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Behind the Mike: 'Live with Regis and Erin'?

ESPN's savvy Erin Andrews reveals her dream job

Mike Lucas  —  5/08/2008 9:40 am

Erin Andrews was telling a Bo Ryan story on the way to the airport and her next assignment -- air time being an occupational hazard and occupation. Pick a day, any day, and there's a good chance that the ESPN sideline reporter will be in transit from one airport to the next, as dictated by her all-consuming schedule.

"Sometimes you get home on a Sunday and leave on a Monday morning," she recounted, "and I'm not even thinking about the color of the stupid shirt that I pack. I'm just happy it's clean and smells fresh ... and when you're done with the 85 million snowstorms that you have in Wisconsin, you're ready for the sun in Atlanta or baseball in Boston or New York."

Fall and college football morphs into winter and college men's basketball, which morphs into spring/summer and Major League Baseball. The cycle begins anew each autumn for Andrews, who is completing her fourth season with the all-sports network. Recently, she reached a milestone, turning the big 3-0.

"I still kind of act like I'm in my early 20s; I want to be 26 forever," said Andrews, conceding 30 has been a psychological hurdle. "I look at a lot of my girlfriends and they're married with kids, and I'm not even close to that right now. My career path has taken me a different way, and I wouldn't change that for the world."

But she has been forced to make changes because of her visibility, the result of committing to more than 100 events each year. There's also the issue of celebrity. She was the leading vote-getter in a Playboy online poll determining America's Sexiest Sportscaster. She crushed the competition. Not that she would ever take such a thing too seriously.

"This all happened a lot quicker than I ever imagined," said Andrews, a University of Florida grad whose father, Steve, a Tampa-based television news reporter/producer, has been the guiding light behind her meteoric climb in the business. But there have been many things that Andrews had to learn on her own.

"I've become a little bit guarded by the fact that the Internet has taught me a few lessons," she confided. "People are always watching, and you have to be aware of that. I've had to grow up on camera and it has been humbling at times. You definitely become more aware of your privacy when people are telling you who you should or shouldn't be. Or who you should or shouldn't be seen with."

Some have wondered how long Andrews wants to stay in the sports arena. Especially given the crossover success of Thea Andrews (no relation), who made the jump from ESPN2 -- she hosted the former "Cold Pizza" morning show -- to her present role as a correspondent on Entertainment Tonight.

"To be honest, in the past month, there have been opportunities that have come about," said Erin Andrews, who wouldn't get specific. "I feel kind of silly when I say it -- because it feels like what every Miss America would say -- but I would really love to have some kind of a role like a Kelly Ripa. I feel like she has the same personality that I do. Funny and kind of kooky."

Ripa, 37, is a former soap opera star (All My Children) and co-host with Regis Philbin on the ABC morning gabfest, "Live with Regis and Kelly." "I've told our PR people at ESPN if she ever takes some time off, I would love to fill in for her," Andrews said. "I wouldn't mind trying something in entertainment. But it would have to be the right fit."

For now, though, Andrews is perfectly content with the status quo -- "I want to be true to myself, and I know I still want to be on the sidelines" -- and the perks of her job, one of which is the opportunity to "connect" with college fan bases around the country. That's especially true of her Madison connection with University of Wisconsin football and basketball fans.

"Everybody here has been so friendly since Day One," Andrews said of her frequent trips to the Kohl Center and Camp Randall Stadium. "The kids are always chanting your name after you do a stand-up (interview), and everybody just wants to say hi or take a photo. It's one of the places that is special to me because it's such a family atmosphere."

On the way to the airport last week, Andrews was sharing a story on Bo Ryan, the UW men's basketball coach. Prior to drawing the Feb. 28 matchup between the Badgers and Michigan State, she was on the sidelines for the No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown between Memphis and Tennessee, which knocked off the previously undefeated Tigers.

At halftime, Andrews quizzed Vols coach Bruce Pearl on his leading scorer, Chris Lofton, and what Memphis was doing to him defensively. "Bruce just said, 'They're pulling him and they're grabbing him kind of like this,' and he started holding me,'" Andrews recalled. "I just got this look on my face, and my reaction was, 'Holy cripes, this is going to be all over the Internet.' And it was, within 15 minutes."

You can see for yourself on YouTube. Not that Andrews thought Pearl's actions were inappropriate, though he later texted an apology. As it was, the following Thursday night, Andrews stopped Ryan for an interview as the Badgers and Spartans were leaving the Kohl Center floor at half.

"Right when I went to turn to Bo," she related, "he said to me, 'Don't worry, I won't grab you,' and I just lost it on camera, I was laughing so hard."

Mike Lucas  —  5/08/2008 9:40 am