A Buccaneers reporter who covers the team for ESPN has apologized for her role in an ugly encounter with Tampa Bay running back and special teamer Gio Bernard following Sunday's loss to the Bengals.
Jenna Laine took to social media late Wednesday night to publicly apologize after she was part of a throng of reporters who hectored Bernard after he initially declined to answer questions about his role in a botched fake punt against Cincinnati.
Laine had posted video of the unfortunate scene and repeatedly doubled down on her actions before ultimately offering up her mea culpa.
"Didn't want to post something on here until I 1) I apologize to Giovani Bernard first, personally telling him I am SORRY, which I did and 2) Until I fully understood the missteps I took in postgame Sunday, as I didn't want this to be some hollow apology lacking sincerity," Laine said. "Obviously I afforded myself a period of grace that Giovani didn't get to have when asking him to talk postgame. He's a better person than me. For many reasons."
Earlier in the week, FOX Sports reporter Greg Auman also apologized for hounding Bernard.
During the heated exchange, Bernard suggested he was taken aback by the interest from reporters after apparently not being questioned very much earlier in the season.
"Can I go to my family that I have outside?" Bernard said. "All of the sudden now?"
Laine fired back that he had been injured most of the season and was therefore unavailable for questions with reporters.
Bernard relented, briefly answering questions, but clearly wasn't pleased.
"I messed up," he said repeatedly.
The incident didn't go over well with fans on social media, who called out Laine for her apparent "sense of entitlement" to an answer from a player who clearly wasn't interested in talking with reporters.
It wasn't Laine's first bizarre incident this season. Earlier in the year she clarified her line of questioning for Bucs head coach Todd Bowles ahead of the team's matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers and head coach Mike Tomlin.
Bowles seemed to downplay Laine's questions about the significance of two Black head coaches facing off. Laine later said she texted Bowles to set the record straight.
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