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Of all the reactions to Carissa Thompson’s comments, In a recent episode of the podcast “Pardon My Take” In it, the Prime Video Fox Sports and NFL host said she fabricated the halftime report during her brief stint as a sideline reporter in the late 2000s. Laura Okmin’s reaction made the most impression on me.
First, Okmin, like Thompson, works at Fox Sports, and the reality is that criticizing a colleague is always dangerous in the profession. Second, as part of GALvanize, an organization she founded in 2012, Okmin runs bootcamps, workshops, and coaching for women working in sports (and women who want to work in sports one day). Masu. Sideline reporting for the NFL is her occupation. GALvanize is her passion.
“The perk of the sideline role is being the only person in the entire world who has the opportunity to ask the coach what’s going on at that moment,” Okmin wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “I can’t tell you how long it takes to build trust. I’m shocked by the messages I receive asking, ‘Are you okay with this?’ No, never. ”
she continued.
“We are using it as an opportunity to teach young reporters. Some coaches give nothing and apologize early in the week,” Okmin said. “You gather information in conversations and you take it with you. ‘He was looking for this, he was hoping he wouldn’t see that.’ What I’m saying is, be prepared for situations like this. It means being prepared.”
Okmin was reacting to these comments in Thompson’s sideline report on “Pardon My Take.”
“I’ve said it before, so I wasn’t fired for saying it, but I’ll say it again. Sometimes I made up reports because … the coach didn’t come out at halftime, , because it was too late and I didn’t want to mess up the report. So I thought, “Let’s just make this up.” First of all, I’m like, ‘Hey, we’ve got to stop hurting ourselves, we’ve got to get better on third down, we’ve got to stop turning the ball over… and we’ve got to get better at scoring. I don’t think any coach would get angry if I said, ‘I need it.’ out of the field. ” They’re not going to correct me on that. So I’m like, “Okay, I’ll just make up the report.” ”
On Thursday night, I had a long conversation with Okmin about these comments. I asked her what inspired her to share her thoughts publicly, especially as a Fox Sports employee.
“My phone started exploding like crazy,” Okmin said. “I started looking at all her GALvanize text groups over the years, and they were all sending that clip and asking each other, ‘Are you okay with this?’ Ta. Would you like to do this? I’m not judging. ‘ So I’m trying to understand what’s going on. Then I saw the clip. All these young women are trying to learn how to do this the right way, and they’re laughing when someone they respect so much says it’s okay to do this. I see you doing it. I wasn’t thinking about myself or my friends. We are used to this. Pam (Oliver) and I text all day long. We are used to people questioning and devaluing our worth. I guess it’s not so shocking to us anymore. But I went into protection mode and started reaching out to all the groups (on GALvanize) and saying this is not a problem. That’s not acceptable.
“If this had happened 10 years ago, I would have kept quiet,” Okmin continued. “But I now feel a responsibility as someone who advocates for women and tries to help them find and use their voices. I have to use mine. So I asks, “Is this important to say?” If I say this, is it worth the backlash? ” In this case, I thought it was important to say something.
“I didn’t learn how to use my voice until I was 40. So I see 20- and 30-year-old women posting their feelings on social media about this. , I wouldn’t have done that. The wave of women standing up for each other is greater than I’ve seen in over 30 years. I know it sounds strange, but it’s true that Carissa Not against her. Yes, I’m totally against her or anyone else doing it, but I’ve known Carissa for a very long time. I hate woman-on-woman crime, so it’s really disappointing. Did.”
Okmin wasn’t alone. ESPN sideline reporter Molly McGrath using her social media platforms Because I share some very pointed comments about the ethics of such statements. CBS Sports Writer Tracy Wolfson and pro football Hall of Fame reporter Andrea Kramer I raised my voice. So was ESPN. lisa salters. There was a lot of other thoughtful content, too. Passionate reaction.
What makes this comment particularly damaging, as Okmin pointed out, is that in 2023, so many sports viewers still view sideline reporters in useless or dehumanizing terms. I’ve interviewed many sideline reporters over the years, including the producers and directors I work with, and viewers have no idea how valuable they are to the broadcast. What broadcast reporters see on the broadcast is just a fraction of what they provide to the announcers in the booth before, during and after the game. They continue to talk to the production truck throughout the game. They look to the field. Production meetings with players and coaches often require answers that translate into graphics and on-air storylines. That information almost always goes uncredited to them. It’s common sense that everyone looks better if broadcast television benefits from that information.
That’s the potential damage from these comments. I have interviewed Thompson many times and corresponded professionally, and from my perspective she is the real deal. She is well-liked by Fox Sports and her Amazon colleagues and is a professional and talented host who shares the microphone well with others. I think you, like many of the guests on the podcast, can get caught up in pushing the envelope. She told a similar story on her podcast nearly two years ago. None of that excuses her for that girlfriend’s behavior or that flirtatious comment she made, but I think there’s little point in punishing her retroactively years later.
A spokesperson for Amazon’s NFL at Prime Video declined to comment. Fox Sports also declined to comment.
Okmin said she spent much of Thursday interacting with women in the industry and spoke with many active sideline reporters. She said she and McGrath texted and Okmin told McGrath that at McGrath’s age she would not have been vocal. Ms. Okmin also said that she contacted Ms. Thompson after posting, but that Ms. Thompson was at her usual “Thursday Night Football” job last night, so she simply did not contact her sooner. said.
“It’s a shame that I didn’t contact Charissa before posting,” Okmin said. “It may not mean anything after the fact. But with Fox, they always understand how I feel about GALvanize and are willing to speak out on issues that concern women in sports.” They know there are a lot of women I mentor and a lot of women I try to help. We never let anything get in the way of our relationship.
“The most difficult thing about this is that I never want it to be a woman against a woman,” Okmin continued. “Carissa is in the thick of it right now, so she’s really obnoxious and I feel really bad for her. But I’m talking about her role. Our title is Sideline. reporter, And whether you’re a prospective or current journalist, it’s important to understand what that definition includes. My coach called me today and asked if that’s common, and I have to assure you it’s not — and that conversation sets us back. It’s very competitive to get here and hard to stay here, but if you do it the right way, that’s where you get longevity. Trust in the building. Build relationships. That’s the difference between a fun job and a career. I want all young women and men who want to pursue this career to understand that this is not the path. ”
I feel so bad for all of this, thinking about Okmin, Oliver, Wolfson, and the other reporters who are now having to deal with the aftermath of this while doing their jobs. Sadly, I can guarantee that some of the comments attached to this article will contain the same old nonsense about side hustle reports.
That’s unfortunate, but it’s also not true.
(Top photo: Andy Lewis / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)