Van Earl Wright is an American sportscaster with over 20 years of national and local experience.
A graduate of the University of South Carolina, Wright is known for a homespun delivery which reflects his Southern roots. His signature greeting is "Hel-looooo, everybody."[1]
Until the summer of 2007, he was part of the rotation of hosts on FSN Final Score, on Fox Sports Net. During his stint, at FSN, he was most notable for his staunch support and adulation of Kobe Bryant of the L.A. Lakers. Wright is a former anchor at both CNN Headline News and CNN/Sports Illustrated, which put together reflects the longest tenure of his career. He also co-hosted Fox Sports Radio's Morning Extravaganza.[1]
Even though he was never shown on-air, Wright's voice became legendary during Headline News' sports segments during the 1980s at 19 and 49 minutes after the hour, especially for his elongated pronunciation of 'Los An-ge-leees'. Late in his tenure, he also routinely read his dry mandated sign-off ("I'm Van Earl Wright, CNN Headline Sports") with a series of increasingly bizarre inflections. His segment got noted on-air by Larry King and Al Michaels, among others. In one CNN Headline Sports segment he said the following about former overweight major league pitcher Sid Fernandez, "Sick....and I mean SICK Sid Fernandez"!
Wright loved to cover baseball. Some of his most notable "one liners" were: "DEE--EEP. Over the wall in RIGHT field." And on a shot back over 2nd base, with a dead-pan tone: "Right. Back. Up The Middle."
Wright also worked in Beaumont, Texas as a weekend sports anchor on KBMT, and later in Detroit both as a sports anchor on WDIV, the local NBC television affiliate, and also as the host of a short-lived midday show on all-sports radio station WDFN-AM.
Wright provided the announcer's voice for Crystal Dynamics' Sega Saturn baseball video game 3D Baseball and 3DO basketball game Slam 'n Jam 95.
Wright also provided the voice overs for World Championship Wrestling in the 90's during segments promoting upcoming live events.
On February 22, 2007 Wright participated on a special broadcasters' edition of Pros vs. Joes on Spike TV with Derrin Horton and Sal Masakela. The "pros" they faced were former NBA center Rik Smits, tennis pro Robby Ginepri, former MLB relief pitcher Rob Dibble and former NFL wide receiver Andre Rison.
Wright has had a few appearances on Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide playing himself alongside Willie Gault as sports broadcasters and most recently was featured in the series finale.
In January 2008, Wright became the voice of the new American Gladiators on NBC, which was hosted by Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali.