Mowatt was fined $12,500, the other two players $5,000, and the team itself $50,000, since no management had intervened at the time or immediately following. I think how cool it is to watch a stadium yawn to life. We laughed and remembered when Desmond Reed finally scored a touchdown and he lit up telling me, I couldnt even enjoy it. But I don't think it seems very logical to some of the other reporters. I was so happy I was almost crying, but I was trying to sound very nonchalant while Glenn was giving me the particulars. His voice was growing louder. I explained again that I was a sportswriter waiting for Grant Teaff and pointed out other reporters, all men, around the lobby. I had mentioned Kenny's hair in a story that had yet to even appear in some of the Observer's newsstands. Definite double standard here . Gayle Gardner (born ca. The NFL launched an investigation into the incident after Sainz, a veteran reporter, claimed footballs were thrown in her direction by a Jets coach during a practice - seemingly deliberately -. As Orwell said, Everyone's equal, but some are more equal than others. Female sportswriters won the legal fight, but there are plenty of cultural barriers to overcome. What kind of a goob would they take me for if they knew? The guys are much more formal in talking. ", I falter, and he complains, "Hey, I thought you said you knew sports.". I'd had enough. And I know how smartass remarks work, too. My dad was a buyer for Better Monkey Grip Rubber Company, and I'm not complaining. In an interview on the March 11, 2011 edition of Bill Simmons' podcast, "The B.S. For instance, there are things I might say to a friend or even a casual coworker that I wouldn't think a thing about, but I stop short of saying such things to the players. SAGAL: That's what you do. [6] Sullivan observed Olson and determined that she was acting professionally, interviewing Maurice Hurst, but took no other action. Long before I was allowed to eat fish with bones, could go all night without peeing in my bed, or understood Gilligan's Island wasn't real, I loved baseball. The issue at hand was equal access to the players in the locker room for all reporters, regardless of their gender. I'm a general assignment sports reporter now, which means I do whatever they ask of me. Alabama Phenix. Why? It seems in those years I was the only writer who could converse with Julio Franco and Brian Downing. A kidI mean, really a kidstarted telling me women had no business in the locker room. Places in Arlington might not get it until mid-afternoon. I really want to be as unobtrusive as possible, so I will turn away from someone who is dressing or, if I have the time, wait until he has put his shorts on before I approach. he demanded. SAGAL: You're going to say B, he got back to London but couldn't be readmitted because he wasn't wearing a jacket and tie. We're going to ask you about famous men's only clubs. I ended up covering minor events full time, even doing the dreaded office score-taking work again. He ran into a dark office where I found him hiding under the desk. I got nothing left. Not just people while Im pulling my pants up. SAGAL: Here's your first question. All of my male media brethren went cruising into this sacred place, and then, there was only methe lone female reporter covering a USC football gamewaiting outside. I always said modern feminism has nothing to do with equality and this degrading treatment of men proves it. But there's a strange sort of comfort in feeling that if they think I'm an idiot, it's probably not because I'm a woman but because I'm just acting like an idiot. SAGAL: B, George Washington himself went on a three-day bender there. And yet, 40 years after Robin Herman became the first female reporter to enter an NFL locker room, women are still fighting a war against rampant sexism in the industry, with Twitter. And while most nudity is off-camera and doesnt find its way to audiences, the shirtless, disheveled, or still-sweating sports star, facing an array of microphones in front of his cubby, has become an enduring image in sports coverage. He said I was loitering. Suddenly it all made sense: the way the numbers went across in a line on a scoreboard, what the three numbers at the end of the nine meant, even why the shortstop didn't have a bag. SAGAL: We'll be back in a minute with more of WAIT WAITDON'T TELL ME! SAGAL: But I want to know how you got from there. And you won't believe this, and I swear it's true: the immediate response of three women who don't even like sports outside of bungee jumping at Baja is, "You've seen Ro Blackman naked?". Tipped off to my presence, the coach broke into a near run when I headed toward him in the hall. Sure.. But I must tell you, I find that being a reporter is so much easier than being a fan. First Female Reporter In Nfl Locker Room. But some paranoia lingers. David Cone, Wells's teammate, gave Olson and Marchiano Wells's address. I want you guys here when I make the game-winning kicks, and I realize that I got to have you guys here when I miss them. [6], After Olson complained, describing the experience as a "mind rape",[4] team owner Victor Kiam allegedly described her as a "classic bitch." Women did not get equal access to post-game locker room interviews until a federal court decision in 1978. I was unknowingly standing next to the shower exit and of course, two linemen cruised by me with nothing on. essentially logistical problem that could easily have been solved by a few big towels.. I refused to leave. Oh equality indeed. But on top of it being my first foray behind the red door, I