The Sideline Reporter

Sideline reporting has become a constant in the sporting world with almost all sports having at least one or two. There is no glory in sideline reporting and it is a position often met with annoyance from coach and fan alike.


While there are both male and female sideline reporters, more often than not females dominate the airwaves. I guess a pretty smile and a cute face offsets the fact that this position is as useful as a kick to the head.


The most iconic fail when it comes to sideline reporting, at least in my mind, is the halftime interview. It's comparable to a deer being caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.


Interviewers stop a coach as he makes his way to the locker room and ask him an onslaught of ridiculous questions. How do you plan to win? Why did you choose to play that player? Any ideas for the second half coach?


Bear Bryant, a former University of Alabama football coach, was famous for tearing sideline reporters apart and here is an almost comical interview during halftime of one of the games he coached in.


Listen to the questions the reporter asked closely and see that this job is about as worthless as your high school guidance counselor.

Even if the reporter had asked intelligible questions she was fated to get one of two answers.

1. We have to play better to win.


2. We're playing pretty damn good, I think we'll win

While I may be opening a can of worms I think sideline reporting is yet another way for the media to exploit women and keep them from the upper echelon of sports broadcasting.

Ever noticed that women are left to freeze on the sidelines while their male counterparts sit comfortably in a booth? To me this reads as a big middle finger to women looking to make it in the sports world.

It's as if the sports world is mocking a woman's ability to report on sporting events. It's sad that this is the fate that female sports analysts may be doomed to.

Most do their homework and are very knowledgeable about their respected fields. However, women don't seem to garner any respect when it comes to sports reporting.

In the end the female sideline reporter is a poor attempt at giving women a chance in the sports broadcast world. They simply serve as eye candy and offer no intelligible insight into the sport they are reporting about.

Women are just as competent as their male counterparts when it comes to sports reporting. It is disgraceful how women are used in the sporting world and they deserve more respect than they are given.

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Dare to Cross the Fine Line?

Relationships in the media business are key in any field. Without them, there would be little interviews, little sources, and frankly, stories would be monotonous and low-key.

In the sports world, athletes and coaches alike have a fine line with media. Whatever is said can be leaked, and sometimes, it can create a world of havoc.

Granted, the link between sports and fans are the media. Without media, fans can't follow what is going on with their team. What would life be like without the resources of ESPN?

Take what happened in the summer of 2006. At-the-time Chicago Sun-Times sports columnist Jay Mariotti and Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen didn't necessarily like each other. OK, scratch that, they hated the living hell out of one another, and neither were afraid to hide their emotions. Guillen went so far to throw a gay slur at Mariotti. Every media pundit reconsidered where the fine line was, and thanks to this situation, sportswriters now think twice about becoming the next blow-up between he/she and a coach/athlete.

Athletes have the ability, however, to bypass the media. Some athletes use Twitter to connect with fans. For example, Mississippi State basketball players say Twitter can be a great resource, but has its downfalls, too. Athletes want to say what they want, but the fine line can be crossed when dissing a teammate or a particular moment in the game. Ask Chad Ochocinco how that goes every time he loses.

Media has a major role. It also has a fine line. The tricky part is (depending how the relationship is) where to locate it and how not to cross it.

Photo Credit: Keith Allison via Creative Commons

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