You Are All Just Jealous Of Erin Andrews' Success | Bobby Burack

Erin Andrews is trending this week after Awful Announcing summarized her discussion about the realities of life as a sports reporter.

"Erin Andrews opens up on career sacrifices: ‘I miss all holidays,’" the headline reads.

The post has drawn nearly 18 million views on X, making it one of the platform’s most viral posts of the week. However, as click-through data indicates, fewer than half of those who viewed the post actually opened the link.

Instead, many online voices, including disgruntled former sports anchor Trey Wingo, framed her remarks as a complaint.

"That’s literally what they pay you for," Wingo wrote. "Erin said it herself once: they pay you for the travel and the sacrifices because doing the games is the fun part."

"Boo hoo … amazing . thinking of many working and others serving our country . Making great money and talented but the pity party isn’t happening here," added sports talk show host Mike North.

Viral replies called Andrews ungrateful, mocking her for lamenting missed holidays while earning millions of dollars a year.

"Woman who gets paid seven figures per year… with 340 days off per year… complains about not getting holidays off," read one pinned post on X.

Even the ever-clout-chasing Dov Kleiman piled on: "Oh boy: Fox sideline reporter Erin Andrews is under heavy fire for saying she misses the holidays due to her work."

Of course, Andrews isn’t "under heavy fire" for anything more than quote culture and social-media ignorance. 

Erin Andrews. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

The narrative portrays her as self-pitying for having to work during the holidays. In reality, she was reflecting on the lifestyle of sports reporters, echoing a warning she once received from a college professor during her podcast with Charissa Thompson.

"This is what one of my first professors said," Andrews told Thompson. "‘If you don’t want to make $40,000 in your first job, get out. If you don’t want to be told you need a nose job, get out. If you don’t want to be divorced, get out. If you don’t want to work holidays, get out.’"

Andrews added that while her own advice to young reporters isn’t as harsh, there's truth to what her professor said.

"You’ve got to love what you do, because I miss all holidays. I didn’t get married until I was in my 40s. Not that that will be your path, but I live out of a suitcase. I miss weddings, I miss events. You have to love it enough to get you through the fact that you won’t be home for Thanksgiving or that Christmas gets cut short."

That’s it. That’s all she said.

And she’s right. Sports reporters work during games. Games are played when other people are off, such as nights, weekends, and holidays.

That might seem like a simple trade-off for a dream job, but some people genuinely prefer a routine schedule. Andrews was simply acknowledging that the profession can take a personal toll, to which others in the field can relate.

ESPN’s Alyssa Lang shared her own experience: "I once dated a guy who, after about a month, said ‘I don’t know if I can be with someone who can’t do things on Saturdays,’ so we broke up 😂 it is what it is!!"

Louisiana First News reporter Chessa Bouche added: "I dated a guy who liked the idea of dating a sports reporter until I had to work every weekend and he got tired of it because I couldn’t come to his travel softball tournaments."

Sounds like Erin Andrews’ professor had a point.

We also roll our eyes at people who say Andrews has no right to discuss the difficulties of her job because she’s "rich and famous." Two things can be true at once: Andrews probably loves her job, and she’d probably also like to be home for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Likewise, a ditch digger might scoff at an accountant who complains about stress. Does that mean accountants shouldn't warn aspiring students about the challenges of tax season?

Perspective is relative.

Erin Andrews. (Photo by: Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)

Furthermore, Andrews used herself as an example in a broader conversation about what future sports reporters can expect. She knows most in her field won’t make the kind of money she does. For many, the grind involves constant travel, low pay, and little recognition. It’s important that they understand this before pursuing a career in sports media.

Erin Andrews wasn’t whining. She was giving context.

It’s also worth noting that people are jealous of Erin Andrews. They always have been, from fans to reporters to colleagues. She’s the most famous sideline reporter of her generation and a household name in a role that usually goes unnoticed.

And let’s be honest, because most won't be. There’s a growing resentment toward attractive blonde women in America. Think that’s an exaggeration? Look at the backlash over Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad. Look at the cheap shots at Karoline Leavitt. Look at the faux outrage over Andrews’ co-host Charissa Thompson last year. 

In a culture fixated on identity, we have been conditioned to view the success of blonde women as purely superficial. However, that doesn't apply to Erin Andrews. 

She just happens to be the best sideline reporter in the industry.