Remembering Bob Saget: A Legacy Beyond Hollywood

HELLO, I’M KIRK GIMENEZ.

LIKE mANY, I’M ABSOLUTELY CRUSHED BY THE LOSS OF BOB SAGET. I HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING BOB BACK IN 2014 AND IT HAD A PROFOUND AFFECT ON MY LIFE.

HERE’S THE FULL STORY.

BOB CAME INTO THE NEW YORK STUDIOS OF SPORTS ILLUSTRATED TO PROMOTE HIS BOOK TITLED, “DIRTY DADDY.”

I WAS A FILL-IN ANCHOR THAT DAY. BOB AND I TALKED ABOUT THE BOOK, ABOUT HIS DARK AND RAUNCHY SENSE OF HUMOR AND THEN WE TALKED ABOUT HIS MENTOR — FAMOUS COMEDIC ACTOR RODNEY DANGERFIELD, WHO BECAME A MAJOR HOLLYWOOD STAR BACK IN THE 1980’S.

BOB TOLD ME, KIRK, “NOW HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RODNEY’S CAREER — HE WAS A LONG-SUFFERING ROAD COMIC UNTIL LATE IN LIFE, AND HE DIDN’T MAKE IT BIG UNTIL HE WAS MUCH OLDER.”

BOB HAD ASKED RODNEY, “HOW DID YOU STAY ON THE ROAD WORKING COMEDY CLUBS THAT LONG, BEFORE MAKING IT BIG?” AND RODNEY TOLD HIM, “BOB, IN ANYTHING YOU DO… YOU HAVE TO BE A TANK. NOTHING CAN STOP A TANK - NOT A BULLET, NOT A GRENADE, NOT A BOMB, NOT A CRATER IN THE GROUND - THE TANK JUST KEEPS ROLLING. AND THAT’S WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO… BE A TANK AND KEEP ROLLING.”

I HEARD THAT AND SOMETHING TOUCHED ME DEEP INSIDE. I DON’T KNOW IF BOB KNEW THIS, BUT MY SPORTS ANCHORING CAREER HAD JUST TANKED. AFTER YEARS ON ESPNews AND IN NEW YORK ON SNY, BOOM — IT WAS ALL OVER. SO BOB’S INSPIRATIONAL MESSAGE STRUCK TRUE — RIGHT TO MY HEART. AND EVER SINCE THEN, I’VE TOLD EVERYONE THIS STORY AS I’M SURE BOB TOLD IT MANY TIMES. BUT FOR ME, IT ALSO FELT VERY PERSONAL. I THANKED BOB FOR SHARING HIS INSPIRATIONAL STORY. HE GIFTED ME A COPY OF HIS BOOK AND SIGNED IT WITH A SARCASTIC YET SPECIAL MESSAGE, “KIRK, YOU ARE MY HERO.”

LIFE CONTINUED TO HIT ME HARD. BUT EVER SINCE THAT DAY, I IMAGINE MYSELF AS A TANK - TAKING THE HITS YET CONTINUING TO ROLL FORWARD TOWARD MY FINAL DESTINATION.

BEING A TANK! IT’S AN AMAZING MINDSET. YOU SEE IN LIFE, SUCCESS COMES TO THOSE WHO NEVER GIVE UP. WHAT IF RODNEY HAD GIVEN UP IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS COMEDY CAREER? HE WOULD’VE NEVER BECOME A HOLLYWOOD STAR. HE WOULD’VE NEVER MADE IT BIG.

SO IF YOU TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM MY STORY IT SHOULD BE THIS — BE A TANK. NEVER GIVE UP. TAKE THOSE HITS IN STRIDE AND KEEP ROLLING FORWARD.

THANK YOU BOB SAGET, FOR YOUR COMEDY, YOUR KINDNESS, YOUR HUMANITY, YOUR INSPIRATION AND FOR YOUR RODNEY DANGERFIELD STORY. I THINK OF YOU EVERY DAY, BOB. REST IN PEACE.

Categories: ENTERTAINMENT