John Saunders, one of the most recognizable and visible faces of ESPN and its SportsCenter and Sports Reporters programs, has died today at the age of 61.
The cause of death remains unclear, but his ESPN colleagues and fans have already begun to roll their tributes in, as the sports broadcasting community has certainly lost one of its most dignified legends today.
ESPN President John Skipper says, “John was an extraordinary talent and his friendly, informative style has been a warm welcome to sports fans for decades. His wide range of accomplishments across numerous sports and championship events is among the most impressive this industry has ever seen.”
John Saunders was as classy of a guy as I met in my time working at ESPN. A true pro’s pro — who never made it about himself. RIP.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) August 10, 2016
RIP John Saunders. Thanks for being a mentor and class act. I will miss you dearly. — Jalen Rose (@JalenRose) August 10, 2016
RIP to my ESPN mentor John Saunders. U always had my back & helped me become the best SportsCenter anchor I could be pic.twitter.com/q0sjTIaIB5
— Darren M. Haynes (@DarrenMHaynes) August 10, 2016
Saunders rose to prominence in 2001 with the inception of The Sports Reporters, an in-depth sports talk show whose conversations he often led and dictated. Saunders was also a gifted college football reporter and studio coverage anchor, and expanded his game to include NFL highlight segments and late-night SportsCenter hosting duties. His impact was felt by many industries and generations, and athletes and members of the Hip Hop community have already begun acknowledging the loss of a pioneer.
John Saunders was a G his outros on The Sports Reporters used to be so fire.
— Chase N. Cashe (@ChaseNCashe) August 10, 2016
Man…..
Rest in Peace John Saunders. Prayers for his immediate and espn family. https://t.co/3pv2Rqpk9N— 9th Wonder (@9thwonder) August 10, 2016
Wow… RIP John Saunders
— Karl-Anthony Towns (@KarlTowns) August 10, 2016
