In a recent appearance on the “Pardon My Take” podcast, Charissa Thompson made a candid admission that created a lot of controversy.
“I’ve said this before. I haven’t been fired for saying it, but I’ll say it again. I would make up the report sometimes, because A, the coach wouldn’t come out at halftime, or it was too late and I didn’t want to screw up the report. So I was like, ‘I’m just gonna make this up.’”
She went on to say that her made-up report was very generic, and no head coach would argue with the analysis she attributed to her nonexistent discussion with him.
“Because first of all, no coach is gonna get mad if I say, ‘Hey, we need to stop hurting ourselves. We need to be better on third down. We need to stop turning the ball over and do a better job of getting off the field.’ They’re not gonna correct me on that. So I’m like, it’s fine, I’ll just make up the report.”
As expected, her admission created a lot of strong opinions, especially among her peers.
Upset With Thompson’s Admission
1. Tracy Wolfson, CBS Sports
“This is absolutely not ok, not the norm and upsetting on so many levels. I take my job very seriously, I hold myself accountable for all I say, I build trust with coaches and never make something up. I know my fellow reporters do the same.”
2. Glen Macnow, WIP Radio Philadelphia
Philadelphia Eagles radio reporter Glen Macnow agrees.
I’m stating the obvious here, but Charissa Thompson almost boasting that she conjures her reports out of thin air does harm to everyone in media who takes his/her job seriously. She should never be allowed to work in the field again.
— Glen Macnow (@RealGlenMacnow) November 16, 2023
No Big Deal Says One Fan
One fan believes the controversy is much ado about nothing.
“Nobody cares what sidelines reporters say.”
The handwringing over Charissa Thompson is hilarious.
Nobody cares what sideline reporters say.
— WV Witness (@WVWitness) November 16, 2023
A Refreshing Take From Destiny Sanchez, A College Student/Aspiring Reporter
Aspiring sports reporter Destiny Sanchez, a Penn State University student, discussed the ethical implications and offered alternatives to how Thompson could have handled those situations.
My take on Charissa Thompson saying she makes up some of her reports on the sideline. pic.twitter.com/E0R6F2VKuF
— Destiny Sanchez (@ddestsanchez) November 16, 2023
Thompson appeared at her usual post on Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football pregame program and did not address the situation.
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