During last night’s Georgetown-Villanova game on FS1, the broadcast cut to Gus Johnson and an empty chair. That chair normally belongs to Jeff Chapman, Gus’s longtime stat guy, who would normally be in Gus’s ear providing context and stats as the game progressed.
Jeff wasn’t there, though, because his son Bo had passed away. Gus told their story, and paid tribute to Bo both personally and professionally.
An emotional Gus Johnson gives a heartfelt tribute to Bo Chapman, the late son of his stat spotter Jeff Chapman.
Our thoughts go out to his family and loved ones. pic.twitter.com/aWxjL13jRA
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) February 21, 2019
“Folks we come to you with heavy hearts today. This is the chair of my stat guy, Jeff Chapman, who’s been with me for about ten years. Last week his son Bo was driving, and he got in a bad crash. He was on life support for a few days, and they eventually had to take him off life support. Bo worked with us, on our football crews and basketball crews. Good dude. Had a nice hoop game, could post, could shoot the jumper. And this chair is going to be empty until Jeff comes back.”
That’s a touching and fitting tribute from Johnson. All the best to the Chapman family.
