Jenny Taft cares.
On a warm and breezy central Florida night before a pivotal nationally televised UFL game featuring our Orlando Storm against the defending UFL champion D.C. Defenders, FOX Sports allowed the opportunity to shadow Taft to see the game through her lens and the experience was like no other.
Sideline reporters have the most unique access of all in sports, with the autonomy to roam the sidelines for access to the coaches and players at any given moment during the game when warranted. That type of split-second decision making presents opportunities to both entertain and educate viewers. Something it seems FOX Sports prides itself in doing with all of their broadcasts.
Unlike other professional sports leagues that place strict limits on sideline access and in-game interaction, the UFL embraces a more open and immersive approach to coverage. Broadcasters and production crews are allowed inside the bench area during games, can capture coaches communicating plays from the sideline and are often able to get close-up camera angles of players immediately following major moments on the field.
For Taft on this evening, there were added stories to be told including a billionaire in attendance in co-owner Mike Repole, a Super Bowl winning head coach in Jon Gruden, and the intrigue of a game with so much on the line for both teams. For the Storm, a win would all be it secure a No. 1 seed with one week remaining in the season. For the Defenders, a win secured a birth in the playoffs to begin defense of their title.
The week began with Taft speaking to both teams via individual Zooms to catch up on storylines she wanted to potentially highlight during the game. Even with all the preparation, nothing was guaranteed due to not knowing how the game would flow. Would there be a blowout? Tightly contested? Injuries on both sides at key positions? All of these type of scenarios had to be planned for, in addition to gathering necessary information on the stars and coaches from both teams.
“The UFL is different than a college football game in terms of prep only because I’m not getting on the phone with as many players before games,” said Taft in a conversation we had earlier in the week. “I may talk to say five guys from both teams during the week for a college football broadcast just to prepare and have those stories ready. What I love about the UFL is the flexibility and ease beginning with warm ups the day of the game. I’m constantly on the move speaking to everyone.”
Seeing Taft arrive to Inter&Co Stadium was like witnessing the guest of honor to the field knowing her presence was elevated due to her story telling ability which symbolized deep respect, celebration and high status. No this wasn’t a banquet but a football game to which exposure to a national and more importantly NFL audience in any way represented potential opportunities to play on Sundays for a living and every second of the broadcast devoted to a player or coach could enhance that opportunity.
“Working with Jenny is a dream,” said UFL on FOX producer Mark “T-Man” Teitelman. “Whether it’s a player’s story told through their own eyes, or pivoting to something that just happened in the live game, I can always count on her to nail it. She’s a key window for us into the soul of the UFL and because of the unique access that we get as broadcasters, it’s so important for our viewers to go places that other football shows simply don’t allow.”
It’s these types of anticipated full circle moments with Taft asking questions and showing appreciation all at the same time that one could tell she not only did her homework, but was willing to go the extra mile to have a conversation with a coach, player or owner instead of just reporting on the story.
She arrived to a small army of people eager to help in any way as she surveyed the field looking for players to speak to before the final warm ups occurred. Even when the warm ups ended and the players left the field briefly, Taft could be seen walking in the tunnel speaking to players in preparation for potential interactions during the game.
In a contest that went back and forth until the middle of the second half when Orlando made the plays they had to make both offensively and defensively, Taft complemented timely interactions from the broadcast team of Curt Menefee and Devin Gardner who showcased the technical aspects of the game while Taft centered her conversations on the human-interest side of the broadcast, in particular when she spoke to Repole and thanked him for all he has contributed to the league this season.
“I care about the players because I want to see them do well”, added Taft. “I root for their success and my producer has trusted me to highlight stories that I’ve felt confident about.”
