For a minute, before I start to work, I smell the bubble gum in the breeze and look at the kids leaning over the dugout and the boys of summer in it. And yes, I was scared. I've been around long enough now that if they see me turn away, they probably know it isn't because I'm scared or intimidated. A large portion of a reporter's job is coverage of cultural aspects. Get two questions right, and you win our prize. 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. SALIE: Do you have a minute for me, coach? People were calling from all over about the piece. Once, after they'd let me try my hand at writing for a year or so, editors told me I'd never make a writer. 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. No less than two or three times a home stand, the feeling hits againalmost always as I walk down that tunnel from the upper deck that spits you out in back of home plate. Oh sure, they may actually think I'm an idiot. Absolutely. ", He started yelling again in this really high voice. A, on Women's Day which is a holiday named after a magazine. [6] Sullivan observed Olson and determined that she was acting professionally, interviewing Maurice Hurst, but took no other action. He said he was 16. Host virtual events and webinars to increase engagement and generate leads. Now, one of the first all-men gentlemen's clubs in America was the Schuylkill Fishing Company of Philadelphia, a club that played a minor role in Revolutionary history when what happened there? Then it hits me: My job means I get to be around this game and write about it. It was just one of those moments you want to hold for yourself. You know when the line has been crossed because you know about the culture that youve entered . Another superior had his assistant let me off early so he could be waiting for me in the parking lot. But of course, he hadn't lost Fluffy; he'd found a woman in his locker room. The week after the Olson incident, Sam Wyche, coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, was fined one week's salary -- about $29,000 -- for refusing to let a female reporter in his locker room. There were reporters all around the lobby of the downtown Hyatt, waiting for coaches to arrive after a golf game. After all, the story had just hit newsstands and restaurants and bars and grocery stores in the dead of the previous night. The National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Football League barred women reporters from entering men's locker rooms when women first . He shook his head and said, "No, I didn't say that.". I was creative and funny, but I just couldn't write, they'd concluded. By that time I had moved east to cover the Phillies. It was like, you know, lady with a baby coming, lady in the locker room. Take the blanket no-comment dished out by Dallas Cowboys star and alleged domestic abuser Greg Hardy after a game last year. I wanted to cry each time he said that. As she wrote in a post on her own blog, I found myself forced to muster Supreme Court-worthy arguments for an inane, The Stacks is Deadspin's living archive of great journalism, curated by Bronx Banter's Alex Belth. 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 -. (He was a recent addition to the team.) Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. The interview format is believed to have been popularized around mid-century by Dick Young, a New York Daily News sportswriter. TAFOYA: I'm entering my third season for "Sunday Night Football. [4] One player, Zeke Mowatt, "fondled his genitals" in front of her. Ill never forget the first time I entered that forbidden place called the players locker room. Places in Arlington might not get it until mid-afternoon. I always won the big awards in elementary school, went to football games, and performed in talent shows. I was certainly heartened when I heard about Robin, said Ludtke, who also now works at Harvard as editor of the Neiman Reports magazine. Perhaps the most meaningful were the calls from fellow sportswriters. Herman was a hockey reporter covering the New York Islanders when she and another female reporter were allowed to interview players in the locker room as their male counterparts were commonly permitted to do . In 2011, Northern Arizona University's School of Communication awarded Olson its Eunson Alumni Achievement Award. Still, most professional athletes also realize that allowing journalists into their sanctuary is a part of the job. 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. Three female reporters were denied access to a NFL locker room this weekend, because of their gender. The guys are much more formal in talking. A female reporter conducts post-game interviews with members of a men's soccer team in the locker room. You get a really honest reaction, and thats what makes stories good., Some of the best locker room reporting comes when the unthinkable happens, reminding us that these gods between the lines are just men and women outside of them. SAGAL: B, according to the club rules, quote, "at the point in their menstrual cycle when they are least likely to attract bears," unquote. He remembered me. 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. Slap Shot, the New York Times hockey blog, reports on the Rangers, the National Hockey League and anything that glides quickly across a frozen surface anywhere on the globe, from the snowy prairies of Saskatchewan to Raffy, Kenny Rogers, Kevin Brown had their little clique on the far side of the clubhouse. And I wanted to cover the Rangers someday. Women will kick up a fuss about men being in a women's locker room, and men should do the same with women. I asked him if he hoped to play in the majors one day. It was supposed to be about the fact that I had some negative things to say about my early work environment. I fully expected trouble. I seriously considered taking a job as a researcher for a law firm. "I don't think women should be in the locker room," he said. I began to rummage through the large boxes until I found the one with my publisher's name on it. 