Regardless of what you think of in-game sideline reports in any sport — and most people don’t become heavily invested in them — this week’s admission by longtime sideline reporter (and current host of Amazon’s Thursday Night Football broadcast) that she sometimes fabricated the reports she was supposed to give sent shockwaves throughout the industry.
Thompson joined Barstool Sports’ Dan Katz and PFT Commenter on the Pardon My Take podcast, and had this to say about it.
“I’ve said this before,” Thompson noted. “I haven’t been fired to saying it, but I’ll say it again. I would make up the report sometimes, because A, the coach wouldn’t come out at halftime, or it was too late and I didn’t want to screw up the report. So I was like, ‘I’m just gonna make this up.’
“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. So I’m like, it’s fine, I’ll just make up the report.”
As Brandon Contes of Awful Announcing noted, Thompson had previously admitted to embellishing reports on Erin Andrews’ podcast. but that was not this.
Again, whether you take sideline reports and sideline reporters seriously, making up the news on the fly is a serious issue, no matter the subject. And as you might expect, Thompson’s admission sent shockwaves through the industry.
A good portion of the public doesn’t trust the media as is. I cannot believe she would proudly admit this. This causes significant harm to the people who actually take the job seriously. It’s entirely unethical and worthy of never working in the field again. https://t.co/c3s6ErFZOI
— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) November 16, 2023
Charissa Thompson messed up on many levels.
1) Making up reports. Pretty self evident as to why.
2) I get it PMT is a relaxed environment, but revealing that was an odd choice
3) All the sideline reporters who do the job correctly look bad as a result.— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) November 16, 2023
Sideline reporting could be the hardest job in our biz, and (unlike you) one I am ill-equipped to do. But that doesn't mean you make crap up. EVER. Not having anything to report means she didn't to squat in the days before the game to fill time. Laziness compounded by lying.
— A.J. Perez (@byajperez) November 16, 2023
This point from @mikefreemanNFL is spot on: “No Black journalist could get away with this without significant, career-altering repercussions … There is a staggering amount of privilege in Thompson's remarks.” https://t.co/LkBWtwegcO
— Lindsay Schnell (@Lindsay_Schnell) November 16, 2023
What is the point of sideline reporting? My 6-min diatribe no one asked for.
I don’t expect people to listen in full but if you’re wondering why those who bust their ass as sideline reporters are so bothered by this story. Shout out to Tulane for doing nothing but lift me up. pic.twitter.com/8VFsxAVVpc
— Maddy Hudak (@MaddyHudak_94) November 16, 2023
Bizarre, layered self-own: 1) Fabricating info is obviously totally unacceptable, regardless of context, and 2) You simply did not need to do all that homework to ask a guy, "What's your message to the team at halftime?" or, "How good does this win feel?" https://t.co/xvBMrXNKKU
— Charlie J. Johnson (@Charliemagne) November 16, 2023
Young reporters: This is not normal or ethical. 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. https://t.co/yMnM1T995P
— Molly McGrath (@MollyAMcGrath) November 16, 2023
I guess we can thank Charissa Thompson for one thing: She united the rest of us.
— Bill Williamson (@BWilliamsonNFL) November 16, 2023
THE privilege of a sideline role is being the 1 person in the entire world who has the opportunity to ask coaches what’s happening in that moment. I can’t express the amount of time it takes to build that trust. Devastated w/the texts I’m getting asking if this is ok. No. Never.
— Laura Okmin (@LauraOkmin) November 16, 2023
I spent time as a sideline reporter and have dealt with instances where access and immediate information was a challenge. If I may…this is why you over-prepare. Lean on reporting from earlier in the week with top storylines and get really unique back-stories. Hope that helps.
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) November 16, 2023
Or if you have access to Friday’s practice and you notice a particular player is struggling on a play but a coach calls it anyway and the player has that victorious moment, that’s an easy report that gives context to a particularly emotional touchdown celebration.
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) November 16, 2023
This is absolutely not ok, not the norm and upsetting on so many levels. 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. https://t.co/sl0T7w32u9
— Tracy Wolfson (@tracywolfson) November 16, 2023
