Featured Image Credit: KEZI 9 NEWS
Topics: Social Media, Viral, Twitter, Sport
Emily Brown
A sports reporter in Oregon has responded after a clip of her being hounded by fans referencing the rising '6-7' trend went viral online.
Olivia Cleary, a reporter with ABC affiliate KEZI, was just trying to do her job at the football game between Oregon State University and Lafayette University on October 18 when she found herself surrounded by unruly fans.
In a clip which has since amassed more than six million views, Cleary can be seen trying to report on the game when a group of at least six fans appear behind her on screen.
One of the men sticks his face into the frame, while another in the background can be seen yelling 'SIX SEVEN' at the top of his lungs to the camera. All the while, Cleary attempts to ignore them and keep delivering her report.
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The 6-7 trend has caught on so rapidly that some teachers have actually been forced to ban it from classrooms, and it all seems to have originated from the American rapper Skrilla, who released a rap track called 'Doot Doot (6 7)' in which he says: "6, 7, I just bipped right on the highway (bip, bip)."
Following the song's release, the phrase has taken on a life of its own and is now typically said alongside an up-down hand gesture.
On October 20, the reporter took to Twitter to acknowledge the reaction to her report, as well as thanking those who had shared kind words for her after seeing the chaos she had endured.
Cleary wrote: "I’m aware of the video circulating and want to thank everyone for the support! At the start of my live shot, fans were kind and added a fun element to my coverage. As it went on, a few fans stuck around and things got a little out of hand which is what you saw.
"For the most part, Beaver Nation has been very welcoming to me. Live TV is unpredictable and sometimes you have to roll with it!"
Cleary's response came after Beaver Athletics, of Oregon State University, wrote on Twitter that it was 'aware of the incident circulating on social media involving disruptive fan behavior during a live report'.
"The actions displayed do not reflect the values of Beaver Nation or our fan code of conduct," it said in a statement, adding: "We are reviewing the situation further and apologize to the reporter for her experience. We also commend her professionalism and composure in handling the moment."
Cleary has also received support from some of her fellow journalists, with Cameron Derby, another sports director for KEZI, describing the fans' behavior as 'ridiculous'.
"Olivia did not deserve this. No one does. If the game isn’t exciting enough, go home," he wrote.