Usually, when an ESPN broadcaster goes viral within conservative circles on social media, you can reliably guess why.
The liberal network’s penchant for platforming the most leftist of leftists is well-documented (as can be seen here, here, and especially here) and not exactly a secret in media watch circles.
But an ESPN pundit going viral for being based, perhaps unintentionally so?
Why, that’s practically a New Year’s miracle!
ESPN’s late-night anchor Scott Van Pelt has been making the rounds on social media after a video of him reacting to a montage of New Year’s celebration clips quickly garnered attention.
See if you can spot the moment that engendered all this attention below:
WARNING: The following clip contains scenes that some viewers may find offensive.
Scott Van Pelt even had the natural “ick” instinct of the gay guys kissing at the #hello26 NYC New Years party. Hopefully he isn’t fired tomorrow by woke ABC. @espn @SportsCenter pic.twitter.com/LxVSvGg1WS
— Nathan Brewer (@nathanbrewerokc) January 1, 2026
“Yeah, live make-outs on SportsCenter,” Van Pelt said in the viral clip, commenting on jubilant (straight) couples ushering in 2026.
Then the scene turned to two gay men locking lips, prompting Van Pelt to respond, in thinly veiled disgust, “Oh … What are we … What do we got?”
He then quickly pivoted — in a noticeably different tone — saying, “We got love in the air. Make-outs!”
Van Pelt then could only shrug his shoulders, seemingly left speechless at the debauchery airing on his network, capping it off by simply asking, “Who’s having a good time? Happy New Year, everybody!”
Intentional or not, Van Pelt’s reaction was probably the funniest thing that ESPN will air all year — and yes, I’m talking about 2026.
The clip garnered all sorts of coverage from conservative social media accounts.
“All time clip of Scott Van Pelt nearly getting cancelled by the Left,” one X account posted, alongside a laughing emoji.
That same account added:
Scott Van Pelt when he saw two dudes kissing pic.twitter.com/K6UDUpiDlh
— Austin Rogers (@MrAustinRogers) January 1, 2026
Trending Politics co-owner Collin Rugg posted:
NEW: ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt visibly disgusted after two men making out popped up on his screen during New Year’s coverage.
“Yeah… Live makeouts on Sports Center. Get into it,” he said in response to the normal couples.
“Ohhhhhhhh! What are we….” he said in response to the gay… pic.twitter.com/gkPFmJA9ng
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 1, 2026
Rugg capped it off with the internet acronym for “laughing my a** off.”
Faith-centric sports commentator Jon Root, meanwhile, posted the following:
SportsCenter showed a live shot of New York celebrating New Years, & ESPN anchor Scott Van Pelt gets weirded out by two dudes kissing & immediately tries his best to play it off 😂
Millions of Americans were repulsed by this too, Scott. pic.twitter.com/7ChgWWKOAX
— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) January 1, 2026
“Millions of Americans were repulsed by this too, Scott,” Root posted.
Now, before GLAAD or some other LGBT activist group gets their panties in a bunch, it’s worth noting that Van Pelt — while being very private about his faith — has often referenced faith in Jesus and the impact it can have on athletes.
Assuming Van Pelt is, in fact, a Christian, his response is perfectly in line with Biblical scripture — and a perfectly natural response, to boot.
As Romans 1:26-27 very clearly states, the two gay men locking lips were “committing shameless acts.”
Different translations of that same passage call the act “unseemly.”
Given that, even if he weren’t a Christian, how could anyone blame Van Pelt for his reaction to “unseemly” and “shameless acts”? It’s a perfectly justifiable and fitting response to society’s continued normalization of perversion.
The part that should give people cause for pause is the fact that Van Pelt appeared to see his entire career flash before his eyes in that moment, explaining that awkward transition after his initial “Oh …”
It says a lot — and nothing good — about society that it’s perfectly acceptable for LGBT activists to rail against “hetero” or “cis” people 24/7, but the instant the smallest bit of unintentional criticism is lobbed against them, it typically leads to cancellation efforts.
A longtime broadcaster known for professionalism, restraint, and an almost pathological avoidance of controversy, Van Pelt didn’t rant, moralize, or demean anyone. He should not have to worry about his future at ESPN for this very natural response.
Scott Van Pelt doesn’t owe anyone a groveling apology for failing to perfectly curate his facial expression in real time. He didn’t insult anyone, advocate discrimination, or turn a broadcast into a sermon. He did what human beings have done forever: reacted instinctively, corrected course, and kept the show moving.
Treating that moment as a punishable offense isn’t accountability. It’s an attempt to enforce ideological compliance through public shaming.
If broadcasters are expected to sanitize every reflex to avoid professional ruin, what we’re really demanding is moral theater. Van Pelt shouldn’t be canceled, disciplined, or ritualistically humbled to satisfy a mob that mistakes control for “progress.”
A culture confident in its values doesn’t need to coerce apologies out of people who committed no actual wrongdoing. And a media landscape that still values authenticity would be wise to remember the difference between malice and a justified human reaction.
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