NFL reporter accuses Fox Sports of Pam Oliver sexism

Fox Sports have made the huge decision to remove Pam Oliver from the number one spot of their NFL coverage for the 2014 NFL season, replacing her with Erin Andrews.

It's a decision that smacks of sexism beyond belief. And that is the view of one veteran NFL reporter that spoke with Sports Illustrated on the matter this week.

Pam Oliver has been a reporter for Fox Sports since 1995, and she has worked for several years as part of the network's number-one broadcast team of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman.

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Andrews is a better reporter and a bigger draw. No brainer if I'm Fox.

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Andrews is obviously a great sideline reporter, but there's no doubt that if Fox Sports were making decisions on ability, Pam Oliver would still be the number one for them going into the 2014 NFL season.

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:rolleyes:

Really? What great "skill" and "ability" does it take to be a sideline reporter? They all ask the same obvious (and often stupid) questions. These aren't exactly vintage Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes interviewing skills we're talking about here. Of course they're going to go with the eye candy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIh8V0oAN2s

I would imagine if Erin Andrews was a lesbian this would not be as big a deal.

Her "lesbian" would cancel out Pam Olivers "black"

Now if Erin Andrews was a lesbian AND had a peg leg then everything would be very cool.

Bigger draw? You guys are watching games just for the eye candy on the sidelines?

I don't get the controversy. Pam Oliver is an attractive woman.

But networks change sideline reporters all the time.

I literally could give 2 shits who the sideline reporter is ... they are on the TV a whole 2 min during a 3 hour game and have zero impact on the outcome and normally nothing to ad

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Originally Posted by Godfather

I don't get the controversy. Pam Oliver is an attractive woman.

But networks change sideline reporters all the time.

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She is 53. Which makes me feel old, but that's because I am.


Also, I am sure she can find a job at another network. Michele Tafoya, Bonnie Bernstein, Melissa Stark, Suzy (I want to kiss you) Kolber, Alex Flanagan, Lesley Visser (age 60), etc etc.... all have jumped around the networks.

Sideline reporters are like the extra guys in the pregame shows. Useless.
I'm sure the coaches love the interviews running back to the locker room before the half. Of course, that's an extra minute of Tomlinisms for us. :chuckle:

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Originally Posted by Dwinsgames

I literally could give 2 shits who the sideline reporter is ... they are on the TV a whole 2 min during a 3 hour game and have zero impact on the outcome and normally nothing to ad

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Agreed. Personally, I was simply explaining the rationale behind Fox's decision.

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Originally Posted by stillers4me

Bigger draw? You guys are watching games just for the eye candy on the sidelines?

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The casual fan, the not so casual fan knows the name Erin Andrews. Erin Andrews has a larger fan base. A fan base that consists of hardcore NFL fans and People that aren't NFL fans. If they throw her out there, they won't lose fans and stand a chance to gain a few "Dancing With The Stars" fans. They can only win from this move.

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Originally Posted by Dwinsgames

I literally could give 2 shits who the sideline reporter is ... they are on the TV a whole 2 min during a 3 hour game and have zero impact on the outcome and normally nothing to ad

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Agree...

Just because you've had your job for a long time doesn't guarantee you the right to keep it. Especially in TV. It sucks, but that's show business.

I also love how they say Andrews "showed great skill" for her interview of Richard Sherman. Really? More like some jackass was running his mouth and she happened to be the one standing there. But no - everything about it was awesome, and Sherman is a model statesman who should have a bronze statue made of him in every town square. Or so the legend goes.

http://i60.tinypic.com/2mmtq29.gif

:chuckle:

Sideline reporters were first introduced to be eye candy. They didn't even care if you had good communication skills. Just wanted something to look at. Way TV works.

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Originally Posted by Chidi29

Sideline reporters were first introduced to be eye candy. They didn't even care if you had good communication skills. Just wanted something to look at. Way TV works.

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Seriously. When people try to apply the rules of "regular" jobs to show business, you just end up with a lot of stupid crap.

Would it be wrong if she was a teacher who got replaced by a hotter teacher? Yes, but you know what - SHE'S NOT A TEACHER. Or if she was a bank operations manager who got fired because people didn't like the way she looked? Yes, but - again - SHE'S NOT A BANKER. IT'S SHOW BUSINESS! IT DOESN'T WORK BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT THE SAME! DUH!!!

This is like the most basic thing about casting for any TV show, movie, whatever. It's completely arbitrary. It has to be, otherwise it wouldn't work. It's too bad for Pam, but in entertainment, nobody owes you anything. If anything, consider yourself lucky that you had a steady and high-profile gig for 20 years.

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Originally Posted by Chidi29

Sideline reporters were first introduced to be eye candy. They didn't even care if you had good communication skills. Just wanted something to look at. Way TV works.

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That's all that they still are. I really wish that they'd just get rid of them. I really don't need to hear what the coach has to say as he runs off the field at halftime and he probably wishes that he didn't have to stop.

There should be a "Sideline Reporter's Wing" in the Hall of Fame. Where would our broadcasts be today without them?

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Originally Posted by SteelerFanInStl

That's all that they still are. I really wish that they'd just get rid of them. I really don't need to hear what the coach has to say as he runs off the field at halftime and he probably wishes that he didn't have to stop.

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Yup, they're pretty useless. I always chuckle at the halftime interviews with the coach. Not once has there been a useful thing to come out of them. Who was it, CBS, that did away with them the last two years? Though I know they're bringing it back by having a local sideline reporter for each game. Which is a slight upgrade but not by much.

- - - Updated - - -

Two quotes from the first sideline reporter in TV history, Jim Lampley.

"I'd get rid of it entirely...I just don't see what it adds."

"They were looking for someone with zero on-air experience, someone who was definitely not a broadcast type."

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Originally Posted by Chidi29

Sideline reporters were first introduced to be eye candy. They didn't even care if you had good communication skills. Just wanted something to look at. Way TV works.

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Exactly why Lynn Swann was hired as a sideline reporter on MNF...