Can we finally get rid of the female sideline reporter?

[Stink Fish Pot]

I'm watching the Sunday Night Game, between the Giants and Eagles, and some guy gets hurt on the field.

This guy is out of it for 20 minutes or so... laying on the field with a clear neck injury. The replays show that he was hit in the head, and there was concern of a serious neck injury.

So, after they wheel the poor bastard off, Al goes to his intrepid bimbo reporter (Andrea Kraemer, maybe? It doesn't really matter.)

Al gives the lead in... "Here's Andrea, with an update on Player X's Injury. Andrea?" And she says "Player X has a neck injury! We'll report any updates as they come available."

Thanks! A neck injury? Wowl

Can anyone explain to me why they have these bimbos polluting the airwaves? They suck, and not in a good way.

[Ponch8]

I don't have any complaints about them. It's a completely useless job anyway, so there might as well be a good-looking woman doing it.

[RealityChuck]

It's not the sideline reporter's fault. It's being asked the question. You wouldn't expect them to say, "Who the fuck knows? I'm a reporter, not a doctor."

Though that might be more fun.

[Agent Foxtrot]

My question is why the NFL is so reluctant to put a woman in the commentator's booth. I guarantee that there are women out there who know as much, if not more, about football than men.

My only guess is that the NFL knows a large part of its audience is comprised of good ol' boys who think the only role women should play in football is that of a cheerleader and the NFL is afraid of alienating that part of their audience.

[Cubsfan]

What do you have against cheerleaders?

[RealityChuck]

My question is why the NFL is so reluctant to put a woman in the commentator's booth. I guarantee that there are women out there who know as much, if not more, about football than men.

My only guess is that the NFL knows a large part of its audience is comprised of good ol' boys who think the only role women should play in football is that of a cheerleader and the NFL is afraid of alienating that part of their audience.Other than the NFL Network, the NFL has no input on who does the announcing on a broadcast. That's up to the individual networks.

The first hurdle is that the networks use ex-players and coaches for color commentary. The feeling is that, as a player, they know the game better. This eliminates women.

There could be a woman doing play-by-play, but then you have the issue of finding a qualified woman to do that job -- which is much more difficult than is seems. Are there any women play-by-play commentators in other sports?

So, while there is probably some sexism, the bigger issue is finding a woman who could do the job. (I wonder if in sports like tennis or beach volleyball, where women actually play, things are different).

[howye]

Its not just female sideline reporters, male reporters are just as annoying. A couple of years ago CBS quietly stopped the practice, and it is ever more so pleasant to watch a game on that network.

When ABC/ESPN will get this memo is anybody's guess. It saves money and detracts nothing from the broadcast. But of course then they wouldn't have anybody in place for the most absurd of all reports - the coach interview on the way into the locker room at half time.

Even worse is that this practice has spread to all other sports. We really don't need a guy behind the bench at a hockey game. "Johnson took a puck to the face and went straight to the dressing room, we will back with more later" WOW thanks for that. Just have somebody on the training staff call or text the broadcast booth when they know something.

[howye]

Double post to add that ESPN has female play by play announcers for a lot of second tier college football games, and I think they average no better or worse than their male counterparts. At this point it is a matter of critical mass of females in the business and pushing through those who were already there.

[Skammer]

In the same situation last night, what would you have expected a male sideline reporter to say?

It's not 'cause she's a woman. I've seen fine women sports reporters, especially for college games.

[Agent Foxtrot]

What do you have against cheerleaders?The NY Giants never needed them. :D

[Freddy the Pig]

But of course then they wouldn't have anybody in place for the most absurd of all reports - the coach interview on the way into the locker room at half time.But without halftime interviews, how would we know which team needs to execute better in the second half and which team needs to find its rhythm? We might think that Wisconsin needs to execute better while Minnesota needs to get in a rhythm, when in fact the reverse was the case. This cannot be risked.

[Stringer]

Oh hey chauvinism in a football thread, this never happens.

[Oredigger77]

I think Tony Saragusa does a good job as a sideline reporter for FOX but they rarely go to him with inane questions. Most of the time he talks as much as the color commentary guy but with a different perspective.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

Sideline reporters are useless in general, never have any actual information to report and just parakeet the most insubstantial cliches from the coaches:

"I caught up with Andy Reid at halftime, and he says while he's happy with the play of his quarterback, Michael Vick, his defense still needs to execute better on 3rd downs. They still have a whole half to play and it's going take all 4 quarters to beat the Giants."

