Posts tagged Sports
Can You See The Parallels In Sports & Dance?
Noted dancer, actor and choreographer Harry Shum, Jr. (Glee, Step Up 2) has always had a vision to explore the similarities in dance and sport, ever since he saw a TV special that aired in 1958 called “Gene Kelly: Dancing – A Man’s Game.” Gene Kelly created this Christmas special where he interpreted the moves of some of the top athletes of his time – including baseball star Mickey Mantle and boxer Sugar Ray Robinson – to choreograph dance routines, while also teaching the athletes to dance as well.
To continue this ongoing conversation in a visual format and update it for audiences today, Harry Shum, Jr. teamed up with long time collaborator and filmmaker Cole Walliser to work with leading contemporary dancers and premier Red Bull athletes in a new video series entitled “Parallels.” The series of videos draws parallels between disparate dance forms and extreme/action sports, utilizing slow motion to accurately pinpoint the striking similarities between both genres, both in movement and approach.
In one video, ballerina Kylie Lewellan’s measured leaps and jetes are juxtaposed with freestyle motocross biker Alexey Kolesnikov as he meticulously executes cliffhanger and Superman moves in mid-air. In a second video, tricker Remi Bakkar’s acrobatic dance moves and BMX bikers Andrea Lacondeguy, Syzmon Godziek and Thomas Genon’s aerial tricks are analyzed in the context of their constant battle with the force of gravity to execute their precise maneuvers. In the third video, the themes of rhythm and balance are explored through the similar kinds of moves that B-Boy Kid David and skateboarder Johnny Johannes can execute. “Parallels” ultimately identifies and expounds upon the various themes of control, rhythm, grace, timing, strength and balance that are omnipresent in movement whether one is a dancer or an athlete, creating undeniable parallels between both of those worlds.
“I think all movement is interconnected and the only thing that separates it is the intention behind it,” said Harry Shum, Jr. “The goal for a dancer or an athlete is to reach the highest level of athleticism that their bodies are capable of in their respective disciplines. Ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov proved to be one of the greats where no one can deny his incredible athletic abilities, and the artistry behind athletes like Michael Jordan can be clearly seen when you take the ball out of the equation. I hope this sparks a conversation to explore the question, ‘Is dance a sport and is sport an art form?’”
Jul 30th
NBA Draft Prospect Dante Exum Is Getting Ready For His Closeup
Today Foot Locker has launched on YouTube a series of five new commercials with adidas featuring NBA Draft prospect Dante Exum of Australia. The latest ads are part of Foot Locker’s successful “Approved” marketing platform and poke fun at Exum’s current “celebrity status,” or lack thereof, while centering on the idea that “Life Changes After the Draft.”
In one of the spots, entitled “Paparazzi,” Exum expresses concern about going to a Foot Locker store due to the possibility of paparazzi being there, to which his friends respond by laughing uproariously, knowing he’s a relatively unknown commodity in the United States.
Each of the five spots will debut digitally on Foot Locker’s YouTube channel. The spots will also takeover NBA.com on Wednesday, June 25 and make their television debut on ESPN during the NBA Draft on Thursday, June 26th.
Here is Dante looking to work on his autograph skills.
Jun 23rd
Chad Pennington Interview
Chad Pennington played in the NFL for eleven years. He was selected by the New York Jets in the first round in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played for the Jets then played for the Miami Dolphins. Chad won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award twice. He is the NFL’s all-time leader in career completion percentage. He is currently a color analyst for NFL telecasts on FOX.
Besides having a great career in the NFL, Chad and his wife, Robin started up the 1st and 10 Foundation. That organization was created to build stronger communities by funding programs to help improve quality of life. They are also busy with their three sons, who love to play outdoors just like their dad.
Chad and I were able to talk about his time in the NFL, winning the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award, and his foundation.
Art Eddy: Let’s first talk about your career in the NFL. You played for the Jets and the Dolphins. Both teams are in the AFC East. Do you feel that staying in that division helped your transition to the Dolphins?
Chad Pennington: I certainly had familiarity with division and with the teams that we would be playing to try and win a division crown. I also had familiarity with Bill Parcells and Dan Henning and some of the other people that were in place in Miami when I made the transition from New York to Miami.
AE: When would you say that you felt comfortable at your position after you were drafted?
