The debut of Scott Van Pelt as Monday Night Countdown host also comes with some added weight as the show broadcasts live from the Meadowlands on the 22nd anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York City.
Van Pelt joined The Pat McAfee Show ahead of the capper to the NFL’s opening week to discuss the game and his approach to the broadcast, noting the 9/11 anniversary is “intensely personal in New York.”
“When we start, it’s my intent to be reverent to the date and recognize what it is,” Van Pelt said. “At the same time, sports offered the opportunity post-9/11 for New Yorkers and people around the country to gather together and do what we love to do.
“Sports are our greatest connector. I really believe that.”
"Sports are our greatest connector and I really believe that’s true" ~ @notthefakeSVP #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/N6BZ0n5NP3
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 11, 2023
The New York Jets host Monday Night Football to start the season after a busy offseason and a featured role in Hard Knocks on HBO. The AFC rival Buffalo Bills come to the Meadowlands for a game with huge implications. But Van Pelt is right to note that fans from eastern New Jersey to Buffalo to Manhattan will bring a personal connection to 9/11 with them to the stadium and when they turn on ESPN.
NFL coaches and players also wore gear as a tribute to New York City first responders over the weekend. League social media accounts posted messages honoring the victims on the 22nd anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center.
Viewers should be in good hands on Monday night with Van Pelt, one of the more thoughtful and sensitive hosts in sports media.
[The Pat McAfee Show on YouTube]
