ESPN host Scott Van Pelt forced to apologize for 'that mess' but fans say he 'still crushed it like Vince McMahon'
Olivia House
Published Oct 02, 2026
ESPN's Scott Van Pelt apologized online after losing his voice during the show on Wednesday, and fans flocked to social media to show support.
The 56-year-old host's voice went out during his late-night edition of SportsCenter while trying to go through an Edmonton Oilers highlight.
2
2
"This is terrible. What a disaster," Van Pelt said as he fought to get through the segment.
Luckily, Van Pelt wasn't alone and got help from 'Stanford' Steve Coughlin to explain the video.
He got through the show and apologized for his performance on Twitter.
"What a bizarre deal. Voice just kinda stopped working….while attempting to host a show. Not ideal, to say the least. Apologies for that mess."
Read more on ESPN
However, fans defended his performance and said he still crushed it, comparing it to when Vince MacMahon tore his quads and continued acting out the script during a WWF match.
Some even called it his "Jordan flu" game, referencing one of Michael Jordan's all-time iconic games.
Others rushed to his defense and offered remedies.
One said: "You were a trooper last night. I felt for you. And then the mothership kept rerunning tape. Feel better, dude!"
Most read in Sport
But another said: "Hot tea and honey, that's one old-school remedy. Pineapple juice is another. Both are good for croaky voices. Be well soon, legend."
A third joked: "Scott Van Pelt showing more fight on this show than Ben Simmons' whole career in the NBA."
Van Pelt said during the show that he wasn't sick and felt fine and just lost his voice doing the show.
