Did you ever notice?
The great thing about Andy Rooney’s
recent remarks about female sideline reporters isn’t of
course the remarks themselves but the fact that in the
age of political correctness Rooney felt compelled to
speak his mind. Rooney just pretty much said, I’m old
and rich and I don’t like those girls telling me my football
(I added the old and rich part). So he doesn’t like female
sideline reporters, so what? He can have his opinion.
It’s not like he’s the head of the network with an influential
hand in the hiring practices. He’s Andy freakin’ Rooney
for crying out loud. Who cares what he thinks? Actually
I’m quite confident Rooney doesn’t even care. His follow-up
remarks were priceless, “what are they going to do fire
me from the Boomer Esiason show?”
Now the remarks did spawn a nationwide
debate over the issue and let me be the first to tell
you that female, male, monkey sideline reporters— it doesn’t
matter-- the whole position is a charade. I know. I’ve
done it.
I’ll provide one example. If you want
more—call me on my cell. The most useful information a
N.F.L. sideline reporter can provide is an injury update,
right? When a player gets injured most fans have the illusion
of a hustling sideline reporter running up to the trainer,
getting the scoop, alerting the producer, turning to the
camera and informing the awaiting audience. Maybe in Hollywood
but not in the N.F.L. Here’s the way it works. The trainer
will alert a member of the PR staff. The PR staff will
alert the truck. The truck will alert the sideline reporter.
And there my friends, is the big fat rub. The truck could
just as easily tell the play x play announcer. So you
see, it’s all just for show. And if it’s just for show—why
not have a pretty face down there?
I’m all for sideline reporters. It creates
more jobs in the industry. Andy Rooney is only half right
though. We don’t need women OR MEN down there telling
us about football because in reality nobody’s telling
much of anything.
Tim Ring has been a sports anchor
for Fox Sports Rocky Mountain since fall 2001. Previously
he has worked as an on-air talent in Miami,FL and Green
Bay, WI. His extensive career has involved sideline
work during both NBA and NFL television broadcasts.
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