CP: I think my third year was when the light bulb really went on. As a rookie you are just surviving on your college instincts. Your second year you are trying to figure out how to be a professional. By your third year you truly start to make progress as a professional. You start to contribute to your team in a positive way.
Even if you have some successful times in your first and second year, that third you I think that is when everybody starts to feel like okay I belong. This is where I am and what I need to do to have a long career.
AE: You won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award twice, becoming the only player since the awards inception to do so. What did winning that award twice personally mean to you?
CP: First it meant that both organizations that I played for when I did win those awards meant that I had great support. I had a great support system when I was trying to rehab from an injury. I had great teammates that supported me. When I came back from the injury we were able to do some special things on the field.
On a personal level it feels good that someone recognizes your hard work. It is very hard to come back from an injury. People don’t realize how much energy and time is spent just to get back on the field much less trying to play the way you are capable of playing. Playing after an injury is very, very difficult. It is a really exhausting process. To be able to win that award really meant a lot to me.
AE: Name one change the NFL has made since you entered the league that you like and one that you wish that they never had changed?
CP: I think that the game has gotten better from an entertainment standpoint. There are so many things that fans can get involved with the game and have real lifetime experiences with football. From a fan’s perspective it is really exciting.
I think with the safety of the game at some point in time we have to realize that this is a gladiator sport. It is a dangerous game. You can’t take away all the dangerous risks. That is like saying that there are no car wrecks in NASCAR. It is just going to happen.
I think the league is taking the appropriate steps to make it a safer game. We just have to be very careful that we are not taking away the integrity of the game as far as how this game is supposed to be played. As players we need to know that going in. We know what those risks are. To act like that we are not aware of concussions or that we are not aware of some of the things that go on is wrong as well. We got to make sure that we stay on that fine line and make it as safe as possible, but also realize that there is a risk in playing the game of football.
AE: You have played in the playoffs in your career. How much is the stress level heightened come playoff time?
CP: The excitement is certainly at a different level. The pace of game. The energy. The intensity of the two teams playing is at a different level. The winner goes on and the loser goes home. There is a finality to your season with that playoff game. It is the one time in the year that everyone is playing like there is no tomorrow.
I think that is why fans gravitate towards the playoffs as well as the players. At the end of the day when you take away all the frills of the NFL, the entertainment value, and all those types of things as a player that is truly what you are playing for. It is to win the Lombardi Trophy and be called world champion.
AE: Tell me a bit about your foundation and what type of events you guys do annually?
CP: The 1st and 10 Foundation was started with my wife, Robin and me in 2003. Our ultimate goal was to improve the quality of life in the areas we contribute. Those areas would be East Tennessee, Southern West Virginia, and the Tri-State area. We were able to establish a grant program in 2006. Since that inception we have been able to grant more than 1 million dollars to those geographical areas because of our donors and supporters.
The neat thing about our foundation is that all administrative calls are taken care of. Every donated dollar goes back into what we are trying to support. Our foundation is your foundation. That is what we always say. If you gave a dollar to the foundation we take a lot of pride to make sure that your hard earned dollar is put back to where it is supposed to be.
We got a lot of different initiatives. We have holiday parties, ticket programs, and some different things. Now that we have moved to Lexington, Kentucky we are looking at some other initiatives and programs that we really want to dive into. It has been something that we really have enjoyed these past ten years.
AE: What motivated you to start up the 1st and 10 Foundation?
CP: The first thing was when Robin’s father battled leukemia for ten months. We saw a need for patient family services with leukemia and cancer patients. It was not only for patient, him or herself going through a terrible experience, but the family is in shock. The family is trying to deal with the disease and support their loved one without having much knowledge or information. So that patient family service part is very important.
We felt like in the rural areas of East Tennessee and Southern West Virginia there are not big cities to access malls, movies, and other things to do. The community center is a source of life in these smaller areas and towns. We try to support community based programs and organizations to help many people as we can. The great thing about the community center is that affects all ages. That is what we were trying to do for the past decade.
Jan 27th
Improve Your Athletic Skills with these Gadgets
Golf is a game that can mess with your mind. When you think too much about your backswing you ball goes nowhere. When you have a few cold ones you game is on point. So the why not pull a Caddyshack II and use some tech to help your gold game. A company called Zepp Labs created an app called GolfSense to improve your game.
