An 11-year-old is conducting an interview. With a microphone in her hand, she talks to former Seattle Mariners left fielder Jay Buhner. However, the device that is serving as the microphone is made of a paper towel roll and a tennis ball! And the role of Buhner is played by her brother! This young girl was more comfortable conducting mock interviews, not toys or dolls. Sounds like a child’s play? Not really. It was a dream that she started nurturing right from that age. That defines Charissa Thompson, who would later say, “I’ve always wanted to do this job.” But the path to materialize dreams has never been easy for anyone. Neither it was for Charissa.

Born and raised in Seattle, Charissa, whose father named her after a bikini-clad Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, packed her bags for UC Santa Barbara in California. Fresh out of college and after a “miserable” stint as a receptionist, she finally landed a gig in Los Angeles with Fox Sports in 2006. Wait before you feel happy that she achieved her dream.

The job she applied for was of a receptionist in the network’s human resources department! In the back of her mind, she had this thought that it would at least serve as a chance to enter the media landscape. And she used it in the best possible manner. In Charissa’s words, “So I said, “Here’s the deal: I want to be in sports broadcasting. But I will give you a year, and I will be a great assistant. I will do anything you want.’ And he just started laughing.” When he later hired her, he told her that it was her honesty that impressed him the most.

Each day after work, she’d head up to the production department to learn how to edit tape and even practice her on-camera delivery in front of a green screen. In 2007, she took a job with Fox Sports Net Rocky Mountain as a production assistant in Denver. When a fill-in host was needed for the channel’s Colorado Rockies show, she stepped in. Her natural presence in front of the camera did not skip the eyes of the FOX executives. From there the ascent started.

Leaving a brief stint in ESPN (2011-2013), FOX remained her home. On her return to FOX in 2013, she became the host of FOX Sports Live.  She landed dual responsibilities, also becoming the presenter for FOX NFL Kickoff. In 2017, it was widely reported that she would be joining ESPN, as her contract with FOX ended. That rumor died down as she continued to grow in FOX. However, as the 2024 season ended with the Super Bowl, Charissa’s contract with FOX is up and as of now, there is no report of any extension. So, amid the looming uncertainty about her future in FOX, Erin came up with a message that only speaks about her deep love for the network.

On the latest episode of Calm Down with Erin and Charissa, the Fox colleagues were just covering their post-Super Bowl reaction. Then suddenly, Thompson wanted to clear out something. “I just have to say one thing, and this is also what I am going on and on about Fox, and I swear. I mean, it’s not just because my contract’s up.” Probably, she couldn’t hold the secret longer from her fans, who needed to know the truth about the sportscaster’s future. Thompson took a moment to express her gratitude to the network that has given her everything she could have dreamt of.

She pointed out how welcoming Fox was when her dad and brother came to town to catch up on the Super Bowl. “I love Fox so much because my brother and my dad came to the Super Bowl, and Fox’s family to me, so my own family like sharing in those moments. It was so fun, and Fox just makes them feel so welcome and makes sure they’re included in the events and everything. So I just would be remissed if I didn’t mention how wonderful my extended work family is to my own family.” She also recalled her encounter with former running back Marshawn Lynch, who spent the majority of his NFL career with the Seattle Seahawks and how elated she was, being a Seattle girl.

“Marshawn Lynch, who I love so much, flings open the green room door as we’re out on our set outside the Super Dome and Marshawn Lynch remember does not work for fox and I was like, what are you doing here and he’s like I’m just wandering around. I go perfect because you have to remember a gal from Seattle and my dad and my brother’s in a Steve Largent Jersey outside like watching us, I was like, get over here you have to say hi to my brother and my dad and Marshawn comes over and is just his jovial fun self and it’s just was like those where you have to like remind yourself that like your two Worlds when they intersect it’s really special,” Charissa said.

And you know what? There’s someone else who is also not ready to move on from Fox. You know whom we are talking about. Someone who has even joked about dying on air just for the ratings.

Terry Bradshaw squashes the idea of retirement anytime soon

Terry Bradshaw has been an ever-present member of the Fox crew since 1994. It’s been more than 3 decades fans have tuned in to watch Bradshaw give his take on games. But in recent times, there’s been a constant rally to throw Bradshaw out of Fox. Fans have repeatedly demanded that he retire or even asked Fox to retire him for good. However, Bradshaw isn’t someone who is ready to walk out of Fox yet. Yes, he has flirted with the idea of retirement for years.

But he is not ready to accept the retirement proposal yet, “I told my wife before I even left the room a while ago. I was sitting there, and I said. I’ve got two years left at Fox. I’m 76. OK, so it’s a young man’s game. I get that..so I said if we can get to the next Super Bowl. I’ll be 80. I think that’s time.” Like to break it down for you what the Hall of Famer meant. It wouldn’t be until 2029 when Fox gets the next opportunity to broadcast the Super Bowl. It’s a rotating cycle between the big 4 Sports Network Fox, ESPN, NBC and CBS. 

So, prepare yourself for another 4 years of Bradshaw at least. Because there’s no chance he would go out without getting back up on the stage to present his 15th Super Bowl as a broadcaster. That’s some way to call an end to a broadcasting career.