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Bucs reporter under fire for grilling Gio Bernard after botched fake punt

By Aryanna Prasad

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 14: Giovani Bernard #25 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs onto the field during a NFL game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on October 14, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 14: Giovani Bernard #25 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs onto the field during a NFL game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on October 14, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) /
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ESPN Bucs reporter Jenna Laine came under fire for interrogating running back Gio Bernard after a costly botched fake punt versus the Bengals. 

When Marshawn Lynch sat before Super Bowl media so he would not get fined, it spoke to a tenuous relationship between NFL athletes and journalists.

Yes, NFL athletes are usually required to speak to the media, but journalists are expected to respect the boundaries of athletes as well, especially when present in a locker room following a humiliating loss.

So when Bucs running back Giovani Bernard tried to exit the locker room and reconvene with his family, he was stopped by a group of Bucs reporters who wanted him to answer to a costly botched fake punt in the game.

Bucs reporter Jenna Laine shared a video of that interaction, describing the fake punt as “the most pivotal play of the game” (although there were several Bucs penalties that contradict that assertion). Laine also added a note preemptively, as if she knew the video would spark outrage across the sports landscape: “As reporters, it is our job to seek clarity on what happened.”

Although this is true, athletes, journalists and fans disagreed with the manner in which the impromptu interview was conducted, leading Laine to defend herself in Twitter comments.

Bucs reporter Jenna Laine faces backlash for interrogating Gio Bernard after Bengals loss

As reporters lament the lacking opportunity to speak with Bernard all year, Bernard looks flabbergasted by the way media members feel owed an explanation for the fake punt mishap.

“Can I go to my family that I have outside, and… all the sudden, now?” Bernard asks.

“Just don’t say we didn’t talk to you all year,” a reporter responded tersely.

“We just wanted to ask for your perspective on what happened there,” Laine said.

“You were involved in one of the biggest plays of the game,” another reporter chimed in.

Bernard laughs in disbelief, then spends 30 seconds reiterating that the botched play was a result of “miscommunication.”

“I take complete fault for that,” Bernard said, confirming that he was informed about the fake punt playcall.

The video blew up, with Kevin Durant sharing it and praising Giovani for his poise.

Former NFL athletes like Ryan Clark and Jeremy Maclin were shocked by the entitlement on display. James White, a beloved icon among Patriots fans, even wondered if he would have handled it as well as Gio did.

It’s not just athletes and fans who are criticizing Laine, but members of the media who vehemently disagree with how the profession is represented in this clip.

NYT’s Astead Herndon offered a poignant critique pointing out that Laine is arguing against members of the same public she and other media members claim to represent.

What’s worse, Laine became defensive in a series of condescending Twitter responses.

Laine even went so far as to claim that their interaction with Bernard revealed “a team in turmoil“, as if Bernard’s frustration had anything to do with his colleagues and not the journalists harassing him for answers.

Although Laine and her colleagues may have believed they were showing the world how to battle for answers after a tough game, all it showed is that respect, integrity and compassion deserve a place in analytical journalism.

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