John Brenkus death: Founder and host of ESPN's Sports Science dies aged 54
John Brenkus, the founder and host of ESPN's Emmy-winning Sports Science show, has died aged 54 after 'battling depression,' a statement on his social media account said Sunday.
'It is with profound sadness that we share the news that John Brenkus has passed away,' the statement on Brenkus's X account read.
'John, co-founder of Base Productions, Founder of Brinx.TV, and co-creator and host of the six-time Emmy award-winning 'Sport Science,' had been battling depression.
'John lost his fight with this terrible illness on May 31, 2025. His heartbroken family and friends request privacy at this time, and encourage anyone who is struggling with depression to seek help.'
Sports Science first aired in 2007 on Fox Sports before moving to ESPN in 2010. Filmed inside a Los Angeles airport hangar or on location using a mobile laboratory, the show 'uncovers sports' biggest myths and mysteries by using cutting-edge technology to measure momentum, friction and the laws of gravity,' per ESPN. It frequently saw Brenkus perform scientific tests as an 'Average Joe' alongside professional athletes.
The series won six Sports Emmy Awards since its inception.
In a tribute on ESPN, Brenkus was described as an 'innovator, an entertainer and an educator.'
Fans on social media mourned his death. Among them was former NFL defensive end Marcellus Wiley, who worked with Brenkus on Brinx.TV and shared: 'RIP' on X alongside a heart emoji.
Two years ago, Brenkus told Wiley about his suicide attempt, which was foiled by his dog, Zeppelin.
'I come off of selling my company, selling Sports Science, ESPN... You know the isolation that you feel living in a mountain town, the cold weather, injuries, things not feeling right, I spiraled into a deep, deep depression," Brenkus said.
'I was ready to do it and my dog Zeppelin came to my rescue literally, pulled on my pants on my jeans, and was literally driving me crazy, wouldn't leave me alone,' Brenkus added.
'I literally picked up my phone, called my mom and said: 'There's something wrong with me. I am mentally lost.''
More to follow
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Danny Boyle Is Planning A Whole 28 Years Later Trilogy – Here's Everything He's Said So Far
The latest instalment in Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later saga is finally in cinemas, with 28 Years Later pulling us right back into the franchise's post-apocalyptic, rage-infected world nearly three decades on from the events of the first movie. Starring Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes and newcomer Alfie Williams, the Oscar-winning filmmaker is back in the director's chair (he famously did not helm the 2007 sequel 28 Weeks Later, but stayed on as a producer) to continue the story. While the first movie starred Cillian Murphy as a hospital patient who wakes up from a coma to find London deserted in the midst of a zombie outbreak (yes, we know, they're not technically 'zombies') the new film revolves around a group of survivors living on an island before one ventures over to the mainland. With numerous rave reviews landing before the film's official release on Friday, fans of the franchise will be delighted to hear that the Trainspotting director has already expressed his hopes that 28 Years Later will mark the beginning of a brand new trilogy. A second instalment in the proposed new trilogy is actually coming sooner than you think. The next film, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, was actually filmed back-to-back with the new movie, and is currently slated to come out 16 January 2026. The Marvels writer Nia DaCosta will be directing that one in place of Danny (who is staying on as a producer), with Alex Garland on screenplay duties once again. The Slumdog Millionaire director explained that 28 Years Later should still be considered a 'standalone film' during a Reddit Ask Me Anything, adding: 'We hope all of the films in the trilogy will be, but also we want all to be seen satisfyingly as a trilogy'. So far, Danny has shared some key details about the future of the franchise to get us excited in the meantime (including the return of one very special A-lister). Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the director explained that during a bidding war for the film, they were looking for a studio 'who was also prepared to invest in the second film', which had already been written by that point. The deal eventually went to Sony, and for both logistical and financial reasons, he said it would have been 'insane not to' shoot 28 Years Later and its sequel back-to-back. However, because the filmmaker was, of course, hard at work on the first, he said it would have been 'impossible' for him to simultaneously shoot the second. That's why American director Nia DaCosta, known for directing and co-writing both 2023's The Marvels and the 2021 Candyman sequel, was recruited for film number two, and according to Danny, she's 'done a great job of it' As for a third film, Danny explained to The Hollywood Reporter that he and the team are still trying to get money for that one, which he intends to direct if all goes to plan. Speaking to IGN this month, he explained that their finances for the third instalment will likely depend on 'how the first one does'. In a separate interview with the BBC he said he envisioned Alife Williams appearing in all three parts of the story, adding: 'Hopefully, if we do OK, they'll give us the go-ahead for the money and for the third one. Everybody's standing by for that, really. Including Cillian.' Fans of the original movie will be elated to hear that the Oscar-winning Oppenheimer star will, indeed, be returning in the second movie of the trilogy, The Bone Temple. 'He is in the second one,' Danny revealed to IGN. 'I shouldn't give away too much. I'll get killed.' During Danny's Reddit Ask Me Anything, he added that Cillian's 'central character of Jim will be there as a theme through them all'. Danny is also hopeful that Cillian's star power could help get the third film greenlit. 'All I can say is you have to wait for Cillian, but hopefully he will help us get the third film financed,' he told Business Insider. Sony Motion Pictures Group chairman Tom Rothman told Deadline in May last year that Cillian's character would be back in a 'surprising way and in a way that grows'. Viewers had previously speculated that Cillian's character may have become infected when they spotted someone who bore an uncanny resemblance to the Peaky Blinders star in one particularly chilling shot of the trailer – though this turned out not to be the case. 28 Years Later is in cinemas now. The sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, is expected to arrive on 16 January 2026. Danny Boyle Says Slumdog Millionaire Is 'Cultural Appropriation' That Couldn't Be Made Today Aaron Taylor-Johnson Fuels Bond Rumours With This Awkward 28 Years Later Red Carpet Moment Pirates Of The Caribbean Producer Teases Return Of Classic Characters In Much-Hyped Reboot
