Thanksgiving’s here, and while most families are settling in with food, football, and a little downtime, the people covering those NFL games are basically living out of their suitcases. Erin Andrews is one of them, heading to Detroit as the Lions host the Green Bay Packers. This is exactly why, on this week’s Calm Down podcast with Charissa Thompson, when someone asked about getting into the business, Erin didn’t sugarcoat it.

She said if you want this job, you really have to love it, because a lot of things in your life take a back seat, including holidays. But that honest answer didn’t land well with everyone. A few people in the same profession called her out, saying her message felt off, and suddenly, Erin found herself ‘under fire.’ But fast forward to now, and Erin has stepped in to clarify what she actually meant and why her comments were never about discouraging anyone.

“Hey click bait. First of all, Happy Thanksgiving,” the sportscaster shared via ‘X,’ calling out people saying she’s under fire. “Second of all, how am I under fire? I’m saying you have to love the job bc you miss a lot in your life. Which I do and have. You seem to have missed the whole clip! See you for Packers at Lions!”

Erin Andrews has been in the broadcasting game for over a couple of decades, covering everything from the Super Bowl to College GameDay to those annual NFL Thanksgiving matchups. And with a résumé that packed, she’s the first to admit it comes with trade-offs. The FOX analyst pointed out the sacrifices she’s had to make over the years, because staying locked in at a high level in this business means giving up a lot of personal time along the way. She stated:

“This is what one of my first professors said. 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. And I don’t say it like that, but I say you 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 is going to be your route, but I live out of a suitcase. I miss a lot of stuff. I missed a lot of weddings. I miss a lot of events. You have to love it to get you through the fact, ‘I’m not gonna be home for Thanksgiving next week,’ or ‘Christmas is cut short.’”

Of course, Erin wasn’t trying to scare anyone away from the profession. As she later explained, she just wants young reporters to genuinely love the job, because they’re going to miss a lot along the way. What bothered Erin, though, was how some people twisted her message and viewed her comments from a completely different perspective.

The ESPN reporter shared a different perspective on Erin Andrews’s remarks

People on social media didn’t hold back once Erin Andrews opened up about the sacrifices that come with her career. Some brought up her past comments about the travel and the payoffs, while others, like ESPN’s Jenna Laine, shared their own interpretations of what Erin said.

“I appreciate what she’s trying to say, but let’s consider the folks working 2-3 jobs in retail, in warehouses, and in the service industry right now, just trying to make ends meet. They’re not getting time with their families either,” said Laine.

And sure, Laine’s point about people juggling multiple jobs just to make ends meet definitely makes sense. But the real question is, does that actually line up with what Erin was talking about? That’s where the debate kicked in, and the FOX sportscaster didn’t shy away from responding to Laine’s take directly.

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On her end, Jenna Laine kept expanding on why she weighed in the way she did. Before Erin even replied to her directly, Laine had already posted a longer reality-check thread, writing,

“Their kids won’t get anything for Christmas. I mean, we actually get FED on the job… let’s have some perspective.” She followed it by adding, “…I can’t help but think of the sacrifices service men and women are making… I don’t like working holidays either, but I will work my Christmases and New Years without complaint.”

“Hey Jenna. Go back and watch the clip,” Erin fired back. “The question was geared toward being a sideline reporter and what it takes to do the job. What you miss and what you don’t. I was answering the question. It’s part of a segment we do where people write in. I wasn’t complaining; I was talking about what it the job consists of. Not just about wearing sequin tops and hoping to get on camera! You know what I mean!”

But even after Erin’s direct response, Laine doubled down on the point she was trying to make, essentially her attempt at teaching Erin a harsh lesson about perspective.

“I did. And I did that before I wrote my comments,” Jenna replied. “Some people would do anything to make $40,000 right now and be able to put Thanksgiving food on the table… You have every right to speak on your personal experience… This isn’t a competition… It’s merely perspective… Times are tough right now. If I didn’t articulate that in the best manner, I apologize. This wasn’t an attack on you.”

In the end, Jenna softened her stance, Erin stood her ground, and the lesson Laine tried to deliver didn’t land the way she intended.

At the end of the day, Erin’s honest breakdown of her job ended up putting her in the line of fire, not just from a fellow reporter but also from the public, especially with her missing Thanksgiving again this year because of work. But she’s not backing down. Instead, she’s stressing the idea that being real about the demands of the job shouldn’t be controversial. And whether people agree with her or not, Erin’s made it clear she’s standing by her message.

Want a deeper NFL perspective? Watch our Champ Bailey exclusive here!