(EDITOR’S NOTE : Longtime “SportsCenter” anchor Stuart Scott passed away Sunday, finally succumbing to cancer after years of fighting the cancer. Scott’s death was a major story throughout sports & mainstream media today, and while many colleagues old and new did a wonderful job of celebrating his spirit and life’s work, at least one ESPN co-worker had an interesting, if revised take.

Jayson Whitlock took to Twitter to proclaim Scott, “the Rakim of broadcasting”, someone who “filled the world with positive energy” and “built bridges”. The following CSTB post from October 19. 2006 (“Whitlock On Bojangling Stuart Scott”, is an altogether different summation of Scott’s talents – GC)
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AOL’s self-proclaimed “Big Sexy”, aka Jason Whitlock, isn’t nearly done taking shots at his former colleagues in Bristol, CT.

Memo to Stu Scott (above) : Dude, I like your work. I defend your rapping and rhyming on SportsCenter because it’s harmless and you’re just delivering highlights in a unique style. But you went too far with it at halftime Monday night with your Jay-Z intro and damn near set off bojangling alarms all over my house.

A broadcaster, a journalist, a performer must know his audience and service his audience above all else. Flavorizing highlights with a little hip-hop slang on SportsCenter is one thing, but using Jay-Z’s alternate nickname “ Jigga “ at halftime of Monday Night Football is ridiculous and offensive.

Stu, you are not Big Tigger and you ain’t on BET. Its “Monday Night Football”. Look, the ESPN executives were stupid for foisting Jay-Z’s latest video on football fans. If Roger Goodell had a brain, he’d check with David Stern about the damage done to the NBA’s image by tying itself too closely to the hip hop crowd.

I digress. Stu, no one cares that you know Jay-Z’s other name, and the MNF audience doesn’t want to waste time wondering whether you just called him N-word-a or Jigaboo.

Hey, you might’ve scored a few cool points with Jay-Z or Beyonce. Great. But you confused, irritated and offended 95 percent of your audience. And for what? A couple of fist pounds the next time you see Kanye and Jay?

I’m wondering exactly what damage the NBA did by tying itself too closely to the hip-hop crowd. Unless Whitlock is refering to Cowboy Troy’s performance at the 2005 All-Star Game, in which case, no more needs to be said.