Also for those who love to play hoops there is a cool gadget for you too. A company called Wireless Sports unveiled its Hoop Tracker, which is the world’s first basketball watch to analyze and record real-time shooting percentages. Here is a rundown of each new piece of tech to help you step up your game.
Zepp Labs, specializing in delivering sport specific products using real-time motion sensor data announces a major update to the world’s bestselling mobile swing analyzer system called GolfSense. GolfSense is a system (wearable motion sensor + free mobile app) that helps you analyze and improve your golf swing. The new GolfSense 3 application makes the entire GolfSense experience even more helpful and easier to use. Available for download now at the App Store and Google Play for free.
For the first time in golf history, now you can evaluate the quality of your swing using a single metric called the “SwingScore”. This revolutionary feature tells you how closely you’re achieving your personal swing goals. You can choose goals based on your skill level or use your own best swings or a coach’s swing as your benchmark. GolfSense also makes it easy to see what aspects of your swing you need to work with the all new color-coded dashboard.
Some of the Golfsense 3.0 features include SwingScore where you get to evaluate the quality of each swing based on your personal goals. There is a dashboard to help easily identify what you’re doing well and what you need to work on. Their “lab reports” analyze and track your trends for each hitting session. These reports can be shared via email, Facebook and Twitter.
The app has focus screens to isolate a single aspect of your swing to focus your practice. There is even a way you can check out your club head and hand speed. See estimated club head and hand speed at the point of impact to work on timing.
There is the backswing position where GolfSense provides the golfer with an exact club shaft angle measurement at the top of their backswing. The Plane Comparison feature instantly compares how closely aligned the backswing and downswing planes are. Golfers can work to achieve their ideal swing plane by finding what works best for their swing goals. Lastly there is a way to check out your wrist release speed. It is a key component of the swing is wrist release, or how fast the golfer’s hands move the club through the ball impact zone. GolfSense delivers actual speed measurements to help improve speed.
GolfSense 3 is available for download from the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch or from Google Play for Android mobile devices for free. The GolfSense sensor can be purchased in stores at Apple and Best Buy retail locations within the United States and at Apple retail locations in Europe. In addition, online at www.zepp.com.
Wireless Sports, an entrepreneurial tech company specializing in wearable sports technology, announces Hoop Tracker, the world’s first basketball watch to deliver in-depth analysis of your shooting percentages. Data obtained from each shooting session can be easily uploaded to Hoop Tracker’s software to analyze and improve shooting performance.
“Practice is the key to success in a sport like basketball, and since it’s impossible to have a coach on standby 24/7, having a tool like Hoop Tracker can be invaluable for tracking progress and improving overall technique,” says Wireless Sports CEO Jason Duke. “We have high hopes for Hoop Tracker and are currently pursuing strategic partners to bring it to market.”
How does it work?
The Hoop Tracker has two components that work to develop in-depth analysis of each shot: the lightweight watch is worn on your non-shooting wrist, while the shot detector is attached to the rim using the mounting pole. The watch and rim detector work simultaneously to identify the make or miss of every shot taken. Data recorded includes where the shot was taken and if the basketball hit the backboard, rim, or activates the internal lever. The only shot not automatically detected is an air ball. In this case, the player pushes the air ball button located on the side of the watch, recording the attempt as a missed shot. All statistics are later uploaded to the Hoop Tracker software for further analysis.
Hoop Tracker Software
Although instant data is displayed on the watch, these measurements are only the beginning of unparalleled insight into a player’s shooting development. Through HoopTracker.com, players can create a free account and upload watch data from each shooting session. The homepage “dashboard” will show a half court diagram displaying the player’s shooting performance, similar to viewing a professional player’s box score. With a variety of modes players can observe their strengths and areas for improvement from every major shooting area on the court.
“Basketball is the #1 team sport played in the Unites States with over 23 million participants,” Duke reports. “Despite the rapid growth of wearable technology, Hoop Tracker is the first of its kind to provide instant feedback, making training or shooting around more fun, competitive and productive.”
Dashboard Hoop Tracker data includes:
• Number of shots taken
• Overall shooting, field goal, free throw and 3 point percentages
• Short, medium and long range distance accuracy
• Left, right and center courtside accuracy
• Consecutive shots made and missed
• Points scored
• Duration of shooting session
• Calories burned
Analysis Different modes for different occasions:
• Design your own unique shooting program to track your progress over time
• Select training mode with goals for improving areas of weakness
• Coaches can customize and monitor shooting performance for up to 15 players using Coach Mode
How do you compete?