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
After years of preservation, Portland's George Floyd mural is now in storage
PORTLAND, Ore. () — About five years ago, Portland artists created a mural that memorialized Black people who had been killed by police. The art now lives in a storage space downtown. Volunteers with social justice organization — and its new subsidiary The Black Memory and Preservation Lab — stored all 96 panels of the artwork earlier this week. The mural in June 2020, the month after a Minneapolis police officer murdered George Floyd and sparked racial justice protests across the globe. Portland rally held near ICE facility in support of Newberg vineyard worker Emma Berger started the mural and is believed to have painted its biggest pieces, but others contributed to the work that also memorializes Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and Deontae Keller. Later in 2021, the massive mural to Don't Shoot PDX. Founder Teressa Raiford revealed the nonprofit was originally in 'crisis mode' because it wasn't prepared to hold the large materials. Then, the owner of a local storage facility offered the nonprofit one free year of storage. 'We're lucky here in Portland that our community is committed to keeping these materials, and I do think that they will hold, you know, space for educating future generations,' Raiford said in an interview on Wednesday. Before moving the mural into storage, conservation professionals spent the last several years preserving the artwork. Raiford told KOIN 6 it was a 'very intensive process' that included a conservator report highlighting the look of each panel. She said some panels still feature the soon after their inception. Portland native, two-time 'RuPaul's Drag Race' winner to star in Tony-winning play Infinity images have also created large-format replicas of the mural. According to Raiford, the original pieces would only be suitable for public viewing if they were displayed on a building of the same size and scope of Apple. As a result, she expects them to be in storage for the next several years as the organization seeks another entity that could store them permanently for future generations. 'I think that when we get to that point, where we're understanding that we are in the resistance, we need to document and we need to research who we are in our space and in our world — so that things can come together a little easier for us,' she said. In addition to , Don't Shoot PDX previously launched The Black Gallery in the Pearl District. The organization has a generational mission to 'use community education to empower people,' according to Raiford's daughter Taishona Carpenter. Trump administration to shutter LGBTQ youth suicide hotline next month She serves as Don't Shoot PDX's board president and co-director. 'Using creativity to fuel [community education] has really been the best way to get messages out,' Carpenter told KOIN 6 News. 'Not just of what people know, but deeper histories and understandings of Black American history and what has happened here in this state and how it became a blueprint all over this country.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Eagles Trio Snubbed From All-Quarter Century Team
Eagles Trio Snubbed From All-Quarter Century Team originally appeared on Athlon Sports. On Thursday, many former Philadelphia Eagles stars found their names on ESPN's All-Quarter Century Team. Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, Terrell Owens, Brian Dawkins, and Julio Jones were five players named to the impressive list. While the five names more than earned their spot, other stars for Philadelphia were left off the list. Advertisement And three players specifically were snubbed. Jason Peters Peters is the most obvious name on this list. While Trent Williams and Joe Thomas are Hall-of-Fame players, Peters was easily the more consistent player. A trade acquisition in 2009, the Arkansas tackle reached All-Pro status six times while being named a Pro Bowler nine times. He was far more consistent than Williams and on a better team than Thomas. He should have been one of the two left tackles named. Trent Cole It's hard to judge "The Hunter" on the same level as Jared Allen, Julius Peppers, Myles Garrett, or DeMarcus Ware. The issue is that the late-round steal was far more consistently productive for one team than multiple others on the list. Advertisement Cole recorded 85.5 sacks through his run with the Eagles. It's good for second all-time on the franchise's list. And why she should have included his name. Saquon Barkley Barkley's inclusion on the Quarter Century team may seem premature. The former second-round pick has struggled to stay healthy for most of his career. Things changed last season, though. Barkley's NFL record for rushing yards in a single season, including playoffs, highlighted one of the most impressive seasons for a running back in history. While Barkley's numbers don't jump out, they are more impressive than those of Christian McCaffrey and Priest Holmes, at least. This is a big reason why Barkley was snubbed by this process. Advertisement Related: ESPN Links Eagles To Possible Signing of Asante Samuel Jr. Related: Eagles Young Cornerback Remains Big Winner of Offseason This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
