NEW ORLEANS — ESPN betting personality and Delaware County native Erin Dolan has an answer for the question everyone back home wants to know — who’s going to win Super Bowl?
“I’m picking the Eagles,” Dolan, who grew up in Media, told The Inquirer in an interview ahead of the Super Bowl. “I like other players for the Chiefs for player props and certain things, but I’m not going against the Eagles. They’re hot right now … The line’s been moving in favor of them, so people are betting them.”
This is the third Super Bowl Dolan has been able to cover in person, but the first featuring the Eagles. And the former PHL17 reporter is beaming — “I have been smiling for two weeks straight, I tear up during shows at times,” she said.
But there’s an obvious line between fandom and her role providing tips and picks for ESPN Bet, and Dolan takes her objectivity and adherence to the numbers seriously. ESPN actually tracks her record on picks — she’s 31-12 on her Best Bets — and her focus on the gambling side of sports makes it impossible for her to actually enjoy watching the game, even when the Birds are playing.
“I just see numbers the whole time,” Dolan said, focusing on bets made about the game. “I’ll be like, ‘Hit. Hit. Didn’t hit. Hit.’ I can’t sit and enjoy a game anymore, which kind of stinks. It took the fun out of it.”
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Dolan has paved an interesting media path for herself. The Penn State grad began her career at PHL17 as a sports reporter and covered the sidelines for the Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League. But when sports betting became legal, she was presented a choice — take a job at NBC Sports Washington or jump into the world of gambling.
Despite not having any experience with sports betting, she chose the latter for multiple reasons, which included being able to remain in Philly.
“One, I knew it was different. Two, it was exciting. Three, I’d have an opinion,” Dolan said. “I knew I wasn’t going to be a traditional sports reporter … I also felt in the betting space, it was something no one else was doing, so I knew it would probably get me to places faster.”
Which it did. After stops at PointsBet (which was purchased by Fanatics) and FanDuel, Dolan landed at ESPN in 2021 as a sports betting analyst and has only grown in popularity ever since. In addition to her main role on ESPN BET Live, she appears regularly on SportsCenter and Sunday NFL Countdown, and across social media she has over half a million followers.
Popularity can be a dual-edged sword. While she’s thriving professionally, followers can become hostile when her bet suggestions don’t pan out, requiring the need for security when doing live events like the Super Bowl. It also puts her private life in the spotlight — she’s currently dating Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm, a relationship that social media has obsessed over for the better part of a year.
“Yes, I do date Alec Bohm, everyone knows that,” Dolan said. “Last Super Bowl I brought my brother as my security guard. This year, Alec is coming, so we’re going to go to the game together. Having someone who’s in the same industry [and being able] to support each other is great, just because you deal with the same outside noise a lot of people don’t understand.”
“We try to keep it low-key,” Dolan added.
When announcers prepare for games, they speak to coaches and players and real local news reporters so they’re well-versed during a national broadcast. Dolan skips the player availabilities and spends nearly all of her time looking at numbers, which can be a challenge for viewers to digest.
“People shut down as soon as they start hearing a bunch of numbers,” Dolan said. “I try to make it digestible and tailor everything to a specific audience, but I’m also in the thick of it … I’m on a time block restriction, too. So if I only have 20 seconds on SportsCenter, there’s only so much I can say about a certain pick.”
As far as Dolan’s long-term goals, she tries not to plan too far ahead. After all, legalized sports betting wasn’t even a thing five years ago, so who knows where the industry will be five years from now.
“I stay open to what’s next, so that when the next opportunity comes, I can make the right decision,” Dolan said. “There’s no steps for what I’m doing right now — I’ve created them.”
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Source: www.inquirer.com…