We are all pretty much in awe of the star players and how they turn up and perform game in game out. And fanboy/fangirl moments are part and parcel of the package when we end up meeting one of our heroes. While we may look at media personalities as lucky beings for they get to rub shoulders with the star athletes, have you wondered how tough it would be to interview, say the NFL’s best quarterback, and not be starstruck? Erin Andrews revealed how challenging it is…
Andrews, a thorough professional, does her job really well, interviewing players like Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady. However, there have been times when even Erin, who has been in the business for 20 years, get lost for words.
In her latest appearance on Calm Down with co-host Charissa Thompson, the sideline reporter described the jitters she experienced while interviewing Mahomes on the phone.
“I think it’s kind of a pinch-me moment when you can get somebody like him (on the phone for 10 minutes). He’s the face of our league… We’ve talked about here on the show where I’ve almost like blanked out a few times. And my call with Patrick, that’s not on camera. It’s totally on the phone,” recalled Erin.
Stars like Mahomes or Brady make Erin feel like a cub reporter. After all, media professionals are humans, much like us.
Her co-host, Charissa, put across a professional maxim while saying getting too comfortable on the job is not a good thing. People tend to make more mistakes when they become too comfortable.
While a phone interview with Mahomes made Erin nervous, it was nothing compared to her on-ground interview with the Kansas Chiefs’ QB. In that interaction, the reporter remembers one constant fear running through her mind.
Erin feared that Mahomes would think she was too old
Erin revealed some TMI details of her interview with Mahomes on the sidelines after the Chiefs’ win against the San Francisco 49ers. The broadcaster spoke about how she couldn’t stop sweating and was afraid Mahomes would think she looked too old, especially with her makeup ruined.
“I haven’t seen him since last year and he’s like looking at me in the interview and I just was thinking, ‘God, I wonder if he’s like, wow, she’s really f****** aged.’ Because like, you know, caking on makeup doesn’t help when like wrinkles and fine lines.”
While we have no means to know what was going through Mahomes’ mind during this interview, it’s likely that concerns about Andrews’ age were the last thing on his list of priorities. Erin’s honest takes, however, does offer a breath of fresh air to fans who often view television broadcasters as perfectionists capable of handling any situation with panache.