If you see someone today wearing a fluorescent tie, a garish sport coat or some cartoonish combination of the two, there are two possible explanations.
They have excellent taste.
Or they are fans of Craig Sager, the TNT sports reporter known for his colorful wardrobe, who has acute myeloid leukemia and is fighting for his life.
His supporters, rallying around the hashtag #SagerStrong, are sporting splashy clothes today in Sager’s honor and encouraging others to do the same. They’re also asking people to donate to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, which is seeking a cure for these and other blood cancers.
Sager, 64, took 11 months off from his work as an NBA sideline reporter after being diagnosed with leukemia in 2014. He returned to the air about a year ago, after a bone marrow transplant from his son, saying his cancer was in remission.
But in an interview last week for HBO’s “Real Sports,” Sager said his leukemia had returned.
“I’m grateful to HBO for telling my story and I’d like to thank everyone for their ongoing support,” he said in a statement issued by Turner Broadcasting (which owns TNT and TBS as well as CNN).
“The typical prognosis is 3-6 months to live, but I would like to stress that is for a patient who is not receiving treatment,” Sager added. “Fortunately, I am receiving the best treatment in the world and I remain fully confident I will win this battle.”
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have been filling with #SagerStrong posts, most with photos of male fans in loud jackets.
Some of the NBA’s top players have been tweeting support as well.
“Our prayers are with you and the family Craig. #SagerStrong,” Clippers star Chris Paul said last week.
Someone even made a lapel pin commemorating Sager’s sometimes-testy friendship with San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.
“Still kicking, still fighting. I haven’t won the battle. It’s not over yet,” Sager told HBO. “But I haven’t lost it, either.”
As people rally around him, Sager says he plans to continue his sideline work — colorful clothes and all — for Turner Sports. He was scheduled to be in Oakland, California, tonight for the Warriors-Wizards game.
Strength, and generosity, will always be fashionable.
