Grief doesn’t follow a straight line — it lingers, shifts, and sometimes cuts deeper with time. “No one loved my job more than he did,” Amanda Balionis wrote last year. Now, seven years later, the CBS sideline reporter admits the pain hasn’t faded; it’s deepened. In a candid Instagram story, she shared, “For those who lost a loved one, the seven-year mark can be an emotional milestone because it represents a period of significant transition in the grief journey. It forces you to confront both the progress you’ve made and the reality that your loved one is still gone.”

Physically, it showed up as pinched nerves. “I’m seeing a chiro tomorrow morning and have been alternating ice and heat today, which has kept the pain mostly at bay… but my fingers are still very tingly, which is weird. Will keep you updated for those also on this fun journey! Let’s age in dramatic fashion together.” That came just as she was preparing for a major broadcast.

The Cleveland Browns had dropped Week 1 by a single point, 17–16, while the Ravens suffered a 41–40 shootout loss. Both teams entered Week 2 wounded but desperate, making their matchup a key divisional game for CBS. Balionis, back on the sideline after missing Week 1, faced the duality head-on: personal grief and professional duty colliding. Her story wasn’t a detour from football, but a reminder that milestones of loss don’t pause for schedules.

Her admission that grief manifests physically was more than candor. Harvard research shows bereavement can spike inflammation, disrupt sleep, and trigger stress responses that surface as pain or fatigue. As she put it: “You can’t fool your body.” That honesty underscored a truth — grief demands to be noticed.

Yet Amanda Balionis is not defined by heartbreak alone. She has shown resilience in her career, even under scrutiny, including criticism from golf fans over her interview style. Instead of retreating, she embraced vulnerability and used her platform to inspire others.

That same instinct to turn pain into purpose led to the creation of Puppies & Golf, her nonprofit dedicated to rescue dogs and veterans. She has shared that dogs brought her comfort during her darkest times, and now her foundation helps others find that same healing. What began as a passion project has grown into a community cause, uniting fans, athletes, and colleagues around the idea that even in the face of loss, there is room to build hope.

Amanda Balionis shows resilience and strength under fire

Two weeks ago, Amanda Balionis found herself at the center of a storm after a post-round interview with Rickie Fowler at the Charles Schwab Challenge. She asked Fowler pointedly about his putting struggles, a question that some fans deemed “too negative.” The reaction online was swift and harsh, with critics calling for CBS to replace her. For a broadcaster in a fragile moment, such scrutiny could have been crushing. Instead, Balionis faced it head-on.

She shared screenshots of the trolling messages on her Instagram Story and offered a candid reflection: “When we talk about being you instead of trying to be what you think others perceive as ‘perfect’ or ‘good enough’… here is an example of how the latter is simply an impossible and draining task.” It was not defiance for the sake of spectacle: it was a statement of principle. She refused to conform to every fan’s expectation of what a sideline reporter should sound like.

The response from her peers was telling. Balionis quickly returned to the course, competing in the Workday Pro-Am alongside former Miss America Kira K. Dixon and Michelle Wie West, describing them as “the best hype squad a girl could ask for.” She also posted a playful video of her CBS colleagues cheering her on, underlining that her place within the network remains secure. By reframing criticism as an opportunity to double down on authenticity, Balionis revealed a different dimension of strength. Vulnerability may define her personal reflections, but resilience and humor power her professional responses.

“You’re always going to be ‘too something’ for somebody,” she reminded her 355K followers. “If people don’t like you, it’s okay. You only need to be concerned if dogs don’t like you.” Together, these two moments: the personal weight of grief and the public challenge of criticism, paint a portrait of someone navigating very different kinds of pressure with the same quiet force. For Amanda Balionis, strength is not just the ability to move forward; it’s the courage to share the weight of what she carries, while still keeping her eyes on the field, the course, and the work she loves.