{"id":1467478,"date":"2022-01-14T21:42:53","date_gmt":"2022-01-15T02:42:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/?p=1467478"},"modified":"2022-01-14T21:42:54","modified_gmt":"2022-01-15T02:42:54","slug":"erin-andrews-charissa-thompson-admit-completely-fudging-sideline-interviews-still-have-jobs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/erin-andrews-charissa-thompson-admit-completely-fudging-sideline-interviews-still-have-jobs\/","title":{"rendered":"Erin Andrews and Charissa Thompson Admit Completely Fudging Sideline Interviews but Still Have Jobs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sideline reporters are the wisdom teeth of sports journalism. They\u2019re generally harmless, largely unnecessary, and easily ignored until they become irritating. Erin Andrews<\/a> and Charissa Thompson<\/a> are two who\u2019ve been hard to ignore in their role as sideline reporters, though their long-term viability may have taken a self-inflicted hit courtesy of a recent podcast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A very brief history of television sideline reporters<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Charissa
Charissa Thompson and Erin Andrews attend Boys & Girls Clubs Annual Great Futures Gala honoring Fox Sports on Nov. 5, 2014, in Beverly Hills, California. | Michael Tullberg\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The idea of placing a reporter on the sidelines of sporting events to supply live updates during games wasn\u2019t even plausible, let alone practical, half a century ago because of the technological hurdles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sports Broadcast Journal<\/a> credits pioneering ABC executives Roone Arledge and Chuck Howard with pushing for the innovations that made it possible for Jim Lampley and Don Tollefson, both college students at the time, to work from behind the benches at a September 1974 college football game between UCLA and Tennessee. The director cut to updates from the field by both repeatedly during that game, and thus launched a new job on the org chart: sideline reporter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The job launched Lampley\u2019s career, and he handled 14 Olympics broadcasting assignments from 1976 to 2008 plus numerous other prestigious assignments in his career. Anne Simon replaced him on sidelines duty in 1977 to become the first woman in the role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other television networks jumped on the technology, ESPN arrived on the scene soon afterward, and sideline reporting has been a staple of on-air college and professional sports coverage since. Lesley Visser and Pat O\u2019Brien were part of the early generation to serve in that role and move on to bigger network responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other than rare episodes like Jim Gray knocking heads with Pete Rose during the 1999 World Series, however, sideline reporting has generated few memorable moments. Rather, it\u2019s been Jack Buck, Vin Scully, Marv Albert, and the many others manning the microphones up in the booth who\u2019ve left us with indelible memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sideline reporters? Timely updates on injuries, interspersed with factoids gleaned from production notes and less-than-insightful interviews with the head coaches to bookend the halftime intermission, are easily forgotten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Erin Andrews and Charissa Thompson admit fudging sideline interviews<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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