People wear weird shit all the time for no reason, but if you spot someone clad in a particularly loud blazer today, at least, there’s probably a good reason behind it. Web-savvy sports fans have banded together to sport pastels and plaid in support of TNT’s sideline reporter Craig Sager, whose loud fashion choices have made him a longtime fan and player favorite. Sager has been battling leukemia for some time now, and went into remission after a bone marrow transplant about a year ago. Last week, though, he went on HBO’s Real Sports to announce that, sadly, his cancer had returned and that it appears to be terminal—at least according to his doctors. For his part, Sager says he’ll continue to fight, and that he’ll continue to work as long as he can.
Enter #SagerStrong, a hashtag that’s popping up on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Instigated by sports writers and fans earlier this week, #SagerStrong has inspired a number of the sportscaster’s fans and aficionados to both wear Sager-inspired clothing today, as well as to donate to the Leukemia And Lymphoma Society online. The fashion parade over on the hashtag’s page has been impressive. (And, yes, even The A.V. Club is participating.)
BOOM #SagerStrong pic.twitter.com/ruDllXZDq9
— Dan Rubenstein (@DanRubenstein) March 29, 2016
Some NBA players have even gotten involved, though their participation will probably peak tonight, around when Sager is scheduled to work the Golden State Warriors v. Washington Wizards game in Oakland.