Samantha Rivera Stiff Arms Hockey Fan

Oct 31, 2023

In the world of sports reporting, it's not uncommon for journalists to face unruly fans and overly excited (a.k.a drunk) spectators during live broadcasts.

But former Illinois news reporter Samantha Rivera took matters into her own hands, quite literally, when a wild hockey fan tried to interrupt her live sports report.

Rivera's swift and impressive stiff-arm move has earned her accolades and admiration from fans and fellow reporters alike. (Hello, Women's Football Alliance)

During her coverage of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Florida Panthers, Rivera found herself facing an overzealous fan who attempted to invade her live shot.

With incredible poise and composure, she fended off the fan with her right arm while expertly holding her microphone in the other hand. All the while, Rivera kept her eyes fixed on the camera, delivering her report flawlessly, as you'll see on Twitter.

As the fan persisted, Rivera repeatedly exclaimed, "Nope!" Clearly, she wasn't going to let anything disrupt her professional performance. And as if her deft handling of the situation wasn't impressive enough, she managed to seamlessly continue her recap of Game 2, remarking,

That's the kind of fan you don't want to be, right?

Rivera, a petite but fierce sports journalist from Chicago, shared the now-viral video of her stiff-arm maneuver on social media. She addressed the incident on Instagram,

Panthers lost another rough one tonight but let this serve as a reminder to back the hell off when I'm working and respect that I'm doing my job. Excited to get back home to some classy #Panthers fans for game 3!!

Rivera's colleagues in the studio couldn't help but applaud her handling of the situation. One male anchor praised her, saying, "Samantha standing her ground there," while his female counterpart added, "Absolutely, she could take to the ice."

READ MORE: Illinois Man Walks Over 5 Miles On Most Painful Toys

The stiff-arm buzz on social media took off like a hail mary, Rivera shared a screenshot of a text she got about her new nickname.

New nickname for you: "Stiff arm."

While it remains unclear if arena security got involved or if any disciplinary action was taken against the unruly fan, one thing is certain—Samantha Rivera's performance was a true display of grace under pressure.

Her swift moves and unwavering focus showcased her talent that could rival some professional athletes.

As Game 3 of the series shifts to Florida with Vegas holding a commanding 2-0 lead, fans eagerly await Rivera's continued coverage, knowing that she won't let anything—or anyone—get in the way of her delivering the news with style, composure, and a killer stiff-arm move.

Rivera has worked also worked in San Diego, California, and Chicago and Rockford, Illinois.