Bryant McGill, the author, once said, “One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.” Henri Frederic Amiel, the Swiss philosopher, broke it down like this, “There is no respect for others without humility in one’s self.” Then Orison Swett Marden, the famous author, put it where the goats can can it when he spit, “There can be no failure to a man who has not lost his courage, his character, his self respect, or his self-confidence. He is still a King.”
Well playas…the original Playa Playa, Craig Sager, never lost his courage, his character, his self-respect or his self-confidence durin’ his battle with cancer. On Thursday the triple O.G. passed away at age 65.
Let’s keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1st! There’s a rule above all rules in the ghetto! “Be authentic and boyz will have no problem with you!” It doesn’t matter what color you are or where you’re from, playa. You can show up to ANY HOOD, USA and be a real cat and boyz will respect you. Craig Sager was that dude bruh!!
What made him so popular with duns watchin’ the NBA that never even got a chance to meet him was the fact that he didn’t care about what you thought of him or what he just put on. Ole boy was like your old Uncle LeRoy that would pull up in his 1976 Eldorado rockin’ a one piece psychedelic jumper with some 8 inch stacks with all of his chest hair hangin’ out that dared you to say he wasn’t sharp. If you said that he wasn’t killin’ the game you’d literally have to fight him in the driveway bruh. Only difference was that Craig wasn’t goin’ to fight you because you never told him that he wasn’t hot to death!
Why? Because ole boy had so much swag in puttin’ some of that foolishness on that he made you second guess as to whether you thought it was hot!!! Craig was the O.G. that boyz loved because he didn’t care. If he thought it was hot then it was hot! Why? Because he was so good at what he did that he brought life to the blazers that he was rockin’!!
He couldn’t have gotten away with half of the joints he was wearin’ if he wasn’t one of the best broadcasters to EVER do it. He mastered the art of sideline reportin’! His charisma and charm took over the interview and kept the one and two word answers from dominatin’ the airwaves.
The outfits became part of the interview because you couldn’t ignore them bruh! Once a boy saw what he had on it was instant TV!! The dun bein’ interviewed naturally relaxed because they wanted to talk about the foolishness that they thought that he had on. Not knowin’ that the jacket is what slowed them down because it was the conversation piece that drove the ratings! The conversation piece helps to establish the relationship bruh. The relationship is what sales the product pimpin’.
Sager wasn’t crazy bruh! He was just the first sportscaster to understand how to market himself and build a brand!! He was a genius!! While you boyz were laughin’ at his jackets he was blowin’ up and takin’ over!!
I’ve been in sales for more than 26 years. You can’t talk to clients that don’t want to talk to you. If you’ve got a conversation piece that brings you together then that conversation becomes relaxed and you get more out of the dun that you expected. Why? Because you got him to talk in his most relaxed state.
When you show up in the ghetto and boyz can relate to you because they like your attitude they will always look out for you. When you’re the type of cat that reminds them of someone they know like Uncle LeRoy and you give them love. They’ll give you the same love back. At that point playa, you’re golden in the hood.
I’ve talked with Craig on many occasions durin’ the NBA playoffs. I remember 5 or 6 years ago durin’ shoot around before the Eastern Conference Finals between the Heat and Pacers. I walked up to ole boy who was rockin’ a funky all grey suit. When I say all grey bruh, it was ALL grey. His shirt, tie, belt and socks were all the same exact grey. Then he said check this out!! He pulled out a box that had just been delivered to the arena that hadn’t even been opened yet. So I stood there to see what this dun was goin’ to come with because I’m a shoe connoisseur! Then he pulled out a pair of grey crocodiles that looked like they were still breathin’ bruh!!
I had to bow down to him then. A white boy rockin’ some crocodiles like he grew up in Gary, Indiana with all of the original gangstas? He got all respect the from me for just pullin’ them out of the box and lookin’ at me like…“What? You ain’t know?”
Craig Sager was one of a kind and he was one of the best to EVER do it! Rest In Peace big homie!! And stop me when I start lyin’! #Sagerstrong
Playas Thesaurus:
1) Spit: verb – to say
2) Dun: noun – the person in question, dude, guy, etc. It’s whoever I’m talkin’ about and its non-gender specific.
3) Put it where the goats can get it: verb phrase – to make it as elementary as possible. To put it at ground level so everyone can understand it.
4) Pimpin’: noun – the person that I’m so passionately tryin’ to get my point across to.
Funny thing is, I never thought he was anything as a sideline reporter. All style, little substance. Then again, nobody is much as a sideline reporter at NBA games. They’re all a total waste.
I liked Sager as a studio host in the 80s. After that, not so much. But if you stand up to cancer, the media will turn you into a hero instead of talking about what you really were, a marginal talent but a fantastic self-promoter. Stuart Scott.