I was creative and funny, but I just couldn't write, they'd concluded. It might as well have been a water cooler. All rights reserved. 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. He told me I had to leave unless I was staying at the hotel. Summoners Value War. (Lowrance/Getty) NFL boss Roger Goodell was demanding answers Sunday night from. Or at least that's what I thought I said. I got home, took a run and cleaned up and dressed for the ballpark, grabbed my go bag with computer, lipstick, notepads, pens, hairbrush, Altoids, and antacids and headed down I-30 to see what flak awaited me. 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. 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. I was down there to see the guy turn off the lights for the last day game. The reasoning behind this policy is that players are more likely to be relaxed and open with reporters after they have had a chance to cool down and take a shower. My dad was a buyer for Better Monkey Grip Rubber Company, and I'm not complaining. I can't remember the number of times I've picked up the phone in the sports department, answered some trivia question, and, when the answer didn't win the guy a bar bet, had the caller demand, "Put a man on this phone." Oh, Lord. He starts parading around the locker room with his buttocks exposed, saying Gitte over and over again, Eskenazi says. And there was Reggie, in nothing but sanitary socks. Family trips in an egg-shell-white Impala to see the cousins in Plainview took fewer rough turns. I hate to invade their pain and their anger and sometimes even their happiness. Mr. October, known to be Mr. I always said modern feminism has nothing to do with equality and this degrading treatment of men proves it. Reporters do not need to be in the locker room. As I steamed over this, I took a shot of courage (a cold Starbucks Caf Latte) and pondered my circumstances. "All right, heck with it then," I said. Donna doesn't like newspapers either. But of course that wasnt the case. Olson sued the team, and the players she implicated were fined by the NFL after its own investigation. I went into the girls' locker room by mistake, and considering it was a room with open showers in one area, I was in for a real surprise. I seriously considered taking a job as a researcher for a law firm. 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. I had become a sweating mass of raw nerve endings. Host virtual events and webinars to increase engagement and generate leads. You get a really honest reaction, and thats what makes stories good. [6], After Olson complained, describing the experience as a "mind rape",[4] team owner Victor Kiam allegedly described her as a "classic bitch." [6] Sullivan observed Olson and determined that she was acting professionally, interviewing Maurice Hurst, but took no other action. September 19, 2010 at 2:43 p.m. TV Azteca reporter Ines Sainz was uncomfortable with catcalls she received in the New York Jets locker room as she waited to interview quarterback Mark Sanchez . He might not understand that I meant its thickness and shine were enviable. 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. As Orwell said, Everyone's equal, but some are more equal than others. I checked out Rey Maualugas locker, which resembles something out of that voodoo-worshipping slugger from the movie Major League. All I remember is green and light and the security of my daddy's arms. I spun around and walked outpast the staring faces, through the red door, down the 10,000-year-old bat-guano tunneland emerged into the dugout and the light of the real world, where I was nothing but a kid reporter who didn't get the story. Or maybe into public relations. And there, not 1,000 days after I had emerged from the darkness of the womb, hundreds of bright light bulbs made me squint as I watched the first half-inning of my life, the last three outs of a Spurs game. / CBS News. One of the most famous all-male gentlemen's clubs in London was the Reform Club with the fictional Phineas Fogg started and ended his trip around the world in 80 days. Acceptance will be given if you represent your profession in the highest degree. 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. He had leis, candles, and the whole altar thing going on in his locker. He kept muttering. I began experiencing panic attacks and became practically addicted to the antianxiety drug Xanax, buying it from bartenders and acquaintances when my prescriptions ran dry. I've always considered the real hurdle of all this to be players' perception of me, not suppressing my thoughts. The NFL is condemning remarks made by Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis concerning female reporters in the locker room. In fact, after 10 minutes in a locker room, you dont notice anyone naked. He let me do it. But that's while they are still trying to maneuver you quickly into bed. I'm going to look at their eyebrows when I talk to them because that will make sure that I'm focused there, and I can never be accused of looking anywhere else. I was doing another piece on the last day game at the old place, and I was in the dirt bowels of that