But since the position is pointless anyway, you might as well have a bit of fluff to look at than Tony Siragusa.

[Agent Foxtrot]

I think Tony Saragusa does a good job as a sideline reporter for FOX but they rarely go to him with inane questions. Most of the time he talks as much as the color commentary guy but with a different perspective.For some reason, I never much liked Tony Saragusa. I think he's useless.

[soulmurk]

Are there any women play-by-play commentators in other sports?

Sherry Ross (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherry_Ross), who normally does the color commentary, has done the play-by-play for the WFAN radio feed of Devils games on at least one occasion. The Wikipedia entry does specify that she was the first woman to "provide English language play-by-play for a full NHL game," suggesting that women have previously done PBP in other languages, but I don't know of any full-time women PBP callers in any of the big four sports.

(I wonder if in sports like tennis or beach volleyball, where women actually play, things are different).

Tennis (mens and women's) and women's volleyball both regularly have female announcers, though neither sport really requires a "play-by-play" caller, per se.

Most sports played by women, like softball, gymnastics, women's basketball, etc., have women PBP/announcer/color analysts.

[DigitalC]

Get rid of This (http://www.nodeju.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/INES-SAINZ-AZTECA-REPORTER-JETS.jpg)? i rather get rid of the football that keeps getting in the way of enjoying the female sideline reporters.

[StusBlues]

SFP, I think you're calling for the abolition of something that, if anything, will only grow in prevalence in the coming years. Pretty girls are a good thing, and they don't care who knows it.

[Stink Fish Pot]

In the same situation last night, what would you have expected a male sideline reporter to say?

It's not 'cause she's a woman. I've seen fine women sports reporters, especially for college games.


I concur. I was not necessarily impugning women, although my OP clearly speaks of the female sideline reporter. That last exchange on Sunday night caused me to post.

I should have just said "sideline reporter". The only male sideline reporter I can think of is Tony Saragusa, and he's just as annoying as any female out there. In a way, it's almost as if the networks feel like they need women as part of their broadcasts, and this is the only place they can use them. I figured the reason they put Saragusa out there is because he's 1) too big to fit in the booth and 2) because he's so fat, he would sweat profusely.

The similarly annoying halftime "question with the coach" is equally useless.

We go to Pam Oliver on the field with Coach Fisher.

Oliver - "Coach, what do you have to do to win the game?"

Fisher - "We have to do a better job stopping them on defense, and our offense has to put more points on the board."

Oliver - "Thanks Coach. Back up to you."

Any male asking these questions would look as equally stupid and useless.

[Baracus]

It's not the sideline reporter's fault. It's being asked the question. You wouldn't expect them to say, "Who the fuck knows? I'm a reporter, not a doctor."

Though that might be more fun.
Right. You would think that the producer or whoever would check with the sideline reporter to see if they actually have anything interesting to add before going to her for an update. Though if play was stopped for 20 minutes they were probably getting desperate for anything to fill the void.

[VarlosZ]

In theory, sideline reporters should be pretty useful, just because that's where a lot of the game is being "played." They could tell us which players are arguing with the coaches (or other players), who's going to be benched or given more playing time, when a team is deciding to try a new tactic, if and when confusion and mistakes are happening, injury updates, etc. Hell, even their inane 20 second interview with the Head Coach at halftime could easily be interesting if the reporter knew enough about football to ask a specific question about strategy.

In practice, of course. . .

[Barkis is Willin']

Are there any women play-by-play commentators in other sports?


Is Pam Ward still doing play by play for ESPN college football? I don't think I've seen her all year. She was not very good. I remember the awfulannouncing blog having a reward in her name...the Pammies. Think of the Razzies.

[MeDrewNotYou]

This gives me the opportunity to share my college-age sister's, new to football as of last pre-season, wisdom on women and the sport. Watching MNF last night, we were talking about the sideline reporters contributing so little. Instead of having token women, she said, "The way to get more women to watch football is to show less Kyle Orton and more Wes Welker."
Orton is good, but damn is he ugly.

(I also learned Tom Brady is hot despite his homeless person hair and that she would gladly accept an invitation back to his cardboard box.)

[DigitalC]

(I also learned Tom Brady is hot despite his homeless person hair and that she would gladly accept an invitation back to his cardboard box.)

