Stuart Scott -- Cooler than you

I spoke with ESPN's Stuart Scott by phone on Friday afternoon for a story I wrote for the News and Observer. I can't begin to describe how cool a cat this guy is and I really urge you to click that link and read how he battles cancer for a second time before you read anything else on this page. There's the link again in case you didn't know I was serious.

We spoke for 22 minutes and he probably would have given me an hour had I needed it. But get this: During the entire interview, despite me asking him at least two questions that involved ESPN, not once did he ever feel the need to say "ESPN." The guy was so humble about his work that he only said "the organization" and "what I do." That's cool.

Originally slated to be a Q&A, I had to turn it into a feature because of the verbal gold that he spun. But because it was supposed to be a Q&A, I had a few UNC-related questions for Booyah himself.

JJ: You've been hosting Late Night with Roy for the past number of years. Will you be back this year?
Scott: I think so, i hope so. I need to get back with them because they've been asking me. Part of it is trying to see where I am with this latest bout of cancer. I'm schedule for 12 rounds of chemo, I have one more left and I just don't know what they're going to say after. But I want to, I plan to, I intend to. And I've given you more of an answer than the people at Carolina. So Carolina folks, sorry I haven't gotten back to you.

Credit: BJ Dworak/DTH

JJ: You're a loyal supporter of your university. What were thoughts after Butch Davis was fired?
Scott: I got to know Butch a little bit. I've always thought he was one of the best coaches in the country and I still think that. I'm pretty sure by the way things worked out that Coach Davis did not know about it. But at the same time, as a coach, if you're the coach of a football program and there's some serious infractions, you gotta be held accountable. And it's not a personal thing. If I were coaching Carolina and the same stuff went on, then I got to be held accountable because that's my job. That's part of my encompassing job is walking into parents' living room and saying, 'I'll take care of your son.' I'm not recruiting them just for football. 'I'll take care of your baby.' So you've either got to know or you got to accept responsibility. And I wasn't surprised he was fired and I wasn't surprised that Jim Tressel departed Ohio State. That's just the way it is. Let say that I have my daughters and nieces and nephews with me on vacation and they get into some trouble and get into things they shouldn't be doing. Yes, they should get in trouble, but I have some of that responsibility. I'm a parent, I'm an uncle. And if they're in my care, I have a responsibility. So I think these coaches should have a responsibility for these players. If there's some serious infractions going on, then coaches have to accept that responsibility. And I don't think Coach Davis had a problem with that.

JJ: Do you think the UNC basketball team will cut down the nets in New Orleans in April?
Scott: Yes. Yes. Every year. Next question. Yes. Every year. NCAA Tournament time I don't do these pools and things. I can be objective when I do highlights. You can go back and look at every single Carolina highlight I've done on SportsCenter, there's nothing but objectivity. And I will challenge anyone to find one that isn't that. If I'm doing a Carolina highlight, win lose or draw, you'll never know that I went to school while I'm doing their highlight. I may have a co-anchor who says something about it, but if Duke is wearing us out in the fourth by 30 and I'm doing the highlight, I'm doing it with same excitement as everything else. When I'm not doing SportsCenter and I'm not doing Carolina highlights, I'm not objective I'm just subjective. Carolina's going to win every year and if they don't then it'll be next year.