Sam Amico
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Longtime sideline reporter Michele Tafoya got a shout out from legendary play-by-play man Al Michaels at the end of NBC’s coverage of the Super Bowl, and with good reason.
After 30 years on the sideline, Tafoya is hanging ’em up. At least as a nationally recognized and highly respected sideline reporter.
Now, she will immediately co-chair Republican businessman Kendall Qualls’ campaign to become Minnesota governor. She is scheduled to appear on both former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly’s podcast, as well as the Fox News late-night show later this week.
While Tafoya told The Athletic that the move was “absolutely” her own decision, you can’t help but think the mainstream media’s left-leaning ways helped push her in a new direction.
She also admitted that she wanted to get away from sports after feeling she “was not as free to be as vocal about world events” as she would like.
What she may have meant was that she’s not as free to have conservative views in today’s world of far-left news outlet, such as ESPN, NBC and the rest. Like so many of the rest of us, Tafoya likely either wanted no politics in sports, or both sides to be afforded equal opportunity to express their opinions, without retribution.
But we all know that’s not how it works in the mainstream media, where only one political side is allowed to be heard. Sports media has become full of activists, to the point where you can’t even trust what they say about sports. Everything has become slanted toward their view of the world, as opposed to telling actual stories of the people they cover.
That may not have been the reason Tafoya is leaving, but you can’t blame her if it was.
Follow Sam Amico’s NBA coverage @AmicoHoops
Hate to see her go, but good for her and screw ESPN/Disney. Good luck Michelle.
No offense to Michelle Tafoya, bless her heart, but “well-respected sideline reporter” … Really !!! Who does / does not respect “sideline reporters”. What. pray tell, are the qualities that determine “respect” in the “it ain’t exactly brain surgery world” of sideline reporting?
Is there like a H0F for sideline reporters? If a sideline reporter used PED would he/she be eligible for induction?
I agree BobLee about sideline reporters. Although I do think she was the best of the current female crop, it doesn’t take a MENSA member to ask the coach of the losing team at halftime, “Coach, what adjustments will you have to make to get back in the game?” “Well Michelle, we gotta tackle better, our guys are tackling like their arms are lubed up with STP! We need to quit turning over the damn ball! Our backs are coughing it up like it was a hot tater. Our frickin’ punt team got us one blocked and Good Gawd….our offensive line is gonna get our quarterback killed if they don’t block some damn body. Bunch of ole` blocks like this was a dad gum bullfight I tell ya.”
“Thanks, Coach, back to you, Al and Chris”.
Good luck on that Governors race in Minny, Michele.
Always liked her. She used to have a pretty solid radio show here in Minneapolis back in the day. Nice to see her move on to the next chapter, even if it is from one kind of fire to another: Sports media to politics. Sure hope she succeeds. We need a new Governor. Glad she didn`t go to The View. What a waste of time / talent that would have been going to that shit show………
Just listened to the podcast, and she’s sharp. It takes plenty of grace to not show how much smarter you are than the subject of the interview.
Good news. More sane, rational people need to choose integrity over their paycheck.
Good for her. Was pretty surprised they let her out of PC prison to work the Super Bowl after speaking out against the woke deity Kaepernick
One of the best sideline reporters ever.