ESPN is bringing back a permanent sideline reporter for Monday Night Football, with Lisa Salters getting the job.
The network has announced that Salters, who has previously worked the sidelines for NBA and college football games, is getting called up to the NFL.
Last year Monday Night Football downplayed the sideline reporter role and used a rotating cast when sideline reporters were present at all, and the three men in the booth — Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski — filled the air time during pauses in the action. But now that Jaworski is out, ESPN has apparently decided that it needs a third on-air personality.
Past sideline reporters on Monday nights have included Lynn Swann, Lesley Visser, Eric Dickerson, Melissa Stark, Lisa Guerrero, Michele Tafoya and Suzy Kolber.
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Melissa Stark gets my vote, she’s just so milfy.
Poor Suzy. She could have had Joe Namath a few years ago, and now look what’s happened.
I think lisa will do an awesome job handle ur biz ms. lisa do ur thang
That infamous sideline orator Joe Namath slurred “I wannnnnnaaaaa kiss yoooou.” NOT.
I mean really, do we need sideline reporting??? Most of the time it’s annoying and they do this ususally while play is going on…switching to that little arse screen while they ask dumb questions and talk about nothing on the sideline…
I think this is a great move by ESPN.
Jon Gruden may be wondering why the first lady is taking a sideline reporter gig.
I can’t wait for her to interview Joe Namath.
Because adding a women asking “how they think there defense is playing” or ” what do you have to do to get back in this game” is exactly what MNF needs
I say OK as long as they hire super hot chicks and they wear thong bikinis while reporting……they’re just eye candy anyway.
You could replace Jaws’s football intelligence, and his ability to articulate it, with anyone and it’d still be a downgrade.
Hopefully she can add something to the game unlike Pam Oliver, who couldn’t name more than 5 starting Quarterbacks in the NFL.
ronaldmexico says:
Apr 11, 2012 10:57 AM
Jon Gruden may be wondering why the first lady is taking a sideline reporter gig.
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I’m glad I’m not the only one that remembers that gaffe from the Orange Bowl game: Him mistaking the coaches holding up pictures of Michelle Obama’s face for Lisa Salters.
I could not stop laughing when I saw it on TV.
1. totally agree with pisstol
2. I’m just so happy Michele Tafoya is gone!
Sideline Reporter:
“The weather is good and both teams look ready to go”
“I just talked to the trainer and insert player out/coming back into the game”
“Coach said we have to play better/keep doing the same in the 2nd half”
“Back to you insert booth announcers name”.
Useless.
Has anyone ever listened to anything any woman has ever said about any man’s sport? If anyone has said yes they are either lying or stupid.
All of these so called sideline reporters are a waste of air time.
Most of the announcers too.
Lisa Salters is one of the more competent sideline reporters you’ll ever see on TV. And she is very attractive. This is a good move.
Is anything more over-thought than the on-air talent lineup for Monday Night Football?
Let’s face it, we’d all still watch every game if they put two 13 year-old girls in the booth to call the games.
Can we have FOX hire her to replace Tony Siragusa too?
Anyone but Goose.
That’s great. Anythings better than seeing Andrea Kremer in HD !!!!
Booooo.. Should have snagged Samantha Steele, chicks smokin hot.
I guess following Fox’s lead of having the second analyst on the field (Siragusa) would be admitting “we didn’t think of it first” by ESPN. “Kenny, Moose, and Goose” are one of the few good uses of three voices on a game.
There is a god.
Jaworski is out? AWESOME. It was just too much with all 3. Now if someone can catch Collinsworth and Michaels doing something illegal and get Mayock and Nessler on Sunday Night Football, I will be able to tolerate Primetime football commentary again.
I can’t even play Madden anymore because of Collinsworth. I hate that smug douchenozzle.
Female sideline reporters (in any sport) invariably want to know, “How do you feel…” or, “Describe your emotions…”
And the male respondents stare off into space and refuse to make eye contact, preferring to talk X’s and O’s without really revealing anything before abruptly cutting the interview short and bolting for the locker room.
Have mercy on us. Skip the gimmicks and allow a guest coach to analyze what kind of strategic moves both teams need to make.
Jon Gruden thinks she’s one of the best sideline reports he has ever seen.
He loves what she does out there, and really gets energized watching her do her thing.
Of course Gruden said that about every sideline reporter too.
I still can’t believe that jaworski was fired, yet SOMEHOW – gruden still has a job – gruden is without a doubt the worst football broadcaster ever in my 35 years of watching football
MNF is a mockery of what it was back in the day. Mike Tirico is hot garbage. The hiring of Salters does nothing to entice me to tune in.
This is soooo patronizing. When are we going to see a woman on the offensive line?
Originally, the sideline reporter sounded like a great idea. They would blend in, looking inconspicuous. When a secret play is drawn up or someone limps off they would get the info out to the audience instantaneously.
It quickly morphed into a coach answering softball questions with as few words as possible and never saying, “You’re welcome” to the reporters, “Thanks coach” at the interviews conclusion.
Nothing gained. Nothing learned.
leatherhelmets says:
Apr 11, 2012 11:47 AM
Has anyone ever listened to anything any woman has ever said about any man’s sport? If anyone has said yes they are either lying or stupid.
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No, not quite. If anyone says yes because they found the sideline reporter attractive, he’s neither lying nor stupid. He’s just a pig, like every other man. Men are pigs. All men are pigs. There are no exceptions. That includes me. I will pay far more attention to what Salters says on the MNF sideline than Tafoya says on the Sunday night sideline, only because I think Salters is pleasing to look upon, and I think Tafoya is not. At least I can admit to being a pig…
How many coaches have wanted to punch a sideline reporter in the face? They are useless.
I sure hope its not two birds with one stone: female and minority.
Why is this position needed anyway and why are the only options female or ‘Goose” Siragusa?
dempsey63, right on. When I watch football it’s for the football. I don’t care about a guys upcoming wedding or what it means to his career that his dad passed away. I’m not hard hearted but I watch football to get away from that stuff.
I haven’t watched a super bowl pregame in years because it has nothing to do with football. Sideline reporters are useless since we can see everything that goes on. Everything.
Does anyone else see a black Michelle Tafoya….weird.
Lisa Guerro’s bod was a tough act to follow.
I hate sideline reporters, but if we must have them, I’d rather they be ex-players who have the potential of adding something relevant to the conversation. (Then again … Siragusa suggests otherwise.) But they’re not putting women on the field to please fans like me, fellas. Salters may be a genuine reporter, but the Barbie Dolls are always for your benefit.
When did the Estrogen Sports Programming Network merge with Lifetime, anyway? Every time you turn on the mother ship someone’s mother is on and I turn the channel to NBC sports. Hopefully they can stick to sports and avoid the political correctness!
At least CBS still gets it and doesn’t use these useless and annoying sideline/endzone reporters, male or female…2 guys in the booth is plenty.
I’ve seen some of her stuff that was pretty good. As sidline reporter on MNF she’s not going to have a lot of control over what she cover’s.