Having a favorite sportscaster or sports news anchor is a very personal thing. Some are very creative and original while (many) others are just plain annoying and obnoxious in their trite attempts to be cute or cleaver. Longtime ESPN anchor Stuart Scott was definitely in the former group.

On Sunday morning, ESPN sadly announced the passing of Scott after his lengthy and courageous battle with cancer.

(Click on image to watch ESPN’s video tribute to Stuart Scott)

Scott began his career with ESPN in 1993 with the launch of ESPN 2 and immediate became a favorite among viewers. He was also immensely popular among his peers and co-workers and was recognized as among the best in the business for his brutal and often criticized honesty.

“He didn’t just push the envelope, he bulldozed the envelope,” said fellow sportscaster Dan Patrick of Scott’s unique and original reporting style.

Although Scott had several ‘signature’ catch phrases, none was more popular than his famous “Booyah” when describing a home run on SportsCenter or Baseball Tonight and his popular “As cool as the other side of the pillow” phrase.

Scott was diagnosed with cancer in 2007 and after two surgeries and extensive chemotherapy was thought to be cancer-free, but the condition returned and eventually claimed him.

During this year’s ESPY Awards ceremony in July, Scott was presented with the prestigious Jimmy V Perseverance Award, so named in honor of famed college basketball coach and broadcaster Jim Valvano, founder of the V Foundation to promote cancer research.

“When you die it does not mean that you lose to cancer,” Scott said to the emotional ESPY Awards audience. “You beat cancer by how you lived, why you lived and in the manner in which you lived.”

Scott is survived by his daughters Taelor (19) and Sydni (15). He was 49 years old.