first female reporter in nfl locker room

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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. I mean, we know a guy is probably happy to be a number-one draft choice, but what makes him real is how he is like or unlike us. Last night's trash still blows, even though people are sweeping all over the place. Like other working people, professional athletes want to leave the office when their shift ends, so they waste no time stripping down to hit the showers. If I ever dread talking to players now, it is not because I feel that I don't belong there. Olson sued the team, and the players she implicated were fined by the NFL after its own investigation. . She later was a columnist for the FanHouse sports website, and then a columnist for Sporting News. I've never been on any campaign to debunk the myth that testicles are somehow inherent to a full understanding of balls. [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]. I had enough natural talent, I felt certain, that with one high heel in the door, I could work my way into a writer's jobmaybe even someday cover baseball. I checked out Rey Maualugas locker, which resembles something out of that voodoo-worshipping slugger from the movie Major League. We shagged foul balls, but in retrospect, I guess we were more decorative than functional. Oh sure, little stuff happened, like the time one of the Oakland A's made a big point of standing next to me naked in the middle of the clubhouse or one of the Los Angeles Raiders chucked a set of shoulder pads at my butt. A simple no would have sufficed. Some simply called me a "stupid bitch" and hung up. As one of the first female reporters to be allowed inside the NFL locker room, she has been a pioneer in her field. The more we try to know about our sporting heroes, the less they tell us. Each time I stopped pacing, the clerk and guard started toward me. And his eyes got to be like the size of paper plates because what I didn't notice was that he was buck naked. [4] The Herald's then owner, News Corporation, offered to transfer her to Sydney, Australia, where she worked for The Daily Telegraph and the Sydney Morning Herald. Yet anyone who gets self-worth through random sex with a professional athlete is not exactly MENSA material. [6] Sullivan observed Olson and determined that she was acting professionally, interviewing Maurice Hurst, but took no other action. Absolutely. TAFOYA: Oh, gosh. "You know," I thought, "I doubt if any of them read the Observer.". I had become a sweating mass of raw nerve endings. Would it be awesome if they were better ventilated? Answer (1 of 4): After reading Carrie Rickey's answer, I have to say that no one ever gets this story right. Can the slump be permanent?". But the most moving were the ones who said something along the lines of, "Well, I just want you to know, if I ever had anything to do with any of that, I'm sorry. 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. She was drawn back into the controversy as other sports faced their women-in-the-locker-room moments most famously in the court case brought by Sports Illustrated so the reporter Melissa Its all weve ever known, right wing Josh Bailey, wearing a blue Islanders shirt, skin-tight compression shorts, and knee-high athletic socks, told me after a practice last week. We all just kind of deal with it, says Jenni Carlson, a columnist for The Oklahoman and self-described shorter person who fights to see and hear her often giant interview subjects. It was He. That did it; now they were ready to call the police. SAGAL: I was just thinking about with the NBA, it would be more difficult because you need to think about what would be at eye level in that situation. Some nights I walk out the back door where all the wives are waiting, and they stare at me strangely, as though they think I'm the woman Cosmo warned them about or something. I won't even look in their eyes. "A sportswriter, huh? Many dressing rooms dont have such modicums of privacy, leaving players in the buff in front of reporters fishing for quotes. "Jenn," he asked, "do you want to be treated like an 18-year-old kid or a woman?". One even said, "You know you don't have to do this work," in a tone that sounded like Sting telling Roxanne she didn't have to put on the red light. But there are still places out there where they believe in cooties, so Tafoya will answer three questions about men's-only clubs. But unfortunately, in north Arlington, this seems to be an enviable attribute on a par with big Dallas hair and coaching shorts as after-five wear. If I did ever fall hopelessly head over heels for one of these men, it would not be because I had noticed a pterodactyl-size penis, but for the same reasons I'd fall for anyone else. Oh, Lord. Herman, then a 23-year-old reporter for The New York Times, had been trying for a year The players dont care, I dont care, heynobody cares! I talk to the coaches at halftime as they walk in or out of the locker room, and that's always a load of fun especially the losing coach. It doesn't make me angry anymore; it just seems silly and absurd. (He later apologized in a newspaper ad, while denying using crude language. I eventually walked over to Kenny, who was sitting on a stool by his cubicle. Girls in locker rooms are overrated. Though there have been numerous instances of female reporters being harassed or discriminated against