Indeed (http://www.theonion.com/articles/female-fans-out-for-season-with-tom-bradys-knee-in,2530/).

[installLSC]

If anything the broadcasters should switch to just using one broadcaster. In 1980, NBC famously tried using no announcers in a game (apparently the only sounds you heard were crowd noise and PA announcements). NBC didn't repeat the experiment, supposedly because viewers found it lacked ambiance. But on the occasions I've heard an experienced play-by-play man just broadcast by himself, it's terrific. He can now use his own sense of timing without being interrupted by a blowhard color commentator who only got his job for his name value. Plus the visuals are so sophisticated and omnipresent that you don't need to hear a voice explaining the game every second.

[zoog]

If anything the broadcasters should switch to just using one broadcaster. In 1980, NBC famously tried using no announcers in a game (apparently the only sounds you heard were crowd noise and PA announcements). NBC didn't repeat the experiment, supposedly because viewers found it lacked ambiance. But on the occasions I've heard an experienced play-by-play man just broadcast by himself, it's terrific. He can now use his own sense of timing without being interrupted by a blowhard color commentator who only got his job for his name value. Plus the visuals are so sophisticated and omnipresent that you don't need to hear a voice explaining the game every second.

I remember watching that no-announcer game. I thought it was pretty cool, but it's probably not something that I'd want for every game.

I really like color commentary that provides some good insight into the game (Cris Collinsworth & Dan Fouts come to mind). But some of these guys are pretty awful (Matt Millen comes immediately to mind).

[kenobi 65]

I remember watching that no-announcer game. I thought it was pretty cool, but it's probably not something that I'd want for every game.

Agreed -- it was interesting, but kind of weird. In a sense, it was like being at the game in person (though with much better views), as that's largely what you heard.

The way that games are broadcast has changed considerably over the past 30 years, with a lot more usage of replays and graphics. I suspect (though I may be wrong) that not having an announcer would hamper the usefulness of a lot of those.

I really like color commentary that provides some good insight into the game (Cris Collinsworth & Dan Fouts come to mind). But some of these guys are pretty awful (Matt Millen comes immediately to mind).

I used to really enjoy Paul Zimmerman's report cards on the NFL announcers on SI.com; he's a big fan of announcers who actually add intelligence to the broadcast, and was convinced that the networks (particularly in the case of MNF) pushed the announcers to not get too sophisticated in their analysis, for fear of turning off the casual fan.

[howye]

I remember watching that no-announcer game. I thought it was pretty cool, but it's probably not something that I'd want for every game.

I really like color commentary that provides some good insight into the game (Cris Collinsworth & Dan Fouts come to mind). But some of these guys are pretty awful (Matt Millen comes immediately to mind).

Not to stray to far from the subject - but what freaking moron gave Matt Millen a job? Sure, he did announcing work before his tenure with the Lions. But he was the without question worst GM a franchise in professional sports has ever seen. The Lions went from merely bad to a pathetic joke. Millen is the father of the winless season, the waster of countless draft picks. Whenever I am stuck watching a game with this blowhard I boggle at the balls it takes for him to suggest that anybody is doing something poorly. He should follow-up every critical statement with: that play sucked and I should know, I am Matt Millen.

Only in sports could somebody be so bad and get rewarded.

[zamboniracer]

Only in sports could somebody be so bad and get rewarded.

While I agree with your point re Millen, unfortunately there are plenty of other non sports examples of rewarding failure. Just look at the golden parachutes Wall Street gave itself after the economic meltdown.

[SCSimmons]

My father was a football sideline reporter for a radio broadcast team for quite a while. The booth team never threw it down to him unless he had something useful to add ... Besides the occasional live broadcast bit, he was constantly relaying front-line information to the booth team & their producer, the things they couldn't see & hear from way up there. That role is probably less important for a national TV team, which has a much larger crew--I think that radio broadcast team was generally a total team of five. (Play-by-play, color, sideline, producer, and engineer.)

[Least Original User Name Ever]

I remember watching that no-announcer game. I thought it was pretty cool, but it's probably not something that I'd want for every game.

I really like color commentary that provides some good insight into the game (Cris Collinsworth & Dan Fouts come to mind). But some of these guys are pretty awful (Matt Millen comes immediately to mind).


Argh! You said that name!

