An Oregon sports report was just trying to do her job when she encountered a group of unruly fans. The incident was caught on camera and quickly went viral.
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Let’s examine what happened. Olivia Cleary, a reporter with ABC affiliate KEZI in Oregon, had a less-than-ideal encounter with fans. She had been covering the Oregon State University and Lafayette University game on October 18.
That’s when a group of young fans interrupted her game report. The video shared on X by KEZI sports director Brett Austin Taylor showed a man poking his head into the live shot. He also stuck his arm in the frame.
Another started shouting “6-7” referencing a meme viral phrase. The Oregon reporter did her best to just finish the report. Another started yelling, and one of his friends started screaming “help” during the video.
Oregon Reporter Goes Viral
Following the viral video, the Oregon reporter commented on the matter.
“I’m aware of the video circulating and want to thank everyone for the support!” Cleary wrote. “At the start of my live shot, fans were kind and added a fun element to my coverage. As it went on, a few fans stuck around and things got a little out of hand, which is what you saw.”
She continued, “For the most part, Beaver Nation has been very welcoming to me. Live TV is unpredictable, and sometimes you have to roll with it!”
Meanwhile, Oregon State’s athletic program also replied to the video.
“We’re aware of the incident circulating on social media involving disruptive fan behavior during a live report,” they stated in their first post. “The actions displayed do not reflect the values of Beaver Nation or our fan code of conduct.”
They also apologized to the Oregon reporter.
“We are reviewing the situation further and apologize to the reporter for her experience,” they added.
Fortunately, the Oregon reporter found support from Cameron Derby, the sports director for KEZI.
“Ridiculous behavior, and extremely unfair to a young, professional reporter trying to grow her career,” Derby wrote. “Olivia did not deserve this. No one does. If the game isn’t exciting enough, go home.”
“I also want to say, Olivia did an incredible job working through it,” he wrote. “The position she was put in probably felt like hours. I applaud how steady she stayed. She wouldn’t let that stop the story from being told.”