The recent incidents regarding Ines Sainz and Jenn Sterger have thrust female reporters into the center of controversy, fairly or not.
One of the most widely respected women in the industry, Erin Andrews, defended attractive reporters in a recent interview with Fanhouse.
“I think it’s hilarious that you can’t worry about getting your roots done, working out, worrying about what shoes you’re wearing and have cool jewelry and know sports,” she told the website. ” I think it’s weird you can’t do those things. Why can’t you worry about the way you look and also like sports? We [females] can multi-task, right? I used to harp on this — I want to prove to people that I know more, that I’m not here because of what I look like or that [it’s because] I’m a female.”
While some people feel that sideline reporters are hired based on looks, Andrews consistently demonstrates her knowledge of college football and she receives a lot of positive feedback from the subjects she covers.
“I think one of the things that taught me a lot about all the work I’ve done and the [working] relationships I have in the industry last year when I was going through the worst experience of my life [the stalking],” said Andrews. “I got phone calls from coaches — that I thought never really cared too much about me or gave a second thought — coaching me as their players. Saying ‘you better get back on the sidelines, we want to see you on the sidelines. Don’t let this idiot win. The game will not be all right unless you’re working the sidelines’ and that really proved to me.
“I don’t care what the naysayers say, I don’t care what message boards have to say, I don’t care what some media has to say, these coaches want me back. So I’ve proved to them, I know my stuff,” she added.
Andrews anchors college football’s No. 1 pregame show on ESPNU, Saturdays from 9-10 a.m. ET.
