The sideline reporters during NFL games are all polished professionals, performing a rather mundane task of delivering coaching or injury updates.
But Sergio Dipp clearly was not ready for prime-time when he made his debut on Monday Night Football.
The 29-year-old reporter, who mostly appears on ESPN Deportes, a Spanish-language network, got the call to be the sideline reporter at the Chargers-Broncos game. In the first quarter, ESPN cut to him for a quick report. Here’s what he said.
“It’s a pleasure to be with you guys. Here on the field, from up close, just watching — coach Vance Joseph — from here. You watch him now on the screen.” Dipp said “diversity” in the Denver coach’s background “is helping him a lot tonight.”
Then he got super amped. “And here he is, having the time of his life this night making his head-coaching debut!” he said, his voice growing louder and louder.
Twitter blew up. One wag said, “There’s no way this guy actually works for ESPN” and posted the short clip of Dipp’s debut.
Others came to his defense.