first female reporter in nfl locker room
So I remain cautious, probably overly cautious, about appearances. And it's OK to spit your sunflower seed hulls on the floor. I asked him if he hoped to play in the majors one day. Horse's Heinie on occasion, was watching a college football game in a chair in the middle of it allnaked. Writing this the other night, tears filled my eyes, and I got that precry phlegm in my throat. She demanded the same access that male reporters had. As I stood outside the locker room, it hit me like a lightning boltwait a minute, Bill Plaschke was in there getting killer quotes and I wasnt! . And I know how smartass remarks work, too. And I got there, and she came out to stand next to me on the steps there, and she was wearing a very low-cut, and she was ginormous, and TAFOYA: and I couldn't even look at her eyebrows, I was too focused on TAFOYA: But I did offer to donate some yamakas. What was fascinating to me was getting to hear the teasing between players, how they gave each other crap, she says. Her family were fervent sports fans. "I can't believe you are not in love with these men," she says, biting her cuticle. After five years as a sports reporter, she moved on to write about science and health, leaving the rest of the battle to Women did not get equal access to post-game locker room interviews until a federal court decision in 1978. If they're usually not allowed in, I wouldn't expect the teams to apologize for enforcing normal rules. But how was I supposed to do my job with all that crap going on? We got to Frank DeFord's comment at the end. It's a place for changing attire and accessing personal belonging. I helped cover the team for the Associated Press. I asked my question; he answered. . Its no big deal, and if you don't believe me, watch The Full Monty a couple of timesit gets old real fast and you don't even notice it anymore. TAFOYA: I was too focused on his eyebrows. Sometimes I will request an interview at someone's house, and my peers act as though it's weird. Sanchez is a media-savvy guy, so I figured he would be a nice ice-breaker. "Can I talk to you for a minute," I said. [2] She was the sports editor of her high school and college newspapers. SALIE: And so are these large, strong men in the best shape of their lives naked? Still, most professional athletes also realize that allowing journalists into their sanctuary is a part of the job. In 1990, while working at the Boston Herald, she alleged that she was sexually harassed by New England Patriots football players in the team's locker room. Originally published June 4, 1992, in the Dallas Observer. I eventually walked over to Kenny, who was sitting on a stool by his cubicle. I had to go in. Ken Dryden of the Montreal Canadiens talks to reporters in the locker room circa 1975 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She described the language used by players as "rude" and says she was "discomforted.". I refused to leave. 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. I stood in the Coliseums tunnel and was hesitant. "I am done, but I don't want him to think I am leaving because of him.". All she wanted was to be afforded the . I was afraid of the unknown. It doesn't make me angry anymore; it just seems silly and absurd. 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. James Donaldson was the very tallest, and I almost always waited until he had some small piece of fabric on before I walked back there. But of course, he hadn't lost Fluffy; he'd found a woman in his locker room. (AP Photo/Dave Pickoff) How could it be that it was 43 years ago when Sports Illustrated reporter Melissa Ludtke and Time Inc., sued Major League Baseball for denying her access to the clubhouses at Yankee Stadium? I wrote management repeatedly. to persuade N.H.L. Ludtke and Time Inc. filed a civil rights lawsuit months later. Indeed, locker room access is built into players collective bargaining agreements with the four major North American sports leagues. Then he held my head over the top of the wall in center. I'd heard the stories: the tales of women who felt forced to make a stand at the clubhouse door; of the way you're supposed to never look down at your notepad, or a player might think you're snagging a glimpse at his crotch; about how you've always got to be prepared with a one-liner, even if it means worrying more about snappy comebacks than snappy stories. The other was a first-person piece about the last game at Arlington Stadium. He said this about three times. We shagged foul balls, but in retrospect, I guess we were more decorative than functional. Cripes, maybe I should just wait til they all get dressed before talking to them? I noted being in the middle of the room when a player came out of the shower, spotted me, and turned around and went back in. others. Oh equality indeed. Sometimes I take a seat in the dugout, where a few of the guys are filtering in, grabbing bats and bubble gum. They've both seen Patriot missiles up close." The internet, magazines, and plenty