Lisa Salters is considered by many the best sideline reporter in the business and her features on ESPN E:60 have been praised.
She has a unique ability to get coaches and players to open up in ways others in her field can not. She spoke to BSO about that, her plans for the future and what it is like working at ESPN.
BSO: How do you get players and coaches to open up to you so much?
LS: It’s a trust issue. The more they trust you the more open they are. Players that are honest are going to be honest and some are more private, but I believe I have built up trust over my career that feel comfortable talking to me.
BSO: Do you find that while they may trust you, they are still leery of how ESPN will spin things?
LS: Of course, sometimes we crush people for speaking their mind like a Terrell Owens and that makes athletes more defensive. But, I think they know I am going not going to try to trick them, I am going going to be fair. If they say they don’t want to talk about something or they don’t feel comfortable with a topic, I don’t push it. When Dwyane Wade wanted to do a story on his mother which was a sensitive issue for him, he asked for me specifically, because I had built up that trust with him.
BSO: When you have games like this one tonight where the Rams aren’t a very good team how do you find good storylines?
LS: There are always storylines in any game. How is Sam Bradford doing and what will be the Rams plans for him in the future? Kellen Clemens starting his first game in a long time? Will the Rams have some fight left in them? There is always something interesting that you can get from the good and the bad.
Sometimes you have to dig a little deeper, but sometimes the games that look bad on paper end up being the best ones.
BSO: We are seeing more women hosting sports shows, doing play by play and analysis, is that something you can see yourself doing in the future?
LS: I love what I am doing right now, but you never know what the future holds.
We would like to thank Lisa for her time and be to watch ESPN Monday Night Football tonight Seahawks vs. Rams.