Erin Andrews Desperately Tries to Avoid Asking Bill Belichick ‘Dumb Questions’: ‘I Panic, I Sweat Every Time’
Being a sideline reporter might be the most thankless job in sports media. Reporters have the expectation of getting interesting information out of the subject, while the interviewee is often doing their best to end the conversation as quickly as possible.
Every so often, a player or coach will say something interesting as they leave the field of action, but for the most part, they’re eager to get back to the locker room. Erin Andrews is one of the most highly regarded sideline reporters in sports, who currently works with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman every NFL Sunday for Fox.
Andrews joined The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, and during their wide-ranging conversation, the former Dancing With the Stars co-host acknowledged there are some coaches who made her job especially difficult. Difficult because they’re hard to crack answers out of and their aura increases the pressure.
“The thing is for me is I just want them to respect me and know that I work my ass off and I’m studying, and I’m not trying to ask dumb questions,” Andrews told former NFL punter Pat McAfee. “Look I panic, I sweat every time I have to grab Bill Belichick at halftime, and you know there’s been a couple times where I’ve been like, ‘ughhh crap! crap!’”
The good thing about Belichick is that if he gets asked a dumb question, he’s unlikely to chastise the reporter for it, instead the Patriots head coach will often respond with a blunt one or two-word answer. But if sports hosts and reporters are expecting to fill time with a Belichick interview, they have to be prepared with a dozens of questions because the answers may be short.
It’s no surprise that Alabama head coach Nick Saban has a similar reputation for being short with reporters. The legendary college football head coach is Belichick’s good friend and former defensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns.
“I mean listen when I first interviewed Nick Saban, I used to be at arm’s length from him because I was so intimidated,” Andrews added. “I was so scared, I didn’t want to piss him off. Now I’m going to name my firstborn ‘Saban,’” noting that her opinion of the coach has changed.
That’s right, the same Nick Saban that made headlines last week for his continued use of “deez nuts” jokes can also be a stickler with the media.
“They also appreciate if you come with any type of confidence,” McAfee said of Belichick and Saban. “I feel like with a lot of those people it’s almost like a Pit Bull…If you just come in with confidence they appreciate that and that’s why you crush it every time.”
Watch above via The Pat McAfee Show
