Torrey Smith Defends Pam Oliver After Sideline Report Goes Viral, Blames Cold Temperatures

After her sideline report went viral last weekend, Torrey Smith is standing up for Pam Oliver who was seen slurring her words during the playoff game between the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers. The moment left fans were wondering what was wrong with her, with many taking to social media to express their concern. Smith, a former NFL wide receiver, gave a simple explanation — don't mess with Oliver.

"No Pam Oliver slander will be tolerated on my timeline!" Smith wrote on Twitter. "A lot of y'all haven't had to stand outside when it's FREEZING and then do an interview." There were many fans who thought Oliver was sick or consumed too much alcohol. But the majority of fans were hoping everything was okay with the 59-year old sideline reporter.

"Hope she is okay," one fan wrote. "I have experience in a previous line of work being out in the cold for long periods of time and I have been to WI so, I get how much colder it is up there. It's no joke neither is Hypothermia." The game was played in Green Bay, Wisconsin. At the start of the game, the temperature was 35 degrees with a wind chill of 26. Oliver has not publicly spoken on what happened, but it's likely the weather conditions played a factor.

Oliver has been with Fox Sports since 1995 and was a part of the No. 1 broadcast team that included Pat Summerall and John Madden. In 2014, Oliver was moved to the No. 2 squad as she was replaced by Erin Andrews. In an essay for Essence, Oliver talked about how disappointed she was with the decision.

"The three of us have been a unit for a decade and suddenly we were being split up," she wrote. "That was very difficult to hear. Even so, I kept my composure during the meeting. When we said our good-byes, there were hugs all around. I thought I'd handled it pretty well, but when I left the restaurant, I got into my car and noticed my hands were shaking. I was like, Okay, that hurt."

Oliver has covered Smith ever since entering the league in 2011. He was drafted in the second round by the Baltimore Ravens and helped the team win a Super Bowl in 2012. Smith would play for the Ravens through the 2014 season and then joined the San Francisco 49ers in 2015. After two seasons with the 49ers, Smith joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017 where he won another Super Bowl. He ended his career with the Carolina Panthers in 2018.