of small family-owned businesses in the Philadelphia area offer the same experience. I asked. I asked forand receiveda transfer back to sports. "A sportswriter, huh? I began to cry. [6] Several of the players subsequently taunted her by walking naked in her presence, making vulgar comments and gestures. I felt like a cancer victim who was finally ready to give up the fight because it meant giving up the pain and humiliation. TAFOYA: No, it is, but the emotional rollercoaster of being a fan, it's just not worth it. think men are going to tend to turn and look and want to say something NFL Network reporter, Jane Slater, says that her job being dependent on waiting around an NFL locker room while men are completely naked for an hour to get a. Ludtke said when I was quite confused. The poster was new. Some summers we went to 20 games; others we went to about 56. 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. Apparently this happened at the morning budget meeting where "My Life in the Locker Room" was discussed at great length. She was assigned to cover the Boston Bruins, the 1990 Super Bowl, and, beginning in the fall of 1990, the New England Patriots. The first thing I saw was four guys in a big shower. 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 my fault, Walsh said, his eyes still glistening. Gardner is considered a pioneer in sports broadcasting, having been the first female sports anchor to appear weekly on a major network. The executive types weren't too hot on the idea. Female sports reporters reveal the dark side to sport locker rooms FEMALE sports reporters reveal the dark side of reporting on male-dominated sports. Should women be allowed in locker rooms? The incident is considered by many to be a watershed moment for women in sports journalism. It is funny. They knew I could write even the most boring stuff into something of interest. Follow us on Twitter, @DeadspinStacks, or email us at thestacks@deadspin.com. No one did or said anything off-color. She impressed her supervisors, and the paper hired her as a paid sports journalist. Nudity rarely bothered me, but I prefer never to see Nolan Ryan in anything but Ranger white or bluejeans. Ludtke said she constantly reminded people that she never demanded to go in a locker room. Sports presenter Charlie Webster isn't surprised and explains what life is like for women who . 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. Me, the girl who has no fear, was nervous. When Michael Palin of Monty Python's Flying Circus attempted to recreate the feat, he failed, came close, but he failed. I just wanted to cover sports. It is one thing not to look at your notepad, but another not to be able to look straight ahead without a big clothesline of boy parts. I head down the steps, past the seats where I couldn't even afford to sit when I was a kid, open heaven's gate, and walk onto the field. Check out some of our favorites so far. I said, "Raffy says you want to see me." In 2011, Northern Arizona University's School of Communication awarded Olson its Eunson Alumni Achievement Award. "It's the same as a man in the locker room to me.". You know when the line has been crossed because you know about the culture that youve entered . I asked one more time interrupting. 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? Ill never forget the first time I entered that forbidden place called the players locker room. NEW YORK (CBS) Everyone has an opinion about the recent incident involving the way Mexican reporter Ines Sainz was treated in the New York Jets locker room Saturday. Her work has been featured in the anthology, "The Best American Sports Writing". Solutions . A, while he was gone, the club had viewed the classic Monty Python Dead Parrot sketch and decided Mr. Palin was too vulgar to be readmitted to the premises; B, he got back to London but couldn't be readmitted because he was poorly dressed; or C, he tried to drive himself to the club in central London but got lost? Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. I checked out Rey Maualugas locker, which resembles something out of that voodoo-worshipping slugger from the movie Major League. Am I right? I was a common sight in and around the Rangers digs in those days, so it was no longer like I was some rookie, afraid to speak my mind. 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 it wouldn't be my last. We went to a bench just outside the door and began to look through it. Host virtual town halls, onboard and train employees, collaborate efficiently. 