It was gratifying to
listen to such expert football analysis from three smart, accomplished women on
ESPN's "Around the Horn" on Friday night. Yes, ESPN and all male bastions of sports reporting have a very long way to go to create workplaces
where men and women can co-exist as equals. Nonetheless, albeit
far too long in coming, women sports reporters and
analysts on ESPN and across sports media are gaining serious ground.
Doris Roberts and
Jemele Hill, for example, are just two of many talented women who are moving
viewers, listeners and readers well beyond the puffery that was once traditionally assigned to women. Of course, some lonely superstars such as
Christine Brennan and Boston's own Jackie MacMullan have been blazing this
trail for many years.
On Friday's "Around
the Horn" broadcast, Mina Kimes, Kate Fagan and Sarah Spain engaged in
technical analysis with Frank Isola and host Tony Reali that was outstanding
for sports journalists (as opposed to coaches).
And why not? The
Yale-educated Kimes is an investigative journalist (Fortune, Bloomberg, ESPN)
in business and sports and a recipient of numerous awards. I listen regularly
to her "Nickel Package" football podcast with Domonique Foxworth.
ESPN's Fagan was The
Philadelphia Inquirer's beat reporter for the 76ers, played basketball at the
University of Colorado, wrote the book "The Reappearing Act" (2014)
about coming out during her UC playing days and is now authoring a book
entitled "What Made Maddy Run." It's the story of Penn track and
soccer star Madison Holleren who committed suicide in 2015.
Let's not kid
ourselves, however. Can there be any doubt that Kimes, Fagan and Spain are
still receiving their share of hate mail - if not death threats - from trolling
Troglodytes? Still, while progress is slow, it remains inevitable.
As with many forms of sexism (racism and homophobia, too), each successive generation seems able to put more
of it in their rear view mirrors. Besides, what choice do they have?
Kimes and Fagan images courtesy of Lista and ESPN.