American sports commentator Pam Oliver is beloved by fans, but how long will it be before her health forces her to retire?
A trailblazer for women in sports media, Pam has been on the sidelines reporting for the NFL for over 30 years. However, a freak accident during a preseason game over a decade ago made it difficult for her to work.
In fact, in over 3 decades of covering the sport, the only times Pam has missed a game has been for health reasons or family obligations.
But the question is: will Pam Oliver’s health problems force her to retire?
Let’s let her speak for herself.
Fans concerned about Pam Oliver’s health and sending prayers
“Why does Pam Oliver always look like she’s going through this when she’s reporting???”
That’s what a fan posted on X during the Eagles vs. Saints game on Sunday, September 23. Reporting from the sidelines as usual for FOX Sports, Pam gave a play-by-play as she always does throughout the season.
But something felt wrong to fans.
“Praying for Pam Oliver!” another commenter posted on social mediasharing a screenshot video of your report.
In the video, Pam recounts the game’s action, and while she stumbles over a few words, there still doesn’t seem to be anything to be overly concerned about.
And yet, there were so many posts like this:
Praying for Pam Oliver! ???? photo.twitter.com/Ab9gESYNhi
— NFL Be Like (@TheNFLBeLike) September 22, 2024
“I’m not trying to be mean, I’m just worried. There’s something wrong with Pam Oliver.”
But is there any cause for concern?
Yes – and no.
Pam Oliver’s Health: Her Struggles With Migraines Revealed
Pam Olivier is one of millions of Americans who struggle with debilitating migraines.
As your profile on LA Times explains:
“Every week for the past decade, her migraines have gotten worse. I’m sure it didn’t help that she was hit by a tight spiral from a backup quarterback 11 years ago during a preseason game. The incident left her with a concussion, requiring her to stay in a dark room for five days, and only worsened the chronic migraines she’s battled as an adult. She’s had fibroid surgeries almost every two years, like clockwork. There were game days when she had to tell the driver to pull over so she could vomit in the road, the pain was so unbearable.”
Pam elaborated further on her struggle to speak to The Athletic Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch:
“They’re very debilitating for me. They’ve been a problem for a long, long time. It’s caused me to miss a few games throughout my career because I just couldn’t stand the noise, the light and the sickness that comes with it. The nausea and vomiting.”
Will her health force her to retire?
The good news is that while she still has her bad days, Pam also admitted to The Athletic that she is suffering less than she used to.
“I feel like they’ve gotten better, just by having less,” she explained, as her average was 5 to 6 a month and is now down to 3.
However, the fight is still very difficult for her.
“They are definitely real. And they continue to haunt me. And not to make people feel sorry for me, but that’s just the way it is. This is just part of my health problem.”
But despite all this, Pam has no plans to retire. At 63, she is still at the peak of her career and hopes to continue for many years to come.
Pam Oliver on Retirement: “I’m a Lifer!”
“When I dreamed about this job, I didn’t say, ‘So when I get there, that decade of my life is over,’” Pam told the LA Times about retirement.
It seems that no matter how much she has to suffer for it, Pam is ready to continue in the reporting game. Perhaps part of that reason is to fight against the unfair stereotype that women need to retire before men.
“For women, this is imposed much more than for men,” she added.
“If I’m the longest-serving reporter of all time, with over 500 games,” she huffs. “Why would you give up the best job in the world, that you absolutely love?“