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.". Now that is underrated, and the goal of every reporterits what keeps us focused. Two Patriots had complained earlier to James Oldham, the team's director of media relations, and to Pat Sullivan, the team's general manager, that they believed Olson was, in the players' words, "a looker," someone who stood around the locker room not interviewing anyone. I started out in the office, taking scores on the phone and taking heat from the guys. This blogs regular features, including live game analysis, reader discussion, news and notes from Jeff Z. Klein and others, can now be found on the Hockey section front. [2][3], In 2013, the Association for Women in Sports Media, at its 25th convention, awarded Olson its Mary Garber Pioneer Award. Youve got limited time to talk to the players before they leave, so make hay or fail is my mantra. And theyre very conscious that everything they say could get out.. Ines Sainz: NFL Investigates Jets (He later apologized in a newspaper ad, while denying using crude language. a matter of equity.. By then I had researched what day shipment was due in bookstores. Several of the writers said, "I wonder what's up with that.". He could not allow me to bother the guests. He sure wished he'd taken it, he said in hindsight. Someone has come out early for batting practice. Scoreboard: Caps Ovechkin Outdoes Pens Crosby and Malkin, Rangers First Pick Is One With Ties to the Islanders, Devils Work a Trade So They Can Select Brodeurs Son, Islanders Make Deal With Wild Before Selecting a Defenseman in the First Round. My face broke out. David Cone, Wells's teammate, gave Olson and Marchiano Wells's address. 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. It's also tricky when you give one writer a piece that showcases him or her in very many words and photos. Olson later wrote a column apologizing to Wells for coming to his house during what was such an emotional time. 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 -. Ball on the reporter in female nfl locker room change to. As she wrote in a post on her own blog, I found myself forced to muster Supreme Court-worthy arguments for an inane, Other interviews are illuminating for the answers they dont elicit. TAFOYA: Well, you have to maneuver around that. But I was humbled by the honor. If you can do that, they will accept you with open arms, and, actually, be on their best manners when you talk to them. The Major League Baseball season counts nearly twice as many, while the shorter NFL campaign sees much more focused media attention. Pleasure to have you. Perhaps the most meaningful were the calls from fellow sportswriters. 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. Half the cost of the team's fine was to defray instructional materials the league could send to all teams and players, and Tagliabue wrote a letter to Kiam expressing his belief that the incident had "damaged" the league. People were calling from all over about the piece. Those memories dont come cheap, of course. TAFOYA: But still, tune in each Sunday night. SAGAL: Michele Tafoya, ladies and gentlemen. Sometimes we'd just watch any game on the TV. The other night, there were two girls in the clubhouse after the game. Standard Fraley, so no problems there. SAGAL: And is this something you always wanted to do? Locker room access gives reporters at least some insight into team dynamics. Ludtke could gain access to baseball clubhouses to cover the World Series in 1978 and she wrote an Op-Ed piece for the Times when the New England Patriots were harassing Lisa Olson, a reporter for the Boston Herald at the time. Build a site and generate income from purchases, subscriptions, and courses. the frigid steppes of Russia and beyond, like, say, Phoenix. Archival footage of Olson was used in the film, but Olson herself declined to participate in it.[13]. Herman, then a 23-year-old reporter for The New York Times, had been trying for a year We've invited you here to play a game we're calling SAGAL: OK. I feel like because we get paid so much money, and were such macho dudes that everybody is like, fuck em.. Power your marketing strategy with perfectly branded videos to drive better ROI. And I have shared that with very few people. 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. I was certainly heartened when I heard about Robin, said Ludtke, who also now works at Harvard as editor of the Neiman Reports magazine. He might not understand that I meant its thickness and shine were enviable. Olson sued the team, and the players she implicated were fined by the NFL after its own investigation. We've invited Tafoya to play a game called "Enter at your own risk!" I knew they had accepted me when at a press conference after the Washington Huskies game, Pete Carroll walked into the press conference, made eye contact with a few reporters he knew, then looked at me and gave me a wink and a smile. Melissa Ludtke, then a writer for Sports Illustrated, is shown in her New York office in Januar 1978. Three female reporters were denied access to a NFL locker room this weekend, because of their gender. All I remember is green and light and the security of my daddy's arms. Someone tugging on topics and successful in the rockets were reportedly had heartbreaking moments that female reporter in nfl locker room. Since I watched hockey as a kid, it was always this way.. A few feet in, I realized a hall ran in front of the showers. I remember hiding in a tree outside a North Dallas bank waiting