Lyndsey Gough, sports director for WTOC11 in Georgia, was doing on-site reporting from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta this weekend for the highly anticipated game between the Georgia Bulldogs and Clemson Tigers. Attempting to set up a shot in the concourse, Gough found it incredibly hard to do her job thanks to a seemingly never-ending parade of fans and spectators, many of whom seemed intoxicated and some of whom had no problem invading her personal space and even touching her without consent.

She posted a collection of clips on Twitter to highlight the perils of the job.

Twitter being Twitter, the reactions to the clips ran the gamut.

Naturally, you had a collection of respondents essentially asking, ‘what did you expect?’ and ‘it’s almost like you asked for it.‘ Since we’ve seen people jump in front of cameras and interrupt live broadcasts for years, some people assume that reporters should just accept that these things are going to happen and stop complaining, especially if they’re women.

But it was less than a week ago that we saw exactly why those situations can be so dangerous when we saw a man assault MSNBC reporter Shaquille Brewster and his camera crew during a live broadcast. Not to mention the well-documented perils that female reporters face in situations like this. “What did you expect” or “If you don’t like it get a new job” tries to make it okay for men to touch a woman they don’t know and get right up in her personal space as if it’s just a normal thing you’re allowed to do, and that’s ridiculous. It’s fair to expect people to be excited and raucous at a football game, but it’s not fair to let them do whatever they want to you.

Many people, including other female reporters, chimed in to defend Gough’s stance and reiterate that you can enjoy a game, be an excited fan, and have fun without also being a creep and/or getting in someone’s personal space. Many of the reporters shared their own experiences of dealing with similar situations.

There’s a fine line between a playful interaction in the background of a live news report and inserting yourself into the moment with a complete stranger who doesn’t know you or what you’re capable of. The best way to make sure you’re on the right side of the line is that, when you see a reporter doing their job, just keep on walking. Because none of the people in this video who interrupt, touch, or invade the space of Gough come off looking good or reasonable. They might have all hoped this was going to be their wacky moment of viral fame, but now they’re immortalized as a bunch of weirdos and creeps.

[Lyndsey Gough]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.