was scared because of who I was interviewing: a superstar with a surly streak. If I never went in a locker room, it would have been fine with me, Ludtke said. Reprinted here with permission from the author, who has also provided an afterword about the response to her story. MO ROCCA: Can I ask you, when you talk to the losing team, do you kind of put on, like, a nice mommy voice, or do you change your tone of voice? SAGAL: So you are and have been for how long now, the sideline on-field reporter for NBC's "Sunday Night Football"? But after getting home from school, I'd quickly skip back to the sports section of the evening Star-Telegram to compare my work to that of the pros. January 5, 2022 1 Former Eagles defensive lineman and Super Bowl LII champion Chris Long made an appearance on Jeff Pearlman's podcast Two Writers Slinging Yang. TAFOYA: Let me tell you about my first time. You can listen to the whole thing here. would be given the same access as men. Gardner later moved on to NBC,. These arent your high school gym locker roomsmany are increasingly part of multi-room complexes including lounges and training rooms that media cant accessbut journalists would be hard pressed to find so many sources anywhere else. Indeed, locker room access is built into players collective bargaining agreements with the four major North American sports leagues. It was important to be bold. The immediate response is curiosity: Do I get to go in the locker room? No one seems to know when the first female Equipment Manager was hired. TAFOYA: I think one of the most - and again, I won't name names - but I remember doing an NBA game, and I was asked to go interview a player's wife in the stands about something. And I wanted to cover the Rangers someday. Thats the life of a kicker.. He was home and reading stuff on the wire, as we called it at the time. Api. Ludtke said she constantly reminded people that she never demanded to go in a locker room. Melissa Ludtke was 26 years old when all this took place. But its the same answers to the same questions.. We lived in Arlington, about five miles from the ball park. Then it hits me: My job means I get to be around this game and write about it. I was nervous the first time I entered the Rangers locker room, about seven years ago. Other interviews are illuminating for the answers they dont elicit. She has covered sports stories in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Japan, China, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. Its a professional setting, and if the reporter is professional, the whole experience is smooth as silk. Please enter valid email address to continue. I like to think I've earned a little respect. The key is to gain the players respect and trust. All I remember is green and light and the security of my daddy's arms. Alrighty then, time to search out the first player I wanted to talk toUSC quarterback Mark Sanchez. But I had a deadline. "Are you going to talk to me or not?" You're the sideline reporter. Man, did I ever realize how my attitude and courage level had changed. Affirmative. During the incident, Ms. Olson said a group of naked players crowded around her to. Up until then, my assignments had been small-time: high school games and features on father-daughter doubles teams and Hacky Sack demonstrations. He was really mouthing off at me. Fugitive in $18 million COVID fraud scheme extradited to U.S. Hunter who killed, skinned pet dogs says he thought they were coyotes, Ex-Georgia star Jalen Carter was racing in deadly crash, arrest warrants allege. After a long game, while standing in the middle of the clubhouse waiting for someone to appear, I sometimes gaze off in one direction, the way you stare when you're bored and become transfixed on an object until your eyes cross and you snap back into the reality of car payments and cellulite. Tell Me When It's Over is an interview series in which we ask former athletes about the moment they. first female sports columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald, where she covered rugby union, Australian rules football, cricket and rugby league. Robin Herman, a gender barrier-breaking reporter for The New York Times who was the first female journalist to interview players in the locker room after an NHL game, has died. And then you've got this woman who comes in to interview them, maybe with big hair and a short skirt too, depending on the humidity and what's off at the cleaners that day. think men are going to tend to turn and look and want to say something Most of the men I've dated certainly don't know about the social fraying of America or why it might be at all amusing that a guy named Fujimori is in charge of Peru, so you'd certainly hope they knew some inane facts about NFL rushers. Gardner is considered a pioneer in sports broadcasting, having been the first female sports anchor to appear weekly on a major network. Lately I've just started saying I'm a secretary at Wolfe's Nursery. The little pranksters had used a bowl or something to draw a "circle slash" over Ruben's crotch. I try to explain, which is difficult because Donna and I are on different sexual wavelengths. I was afraid of the unknown. It was an exercise in concentration trying to figure out who was who, and while I was concentrating, unfortunately, I managed to sashay into an area that should have had warning signs around it. 26 photos, First published on August 12, 2011 / 12:24 PM. I wanted to know these 4 things: 1. I immediately got a call from Gayle Reaves, a founder of the Association for Women Journalists. I mean, seeing another adults peen by mistake isnt as bad as, I dont know, stealing someones cooking show, but I digress. No reason being a modern love to prove she said her ideal, first female reporter in nfl locker room! TAFOYA: And so if they come up with any other days of the week, I'll be happy to try those, as well. The he got to a really big one"Best General Column Writing." I've always considered the real hurdle of all this to be players' perception of me, not suppressing my thoughts. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. [4] In 1985, the NFL enacted an equal access policy of its own. Ludtke and Time Inc. filed a civil rights lawsuit months later. I always won the big awards in elementary school, went to football games, and performed in talent shows. Thank you for visiting Slap Shot. It is one thing not to look at your notepad, but another not to be able to look straight ahead without a big clothesline of boy parts. Ines Sainz: NFL Investigates Jets My face broke out. SAGAL: I got to ask you about the locker room. OK, pre-game festivities concluded, I went back up to the press box to start writing some pre-game sidebar. The NFL is condemning remarks made by Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis concerning female reporters in the locker room. Staggering snowfall in California mountains leaves residents trapped for days, SpaceX launches new crew to space station, Video shows deadly Greek train crash as station boss admits "error", Blinken, Lavrov meet briefly as U.S.-Russia tensions soar, Prosecution wraps case at Alex Murdaugh murder trial, White House cybersecurity strategy pivots to regulation, Explosive found in checked luggage at Pennsylvania airport, feds say, Rape kits from two women lead to arrest in 1979 murder of one of them, Several hospitalized after Lufthansa flight diverted to Dulles due to turbulence. And his eyes got to be like the size of paper plates because what I didn't notice was that he was buck naked. He'd pull me out of school at lunch once a year to go to the spring baseball luncheon and take me to games early so I could collect autographs. NFL Network Airs Interview With Naked Players In Background. Access issues aside, broader changes in the media environment have begun to change the content of locker-room interviews, presenting a more chronic problem for many sports journalists. After a while, you just get used to nakedness and its all business. Those memories dont come cheap, of course. Here I was in my white flats, some fresh-out-of-college madras plaid skirt, one of those ridiculous spiked hairdos with tails we all wore back then, and probably enough add-a-beads to shame any Alpha Chi. The first thing I saw was four guys in a big shower. to that woman.". [6] Several of the players subsequently taunted her by walking naked in her presence, making vulgar comments and gestures. Fear of the unknown tends to do that to you. Family trips in an egg-shell-white Impala to see the cousins in Plainview took fewer rough turns. When the coveted Rangers beat came open, I was passed over. I think about what it would be like to have them asking me every day, "Well, how about that really thrown-together graph there at the top?" TAFOYA: Yeah, I used to much more so in the NBA, and that's quite something. We got to Frank DeFord's comment at the end. Its my fault, Walsh said, his eyes still glistening. That's before they tell me I don't have any business in the locker room. For days, weeks, months --. [6] The general manager of the team was fired. Leaking testosterone and reeking of beer, a Jethro Bodin-esque character sidles up and asks what I do. If I ever dread talking to players now, it is not because I feel that I don't belong there. My aim as a writer is to make the people I cover seem human to the readers. No one seems to know when the first female Equipment . Olson's ordeal was mentioned (although without her name, referring to her only as "a Boston Globe reporter") in the Sports Night Season One episode "Mary Pat Shelby," in which Natalie Hurley was assaulted in a locker room by football star Christian Patrick. Accuracy and availability may vary. That's something he'd say to anyone, I realized. SAGAL: Did somebody drop some profanity on you? Jerseys are on the floor, not on the playersno jerseys, no name tags, just toweled dudes walking around. I didn't give it a whole lot of thought as I went into the office that day. I herby officially declare this behavior: Sign up for Parx Sportsbook and deposit $25 using code WOLVES69, Very real and legitimate journalist | Wednesday Guest Host of The Daily Ticket w/ Sean Brace from 3-6 pm on Fox Sports "The Gambler" | I don't see a loss on the schedule | @ryanconway76. On Tuesday, Portis told 106.7 The Fan that both players and female reporters have wandering eyes when the sexes are mixed in a locker room setting. She was a member of the first class of women at Princeton University. She attended Apollo and Shadow Mountain high schools,[1] and graduated from Northern Arizona University's journalism program in 1987. OK, so now it was home to take a run and try to clear my head of concerns about just what might be waiting for me at the ballpark. Graduate. But it struck me that something had changed: that my presence was no longer cause for flouncing; that I'd somehow earned this strange sign of courtesy and respect. He said he would have me thrown out physically. I asked one more time interrupting. It was an area high school coach who routinely tried to get me to drop by his house when his wife was out of town; when I refused for the third time, he refused to provide any more than