Not to stray to far from the subject - but what freaking moron gave Matt Millen a job? Sure, he did announcing work before his tenure with the Lions. But he was the without question worst GM a franchise in professional sports has ever seen. The Lions went from merely bad to a pathetic joke. Millen is the father of the winless season, the waster of countless draft picks. Whenever I am stuck watching a game with this blowhard I boggle at the balls it takes for him to suggest that anybody is doing something poorly. He should follow-up every critical statement with: that play sucked and I should know, I am Matt Millen.

Only in sports could somebody be so bad and get rewarded.

The Lions, before he became involved, was a borderline playoff team. gonzomax and I were at the last game before the Reign of Darkness. Paul Edinger made a field goal right in front of us to start the new era.

Fuck.

While I agree with your point re Millen, unfortunately there are plenty of other non sports examples of rewarding failure. Just look at the golden parachutes Wall Street gave itself after the economic meltdown.



Argh! You said it again!

[Intergalactic Gladiator]

This season Pam Oliver was interviewing Jay Cutler on the sidelines and after throwing him a couple "what do the Bears need to do?" type softballs, she made some kind of asinine comment about how white his teeth were.

This was just a week or two removed from the whole blowout with Inez Sainz and the Jets. During this time, some players came out and said that many women get into the locker room because all they want to see are football players' ding dongs while radio stations across the country were debating whether or not a female reporter should be in a locker room.

This would have been a perfect opportunity for Pam Oliver to show the world (or whatever portion of it), that there are good female sports reporters who are professional, don't ask dumbass questions, and can look good doing it. Instead she says he has nice teeth.

(Simulate the whistle of a buzzbomb)

fail.

[Jim's Son]

For female broadcasters besides Sherry Ross of the New Jersey Devils, there is also Suzyn Waldman for the New York Yankees, although unlike Ross, she is a lightning rod for criticism.

I guess most of them are fairly useless since coaches and players are usually well schooled in saying trite things. But sometimes there are worthwhile. There was an IRL race several years ago when Red Bull Cheever driver Tomas Scheckter made an unwise passing attempt early in the race, crashing into his boss and fellow driver Eddie Cheever. When the pit lane reporter got to Cheever several minutes later, the always volatile man had a few choice words to say about how dumg Scheckter was, that an oval race was not like Formula 1 where you get few chances to pass. Great tv moment. Several years later was at Watkins Glen, when Cheever had taken out Marco Andretti in a crash (Eddie has gotten all three generations of Andrettis in Mario, Michael and Marco) both Marco and father Michael fumed at the cameras about how despicable he was. Later on an interview, Cheever was apologetic about Marco but when asked about an earlier collision with Danica Patrick, he defiantly said "she did it to herself".
Race car drivers can sometimes give good quotes because the adrenalin of driving 200 mph reduces inhibitions.

I doubt if sideline reporters will disappear as networks always feel they have to have more equipment and people covering events. They also feel that females add some "eye candy" for mostly male viewers and may help keep the quota counting civil rights people away.

Besides Matt Millen, other inept GMs who have landed broadcasting jobs are Mike Milbury (New York Islanders) and until recently Steve Phillips.

[howye]

Besides Matt Millen, other inept GMs who have landed broadcasting jobs are Mike Milbury (New York Islanders) and until recently Steve Phillips.

I am not sure that Phillips rises to the level of Millen bad as GM, but he was bad.

Milbury - Bad as Millen as GM? Maybe. Worse than Millen as a broadcaster? Yes. A thousand times yes. Mostly because he won't go away.

[Enuma Elish]

To the OP: Yes, please, lets get rid of female sideline reporters. This includes Tony Siragusa, of course. :D

[fuzzypickles]

Get rid of This (http://www.nodeju.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/INES-SAINZ-AZTECA-REPORTER-JETS.jpg)? i rather get rid of the football that keeps getting in the way of enjoying the female sideline reporters.
Well, whenever I'm watching a game, I'd rather be given accurate information about what's going on, especially when a player gets--

[clicks link]

Oh, my. You have a point there. :D

[Bijou Drains]

Pam Ward still does games on ESPN2 , she normally does teams that are outside the top 25.

[mcgato]

Without the female sideline reporter, we wouldn't have had the high comedy of a very drunk Joe Namath hitting on Suzy Kolber. All of the youtube versions of this were crap. Dig around for your best version.

[Death of Rats]

The NY Giants never needed them. :D


Considering that they are based and play in Jersey the rest of the world appreciates that. :D