Monday, August 4, 2008

Female Sports Reporters

Female sports reporters in the men's lockerroom has been an issue for quite some time. I tip my hat to the pros like Robin Roberts, Linda Cohn, and others who do it without bringing attention to themselves.

In today's USA TODAY, columnist Michael Hiestrand brings up a controversy about ESPN's Erin Andrews.


Controversy is surrounding a lockerroom interview with Chicago Cub Alfonso Soriano. Another columnist brought up by Hiestrand took Andrews to task for "placing her hand suggestively on Soriano's left biceps." Manager Lou Piniella asked if Andrews was on a modelling assignment. Andrews responded Sunday by saying that she "wasn't trying to seductively caress Soriano, just feel a bone he'd broken in his hand."

WHAT?! #1, If it wasn't seductively caressing, what kind of caressing was it? And #2, how would it go over if a male reporter "caressed" or asked to "caress" Soriano's hand? I can't picture Bob Costas doing that. That would be a little awkward.

Back to the USA TODAY column, it says that Andrews will be working the Yankees at Rangers game Wednesday and she says, "I'll get tons of comments on what I'm wearing--and it's supposed to be 99 degrees....Do I have to wear pants and a turtleneck?"

There's a YouTube music video of still photos of her and it shows almost everything she has worn on the air. Some of her outfits are rather interesting.

What do you think about this issue?

3 comments:

Cliff said...

Already missing Sharon Reed, huh?

I'm sure that she could look professional and stay cool at the same time.

I will take your hypothetical question further. What if it was a male reporter interviewing Serena Williams and wanted to feel an injured forearm?

Anonymous said...

Cliff...I highly doubt a male reporter would try that on a female athlete like Serena Williams.

When I was working for channel 23 way back when and going out to Berea on a regular basis to cover the Browns, I remember seeing a certain female sportswriter who happens to be on tv, talking to a player and she had on a short skirt and a low cut top. It just made me shake my head.

Anonymous said...

Cliff...as a follow up to my reply, I bet that if a male sports reporter DID try that on Serena, he would be fired or disciplined in some way.