Ad Disclosure
ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt takes on Tennessee haters in Twitter debate
By Nick Cole
Published:
Tennessee routed Northwestern 45-6 in the Outback Bowl on Friday, so you’d think the Vols haters would be quiet for a day.
You’d be wrong though.
Haters never sleep and the Vols needed some defense.
Who came to their aid?
None other than top ESPN personality Scott Van Pelt:
@slmandel why are people doing this? They lost 4 games this year by 7,1,4 & 5. Maybe they're actually just pretty good?
— Scott Van Pelt (@notthefakeSVP) January 1, 2016
So he pretty much took down Fox Sports writer Stewart Mandel with one Tweet, but he wasn’t done with his Vols defense.
@slmandel if they had better luck/clock management, they could have been in playoff discussion. Just don't see them as overrated candidate
— Scott Van Pelt (@notthefakeSVP) January 1, 2016
@kkeithhogs @BarrettSallee @slmandel not really. Teams get smoked. Tennessee didn't. Neither did you.
— Scott Van Pelt (@notthefakeSVP) January 1, 2016
@Andrew263 @slmandel they lead in your place late & lost to ou in a game they should have easily won. That's half the playoff, buddy
— Scott Van Pelt (@notthefakeSVP) January 1, 2016
@Andrew263 team this close to winning a bunch of games with ton of returning talent being described as a candidate to be overrated is dumb
— Scott Van Pelt (@notthefakeSVP) January 1, 2016
@MochaTruck beat the snot outta you last year. They're good.
— Scott Van Pelt (@notthefakeSVP) January 1, 2016
@MochaTruck they blew big lead to OU & lost in ot. Lead Bama in Ttown with 3:00 to play. That's half the playoff. Not even mentioning UF
— Scott Van Pelt (@notthefakeSVP) January 1, 2016
@MochaTruck with some luck, they'd have been trendy team. They lost the games. They could be good next year. That's it.
— Scott Van Pelt (@notthefakeSVP) January 1, 2016
Obviously, Van Pelt’s brave defense of their team pleased Vols fans:
I would like to propose that @notthefakeSVP receive honorary VFL status after today.
We shall vote on it.
— Houston Kress (@VolRumorMill) January 1, 2016
Nick Cole is a former print journalist with several years of experience covering the SEC. Born and raised in SEC country, he has taken in the game-day experience at all 14 stadiums.