poor old Erector set where many things, including skunks and raccoons, lived. I told him. SAGAL: So you are and have been for how long now, the sideline on-field reporter for NBC's "Sunday Night Football"? And his eyes got to be like the size of paper plates because what I didn't notice was that he was buck naked. The repetitiveness and intensity of the format can be more frustrating. The Stacks is Deadspin's living archive of great journalism, curated by Bronx Banter's Alex Belth. I somehow persuaded them to open it and sell the book to me. And what if someone saw me in this state of trepidation? I said, "Raffy says you want to see me." When a guy is naked, hes probably more honest than not. TAFOYA: So there I am, and I'm getting ready to go in, and this is the first time I've ever done this, and I'm just going to do some radio interviews for tape to take them back and turn them around, and I said to myself I had a rule I established before I went in. Now Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris and linebacker Lance Briggs are the latest to chime-in. Herman, then a 23-year-old reporter for The New York Times, had been trying for a year The game was boring. TAFOYA: And so if they come up with any other days of the week, I'll be happy to try those, as well. No one seems to know when the first female Equipment . Friends at Bible study ask if the players are mean to me. It was like, you know, lady with a baby coming, lady in the locker room. Gardner is considered a pioneer in sports broadcasting, having been the first female sports anchor to appear weekly on a major network. Before The Best American Sports Writing for that year was in bookstores, I went on a Thelma and Louise-type journey with a girlfriend. And yes, I was scared. So everyone's kind of shuffling around. As it stands now, the NFL allows female reporters in locker rooms, but only after games. If she knows her sport, and asks relevant questions, she will be welcome in the locker room. We may earn a commission from links on this page. 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. TAFOYA: Well, you have to maneuver around that. Why? That seemed like such a dumb thing to say. Sometimes we'd just watch any game on the TV. According to NBCChicago.com, Harris believes both members of the media and athletes should conduct themselves in a professional manner - gender aside. From a New York Times obit by Richard Sandomir headlined "Robin Herman, Who Pried Open Doors in the NHL, Dies at 70":. She is currently involved in a court case to allow women reporters in sports locker rooms. Heck, with 10 percent of the population homosexual, there's a good chance that some of the male reporters are homosexual as well. Because of my vantage point, it appeared I would have to walk through the shower, through the four wet, naked men, to get to the actual locker-room area. 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. He sure wished he'd taken it, he said in hindsight. ", Because his reaction to my question was to begin raising his voice to say, "There's no time.". 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. 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 . 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. I mean, I know how penises work. For days, weeks, months --. SALIE: Men, that was all men, that was all men, sister. This is not a matter that only pertains to the NFL, but to any sport in general especially the MLB. 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." "OK, you mean you've talked to Troy Aikman, and you didn't notice what a hunk he is?". It was the lonely thread that tied me to my game. I just wanted to cover sports. And in no mood to take shit anymore. A female reporter conducts post-game interviews with members of a men's soccer team in the locker room. I never told my friends. That's something he'd say to anyone, I realized. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. Back to you, Brett. Alabama Phenix. For eight months, the editors refused to assign me any stories. I walked over to the only Angel who didn't yet have on some form of clothing. Gayle Gardner (born ca. But I learned to do news as well. He said he wanted to talk. Forty years ago today, "Sports Illustrated" and its reporter Melissa Ludtke took on Major League Baseball and won. I kept saying, Im not the story; the game is the story,' Herman said, reflecting on the night. The more we try to know about our sporting heroes, the less they tell us. We understood the importance this held.. 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. Teams and leagues barred female reporters from locker rooms over the following decades, robbing them of an increasingly important access point for player interviews. 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. I always won the big awards in elementary school, went to football games, and performed in talent shows. And I have shared that with very few people. As Jones talked to reporter Albert Breer about the "nitty-gritty" of his team's latest triumph, the locker room hinterland showed at least seven players in various forms of undress, ranging . 