Breaking down one of my favorite speeches
I was looking through some of my classmates blogs and I came across one blog that I thought was really cool. Beth Beitz wrote a blog where she listed some of the “greatest speakers of all time” and she proceeded to breakdown a speech by the great Steve Jobs which I thought was really interesting.
Like Beth, I am going to dissect my favorite speech of all time from one of the best ESPN sports anchors of all time, Stuart Scott.
Stuart was battling cancer when he gave this speech, as he later passed a few months later. But his delivery of this monologue is one of the reasons why he will be remembered as one of the best. Here are some of the things that stood out to me:
- He quotes the great Jimmy V, who the award he won is named after, by saying “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up…” and makes this the focal point of his speech.
- Following the quote he uses, he etches his own quote that will inspire many in the years to come; “When you die, that does not mean you lose to cancer. You beat cancer, by how you live, why you live, and in the manner of which you live.”
- Although he is talking about his health and his life coming to a close, he remains so composed and calm as if nothing is wrong.
Stuart was able to deliver one of the most compelling speeches that rocked the sports world. Every time I watch this, I get the chills and remember everything Stuart gave me as a sports fan. I remember waking up before elementary and middle school, before cell phones, and listening to him in the morning give an electric SportsCenter recap of what went on in the world of sports the night before. He gave me so much as a kid and I always wanted to be like him.
Seeing him give this speech on national TV was emotional for me. When I started researching good speakers, he was the first one that came to mind. When I was a kid, I wanted to be an anchor like him and be funny like him. But now as I plan to enter the business world, I want to be able to grab a room like him, and inspire others like he inspired me.
ESPN. (2017, July 11). Stuart Scott’s 2014 Jimmy V Award Acceptance Speech | The ESPYS | ESPN Archives. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TdF07xO-eo&t=31s
