- Tickets. Get the best tickets for NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB games and more on Tickets MARCA!
- Las Vegas Raiders. Tom Brady doesn't hold back when Eli Manning laughs at him again, fueling their 'rivalry'
Charissa Thompson discovered that some podcast admissions are better left unsaid.
The Fox Sports and Amazon Prime Video host ignited widespread backlash in November 2023 after revealing on Barstool Sports' Pardon My Take podcast that she had fabricated NFL sideline reports earlier in her career.
During the interview, Thompson openly described instances where she invented coach comments when interviews did not materialize.
"I've said this before, so I haven't been fired for saying it, but I'll say it again. I would make up the report sometimes," Thompson said. "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 going to make this up.'"
She defended the practice by arguing that the fabricated comments were based on predictable, generic coach responses.
"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,'" she added. "They're not gonna correct me on that. So I'm like, it's fine, I'll just make up the report."
Backlash from fellow sideline reporters
Although Thompson had previously mentioned the practice in 2022 on her own podcast, Calm Down with Erin and Charissa, alongside NFL sideline reporter Erin Andrews, the earlier remarks generated little attention.
During that episode, Andrews acknowledged similar experiences. At the time, neither broadcaster faced public fallout, largely because the comments went relatively unnoticed.
The appearance on Pardon My Take, however, produced a far different reaction. Within hours of the episode's release, respected sideline reporters across major networks publicly criticized the admission.
Lisa Salters, who has covered the NFL for ESPN since 2012, expressed her outrage on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"Shocked. Disappointed. Disgusted. What we heard today called all sideline reporters into question," Salters wrote. "My job is an honor, a privilege and a craft at which I have worked so hard... Trust and credibility. They mean everything to a journalist. To violate either one, in any way, not only makes a mockery of the profession, but is a disservice to players, coaches and, most importantly, to fans."
CBS Sports broadcaster Tracy Wolfson echoed those sentiments, calling Thompson's podcast comments "absolutely not ok, not the norm and upsetting on so many levels." She continued, "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."
ESPN broadcaster Molly McGrath also issued a pointed message aimed at aspiring journalists. "This is not normal or ethical. Coaches and players trust us with sensitive information, and if they know that you're dishonest and don't take your role seriously, you've lost all trust and credibility."
The controversy underscored the fragile balance between entertainment and journalistic integrity in sports media - and served as a cautionary tale about the lasting consequences of casual podcast confessions.