Erin Andrews called her out-of-breath Packers-Lions halftime report inappropriate and said she needs to get better. She had just sprinted for injury updates when she went live during the Oct. 25 Packers-Lions halftime report at Ford Field.
The Fox Sports sideline reporter made Kevin Burkhardt’s handoff, but she was still catching her breath, a moment she criticized while recounting it on her podcast.
“I’m fully fucking out of breath, which is inappropriate,” Andrews said on the Oct. 27 episode of Calm Down with Erin and Charissa, with co-host Charissa Thompson.
Andrews, 48, explained that Ford Field’s long ramp gave her more time with Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, whom she considers a friend. Their conversation stretched to about 4 minutes, enough for 4 or 5 questions rather than her usual 2.
Back at the field with about 1 minute and 10 seconds before air, she replayed her recording to check her notes, including LaFleur’s explanation for attempting a fourth down instead of kicking a field goal. Green Bay had failed on fourth-and-4 from Detroit’s 7-yard line and trailed 10-7 at halftime.
With about 45 seconds left, Andrews realized she still needed injury information. She ran to a public relations staffer, got the updates and returned to the camera, leaving herself struggling to speak on air.
She said she repeated herself while discussing the offense and kept talking into the snap. “I’ll get it together after this play,” she recalled telling Burkhardt.
Andrews also recalled Tom Brady reacting sympathetically on air. “He does that on air because he knew that I was struggling,” she said.
Looking back, she said she could’ve asked for a little more time or let fellow sideline reporter Tom Rinaldi deliver his report first. She took responsibility for how she’d managed the interview and her preparation.
“It still tells me I love my job. I need to get better. I’m still learning things,” Andrews said.