Stephen A. Smith Fights Back Tears Remembering Longtime ESPN Host John Saunders

John Saunders, one of the familiar on-air faces of ESPN for nearly 30 years, has died. He was 61. A Toronto native and Ryerson University alumni, Saunders was the first play-by-play man for the Raptors, a role he held from 1995 until 2001. Saunders joined ESPN in 1986 and became a versatile star at the network, covering numerous Stanley Cup Finals and World Series, doing play-by-play for various sports and hosting The Sports Reporters, SportsCenter and several other studio shows. But above all else, Saunders was a role model for many and will be remembered by his peers for his humanity, dignity and professionalism. R.I.P. John Saunders.

[naptownkid]

Never in my years, have i saw stephen a smith emotional ....

[andyparkinson]

My wife who I love very very much has been battling stage 4 breast cancer for the past 2 years and is holding strong

[ziggymorris]

First Scott, then Saunders

Terrible.

R.I.P. boys

[johnsrous]

I, too, have battled cancer and I am extremely sad for the friends and colleagues of SAS who was a fantastic sports announcer and as a fellow hockey fan, I was always looking forward to his comments about each game. RIP.

[jtimes]

Saunders was all class and really underrated at that network

[djxxxplicit]

Grew up watching Stu, Craig & John. RIP guys. 😢

[jaredjdigirolamo]

I Was a wreck when I heard the news   He was a great mentor teacher friend worker but a great guy  in all  and I think of him every day  just like stuart scott whose passing hit me hard too those 2 guys were one of a kind and the best  The best what they did both on and off camera I love them dearly and will always have them in my heart 4 ever!

[Sportsgeek]

I remember college football Saturdays with john in the studio in new york doing game breakers

[wolverinefangowings]

If you want to learn more about John read his autobiography Playing Hurt. It's an amazing and powerful story.

[williejefferson]

One of the great announcers of all time

[underrated]

You can hear the hurt in their voices.

[BrotherKellerman]

I don’t know how Stephen a kept it together, I don’t think I could have given the circumstances

[razkable]

Stu scott and Craig sager passing were terrible....but losing the legend Saunders is worse...

[smoothoperator]

Max puttin SAS on blast. We can see w/o the play by play

[johnsurgersjr.]

It's very sad 😢, the sports reporters gone. Devastating, but they were great 👍 at what they did.

[alanleon]

Damn as much as I hate Stephen A smith sometimes this pains me seeing this sad

[cdrw]

John Saunders was Class with a capital C. Unlike today's screaming analysts (exemplified by the horribly irritating Stephen A. Smith), John was thoughtful and measured with his analyses. He thought before he spoke and refrained from the hyperbole that is common with the current generation of sports analysts (where everything is the "best ever" or the "worst ever"). Sports reporting has become unwatchable because of Stephen A Smith and his clones. I really miss John Saunders.

[thatdude]

I don’t understand how there’s so much cancer in the world and we aren’t able to curate I’m afraid one day I will get cancer and die young

[KareemAbduljaCobb]

Stephen A " as a black man, I know what he went through"