Arch Manning may have been forgiven by Holly Rowe for his part in the AI video controversy. But there is more to the story as play-by-play announcer Chris Fowler, who was up on the booth on that fateful day, saw something that the cameras did not capture for the rest of us.
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The ESPN broadcaster took to Instagram and posted a reel with a message defending his colleague after the AI video showing Texas coach Steve Sarkisian slapping her went viral. Fowler specifically pointed out how the other media members in the room with Arch should have defended her. But in the comments, he explained an incident with an Ohio State Offensive Lineman that had not been mentioned before.
“Whole chain of events, including Holly getting run over by an OL on OSU side that led to the interview issues,” he wrote. “But that’s not at all [the] point. It’s a woman being slapped to the ground being treated as comedy. It’s the creator of it and reporters who laughed who owe Sark and Holly an apology.” Fowler wanted his core message of support to shine through.
“There is no one out there more dedicated or committed, no one who works harder in the TV sports business than Holly Rowe,” Chris Fowler said on Instagram. “She is a pro’s pro. She is deeply committed to all of the sports that she covers, and there’s a lot of them, and to those who participate in those sports. She has done so much for so many, you have no idea, and I am so proud to call her a colleague on ABC Saturday Night Football.” But in between all of this is a core fact around sideline reporting that often gets missed.
The window to capture a head coach on the field, right after a highly emotional comeback like the one in Austin, is incredibly brief. A sideline reporter must rapidly maneuver through an encroaching sea of security personnel, surging players, equipment, and ecstatic fans to claim a specific physical spot. To make matters even more complicated, the reporter then has only a matter of seconds to seamlessly synchronize with the TV truck, establish audio, and catch the coach’s undivided attention before the moment vanishes.
The collision with the Ohio State OL was one of several production delays that preceded Sarkisian’s brief interview. Production delays were another. Sarkisian had already been through a delayed interview situation earlier in the game and then had to wait again after shaking hands with Ohio State coach Ryan Day. But the Texas HC understood the tough situation that Rowe was put under, and came out with a formal apology.
“If hindsight’s 20/20, if I could do it all over again, I would have exuded more patience in that moment and sat through and waited for the interview with Holly,” Sarkisian said as he stressed his long relationship with Holly Rowe and his respect for ESPN. “Holly and I go way back to even to my days of playing at BYU, and we’ve got a great relationship. ESPN is a great partner of ours.”
Sark went on to address his QB’s conduct that set off this whole thing. He also wanted to show Manning some grace in this matter. “Arch recognizes he made a mistake, and it’s an unfortunate one,” the Longhorns HC said. “I think if he could take it back, he would. But he has since apologized to Holly. He’s made a public apology, and our goal is that we can move forward and him be the guy that that we all know that he is and what he represents.” Fowler also spoke of apologies in his video defending Holly. But he wanted more from everyone involved.
“Apologies are useful. They’re important,” Fowler said. “But as Matthew McConaughey, Texas legend, told me a long time ago, there’s a proverb that says, don’t just be sorry, be better. There is so much ugliness out there. When confronted with it, all of us, all of us can do better.”
Rowe, who has spent two decades at ESPN covering major college football, the WNBA, and women’s college sports, is no stranger to the physical chaos of sideline reporting, having previously navigated sideline collisions and harsh conditions. The chaos around the postgame moment was real but the AI edit was not. Chris Fowler clearly didn’t want anyone disrespecting her anymore on this matter.
Following her high-profile postgame assignment in Austin, Holly Rowe will be reporting next from the sidelines of the highly anticipated Week 3 showdown between No. 7 LSU and No. 8 Ole Miss. She will remain alongside ESPN’s top broadcast booth of Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit, while also teaming up with fellow reporter Laura Rutledge for the marquee primetime matchup. The broadcast is scheduled to air live on ABC at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 19.