Scott Van Pelt Delivers Heartfelt Tribute to His Beloved Dog Otis on ESPN SportsCenter’s ‘One Big Thing’

ESPN sportscaster Scott Van Pelt delivered a truly heartfelt tribute to his beloved dog Otis, who passed away on April 27, 2022, during the SportsCenter show’s “One Big Thing”. Though tearful, Van Pelt spoke powerfully about the giant role that Otis played in his life and in the lives of his family members, acknowledging the loss that inevitably comes with caring for another being.

The simplest explanation I suppose, for any of this, is the truest. That the best part of this life is loving anything and you do it even knowing the hardest part which is that, somewhere in the equation, inevitably there will be loss, and the weight of this one is immense. Because he was the corner puzzle piece so much of what mattered to our family.

Van Pelt also acknowledged the respective loss of those who had previously written about the loss of their pets.

Nothing we do could earn what our dogs give away to us for free. that level of love and loyalty. So many of you know what I am talking about. I’ve read countless moving tributes through the years about what your bonds meant and what made your dogs unique.  I always felt badly for you but I had no idea honestly and I wish I didn’t know now.