Molly McGrath

An NFL broadcaster has apologised after she admitted Making Up reports while working as a sideline reporter early in her career.

" I haven't been fired for saying it. . I would Make Up The Report sometimes, " Charissa Thompson said on a podcast released earlier This Week .

Her comments triggered an angry backlash from some fans as well as others who work in sports coverage.

On Friday, The Host said she had chosen " the wrong words" and " never lied".

" I understand how important words are and I chose the wrong words to describe The Situation , " she wrote in a statement posted to Instagram. " I'm sorry. I have never lied about anything or been unethical during my time as a sports broadcaster. "

" In The Absence of a coach providing any information that could further my report I would use information that I learned and saw during The First half, " She Said .

Sideline reporters play a key role in American Football broadcasts by giving live updates from on or near The Field . They often share details coaches tell them during The Course of The Game .

Ms Thompson, 41, now works primarily as a host for both Fox Sports and Amazon.

Speaking to Barstool Sports ' Pardon My Take podcast, Ms Thompson said sometimes " the coach wouldn't come out at halftime, or it was Too Late and I didn't want to screw up The Report . So I was like, I'm just going to make this up".

She added that she would often rely on clichés in those moments.

" No coach is going to get mad if I say, 'Hey, we need to stop hurting ourselves. . and do a better job of Getting Off The Field , " She Said . " They're not going to correct me on that. "

Laura Okmin , a Fox Sports colleague and the third-longest-tenured sideline reporter in league history, criticised Ms Thompson in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

" The privilege of a sideline role is being The One person in the entire world who has the opportunity to ask coaches what's happening in that moment, " she wrote.

" I can't express the amount of time it takes to build that trust, " she added.

Molly Mcgrath , a Sports Emmy nominated ESPN College Football reporter, warned young journalists such behaviour was " not normal or ethical".

" Coaches and players trust us with sensitive information, and if they know that you're dishonest and don't take your role seriously, you've lost all trust and credibility, " She Said .

Morgan Uber, of ESPN, said Ms Thompson's comments undermined other women " in a profession that is already stereotyped as just being eye candy".

" Good sideline reporters do their homework, talk to players and coaches throughout the week and on game day and most definitely don't Make Up reports, " She Said .

Representatives for Fox Sports and Amazon Prime did not respond to The Bbc 's request for comment.

Source of news: bbc.com