Sports TV News

Michelle Tafoya: Don’t Be Afraid To Be Great

Published

6 years ago

March 2, 2016

When Michele Tafoya drops her young daughter off at school each morning, the NBC sideline reporter says, ‘Don’t be afraid to be … ” and allows Oliva to finish the sentence: “…great.”

For Tafoya, the fun exchange with her daughter is more than that. It’s a message she lives by – as a reporter, as a wife and as a mother.

Tafoya spent much of her sports broadcasting career not wanting to be singled out because of her gender, but if there’s one thing she’s learned in her life and hopes to impart to others, it’s “put one foot in front of the other – even when sometimes you can’t seem to pick up that one foot.”

The youngest of four children, Tafoya felt a drive early on to follow her dreams, set goals and achieve them.

“Take advantage of every opportunity that is ever placed in front of you,” Tafoya’s father told her.

And she has.

“My whole focus was to get to the NFL sideline,” Tafoya said. “I wanted to work with the NFL.”

From producing, to a radio job in Charlotte, North Carolina, to the Vikings sidelines, to a sideline reporter for Monday Night Football, Tafoya never took her eyes off her goal.

She never stopped moving forward, and the Emmy-award winning reporter now works alongside play-by-play announcer Al Michaels and color commentator Cris Collinsworth on Sunday Night Football, the most-watched show on prime time television during the NFL season.

Anyone who has watched Tafoya as a sideline reporter understands the passion she has for her job; anyone who knows her as a wife and mother understands she has an equal passion for her family.

“I end up at NBC, I end up marrying the man of my dreams, I end up with these two children, and suddenly I don’t want to work anymore,” Tafoya said, laughing. “I don’t want to leave the house – it’s like, ‘I love this.’ But I also love my job. It’s all about finding balance, and that’s become the new focus of my life: making sure I’m listening to my priorities.”

To read the full article visit Vikings.com where it was originally published

Jason Barrett

Jason Barrett is the owner and operator of Barrett Sports Media. Prior to launching BSM he served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He has also produced national shows for ESPN Radio including GameNight and the Dan Patrick Show. You can find him on Twitter @SportsRadioPD or reach him by email at JBarrett@sportsradiopd.com.

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7 hours ago

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After reportedly losing out on the Big Ten’s television rights, ESPN is reportedly turning to securing the NCAA Championship rights from hitting the open market.

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Sources told Front Office Sports ESPN remains interested in striking deals with the Pac-12 and Big 12 media rights, as well as renewing a deal for the College Football Playoff.

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ESPN Announces The Return of Stephen A. Smith to First Take

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Published

7 hours ago

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ESPN announced with a tweet that Smith will be returning to First Take on Monday, August 15th. They also teased a guest appearance from Michael Irvin.

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Published

8 hours ago

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