A Fabulist's Story: Charissa Thompson's career-defining mishap puts her in the journalistic crosshairs

She went on a podcast. She admitted she made up some halftime reports. If she keeps her job, something is really rotten in our business.

I called Larra Overton, the Colts’ fine sideline reporter for pre-season TV games and regular-season radio games, fully expecting she would go off on Charissa Thompson and her damaging podcast admission that she sometimes made up halftime reports.

In the previous 48 hours or so, I’d seen nothing but anger and disappointment, especially from fellow sideline reporters, especially from female sideline reporters who felt Thompson undermined the integrity of journalism and the sideline position in particular. From Lesley Visser to Andrea Kremer, from Laura Okmin to Pam Oliver to Lisa Salters and so many others who do the job and have done it with great skill and professionalism for so many years, they all piled on, and for good reason.

And then Larra and I spoke and I was reminded once again, “Larra is a lot nicer person than me.”

(Not a high bar, I understand.)

She extended grace to Thompson.