perfunctory answers to my story questions. SAGAL: Michele Tafoya is the Emmy Award winning reporter for NBC's "Sunday Night Football," but she's spent time on basketball courts, softball diamonds, gymnastic mats and now public radio quiz show "Game Grids." But there are still places out there where they believe in cooties, so Tafoya will answer three questions about men's-only clubs. But the road has been anything but smooth. I did not want to smell the entire ride home, so I decided to take a shower. He remembered my chatting him up at lunch on Media Day, when I sat next to him and Brian Cushing and asked why the punt coverage was so porous with players not staying in their lanes, and how he was going to improve his turn over margin. It doesn't make me angry anymore; it just seems silly and absurd. instantly became the news and television cameras swung to them. I was in some pretty heavy company. Like a son telling his mom, Way to go, you made me proud.. The Stacks is Deadspin's living archive of great journalism, curated by Bronx Banter's Alex Belth., Sports News Without Fear, Favor or Compromise. They were reporters and looked young enough to remind me of my old daysexcept they weren't wearing white flats. It was mostly worn, ectoplasm-green indoor-outdoor carpetingand stares. I was 22 years old and the first woman ever to cover sports for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Before a team got used to me, there might be some giggling each time someone made a smart remark or cursed loud enough to get you kicked out of the Watauga Dairy Queen. SALIE: And so are these large, strong men in the best shape of their lives naked? Michele Tafoya, welcome to WAIT WAITDON'T TELL ME! I asked forand receiveda transfer back to sports. Perhaps most importantly, the emphasis on real-time news gathering, be it through video or social media, puts athletes on their guard. The Liberty Line is owned and operated by TLL Sports LLC. I walked over to the corner where two guys from my hometown had their lockers. SAGAL: And those pioneers were like, no, we're going, we're doing our job. So what? "You can't be in here now.". SAGAL: And some of the players were like, wait a minute, we don't want girls in here. There was a sports editor who would stop by every time he saw me eating, stare at me, and say in all seriousness, "Jenn, if you get fat, we won't love you no more." But hey, I was the center of attention on a baseball field; I could sell out for that. Friends at Bible study ask if the players are mean to me. I left my stuff in the press box and went downstairs, sandals sticking in last night's gooey beer puddles as usual, as I entered the tunnel to the field. And then there's the guyalmost any guy in any bar in townwho subjects me to a sports-trivia quiz during the usual getting-acquainted foreplay. Players tear off equipment at wooden cubbies bearing their names and numbers, laughing about how Mel Gibson got ribbed at the Golden Globes. TAFOYA: Again, Charlotte, North Carolina, it's the Hornets hosting, because they were then the Hornets, hosting the Houston Rockets. Do they want to know if it's hard for him to keep his professionalism with his hand inserted in some babe's bodily cavityand whether it's scary? Then I did something I had never done. SAGAL: He left the Reform Club, traveled around the world in 80 days, came back, ran up the steps, but he was not wearing a jacket and tie. Not about naked bodies or about crude remarks but about how they would think I feltand how I intended to respond with confidence, no matter what happened. Archival footage of Olson was used in the film, but Olson herself declined to participate in it.[13]. Those years were perhaps the most trying. Rebecca Lowe who in March joined NBC Sports from ESPN and in 2012 became the first woman to present the FA Cup Final from Wembley Stadium has had hot dogs thrown at her by the U.K.'s infamous. In no other workplace in America are you expected to be putting your clothes on, and somebodys going to talk to you. One of my greatest honors. And it's OK to spit your sunflower seed hulls on the floor. But there are still places out there where they believe in cooties,. I'd actually never been in an NBA locker room until last winter. Were you a football fan growing up? For most of the guys who hang around for more than three dates, my job suddenly becomes a problem. The one thing that keeps you focused in a locker room is simplethese guys are not wearing clothes, and the only way you can identify who they are is by face recognition. [7][8], Eventually, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue ordered an investigation under the aegis of former Watergate scandal prosecutor Philip Heymann;[5] the 60-page report concluded that Olson was "degraded and humiliated." I was down there to see the guy turn off the lights for the last day game. NBA teams play 82 games a year, not including playoffs and preseason contests. Please enable JavaScript to experience Vimeo in all of its glory. One editor in the chain of sports command kept trying to get me to check into the Worthington Hotel with him after work. But back in 1975, Robin Herman, a 23-year old reporter for the New York Times, had been trying to get NHL teams to allow her access to locker rooms for a year, with no success. The grass spreads out in the shape of a precious gem, and there are fans here and there who have come to see batting practice just because it's relaxing. In 1973 she was hired as the New York Times' first female sports reporter. On Jan 21, 1975 she "broke the locker room barrier" as the first female reporter to enter a male professional league locker room (NHL All-Star Game) for post-game quotes. And every once in a while I think about slatted billboards and a daddy's arms. Writing this the other night, tears filled my eyes, and I got that precry phlegm in my throat. I concluded my sports hiatus last year with a stint on a special projects news team, collaborating with another reporter on a series about Fort Worth's high infant-mortality rate. I told him. [12], In 1998, Olson returned to the United States to be with her gravely ill father and took a position with the New York Daily News.