NFL sideline reporters have a difficult and important job: Getting insight from players and coaches during games. Sometimes, a coach might not give you useful information or any information at all. What do you do then?
According to Charissa Thompson, a Fox sideline reporter and Thursday Night Football host, you just make it up.
She joined the “Pardon My Take” podcast with Barstool Sports’ Dan Katz and PFT Commenter earlier this week, where she explained what she does when there’s nothing to report.
Charissa Thompson Admits To Making Up NFL Sideline Reports
“I would make up the reports sometimes,” said Thompson. This isn’t a new thing, either. In a previous podcast with Thompson, Erin Andrews also explained that she’s done it too.
“I’ve done it too,” she said. Sometimes, coaches don’t give any information of value that can be shared.
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“He was telling me all the wrong stuff,” said Andrews. A sideline reporter’s most important job is reporting on injuries. In some cases, there may be no injuries to report or no new information.
“Because first of all, no coach is gonna get mad if I say, ‘Hey, we need to stop hurting ourselves, we need to be better on third down, we need to stop turning the ball over and do a better job of getting off the field.’ They’re not gonna correct me on that,” said Thompson. “So I’m like, it’s fine, I’ll just make up the report,” she finished.
It’s not uncommon for coaches to be unenthused with in-game media obligations, which may lead to things like this happening often. “I didn’t wanna screw up the report,” said Thompson. However, what about the reporters who don’t do this?
“This is not normal or ethical,” said Molly McGrath of ESPN. “Coaches and players trust us with sensitive information, and if they know that you’re dishonest and don’t take your role seriously, you’ve lost all trust and credibility.”
Thompson’s career started back in 2007 when she worked for the Big Ten Network and Fox Sports Network. Her first season as a sideline reporter was in 2008. She was hired to host Thursday Night Football in 2022, where she hosts pregame, halftime, and postgame coverages for Prime Video.
“This is absolutely not ok, not the norm and upsetting on so many levels,” said Tracy Wolfson of CBS Sports. “I take my job very seriously, I hold myself accountable for all I say, I build trust with coaches and never make something up. I know my fellow reporters do the same.”
Sometimes, viewers get an emotional statement from a coach. Now, fans are aware that other times they’ll be hearing something curated by the reporter instead.
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