At this point in her career, there’s no questioning Erin Andrews’ status as an icon in the sports media industry.
So much so, that we listed her at No. 10 on our recent ranking of the 25 most-influential sports media personalities of the last quarter-century.
Still, the Fox sideline reporter isn’t without her critics. And while speaking with Us Weekly, she recalled some of the most common criticisms she has received over the course of her career.
“Everyone at home will say, ‘Oh, her voice sucks. That report was stupid,’” Andrews said. “How could you know? I’ll repeat exactly what a head coach tells me at halftime. And they’re like, ‘Really, Erin?’”
“People just think they can do better,” she added.
Currently, however, Andrews isn’t the biggest lightning rod on Fox’s top NFL team. Rather, that’s a status reserved for Tom Brady, who is now in his second season as the network’s top analyst.
The 7-time Super Bowl champion’s first season on television was uneven, and probably more bad than good. Still, Andrews has remained unsurprisingly supportive of her colleague’s efforts, noting the improvements she saw throughout his debut campaign.
“He walked into our broadcast booth, never having done it before,” she said. “I was so proud of him because he didn’t need to do this. He didn’t need the fame, he didn’t need the money, he didn’t need any of it. But he loves the game that much. He wanted to be a part of this. I thought he got better and he got better fast. I thought his improvement was amazing.”
As for the critics?
“If you throw yourself out there, people are able to put their opinions online,” Andrews added. “It’s like, ‘OK, you go do it. You try to do this.’”
Andrews isn’t wrong — broadcasting is really hard! But like Don Draper famously told Peggy Olson, that’s what the money is for, and both she and Brady are being paid handsomely (in Brady’s case, $375 million over 10 years) for their efforts.
With that spotlight comes attention and inevitability criticism too. And while some may take exception to Andrews’ “you try to do this” reaction, her response is, if nothing else, an authentic one.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.