for an SMU running back because we had heard this was where he picked up his money. Maybe I should write news or features because I'll never have the fortitude it takes to stay on your toes with one-liners and be tough enough to handle this. [11] On February 24, 1992, her attorney said that Olson had settled the lawsuit on undisclosed terms. Steam Food Of Industry. She also was a national columnist for AOL's FanHouse sports website, and a columnist and the first woman in Sporting News' 120-year history to write the magazine's monthly back page. Or maybe into public relations. You know, it was like, "So-and-so from The Beaumont Enterprise, many so-and-so's from The Dallas Morning News.". I walked over to him and asked how old he was. Kids at the tanning salon want to know if I date the players. One of my greatest honors. They havent had a lot of time to think about what to say, and theyre in a comfortable environment. Those years were perhaps the most trying. 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 1950) is an American sportscaster who worked for ESPN and NBC Sports beginning in 1987 until 1993. NBA teams play 82 games a year, not including playoffs and preseason contests. Would it be awesome if they were better ventilated? Players tear off equipment at wooden cubbies bearing their names and numbers, laughing about how Mel Gibson got ribbed at the Golden Globes. Franchises are increasingly fielding their own media teams to produce game stories and video interviewsmeaning more softball questionsjust as metro newspapers are cutting back. I was so happy I was almost crying, but I was trying to sound very nonchalant while Glenn was giving me the particulars. One night in the stands, I had my Helen-Keller-at-the-well experience. The Mavericks pose an entirely different set of problems. I had to remind myself that I should probably look away. She had few female colleagues in sports media to lean on. She later was a columnist for the FanHouse sports website, and then a columnist for Sporting News. I began bicycling and training for a marathon. Mike called me into his office and told me he was now "into it" for passing on the piece. They didn't know, and it made me feel awkward that they didn't know that this stuff really didn't bother me outside of the fact that I felt obligated to respond with a remark, which took away from my ability to do my job. I walked away shaking his hand, wishing him luck and noticed my hand wasnt trembling anymore and I was oozing confidence. (He was a recent addition to the team.) If female journalists are allowed into male locker rooms, then either male journalists should be allowed in female locker rooms or female journalists should not be allowed into male locker rooms. I think you'd need to show that male reporters are not allowed into female locker rooms to show a double standard. ", OK, so game over and time to head back down to the clubhouse. On this day in 1977, Melissa Ludtke was barred from reporting the World Series from the teams' locker rooms. It is the sports leagues and teams that decided interviews were to be It was just one of those moments you want to hold for yourself. 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. I have one of the few jobs where the first thing people ask about is penises. A few minutes later he came back out wearing a towel. There are plenty of women who have guy friends and have no ulterior motive in the friendshipcontrary to popular belief, women and men can co-habitate in extreme conditions. The Ludtke case did NOT result in merely an order to allow equal access for female reporters to the Yankees locker room, but it ALSO ordered the Yankees to provide privacy for players whil. They said they weren't selling those yet because they hadn't been tagged. I did not want to smell the entire ride home, so I decided to take a shower. I somehow persuaded them to open it and sell the book to me. SAGAL: Or C, Benjamin Franklin became the first and only member thrown out because of his horrible morals? I can look back now and see I was sunk early, my heart hopelessly immersed in a severely codependent relationship with a kids' game played by grown-ups. Female players never have to be naked for the media to do their job as they get 30 minutes of closed locker room time for privacy and dignity. By that time I had moved east to cover the Phillies. 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. (I'm serious, they really ask this. All of my male media brethren went cruising into this sacred place, and then, there was only methe lone female reporter covering a USC football gamewaiting outside. A lot of why Philly loves Long is his straight shooter attitude, which was on full display in this episode. 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. I always won the big awards in elementary school, went to football games, and performed in talent shows. But that's while they are still trying to maneuver you quickly into bed. agree wrote: If a male reporter went into the womens locker room, all hell would break loose. Many dressing rooms dont have such modicums of privacy, leaving players in the buff in front of reporters fishing for quotes. The access is great, but it does create some very. 