over the years, Ludtke says most players were surprisingly receptive to her presence afterward. Fox NFL analyst Brian Baldinger said Sainz was "asking for it," during a radio conversation, and Washington Redskin Clinton Portis put on an entertaining display when asked about comments he made during a radio interview, saying that when there are female reporters in a locker room, "I They will look at her as one of the guys if she doesnt act like a chick. It was like, you know, lady with a baby coming, lady in the locker room. I cant really think of something else thats similar to this, Bailey said. But by then I had gotten to know the sportswriters and broadcasters, and the Star-Telegram offered me a jobin sportstyping in scores and answering the phone. In exchange for their candor I have agreed to keep them anonymous. to persuade N.H.L. So you've been in the Mavericks locker room? Their job as a reporter is to get instant reaction from a player after the game has concluded. TAFOYA: Let me tell you about my first time. Sure.. They see how (or if) players interact; get some idea as to who's happy, who's not, and maybe find out why or why not. I said, "Listen, I have been covering this game since I was about two years older than you are so you can just shut it right now.". I was in the visiting clubhouse waiting to interview one of the Oakland A's this year when one of the players called, "Here, pussy"as though he were calling a cat. For eight months, the editors refused to assign me any stories. Chris Long on dynamic of naked players, reporters in locker rooms, New York Rangers fans took over the Wells Fargo Center and Im glad it happened, WATCH: Every pitch of Andrew Painters 1st inning vs. the Minnesota Twins, Eagles Buzz: CJ Gardner-Johnson rips Jonathan Gannon on Twitter for Super Bowl performance, Spring Training: Umpires end Orioles vs Pirates game early, but both teams wanted to finish, calling the game themselves, WATCH: Operation Flagship How D.C. Police Lured Wanted Criminals in for Arrest by Offering Super Bowl Tickets. 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. One of my greatest honors. SAGAL: So you came back, and you're like, well, I just talked to the coach of the losing team, and he suggested certain things that were anatomically impossible. Its a professional setting, and if the reporter is professional, the whole experience is smooth as silk. 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 there was Reggie, in nothing but sanitary socks. draft.Readmore, The Rangers announced Friday that they would not use their remaining compliance buyout this summer, ensuring that Brad Richards will return to the team for at least one more season.Readmore, The Mourning Skate: Blues for John Halligan, N.H.L. All she wanted was to be afforded the . This is all very exciting. I was certainly heartened when I heard about Robin, said Ludtke, who also now works at Harvard as editor of the Neiman Reports magazine. It had been less than a decade earlier, in 1990, that Boston Herald reporter Lisa Olson had been sexually harassed by players in the New England Patriots locker room who exposed themselves. It may have been his first night. Build a site and generate income from purchases, subscriptions, and courses. The issue at hand was equal access to the players in the locker room for all reporters, regardless of their gender. 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? 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. I didn't want to be branded as some woman on a crusade. July 27, 1997 Seven years ago, Zeke Mowatt flashed himself at Lisa Olson, who was then a reporter for the Boston Herald, and the great locker room debate erupted. 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. Phyllis George Brown, a former Miss America winner and the first female sportscaster to work at a major network, died on Thursday after complications from a blood disorder she had developed. 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. This is not a matter that only pertains to the NFL, but to any sport in general especially the MLB. At the same time, my marriage began taking ugly, unspeakable turns. agree wrote: If a male reporter went into the womens locker room, all hell would break loose. But how can you really profile a guy if you haven't seen his coffee table or the junk stuck to his fridge? I mean, because if you sell out the coach, you never get to talk to them again, so I don't want to sell out the coach. TAFOYA: You know what, though, timing is everything, and I think I sort of followed the floodgates that were opened by Lesley Visser and Robin Roberts. 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. 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. But I learned to do news as well. At first, I thought he meant on the job. Of the latest scores and many to. Had all that I'd put up with just been for nothing? first female sports columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald, where she covered rugby union, Australian rules football, cricket and rugby league. So, 35 years ago, Herman and another woman a Montreal radio reporter, Marcel St. Cyr gathered with other reporters after the game and walked in to conduct postgame interviews. The balls with the signatures still sit on my mantel, most reading like the tombstones of major-league also-rans. I wasn't afraid of naked men. Now, there are no F-bombs. Create and promote branded videos, host live events and webinars, and more. And yes, I was scared. He meant on the bed. If you, as a grown man or woman, want to peep another adults private square, it doesnt need to be under the guise of a free and independent press. Back to you, Brett. 