ESPN Addresses Steve Sarkisian’s Controversial Behavior After Texas-Ohio State
After Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian blew off his postgame interview, ESPN broke its silence on the controversial situation.
On Saturday night, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian had a difficult time being interviewed by ESPN after the team's 24-23 win over Ohio State. ESPN attempted to speak with Sarkisian at halftime and again after the game, but both times the coach walked away before the interview could take place. The halftime interview was not a major issue, but Sarkisian's refusal to answer a postgame interview from sideline reporter Holly Rowe sparked outrage among fans.
Rowe appeared visibly frustrated and rolled her eyes, which may have escalated fans' anger towards Sarkisian.
ESPN released a statement attempting to clarify the situation, attributing Sarkisian's behavior to technical difficulties. A Texas spokesperson claimed that the ESPN technical issues played a role in Sarkisian's demeanor with Rowe, just as technical issues caused a delay during the halftime interview. Laura Rutledge of The Athletic reported the same, emphasizing that Sarkisian declined the halftime interview due to the persistent technical issues and apologized for it. The network then apologized to Sarkisian, whom they believed should be apologized to instead.
Sarkisian's apology seemed to have an impact, as Texas went on to score three fourth-quarter touchdowns and pull off an upset victory over the No. 1-ranked Ohio State team, despite being down 20-3 at halftime.
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