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So I watched the Pam Oliver video and I have no idea what y’all are talking about....Let’s dissect this from a media perspective. Why am I qualified to talk about this? I do 8 live shots every morning in all kinda weather, in all kinda situations. 1/9
So let’s identify the factors. I checked the weather. It is TWENTY-EIGHT DEGREES in Green Bay. It feels like 21. General assignment reporters are asked to be in place 10 minutes before our hits. They check our signal, do mic checks, etc. 2/9
I don’t like walking from my apartment to my car in 50 degree weather. And I assume (sports folks correct me if I’m wrong), sideline reporters are out there for A LOT longer. Pam prolly felt like a popsicle out there. 3/9
You try giving your best analysis of a game in wind, cold, snow, rain...for regular reporters —hurricane force winds sometimes! 4/9
Next, sometimes you just mess up. Out of 8 live shots I do (I go live every half hour and I write a different one for the top of hours and half hours), normally the first two are rough. I work out any linguistic kinks...sometimes what you write doesn’t gel with your mouth. 5/9
Sometimes your brain fuses two words together. I.e. the infamous live hit where the reporter on Kobe Bryant’s death put together Knicks and Lakers and y’all thought she said the n-word. 6/9
Sometimes your brain just goes blank. You knew exactly what you wanted to talk about then all of a sudden they toss to you and every ounce of language goes out the window. Happens to the best of us. 7/9
Some reporters you watch have mobile teleprompters meaning THEY SOUND flawless because they have an entire script and they’re so good it sounds conversational. Most of us are not as blessed and go by bullet points or memorize your intro and outro, then read what’s in between. 8/9
In conclusion, Pam Oliver is a dang professional and a trailblazer. And y’all never have her name in y’all mouth unless y’all talkin bad about her and I don’t like that. The number of live hits she’s done good on far outweigh the mess ups. So chill! 9/9
