibiting too much personality. The network’s infamous efforts to clamp down on high-profile personalities, including Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick, have long been chronicled.
Scott’s signature phrases like “boo-yah” and “as cool as the other side of the pillow” endeared him to millions of sports fans across the world. But the suits at Bristol were less amused.
“I’ll tell you one of the things that no one ever knows about Stuart, and maybe some people know this, but he was under a lot of scrutiny by management at ESPN,” said Wingo. “They didn’t like his style, which is interesting now because all they care about is style, for the most part. And they wanted to make sure, if you’re going to do that, back it up with information.”
The tension between Scott and ESPN bosses has been discussed before. ESPN producer Mary Frances Bonvini recalled in an oral history for The Ringer that an exec once chided the Scott in a hallway.
Scott’s sister, meanwhile, said people “really don’t know how awful it was.”
Wingo, who worked at ESPN from 1997-2020, provided a glimpse behind the scenes.
“So if you go back and watch Stuart at his heyday, he was presenting himself in a way, ‘Cool as the other side of the pillow,’ all that kind of stuff, but then you would listen to him, he would drop more facts and more knowledge in one of those SportsCenter episodes than anyone else,” he added.
Given ESPN’s emphasis today on larger than life personalities–the network has spent hundreds of millions on Pat McAfee and Stephen A. Smith–the resistance to Scott seems like it’s from a bygone era.
How to Watch “Boo-Yah?”
The doc premieres Wednesday on ESPN at 9:00 p.m. EST and will be available on the ESPN app. It features commentary from iconic ESPN personalities and athletes, including Chris Berman, Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley.
Scott died on January 4, 2015. He was presented with the Jimmy V Award at the 2014 ESPYs six months before his passing.
Stuart Scott’s legacy comes to life in ESPN’s new @30for30 ‘Boo-Yah: A Portrait of Stuart Scott’
A tribute to a trailblazing anchor who broke barriers, brought hip-hop culture to @SportsCenter & inspired millions
Premieres Wed., Dec. 10 | 9p ET | ESPN
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) November 20, 2025