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. Power your marketing strategy with perfectly branded videos to drive better ROI. But its the same answers to the same questions.. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. But I dont see any other solutions.. Those memories dont come cheap, of course. Eagles rookie Jordan Davis explains biggest culture shock coming from Georgia to Philly, Former Eagle Chris Long praises Philly culture, sends message to current athletes, Rumor: Eagles locker room sold on Jalen Hurts, should be good for next week, DeVonta Smith explains McDonalds breakfast ritual to GQ, follows in Donovan McNabbs footsteps, Weekend Rips: The Declaration of Independence is one of many reminders of European inferiority, Sixers Have Shown Interest in Kings Stretch Big, Nemanja Bjelica, Eagles place 4 players on Reserve/COVID-19 list. Other summer nights we sat on the back porch and listened to the Rangers on the radio. At first, I thought he meant on the job. In many ways, I had made a career choice when I walked through that locker room door. The potential downside of the setting, meanwhile, is obvious: A poorly framed NFL Network shot this year showed Cincinnati Bengals players, pictured over the interview subjects shoulder, unknowingly giving viewers the full monty. One of the most sickening feelings I get is when I have to go interview some pitcher who's been shelled or some guy who is struggling at the free throw line or a coach who is on the verge of not being a coach. If they're usually not allowed in, I wouldn't expect the teams to apologize for enforcing normal rules. I got in the car. All the culprits are either long gone or have actually apologized, saying they just didn't know better at the time. Whoops! Host virtual town halls, onboard and train employees, collaborate efficiently. Referring to the United States military's use of Patriot missiles during the then-ongoing Gulf War, Kiam said to the audience: "What do the Iraqis have in common with Lisa Olson? It was very business-like. 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. TAFOYA: But still, tune in each Sunday night. SAGAL: Do you do that because I've wondered about that? Oh no, I was not having that. 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. SAGAL: The job of the NFL sideline reporter is three parts glamour, four parts grit and 10 parts fending off the advances of a randy Hall of Fame quarterback. I almost said matter-of-factly, "You know, Kenny, you've got a fine head of hair." Then I did something I had never done. 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. Like the other night when I was interviewing Kenny Rogers after the game, and I just happened to notice he had really healthy-looking hair. Once you have a live camera or microphone in front of you, youre a different person, says Eskenazi, who covered a variety of sports over his long career. I have complained little through the years because the last thing I ever wanted to do was to single myself out from the guys. The rest is all overrated. Point guards became my instant favorites for those early post-shower interviews. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Maybe I'd never fit in. 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. Oh equality indeed. Each time I stopped pacing, the clerk and guard started toward me. I asked my question; he answered. Like, I understand getting the whole story for your readers. Like a lot of kids starting out, I'd do office work all week and help cover games on the weekendsanything for a chance to prove my worth as a sportswriter. SAGAL: That's what you do. Your job is sort of provide on-field commentary. Herman, though, found herself a part of a much larger moment, a wider-ranging battle for equality in the workplace for women. No one did or said anything off-color. Thats the life of a kicker.. Or the periodic outbursts by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook. I ended up covering minor events full time, even doing the dreaded office score-taking work again. Then, just as I walked in the door, it struck me that I was five feet, three inches tallabout the height of an NBA crotch. So I went about my business. 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. The Star-Telegram phone began to ring. We were a middle-class family of four with one kid just a few years from college and another a few years from kindergarten. When you've got dirt on them, all the condescending good-ol'-boy stuff goes out the window. SAGAL: I thought I'd bring you on and see what you had. 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. TAFOYA: But you do that all the time, don't you? I dropped my plans to go to the University of Texas and study broadcasting. 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 Girls in locker rooms are overrated. By that time I had moved east to cover the Phillies. Youve got limited time to talk to the players before they leave, so make hay or fail is my mantra. I understand that uniformsunless they say, "Eb, your man who wears the star" on the lapelare a great aphrodisiac in contemporary culture. 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