{
  "id": 7146925,
  "title": "Laura Rutledge: ESPN reporter apologises to Texas coach Sarkisian after his ‘classless’ behavior - ‘they blew him off’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/13/laura-rutledge-espn-reporter-apologises-to-texas-coach-sarkisian",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-13T18:02:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hindustan Times - World News",
    "slug": "hindustan-times-world-news",
    "url": "https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/laura-rutledge-espn-reporter-apologises-to-texas-coach-steve-sarkisian-after-his-classless-behavior-holly-rowe-101789311412041.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "ESPN reporter Laura Rutledge issued an apology to Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian following his \"classless\" behavior towards ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe during the Longhorns' 24-23 victory over Ohio State. The incident occurred when Rowe tried to engage the coach during celebrations in Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, but he interrupted her with a shout of \"Texas fight\" and a Longhorns sign, storming away without providing any insights or responding to her questions. Fans and observers criticized Sarkisian's response, labeling it as \"classless\" and expressing frustration that he had been waiting patiently for a lengthy period. Rutledge, who was scheduled to interview Sarkisian during a halftime break, explained that the coach had apologized and waited patiently despite technical issues. She defended ESPN's decision to interview him later, suggesting that the network owed him an apology instead. The coach's behavior came after an uncomfortable halftime exchange between him and Rutledge, raising questions about ESPN's coverage of the high-profile Week 2 matchup.",
  "summary": "Fans criticized ESPN's handling of Steve Sarkisian's halftime engagement, suggesting it contributed to his dismissive behavior towards reporter Holly Rowe.",
  "key_points": [
    "ESPN reporter Laura Rutledge apologizes to Texas coach Steve Sarkisian.",
    "Coach Sarkisian interrupts Holly Rowe during celebrations, storms off.",
    "Rutledge defends ESPN's decision to interview coach later."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}