ESPN's "The Sports Reporters" Pays Tribute To Late Host John Saunders

ESPN's "The Sports Reporters" this morning paid tribute to long-time host John Saunders, who passed away last week at the age of 61. The program began with a video of Saunders saying his opening line. The N.Y. Daily News' Mike Lupica filled Saunders' regular seat and said, "We've all been talking amongst ourselves these past few days about just what he brought to these Sunday mornings, but you had to sit in these chairs to appreciate how good he was in this chair." The Detroit Free Press' Mitch Albom said, "When we lost Dick Schaap 15 years ago there were many people who said, ‘How could Dick Schaap be replaced on this program?’ … He salvaged that seat" ("The Sports Reporters," ESPN, 8/14).

The BOSTON GLOBE's Bob Ryan writes Saunders is "being remembered, and properly so, for being a Very Good Guy," but he should "be remembered equally as a conscientious and invaluable professional asset to ESPN" (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/14).