Erin Andrews Back on the Sidelines

I noticed Erin Andrews doing the sideline reporting at the Holiday Bowl in San Diego on Wednesday night. Plus, I'm watching the Pittsburgh-Miami game on CBS right now. (Added: "Steelers Defeat Dolphins 30-24 in Miami.") Sony Bravia's recent ad buy ran during the first half. I'm reminded me of this excellent piece I saw on Andrews' sportscasting career the other day, "ESPN's Erin Andrews Trying to Retrieve Old Self." She'll always be a super-hot focus of the paparazzi, but sportswriters will do her a favor with more straight reporting like this:

Sometimes the best thing a reporter can do is just stand still, blend into the surroundings. And wait. And watch. And wait some more.

It was two years ago in the middle of November in Tucson, Ariz. Erin Andrews had been alerted in her ESPN production meetings with anchors Chris Fowler and Craig James that the Oregon quarterback bore watching. Dennis Dixon was, by most accounts, leading the race for the Heisman Trophy. His Ducks had beaten USC and, despite a loss, were No. 2 in the BCS rankings.

But Dixon was hurt. The blazing fast but spindly QB had partially torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee two weeks earlier. And though he was allowed to play at Arizona, Fowler and James had heard the knee was shaky.

Sure enough, Dixon went down on a scramble early in the game. He hobbled to the sidelines and received treatment.

This is where a sideline reporter either earns his or her money – or doesn't. Every second counts, and is being counted, back in the studio. Viewers want to know what's up – now.

As she usually does, Andrews earned her keep that night. “James calls me 'the little flea,'” Andrews said during a Monday phone interview from her home in Atlanta. “Trainers can try to hide injuries. I don't care. I'll go around the other way. I love it. It's kind of like I'm snooping, like I'm a detective."

On this night, the UO people were not all that restrictive. But there are certain borders that cannot be crossed, even by personnel from the Disney corporation that pays handsomely for the right to have them on the sideline. Andrews had to wait and watch.

“Arizona's winning this game but I'm not even on their sideline because this kid who was leading the Heisman race was down. This became our story. I don't leave his side. I stood behind him and watched every interaction he had.

“I watched the trainer. I watched [UO coach] Mike Bellotti come over and his reaction. Those were my reports: 'You can see it on his face. He's upset. He's frustrated. He hasn't even moved to try to loosen up.' Those were the hints I could give. Because the guys upstairs couldn't see that. And we couldn't have a camera on Dennis Dixon the whole time.”

Finally, Andrews got the payoff she was waiting for – the smoking gun that Dixon was done:

“There was a moment where the trainer came over and he got big tears in his eyes. And I said to the producer, 'Holy crap. Come to me! Come to me! The trainer just got tears in his eyes. This kid's done. And he's done for the year.'”

Andrews never did get anything official from Oregon. But all she needed to do was relate what she saw. She told viewers moments later that there was no official update. But that the UO trainer had just given Dixon a big hug and was crying.

“I just left it at that. And Chris and Craig just said, 'Wow.'”

For a sideline gig, it was a remarkably static night, standing in one place for half an hour. Much more often, Andrews does whatever's necessary. Running from one side of the field to the other. Sticking her head near assistants' sideline huddles to overhear chalk talks. Reading lips.

“For everybody who thinks it's all fluff and 'They're not needed,' I would love them to come down and try it and see,” she said. “I'm a marathon runner down there.

My previous exclusive coverage of Erin Andrews is here.