It comes with a lousy risk-reward ratio, sideline reporting does. One technical glitch, one awkward interaction, one Gatorade bath, one Gregg Popovich … and you become embalmed as a meme, sacrificed before the altar of YouTube. On the other hand, do your job capably and without a hiccup? Best-case scenario: It generally yields a forgettable segment, a few bits of sports boilerplate, and, then, “Thanks, coach. Back to you in the booth, guys.”
Every now and then, though, the sideline reporter mines television gold, an interaction both entertaining and revelatory. Which happened to ABC/ESPN’s Holly Rowe on Dec.