American sportscaster Pam Oliver is a fan favorite, but how long before her health forces her to retire?
A pioneer for women in sports media, Pam has been reporting for the NFL for over 30 years. However, a freak accident during a preseason game over a decade ago has made it difficult for her to work.
In fact, in over 3 decades of experience covering sports, Pam has only missed a game once, either due to her health or family obligations.
But the question is: will Pam Oliver’s health problems force her to retire?
We’ll let him speak for himself.
Fans are concerned for Pam Oliver’s health and sending prayers
“Why does it always seem like Pam Oliver is going through this when she’s reporting???”
That’s what a fan posted on X during the Eagles at Saints game on Sunday, September 23. Reporting from the sidelines as usual for FOX Sports, Pam covered every aspect of the game, as she always has throughout this season.
But fans sensed something was wrong.
Another commenter shared a screenshot video of their reporting on social media, writing, “Praying for Pam Oliver!”
In the video, Pam explains what’s going on in the game, and although she does misspell a few words, it doesn’t seem like there’s anything to worry about.
And yet, there were still plenty of posts like this one:
Prayers for Pam Oliver! ???? pic.twitter.com/Ab9gESYNhi
— NFL Be Like (@TheNFLBeLike) September 22, 2024
“I’m not being mean, I’m just worried. Something’s wrong with Pam Oliver.”
But is there any cause for concern?
Yes and no.
Pam Oliver’s health: Reveals her trouble with migraines
Pam Olivier is one of the millions of Americans who struggle with debilitating migraines.
As mentioned in his profile LA Times Explains:
“Her migraines have gotten worse every week for the past decade. I’m sure it didn’t help that she was hit really hard by the backup quarterback during a preseason game 11 years ago. The incident caused a head injury, she had to spend five days in a room with no light and it worsened her chronic migraines, which she has struggled with since she was an adult. She has to have fibroid surgery about every two years, like on the clock. There have been game days when she had to ask her driver to stop the car so she could vomit in the street, the pain was so unbearable.”
Pam spoke at length about her struggle Athletic Sports Media with Richard Deitsch Podcast,
“They’re very debilitating for me. They’ve been a problem for a very long time. It caused me to miss quite a few games during my career because I couldn’t stand the noise and the lights and the sickness that came with it. The nausea and the vomiting.”
Will his health force him to retire?
The good news is that, although she still has her bad days, Pam admitted to The Athletic that it hurts less now than it did before.
“I think they’ve gotten better, just from a less frequent standpoint,” he said, as he had an average of 5-6 per month and now it’s down to 3.
However, the fight is still very tough for him.
“They’re definitely real. And they keep bothering me. And people don’t feel sorry for me, but that’s just the way it is. It’s part of my health problem.”
But despite all this, Pam has no plans to retire. At 63, she is still at the pinnacle of her career and wants to continue working like this for many years to come.
Pam Oliver on retirement: “I’m a life prisoner!”
“When I dreamed of this job, I didn’t say: ‘Then when I get it I’ll it “This is the greatest decade of my life, it’s over,” Pam told the LA Times about the retirement.
It seems that Pam is determined to stay in the reporting game no matter how much pain she has to endure. Perhaps one of the reasons is that she wants to fight the unfair stereotype that women should retire before men.
“For women, it’s much more challenging than it is for men,” she said.
“If I’m the longest-tenured sideline reporter ever, with over 500 games,” she says angrily. “Why would you leave the best job in the world, one that you absolutely love? Love?,