CBS News Miami reporter Samantha Rivera was forced to push away a fan during her live broadcast following Game Two of the Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers on Monday.
Rivera was forced to stiff-arm a Golden Knights fan while reporting on a 7-2 loss for the Panthers. As she was speaking, an unidentifiable fan was appearing to try and force his way in front of the camera.
Rivera responded by repeatedly saying “nope” while stopping the fan from getting on camera. After the fan had stopped, Rivera then, before seamlessly continuing with her report, said: “That’s the kind of fan you don’t want to be, right?”
The CBS Miami reporter then took to both Instagram and Twitter to have another say on what happened during her report. Accompanied by the video, Rivera wrote: “Panthers lost another rough one tonight but let this serve as a reminder to back the hell off when I’m working and respect that I’m doing my job.
“Excited to get back home to some classy Panthers fans for game 3!!”
Rivera posted a similar message on Twitter, which was also accompanied by the video of her fending off the fan in her report.
“Listen, I don’t give a damn what team you’re rooting for - get the hell out of my face when I’m working and respect that I’m here to do my job,” she wrote. “Excited to get back home to some classy #Panthers fans for game 3!!”
Rivera’s response to the fan led to words of praise from the TV anchors who were working in the CBS studio. One anchor said: “Samantha standing her ground there,” while another replied, “Absolutely, she could take to the ice.”
The identity of the fan who tried to interrupt Rivera’s report remains unknown, and it’s still unclear if security got involved at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Game Three of the Stanley Cup Final shifts to Sunrise, Florida, where the Golden Knights and the Panthers will meet on Thursday night at the FLA Live Arena.
The Golden Knights lead the series 2-0 and are now two games away from winning their first ever Stanley Cup. Vegas played in the Stanley Cup Final in 2018, the franchise's first season in the NHL.
