ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt explains that it’s impossible to follow in his footsteps because his path to success isn’t something that can be duplicated. Van Pelt was a young production assistant for the Golf Channel when he was asked to impersonate Arnold Palmer during rehearsals for a new show. Former Golf Channel executive producer Michael Whelan asked, “Who is this idiot that thinks he’s Arnold Palmer?”
The next thing Van Pelt knew, he was a reporter for the network. “I was no more a reporter than I was an astronaut,” Van Pelt said. A friendship with Tiger Woods would propel his career even further, and it’s a good thing it worked out for the current midnight SportsCenter host.
“I’m not capable of doing anything else,” he said. “The whole TV thing is just a gigantic happy accident. There is no recipe I can give you.”