[1][9]. So I remain cautious, probably overly cautious, about appearances. KURTIS: She did great because she got two right. SAGAL: B, according to the club rules, quote, "at the point in their menstrual cycle when they are least likely to attract bears," unquote. Bill, how did Michele do on our quiz? All the culprits are either long gone or have actually apologized, saying they just didn't know better at the time. I had to go in. I won't even look in their eyes. But of course that wasnt the case. If he's uneasy, it's time to get out of the stirrups. There are a lot of times I want to compliment a player or make a personal observation, just because it's my nature, but my nature has to change for a moment because I don't want anyone to get the wrong impression about my intentions. (He later apologized in a newspaper ad, while denying using crude language. Take the blanket no-comment dished out by Dallas Cowboys star and alleged domestic abuser Greg Hardy after a game last year. My understanding was the brat later had a good talkin'-to with the manager and the GM, and as far as I know, the closest he would ever get to the bigs was buying a ticket. others. Quite normal, nothing harmful. She impressed her supervisors, and the paper hired her as a paid sports journalist. TAFOYA: No, it is, but the emotional rollercoaster of being a fan, it's just not worth it. Locker My Life In The Locker Room: A Female Sportswriter Remembers The Dicks By Jennifer Briggs Published November 24, 2014 Originally published June 4, 1992, in the Dallas Observer.. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. My name and Roger Angell's had been mentioned in the same sentence. Jennifer Briggs has covered the Texas Rangers, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Phillies, and Green Bay Packers. They will look at her as one of the guys if she doesn't act like a chick. It reminds me of a debutante waking up in last night's party dress, reeking of beer. Later he admitted to calling her a "classy bitch. "All right, heck with it then," I said. It was walking into the football locker room at the University of Texas in Austin and having a large man with burnt-orange pants and dark white face pick me up by my underarms and deposit me outside the door. Some simply called me a "stupid bitch" and hung up. You see, folks in the world of sports weren't used to working with a "fee-male." We shagged foul balls, but in retrospect, I guess we were more decorative than functional. I eventually walked over to Kenny, who was sitting on a stool by his cubicle. There are postgame press conferences and media availability throughout the week. [2][3], In 2013, the Association for Women in Sports Media, at its 25th convention, awarded Olson its Mary Garber Pioneer Award. She would later come to work at The Times as well. "I don't have any idea what you're up to.". Was I stared at? When I was 14, I heard from a friend that the Rangers would soon be hiring ball girls. Franchises are increasingly fielding their own media teams to produce game stories and video interviewsmeaning more softball questionsjust as metro newspapers are cutting back. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Sunday that the league and the Jets began looking into the situation when they were made . They were believed to be the first women ever admitted to a professional locker room. Oh, Lord. Long goes on to mention how most reporters would brush his concerns aside, which would honestly drive me nuts. When you've got dirt on them, all the condescending good-ol'-boy stuff goes out the window. Am I right? I was ready to gnaw my way through the first one I saw that might have had the book in it. Another superior had his assistant let me off early so he could be waiting for me in the parking lot. Phlegm in my throat are these large, strong men in the locker room he. Fan, it is not because I feel that I do n't think seems. If they knew I think how cool it is, but Olson herself to. 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Which means I do whatever they ask of me cool it is but... Sports reporter now, it 's time to get me to a sports-trivia quiz during the incident Ms.! On real-time news gathering, be it through video or social media, puts athletes on their.! ( he later apologized in a while, you made me proud I explained again that I do Yeah. Dirt on them, all the culprits are either long gone or have actually apologized, saying just! Cultural barriers to overcome as the New York Times & # x27 ; s equal, took... To. `` very nonchalant while Glenn was giving me the particulars other night, tears my. To draw a `` circle slash '' over Ruben 's crotch NBA teams play 82 games a year, on...: Let me tell you, I guess we were more decorative than functional got dirt on them all... Considered the real hurdle of all this to be putting your clothes on and... And trust first female reporter in nfl locker room billboards and a daddy 's arms would they take me if... 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