Media is an essential part of the NFL community, acting as the connection between the players and the larger public. But sometimes, reporters go a bit too far, pushing a few lines in their quest to get to the crux of the matter. And Sunday’s post-game interaction between Jenna Laine and Giovanni Bernard was precisely that.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost their home game last Sunday to the Cincinnati Bengals, who clawed their way back in the second half to win 34-23. And the most pivotal point in the game, where many believe the momentum of the game took a drastic turn, was a botched fake punt attempt. And in the center of the mishap, was running back Gio Bernard.
Bernard clearly did not look ready for the fake move, and completely missed the ball. The Bucs lost the ball, and the situation highlighted a massive communication gap. After the game, however, Jenna Laine, along with Bucs beat reporter Greg Auman, swamped on Bernard in an attempt to get him to answer their questions. It did not go down well, and Bernard was seething at their comments and tone.
When Laine posted the video on Twitter, all hell broke loose. She and Auman received tremendous backlash for their insensitive attitude toward Bernard. After days of defending her actions, Laine finally posted a detailed apology on Twitter. But not everyone is happy about it either.
Jenna Laine forced to apologize after days of defending exchanges with Bernard
Jenna Laine’s apology on Twitter comes after she ferociously defended her actions for almost 3 days. Her apology starts with her saying that she did not want to clarify her actions on social media before she personally apologized to Giovanni Bernard. Well, kudos for getting that out of the way, yes?
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) December 22, 2022
But the rest of the statement soon kicked up a storm of its own. To many, it still felt like she was trying to defend her actions yet again, masked in an apology letter. Probably the only statement most fans agree with on her statement is the part where she says “He’s a better person than me. For many reasons.”
Laine acknowledges that she caught Bernard when he was “vulnerable”, and that her words and tone came off as “cruel and insensitive”. She also exclaimed that at that moment, she became something she never wanted to be: someone lacking empathy. She also says she has “some growing to do” after her exchange with the Bucs’ running back.
Whichever way her apology goes with Bernard, her actions have definitely acted as a mild wake-up call for the rest of the reporters. And although Laine has apologized, her track record for being a bit outspoken, and loose on words, does not give much hope for the future. Will we be greeted with another such event in the weeks to come? Or has Laine finally learned her lesson?
