Pam Oliver wrote a first-person account of her job change/demotion at Fox Sports for Essence magazine. She didn’t hold back and this passage likely will make some headlines.
Once the changes were announced, people started talking. Some asked, “Do you think it had something to do with your race?” No. I definitely do not. Others asked, “Does it have something to do with your age?” Well, maybe. The business is very demographic-oriented. As one executive said to me, Fox Sports will look radically different in the coming years. I assume that means they want to look younger. It’s not difficult to notice that the new on-air people there are all young, blond and “hot.” That’s not to say that Erin isn’t capable. I think she’s very capable. She’s also popular on Twitter and social media, so I can see how that would also make her highly sought after. Still, covering the NFL is a big deal. Stations like ABC and NBC entrust their programming to veterans. So when people talk about all networks making a turn to a particular type of girl on the sidelines, it doesn’t hold water.
Earlier Oliver, 53, wrote of Andrews and seeing the writing on the wall:
Even before my bosses told me what was going on, there had been rumblings that my days as a sideline reporter were coming to an end. Two years earlier, Fox Sports had hired Erin Andrews, a high-profile side-line reporter from ESPN, and I knew they hadn’t brought her on just to be a benchwarmer. Colleagues, and even coaches and players, would come up to me and say things like, “Boy, you’re handling this well. You’re really a class act.” But I let the rumors roll off my back. Without official confirmation about a change in my position, I decided I was going to do my work like I always had. Still, I was humiliated.
Oliver concluded by taking the high road:
At times I’m ashamed of how tragic I was making things out to be. It’s just a job change. I’m not out on the streets. I’m not unemployed. Everybody wins: Fox gets its coveted reporter in the lead role and I get to do my sideline job for my twentieth and final year. I’m also looking forward to developing stories that interest me and delivering long-form pieces for FS1. That kind of work is like being in reporter heaven.
It is what it is. Male sports announcers go on forever in this business.
It appears to be a different story for women. There is a shelf life for them. Once it expires, someone new is brought in.
I would expect it will happen to Erin Andrews too.
Pam has proven herself along the way. I first saw her in the Chargers’ playoff locker rooms in the 92-94 era.
She’s also was a legit athlete. I’d like to know more about her college track career and what kind of 400 times she ran. The 400 is a work event that separates from pure sprinters.