Suzy Kolber Promises You No More Fluff Pieces From The Sidelines (Also Titled: Suzy Kolber Lies)

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Came across this interview with Suzy Kolber in the Kansas City Star, and I was wondering why she would talk to a random KC paper and not return my phone calls. 87 messages isn't a bad thing is it? Anywho, the writer (Jeffery Flanagan) posed the question of how awful and annoying sideline reporting hasn't gotten and I thought Suzss'ss answer was pretty interesting.

At some point in the last decade, sideline reporters lost their identity and seemed to concentrate more on fluffy pregame features that might as well have been presented from the studio or the booth rather than from the sideline.

But Suzy Kolber, who along with Michele Tafoya works the sidelines on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football,” said sideline reporters are slowly regaining their identity, at least at her network.

“I think you’re right that the trend went the other way for awhile,” Kolber told me by phone. “But I know here at ESPN our executives had a meeting about halfway through last season and the decision was made to try and redefine the role of sideline reporting to make it much more ‘in the moment.’
Umm did you? Because I haven't f'ing noticed.
“There’s going to be a change of philosophy to go back to what sideline reporting used to be, more about what’s going on on the sideline in terms of injuries or players interacting. We have access no one else does, so we have to be the eyes and the ears for the viewers.”- Kolber
Holy Shit! I can't believe they figured it out....it only took how long? Can you let me know when that happens please? I'd love to witness that first hand.

In all seriousness I never understood the job at all, and I don't think Producers did/do either. Sideline Reporters rarely ask hard questions and their pieces have became so cheesy and boring that they had to get the hottest women they could find just to keep people interested. I mean how hard would it be to give the coach or player a headset and a mic like they do in Soccer and save a few 100 thousand bucks a year in salary?

I also think Kolber, Bonnie Bernstein, and Erin Andrews' talents are wasted down on the sidelines and they could do just as good a job if not better than some of the male leads they have in place now. You can fire everyone else though.

Putting the ‘report’ back in sideline reporting (Kansas City Star)

Posted by Awful Announcing- at 4:12 PM

16 Comments:

remember, in her own words, Suzy "re-invented the sideline position."

and to quote Suzy herself, from a famous steve czaban interview, "Are you trying to make a [bleep] of me?"

odessasteps said...
Sep 20, 2007, 5:10:00 PM  

Don't forget Pam Ward!!!

GMoney said...
Sep 20, 2007, 5:14:00 PM  

I happen to like Bonnie Bernstein, but I think it's about time this gem of a story is pulled back out.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/michael_silver/02/17/open.mike/index.html

Here's a sample. Check the last sentence of the paragraph:

Whatever she does, Bernstein is at peace with her decision, even if things haven't played out as smoothly as she'd hoped. "While working for CBS was a fantastic learning experience, it was always frustrating to have 15 to 20 seconds to jam stories into the broadcast," Bernstein says. "My aspirations are in hosting and in-depth reporting; I love telling stories and interacting with people. I truly feel I have more to offer, and even if it's not at the network level, I'm OK with that."

Anonymous said...
Sep 20, 2007, 6:08:00 PM  

I couldn't get the full link on there, but if you Google "michael silver" "bonnie bernstein" (with both names in quotation marks), it's the first story.

Anonymous said...
Sep 20, 2007, 6:10:00 PM  

how long did "the hoover's" absence from the sidelines last?

long enough to change networks?

I guess that broadcasting school/think tank/etc didn't go too well.

odessasteps said...
Sep 20, 2007, 6:44:00 PM  

hey AA,

I was thinking of a good project for ya.

Go back in the AA archives and compare year-by-year the pre game shows and who was on, how simple the sets looked, what they talked about...

It's a huge task, but it would be interesting to see how it went from news with the Greek to a diarrheatic spewing of bullshit, opinion, host, co-host, special extra guests and graphics that look like the insides of a scizo's mind.

So, it'd be cool.

and suzy is completely full of shit. She'd lie to keep her job. It's simple economics.

E Buzz said...
Sep 20, 2007, 8:02:00 PM  

I've been thinking about this for years. We always watch the game and listen to these lame questions and usually predictable answers.

Anonymous said...
Sep 20, 2007, 8:56:00 PM  

You don't even have to interview the guy. All you have to do is pretend you did and say "Well the coach told me that he was disappointed in his team's play in the first half. He said to look for his team to be more aggressive, try to score more points, and try to force some turnovers."

Anonymous said...
Sep 20, 2007, 9:09:00 PM  

Erin's interviewing a coach's pregnant wife tonight

They didn't figure it out after all.

Anonymous said...
Sep 20, 2007, 9:33:00 PM  

Yeah, Tafoya had a half hour long interview with some old black lady in a LOUD STADIUM, a DOME no less.

Of course, while the game was going on.

Who decides this shit? Are there women producing these games?

Seriously, I'm not joking.

ESPN is a "forward thinking" corporation devoted wholeheartedly to "diversity".

Why would they not put a woman in the head producer job for MNF?

If it isn't, it is some serious douchebag of a guy.

Will it ever get to the point where it's basically Jerry Springer?

Wouldn't that be funny, have Vicks family out there, and maybe McNabbs or something, have them start yelling at Mannings family, have a Pier Six brawl.

Whew...glad I got that bile out.

E Buzz said...
Sep 20, 2007, 9:40:00 PM  

Screw you Hollywood Fag Hag- you and AA are just Suzy Kolber haters. What you couldn't find work in TV, so you have to assault someone who excelled in her field. Who did Kornheiser screw to get the MNF job he's not even qualified to dream about. AA-she must have turned you down, so you're out to get her. You obviously her-so don't come up with this "I hadn't f-g notice" to try to look so coool.

suzy24 said...
Sep 20, 2007, 11:05:00 PM  

Did you even read the post you tremendous douchebag? I said her talents are wasted as a sideline reporter and that she should have a more prominent role.

Thanks for "reading".

Sep 20, 2007, 11:08:00 PM  

AA-you're a fucking douchebag! You print all the filthy female garbage by your male cohorts but keep dissenting opinions off. jackass. I read your bullshit. You bashed her and then tried a generalized backhanded compliment Screw you

suzy24 said...
Sep 20, 2007, 11:15:00 PM  

Ugh....it had nothing to do with bashing her. I rather like her when she does normal reporting. Sideline reporting on the other hand is plain useless garbage, and her saying that the medium is changing is bullshit.

Your knee-jerk reactions are always welcome here, but rarely valid. Thanks for taking the time to comment though, and staying up for my response.

Sep 20, 2007, 11:23:00 PM  

"What you couldn't find work in TV, so you have to assault someone who excelled in her field."

Is that what you call it?

LOL, wow, nonstop anger. Good stuff.

Kolber is a bullshit artist, but she has to be, especially to "excel" in her field, which is sideline reporting.

Rambling on for five minutes about someone moron athlete's dog is what I understand Brian Williams considered doing before going to NBC.

E Buzz said...
Sep 21, 2007, 4:09:00 AM  

Hey Mega,

I read your posts as I Suzy would report from the field...

I must say, I can really hear Suzy talking this way in "real life".

LOL

E Buzz said...
Sep 21, 2007, 8:34:00 AM  

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