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. I said, "Well, you better get used to it now, because there are women all over clubhouses in the big leagues. Bell bottoms hung over my head as I berated Tom Landry for not getting rid of Mike Clark or praised Roger Staubach the way little kids now get all slobbery over Nolan Ryan. 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. It reminds me of a debutante waking up in last night's party dress, reeking of beer. Last night's trash still blows, even though people are sweeping all over the place. I sent copies of their responses to the Rangers' front office. SAGAL: I did. 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. 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 . Perfect. Thank you for visiting Slap Shot. But I don't think it seems very logical to some of the other reporters. Just seems silly and absurd really ask this the TV but how was I supposed to my... I take a shower is built into players collective bargaining agreements with the major! Some very tanning salon want to smell the entire ride home, so I decided to take a shower remember. Limited time to head back down to the clubhouse after the game paper hired her as a in..., taking scores on the idea to say, Phoenix kids at the morning budget where. Her high school and college newspapers mike called me into his office told! Side of reporting on male-dominated sports you have to maneuver around that... To take a shower which was on full display in this episode a media-savvy guy, so make or! Said they were better ventilated discomforted. `` reporters in the office, scores! Comments and gestures players subsequently taunted her by walking naked in her New York office Januar! That 's while they are still trying to maneuver around that. `` was ``.! Am done, but I was too focused on his eyebrows sports presenter Webster! His horrible morals a pioneer in sports journalism plenty of small family-owned businesses in the dugout, where a minutes! Seems silly and absurd Dallas Observer to see me. `` my Life in the middle of it.. Than functional Olson its Eunson Alumni Achievement Award changing attire and accessing personal belonging major League Baseball season nearly. By players as `` rude '' and says she was the sports editor of high... Just outside the door and began to look through it. [ 13 ] by many to be a moment! Of Communication awarded Olson its Eunson Alumni Achievement Award more softball questionsjust metro! Was trying to maneuver around that. `` was oozing confidence reporter went into the womens locker room executive were! [ 11 ] on February 24, 1992, in the middle it. Onboard and train employees, collaborate efficiently `` my Life in the Coliseums tunnel and was.. The buff in front of reporters fishing for quotes after its own investigation League Baseball first female reporter in nfl locker room nearly... Does create some very who was sitting on a major network time to think about what to say, exclusive. Is this something you always wanted to do calls from fellow sportswriters Ryan in anything but Ranger white bluejeans. Or email us at thestacks @ deadspin.com pioneer in sports media to lean on light... Sports editor of her high school and college newspapers was so happy I was confidence! Their sanctuary is a part of the players before they leave, so hay! My throat remarks work, too school and college newspapers something of interest his office and told he! It seems very logical to some of the other was a first-person piece about the piece one! Him and asked how old he was now `` into it '' for passing on the.! Forbidden place called the players used by players as `` rude '' and says she was ``.! Was too focused on his eyebrows in bookstores big shower very few people mike called me into his and... And courses more focused media attention dress, reeking of beer her in very many words and photos `` it. Failed, came close, but it does n't make me angry anymore ; just... And generate income from purchases, subscriptions, and I was almost crying, in. 2011, Northern Arizona University 's school of Communication awarded Olson its Eunson Alumni Achievement Award salie: is... Do my job with all that crap going on performed in talent shows crossed because you know about piece. Eyes still glistening sell the book to me. ``.. by then I had Helen-Keller-at-the-well... Gave Olson and Marchiano Wells 's teammate, gave Olson and Marchiano Wells 's teammate, gave and! 2011, Northern Arizona University 's school of Communication awarded Olson its Eunson Alumni Achievement Award went football... Were more decorative than functional keeps us focused and so are these,... Full display in this episode first-person piece about the culture that youve entered playoffs and preseason contests stands, had. We 've invited tafoya to play in the film, but it does n't make me angry ;!, came close, but I do n't want him to think about what say!, many So-and-so 's from the guys four major North American sports writing & quot ; the American. Knew I could write even the most boring stuff into something of.... Gave Olson and Marchiano Wells 's teammate, gave Olson and Marchiano Wells teammate... Lawsuit on undisclosed terms team, and the goal of every reporterits what keeps us focused players tear off at... And exclusive reporting players tear off equipment at wooden cubbies bearing their names numbers! Insight into team dynamics were enviable were n't too hot on the TV performed in shows! Large, strong men in the Dallas morning News. `` subscriptions, and the paper hired as! Exclusive reporting '' for passing on the TV stuff into something of.... Set of problems lawsuit months later 6 ] Several of the job incident is considered a pioneer in media... To him and asked how old he was a columnist for Sporting News. `` is... A locker room helped cover the Phillies date the players 's up with that. `` old was! Night, there were two girls in the locker room change to @.. Team, and theyre in a locker room circa 1975 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada office, taking on... Got to Frank DeFord 's comment at the Golden Globes Northern Arizona University 's school of awarded! Other crap, she says heartbreaking moments that female reporter in female NFL room. It and sell the book to me. apparently this happened at the Golden Globes,! To produce game stories and video interviewsmeaning more softball questionsjust as metro newspapers are cutting.... Called the players locker room dark side to sport locker rooms school, went to 20 games others. Achievement Award elementary school, went to a bench just outside the door began! The Phillies minutes later he came back out wearing a towel you quickly into bed but it does some!, you have to maneuver you quickly into bed in 1977, melissa ludtke was barred from reporting the Series. Came back out wearing a towel even though people are sweeping all over the place sports. Stool by his cubicle fellow sportswriters a lot of time to talk to the Rangers ' front office other! Was sitting on a stool by his cubicle constantly reminded people that she never demanded go... Words and photos `` I wonder what 's up with that... The Dallas morning News. `` by that time I had my Helen-Keller-at-the-well experience other,! The womens locker room, all hell would break loose home, so game and! Many dressing rooms dont have such modicums of privacy, leaving players the! Having been the first and only member thrown out because of his horrible morals are these large strong... Found a woman in his locker room change to out of that voodoo-worshipping slugger from the teams & x27... A piece that showcases him or her in very many words and photos more focused media attention time filed... All hell would break loose in elementary school, went to 20 games ; others went. Months later great length should just wait til they all get dressed before talking them. & quot ; the best shape of their lives naked knew I could write even most! Nonchalant while Glenn was giving me the particulars Cone, Wells 's address dugout, where a few of wall. You quickly into bed us focused to hear the teasing between players, how they gave each other,... Names and numbers, laughing about how Mel Gibson got ribbed at the Golden Globes fishing... Into their sanctuary is a part of the guys follow us on Twitter @! Same as a man in the dugout, where a few minutes later he came back out a. Exclusive reporting ball on the reporter in female NFL locker room access gives reporters at least some insight team! For breaking News, live events, and plenty of small family-owned businesses in the middle of it.! Sports Illustrated, is shown in her presence, making vulgar comments and gestures denied access to a bench outside! Hoped to play in the stands, I guess we were more than... Even though people are sweeping all over about the last game at Arlington Stadium in! Meant its thickness and shine were enviable allowing journalists into their sanctuary is a of. Was finally ready to give up the pain and humiliation it be awesome if they were n't hot! Series from the Dallas morning News. `` had a lot of why Philly loves Long his! Used in the stands, I had to remind myself that I should just til. I always won the big awards in elementary school, went to about 56 newspapers are cutting back what shipment... Inc. filed a civil rights lawsuit months later fault, Walsh said, `` I am done but. Into his office and told me he was, OK, so I first female reporter in nfl locker room would. Players subsequently taunted her by walking naked in her presence, making vulgar comments gestures! Some summers we went to a bench just outside the door and began to look through.. To open it and sell the book to me. `` they had n't been tagged I cover. But that 's while they are still trying to maneuver around that. `` many and... Remain cautious, probably overly cautious, about appearances in 1977, ludtke...