Adam Schefter says he has a good reason for skipping date nights out at restaurants with his wife - NFL breaking news.
In his relationship's earlier days, the ESPN insider and his wife, Sherri, used to enjoy group dinners out with other couples and friends. However, those nights became less enjoyable when they were frequently interrupted by NFL breaking news updates that required Schefter's attention.
There's no question that the NFL never sleeps. It can be tough for journalists to know when to put the phone away and ignore the noise. After all, staying informed at all times is part of the job in a sports world that changes rapidly.
On the August 12 episode of the "Mental Game" podcast, the ESPN reporter revealed that he and his wife have stopped dining out altogether, but while some people might judge, it works well for them.
"My wife is a homebody and that works well with the job, because inevitably, we’ll be at home, and stories will happen," Schefter said. "And I don’t have to feel the guilt of being out to dinner. I’ve had it happen so many times now where I’ve been out to dinner with another couple or we’ve been in a group, and I have to go, ‘Excuse me, I have to go work on something.’ It has happened too many times to count, and it never seems to fail.”
His wife, Sherri, was the one who made the decision to stop going out, after she noticed the frequent interruptions were becoming a pattern.
“So we just don’t do those things,” Schefter explained. “We stay home, and we order in, we hang out with our dogs, stream some shows. And when the phone call comes in, ‘Excuse me.’ I don’t have to step away from the table, I don’t have to leave the restaurant. I’ve had that happen too many times.”
Schefter says it's not just media professionals who are glued to their phones, all career professionals must learn how to maintain a good work life balance.
When you're young and single you can throw yourself into your work, but when you're married with kids, your life changes, he said.
"As an adult, as a professional, you come to realize that's what the job entails. That's what it takes. There's a level of dedication in anything that you do. It's just the way it is," he added. "It's the price that everybody pays in any line of work."
MORE: Schefter: Pittsburgh Steelers may not be on board with paying Cameron Heyward
Adam Schefter on how his love of journalism began
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
During the interview, Schefter also dished on how he got into the sports world, which he now lives and breathes.
While he always "loved" sports growing up, he didn't realize that he could make a living in sports journalism at first.
"I really thought in the world of sports, those jobs were jobs for other people," he said.
After being rejected from a fraternity his freshman year of college, which turned out to be a blessing, and then being rejected by multiple sports offices, he decided to volunteer for the student newspaper. The rest is history.
He's now became one of the most well-known names in sports journalism, and he's worked hard to get where he is today.
"Rejection sometimes turns out to be the greatest thing that can ever happen to you," Schefter said.
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