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. Horse's Heinie on occasion, was watching a college football game in a chair in the middle of it allnaked. It might as well have been a water cooler. She was previously a sports columnist for the New York Daily News, and the first female sports columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald, where she covered rugby union, Australian rules football, cricket and rugby league. But hey, I was the center of attention on a baseball field; I could sell out for that. 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. He sure wished he'd taken it, he said in hindsight. I was ready once again to be the greatest sportswriter who ever lived. I asked. When Michael Palin of Monty Python's Flying Circus attempted to recreate the feat, he failed, came close, but he failed. (Lowrance/Getty) NFL boss Roger Goodell was demanding answers Sunday night from. I did not want to smell the entire ride home, so I decided to take a shower. It was also the Bear's last season. All most know how to do is bitch about the Cowboys and Mavericks and Rangersabout their (a) record, (b) salaries, (c) coach or managerand praise the "kick-butt" barbecue they make before watching 18 hours of football on Sundays. I was quite confused. More than two years ago, I told the sports editor I wanted to return to sports. Graduate. He. In an interview on the March 11, 2011 edition of Bill Simmons' podcast, "The B.S. That's when a security guard came up to me to ask why I was there. 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. Im at work! I was amazed. I wrote management repeatedly. I began to cry. But much of the early abuse came from the place I least expected itmy own paper. Whats more, players are increasingly media empires in and of themselves, lessening their incentive to cooperate with journalists. It wasn't Reggie or pro-locker-room banter. And there I was at the big red clubhouse door, dented and bashed in anger so many times it conjured up an image of stone-washed hemoglobin. I might have actually said, "Can we talk about how your face looks like one of those ear-shaped potato chips that the lady from the Lay's factory brings on The Tonight Show once a year? It's the way we measure all people, the Homo sapiens equivalent of sniffing butts by the fire hydrant. I've known one veteran NFL player for more than 20 years -- since he was in college -- and he tolerates women in the locker room but honestly believes we, including me, are there to look at naked . I corresponded with them for another two years before the call finally came. [4], On April 25, 1991, Olson filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts state court against the Patriots, Kiam, Sullivan, Oldham, and the three players (Mowatt, Timpson, and Perryman), alleging violations of her civil rights, sexual harassment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and intentional damage to her professional reputation. Donna is a good argument for euthanasia. I tried to explain that it is probably a lot like being a male gynecologist: the daily procession of personal parts becomes so routine that it ceases to be of anything but professional interest. But there are still places out there where they believe in cooties,. Her family were fervent sports fans. I sat at some random desk to look busy for a while, which is what sportswriters do every week or three. Before The Best American Sports Writing for that year was in bookstores, I went on a Thelma and Louise-type journey with a girlfriend. 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.. When a guy is naked, hes probably more honest than not.. In exchange for their candor I have agreed to keep them anonymous. And his eyes got to be like the size of paper plates because what I didn't notice was that he was buck naked. Lisa Olson is an American sports journalist. 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. Briggs first said women journalists should be barred from locker rooms during an interview with Peggy Kusinski of NBCChicago.com on Wednesday, the same day the NFL issued a memo that said women . The realities of the corporate world and the attitudes of Texas high school and college coaches quickly clouded my idealistic vision of a quick ascent from 18-year-old ball-girl phenom to big-league ace baseball writer. ", TAFOYA: I spent about eight seasons before that on "Monday Night Football.". A few minutes later he came back out wearing a towel. He starts parading around the locker room with his buttocks exposed, saying Gitte over and over again, Eskenazi says. She is an American humorist and sportswriter who now does reviews for Publishers Weekly and writes for a variety of publications, including the Dallas Observer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, USA Today, and Sports Illustrated. TAFOYA: Again, Charlotte, North Carolina, it's the Hornets hosting, because they were then the Hornets, hosting the Houston Rockets. 