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. But I can understand the athletes being naturally uncertain what to make of women, of me. They said they weren't selling those yet because they hadn't been tagged. Raffy said, "Hey, he wants to talk to you," pointing to Kenny Rogers. I used to write Dallas Cowboys columns in blue Crayola on a Big Chief tablet in the part of my sister's walk-in closet I had designated as the press box. If she knows her sport, and asks relevant questions, she will be welcome in the locker room. I think I may have actually gained some respect in various journalism and sports circles. I started out in the office, taking scores on the phone and taking heat from the guys. In 1973 she was hired as the New York Times' first female sports reporter. "Are you going to talk to me or not?" We both approached the front desk, where the clerk sided with the guard, saying I could remain for 10 more minutes, but only if I stayed out of the central lobby and remained "mobile." 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. That being said, strip clubs and runway shows are completely different to NBA locker rooms. Sanchez is a media-savvy guy, so I figured he would be a nice ice-breaker. She was assigned to cover the Boston Bruins, the 1990 Super Bowl, and, beginning in the fall of 1990, the New England Patriots. The Mavericks were a delight to be around even when pissed off. the frigid steppes of Russia and beyond, like, say, Phoenix. I wrote about civil rights issues and roamed through abandoned warehouses alone in search of skinheads. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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? Another superior had his assistant let me off early so he could be waiting for me in the parking lot. Then there was the occasion Rangers manager Doug Rader spat corn on me after I asked a dumb question. The guys screamed at me and demanded to know if I was "on the rag" when I was surly; yet they could scream and be surly at me all they wanted. Well, first of all, so now SAGAL: Describe your job. But there are still places out there where they believe in cooties,. I mean, seeing another adults peen by mistake isnt as bad as, I dont know, stealing someones cooking show, but I digress. [1], Beginning in the 1970s, when increasing numbers of women sought to enter the field of sportswriting, female sportswriters faced frequent discrimination, harassment, and intimidation. SAGAL: Michele Tafoya, we're delighted to have you with us. Cripes, maybe I should just wait til they all get dressed before talking to them? So is it awkward for you? The latter are supposed to be more humorous than the former, though adulthood has taught me different. Like many people, Donna, who should have been named Brittany, just can't accept this. TAFOYA: One time, I found myself - and I had a co-host normally - one time, I was solo, and I found myself reading to my audience out of the newspaper TAFOYA: because I had run out of material. As it stands now, the NFL allows female reporters in locker rooms, but only after games. For the first time in NFL history there will be two female coaches on the. SAGAL: That's what you do. Horse's Heinie on occasion, was watching a college football game in a chair in the middle of it allnaked. An Ongoing Problem : Women Reporters Resent How They're Treated in the Locker Rooms By FRED LIEF Jan. 5, 1986 12 AM PT United Press International NEW YORK "If a reporter is duly and. No one seems to know when the first female Equipment Manager was hired. I don't like the double-standard we have with male-female divide. I began to cry. The Boys Only sign wasnt on the door, but still, I could see it. About 1987, I got crossways with the sports editor. After I poured myself out in the "Locker Room" piece, I was a bit empowered. A lot of why Philly loves Long is his straight shooter attitude, which was on full display in this episode. I wrote management repeatedly. My most innocent comments were greeted with sexual innuendo. I never told my friends. A large portion of a reporter's job is coverage of cultural aspects. 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. 7 players remain on Eagles latest injury Danny Green provides new insight on Tobias Interview: Former Eagles Super Bowl Champ, Chris Long, Joins Tom Segura on Tom Talks. The next day, another player told Eskenazi it was a joke. So you've got all these big-haired babes who think the electoral college is a beauty school, ready to hoist their miniskirts for the first athlete who comes along. Ines Sainz, a reporter for the Mexican network TV Azteca, gestures while working on the sideline during the second quarter of an NFL football between the New York Jets and the Baltimore Ravens at . Sept. 8, 1985 12 AM PT United Press International Sportswriter Donna Balancia had two team officials block her from the New York Giants' locker room after a recent preseason game. Ms. Olson was reporting on the New England Patriots in 1990 when she was sexually harassed in the locker room. As one of the first female reporters to be allowed inside the NFL locker room, she has been a pioneer