Scott Van Pelt
“Be yourself. There’s no need to go the traditional route.” Scott Van Pelt is certainly himself! SportsCenter’s late-night host brings his characteristic humor and brevity to the Game Plan, but don’t think that means there’s any shortage of advice.
SVP echos other guests who stress the importance of writing for broadcasters and working to earn the respect of colleagues. But he does not shy away from championing the untraditional routes — both his own experience “getting terrible grades” and peers such as Big Cat and PFTCommenter who found space in digital media.
Resources
SVP doesn’t recommend any concrete resources in his show. But he name drops several great broadcasters to emulate, two of whom also make EJ’s Game Plan appearances: Mike Tirico and Reece Davis.
Time Stamps
1:35 - Best advice you’ve received in sportscasting?
2:45 - What does an average day look like?
3:50 - Best way to climb the sports media ladder?
5:38 - Do you prefer radio or TV?
6:17 - How SVP’s career started.
8:58 - When was the first time you met Ernie Johnson?
12:00 - What was your relationship with Stuart Scott like?
15:00 - How do you gain respect from colleagues?
18:03 - WHen are you going to write a book?
18:16 - How close have you been to dropping an F-bomb on TV?
18:28 - Will any interview ever top the one you did with Rakim? + What is it like interviewing sports stars and superstars?
20:10 - Hardest segment you ever had to do?
21:25 - How did you come up with the “Senior Night” segment? Why do you think it meant so much to people?
24:02 - What was your experience on College Gameday like?
25:45 - When did you know you made it?
27:38 - Have you worked with EJ? What is your relationship to other sports broadcasters like?
29:34 - How do you connect with athletes? You make them seem so human.
30:24 - When you started out critiquing your tapes, what did you listen for to get better?
32:40 - Was there ever a time on air that you couldn’t stop laughing?
33:23 - What is your relationship with Stephen A. Smith like?
35:12 - Advice for someone who found their niche in journalism, how do I go further?
36:50 - How long did it take you to get comfortable on set?
40:22 - Were you scared going to SportsCenter bringing your radio vibe?
42:07 - Who are your mentors in the business?
45:08 - What would you tell your 21-year-old self?
45:36 - What was the hardest moment of your career?
47:11 - Best way to get over the nerves of asking for advice or feedback?
48:20 - How’d Stanford Steve get involved with you?
48:58 - How good was Len Bias?
