The Texas Longhorns stunningly defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes on September 12, treating fans to a lot of high-octane action. However, Steve Sarkisian’s immediate post-game interaction with ESPN’s Holly Rowe became a sudden talking point, prompting social media to step in with their own AI renditions of the moment. One was apparently funny to quarterback Arch Manning, who laughed about it in the post-game presser.
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It was safe to say the Rowe did not like it, as Manning and Sarkisian both apologized for the behavior. However, some think Rowe’s reaction was unwarranted.
“This isn’t the first time an AI video has been made depicting a female reporter getting slapped after an awkward post-game interview,” Sage Steele said on her podcast. “The reporter was Laura Rutledge. Take a look at how Laura handled this moment with Justin Herbert last season.
“Laura’s response to Justin was this. She retweeted that video. Laura saw it and laughed. Laura didn’t make the story more about her. She took a ridiculous video that didn’t happen and laughed at it, and had a sense of humor. The way Laura handled it is how I think most people should when it comes to this fake stuff.”
The video that went viral last season showed Rutledge trying to strike up a conversation with Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert after their win against the Philadelphia Eagles.
“Can we just talk really fast?” Rutledge is seen saying in the AI video.
Herbert is seen punching Rutledge, which left her on the ground. The reaction? The reporter took it in good spirits, very well knowing that it was a joke.
“Rough day at the office 🤣🤣 let’s all have a good laugh and move on!” she posted on X.
The Holly Rowe incident, however, blew up badly for the Texas Longhorns. Sarkisian dismissed the veteran reporter by leaving the postgame chat midway. Rowe only got a “Let’s go, Texas fight!” twice and a “Hook ’Em!” from the Longhorns head coach before he joined the celebration. There were technical delays in both this interview and the mid-game interview with Laura Rutledge prior.
While the video spread like fire on social media, an AI video of Sarkisian slapping her also made the rounds quickly. Manning admitted to having seen this one.
“I’ve seen a few AI edits of stuff, but that’s about it,” he said in the post-game presser. “I saw an AI edit of [Coach] Sark’s interview. Have y’all seen that one? That’s a good one. Of him slapping Holly Rowe? It’s hilarious.”
Rowe hadn’t reacted to any of the videos, nor Manning’s reaction. It was after the quarterback apologized that she finally broke her silence.
“Thank you Arch,” Rowe wrote on her Instagram Story. “I appreciate our conversation about this which will remain private. Apology accepted. We move forward with respect and kindness for one another.”
Fans had called Rowe out for taking a 22-year-old’s reaction to a fake video seriously, while others defended the ESPN journalist and called out both Manning and Sarkisian for their comments.
ESPN colleague Chris Fowler also stepped in to support Rowe.
“There is no one out there more dedicated or committed, no one who works harder in the TV sports business than Holly Rowe,” he said in an Instagram video. “She is a pro’s pro.”
For more than 20 years, Rowe has worked as a sideline reporter for ESPN’s college football and college basketball coverage. Her work has earned her a Sports Emmy, while the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame honored her with the Curt Gowdy Electronic Media Award in 2023. She’s been in the business long enough to command respect, which she has.
Steve Sarkisian said in his apology, “If hindsight’s 20/20, if I could do it all over again, I would have exuded more patience in that moment and sat through and waited for the interview with Holly. Obviously, we have a ton of respect for ESPN and Holly. Holly and I go way back to even to my days of playing at BYU, and we’ve got a great relationship. ESPN is a great partner of ours.”