in her field. He was really mouthing off at me. or "You wrote a good piece, Jenn, but then your headline writers let you down at the end; what does that feel like?" many of her friends were going through similar, if much less public, struggles in fields like advertising and law and medicine. Locker rooms are overrated. I'd actually never been in an NBA locker room until last winter. Samsung Pdf. During the 1977 World Series, the MLB commissioners office banned then-Sports Illustrated reporter Melissa Ludtke from both teams locker rooms, overriding the New York Yankees blessing and a majority vote in the Los Angeles Dodgers clubhouse. others. The players were roaming around in towels or standing by their lockers speaking into digital recordersno one was smacking towels on butts, no one was making soap jokes. a matter of equity.. Mike called me into his office and told me he was now "into it" for passing on the piece. from SAGAL: Do you do that because I've wondered about that? Later that year, Olson and Sam Marchiano were reportedly subjected to a profanity-laced verbal tirade by New York Yankees pitcher David Wells when they approached him at his home to comment on his sudden trade to the Toronto Blue Jays for Roger Clemens. He remembered me. Customers Modifications . They were believed to be the first women ever admitted to a professional locker room. I didn't give it a whole lot of thought as I went into the office that day. Tipped off to my presence, the coach broke into a near run when I headed toward him in the hall. Melissa Ludtke, then a writer for Sports Illustrated, is shown in her New York office in Januar 1978. The Stacks is Deadspin's living archive of great journalism, curated by Bronx Banter's Alex Belth., Sports News Without Fear, Favor or Compromise. 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. Why the fuck can yall walk in, and we are half-naked? intentional infliction of emotional distress, "Lisa Olson deserves acclaim for her sports writing and speaking out in Patriots harassment case", "Two professional journalists receive Eunson Award from NAU", "Sports journalist wins '11 Eunson Award", "Patriots and 3 Players Fined in Olson Incident", Kiam Apologizes After Joking About the Olson Incident, Kiam Issues Apology for His Lisa Olson joke, "Women Reporters in the Men's Locker Room", Lisa Olson settles lawsuit against Patriots and Kiam, Film about women sports writers fighting for equal access to locker rooms to debut at Tribeca film festival, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lisa_Olson&oldid=1136405132, This page was last edited on 30 January 2023, at 04:36. Yet I wonder. Players tear off equipment at wooden cubbies bearing their names and numbers, laughing about how Mel Gibson got ribbed at the Golden Globes. I pushed open the door and gazed into the visitors' locker room, a big square chamber with locker cubicles lining its perimeter and tables and chairs scattered around the center. It was at height of the womens movement, Herman said. Youve got limited time to talk to the players before they leave, so make hay or fail is my mantra. It's a symbiotic relationshipthe relationship only works if both parties are comfortable with the other. Prove to them you know your stuff, and you will have proven to them why you belong there. No sitting or leaning. It's also tricky when you give one writer a piece that showcases him or her in very many words and photos. ")[5] Later, on February 4, 1991, at a male-only sports banquet in Stamford, Connecticut, Kiam told the attendees a crude joke about the incident. I kept saying, Im not the story; the game is the story,' Herman said, reflecting on the night. Donna is a good argument for euthanasia. Now that is underrated, and the goal of every reporterits what keeps us focused. [4] Robert Perryman did the same while her back was turned. Players mostly accept that strangers will see them au naturel. For years I was hopelessly mired in phone answering and score taking, watching as others in similar positions moved up and on. But now it was late September, and my editor wanted me to interview Mr. October about what it was like not to make the playoffs. The reporters were covering the team's loss to the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. She is a frequent guest speaker at schools and colleges, and active in public schools' mentoring program for girls who hope to study journalism. Forty years ago today, "Sports Illustrated" and its reporter Melissa Ludtke took on Major League Baseball and won. That was the stunned reaction of journalist Joey Chandler after she, along with two other female journalists, was reportedly barred from entering the Jacksonville Jaguars locker room on Sunday night. Jane Gross was cracking basketballs barrier while covering the Long Island Nets. And a few guys maybe flounced around a little more just for brief amusement. Female sportswriters won the legal fight, but there are plenty of cultural barriers to overcome. They were happy to oblige. Top photo illustration by Jim Cooke; original photo by Scogin Mayo. When I was 14, I heard from a friend that the Rangers would soon be hiring ball girls. We're sitting around the salon one day making bets on when the rest of the country will catch on that Ross Perot is a weasel when someone says he finished ahead of Bush and Clinton in another poll.

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