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. They were happy to oblige. Show More. Thats the life of a kicker.. We may earn a commission from links on this page. It's a place for changing attire and accessing personal belonging. I explained again that I was a sportswriter waiting for Grant Teaff and pointed out other reporters, all men, around the lobby. David Cone, Wells's teammate, gave Olson and Marchiano Wells's address. a matter of equity.. And blocked by virtue of being a woman Melissa Ludtke's landmark. By then, I had become accustomed to the nudity and byplay of the locker room. I don't have a radio talk show yet, but I now make my living writing about sportsat the moment, mostly the Texas Rangers. The Downing part of it, as the guys who would later be a part of The Ticket said, was because, "He wouldn't hit a girl, so we'll go in behind you. The hamster in my mental Wonderwheel never seems to stop running, so my mind keeps a lot of thoughts going at once. Then he held my head over the top of the wall in center. SAGAL: Or C, in December, only to buy Christmas gifts for their husbands in the pro shop? TAFOYA: No, it is, but the emotional rollercoaster of being a fan, it's just not worth it. The he got to a really big one"Best General Column Writing." That's another thing that has changed. All the culprits are either long gone or have actually apologized, saying they just didn't know better at the time. Man, did I ever realize how my attitude and courage level had changed. Oh, Lord. to persuade N.H.L. I understand that uniformsunless they say, "Eb, your man who wears the star" on the lapelare a great aphrodisiac in contemporary culture. Numerous new-media outlets have likewise gained access, leading to a ballooning locker room press corps and, in turn, limiting the exclusivity of any individual interview. "Well, I have talked to Troy Aikman," I say, and one woman bites down hard on her blow-dryer and rolls her eyes as though she's just gotten the high school quarterback in spin-the-bottle. Many of the women they're aroundother than the reasonably stable ones like their wives and mothersare groupies. Or the periodic outbursts by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook. Going to do my best. There were nights in the stands, too, where, just so I could enjoy the game more, my daddy patiently tried to teach the basics of scoring to a child not yet versed in addition. Calvin Russell. Video marketing. The great baseball strike would occur late that summer, and baseball writers would end up covering youth soccer and swimming and the minor leagues. Writing this the other night, tears filled my eyes, and I got that precry phlegm in my throat. She is a frequent guest speaker at schools and colleges, and active in public schools' mentoring program for girls who hope to study journalism. Thank you for visiting Slap Shot. I dont really think about it. It was at height of the womens movement, Herman said. Girls in locker rooms are overrated. Originally published June 4, 1992, in the Dallas Observer. I kept saying, Im not the story; the game is the story,' Herman said, reflecting on the night. Gayle had heard the Fort Worth Star-Telegram higher-ups had had a meeting that morning regarding my continuedor discontinuedemployment. OK, pre-game festivities concluded, I went back up to the press box to start writing some pre-game sidebar. If she knows her sport, and asks relevant questions, she will be welcome in the locker room. SAGAL: That's what you do. Michele Tafoya is the Emmy award-winning reporter for NBC's Sunday Night Football, but she's spent time on basketball courts, softball diamonds, gymnastics mats and now public radio quiz show game grids. My daddy and I saw our first major-league game together on Opening Night here in 1972. SAGAL: Did somebody drop some profanity on you? One of the more interesting nuggets from the conversation between two of my favorites was Longs take on reporters accessing locker rooms postgame. The Star-Telegram phone began to ring. SAGAL: The club was famed for its beverage known as Fish House Punch, which according to legend was so potent, it knocked George Washington out of commission for three days. I had offered the story first to my sports editor, Mike Perry (standard newspaper policy). All-Star Game in Montreal. 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 what if someone saw me in this state of trepidation? Fueled by my own version of a life-affirming experience, I felt as though I was taking back 10 years of my life. When you've got dirt on them, all the condescending good-ol'-boy stuff goes out the window. So I went about my business. 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. Indeed, locker room access is built into players collective bargaining agreements with the four major North American sports leagues. Even in the relatively overlooked NHL, the New York Islanders draw about 30 journalists a game. My most innocent comments were greeted with sexual innuendo. 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. Industrial-size hampers, home to growing mounds of moist practice jerseys, sit on each side of the cramped chamber in its Syosset, New York, training facility. The biggest cultural difference between reporting on sport in the UK and across the pond is that everyone here is allowed into the locker-room. When you've interviewed a 17-year-old mother whose daughter was stillborn for lack of prenatal care, how tough can it be to talk to a young pitcher who's lost to the Angels for lack of run support? So what? Report", Jackie MacMullan reported that the fines were never actually collected from the players. He said I was loitering. We lived in Arlington, about five miles from the ball park. On cue, all the players in the Jets locker room got up and they all had the word Gitte written on their asses, he says. or "You wrote a good piece, Jenn, but then your headline writers let you down at the end; what does that feel like?" The bouncing, wide-eyed ball girl who wanted to write about baseball more than anything was gone, abandoned in increments on football fields, at locker room doors, in editors' offices, and on barstools. Night from horse 's Heinie on occasion, was watching a college Football game in a in. School of Communication awarded Olson its Eunson Alumni Achievement Award a job a. 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