With every sport comes the competition factor. Through HoopTracker.com, players can download games and compete with friends for awards and trophies. Every milestone achieved and award given will be sharable through Facebook and Twitter. For additional information on Hoop Tracker, check out the video or visit HoopTracker.com. The Hoop Tracker will later retail for $199 and is expected to ship Q1 2014.
Sep 2nd
Seth Davis tells MANjr why fans need to check out the Campus Insider App
A new mobile app launched by Campus Insiders takes fans deep inside college sports with game highlights, interviews and a behind-the-scenes perspective of the trending stories of the day, from on-camera hosts Bonnie Bernstein and Seth Davis, as well as top college analysts, former coaches and special contributors.
Campus Insiders is the online destination and leading digital content syndication source for college sports fans. The app is free and now available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. It provides an interactive user experience that enables college sports fans to access the same content available at CampusInsiders.com, along with the insight and perspective of Campus Insiders’ stable of experts, including broadcasters Bonnie Bernstein, Seth Davis and the nearly 100 Insiders from college campuses across the country.
The Campus Insiders app features breaking news and video alert, video on-demand, filtered by sport, and daily original programming, including live programming (starting this Fall) featuring Bonnie Bernstein and Seth Davis.
I had the great pleasure to speak with Seth Davis about the Campus Insider website and app, college football and basketball, and much more.
Art Eddy: Tell me about your new project “The Seth Davis Show.”
Seth Davis: It is a really exciting project for me. Took a long time to come up with the name of the show. We got really creative and outside the box and came up with “The Seth Davis Show.” It is for this new all-digital sports network called Campus Insiders. The future is hear. This is all digital. The website we have is Campus Insiders dot com.
The way this model works is instead of getting you to come to us, we are going to come to you. Whether it is through Twitter, there are literally hundreds of websites out there that are distributing content. As name of the network indicates it is based on insider access and information. The network is partnering with IMG College, which owns the broadcast rights to many FBS schools. We are going to be talking to people who are at these schools all the time. My role on “The Seth Davis Show” is to do more long form sit down interviewing, which is what I enjoy.
AE: I love the idea about how Campus Insiders gives you the all access feel to campuses around the country. What type of guests can we expect to see coming up on your show?
SD: Even though college basketball is my bailiwick as you know Art, we are going to be very football heavy, especially at the start. I have already interviewed Bob Stoops and Will Muschamp, Mack Brown and Steve Spurrier. I talked a little basketball with Billy Donovan when I was in Gainesville, but I will be talking to Larry Scott the PAC-12 Commissioner.
It is going to be a college sports type franchise, type of show, but I reserve the right to go off topic. I happen to live in Los Angeles. I have moved here with my family. If I happen to be able to grab a movie star here or there, or a pro athlete or a pro coach here or there, the bottom line is I call it smart conversations with interesting people. There are no rules, so you can’t say the rules apply because this is a brand new concept of distributing content. So there are no rules and we are going to have a lot of fun.
AE: Besides the great work you do for CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated which is a lot already. Can you tell me how you got involved with Campus Insiders?
SD: Well the guys who are running Campus Insiders, Jason Coyle, Josh Wine, Crowley Sullivan; these are guys that not only I know, but everybody knows. They have been around the block a lot. They have been in the industry a lot, so I always have maintained a running dialogue. I am also managed by IMG, so this is really important to IMG and IMG College to get into this digital space.
There are certain things that I do well and there are certain things that I don’t do well. Campus Insiders you look at me and you look at Bonnie, (Bernstein) we are very opinionated people, but we covered college sports a long time. We are not necessarily looking to say the single most inflammatory thing we can say all the time. I certainly have very strong opinions. Just ask my wife. (Laughs)
What I try to deliver for Campus Insiders is the same thing I try to deliver for CBS. It is the same thing that I deliver for Sports Illustrated, which is journalism. Hopefully high quality journalism that is fair, that is balanced, that is informative and opinionated. By the way it should be entertaining. I am cognizant of the fact that this is sports. This is not the war in Afghanistan we are talking about. This is supposed to be fun. When I go into these interviews the first thing I say to these folks is let’s have some fun here. It is a foreign concept to these college football coaches. It is having fun at work. It is not supposed to be fun they think, but for the thirty minutes that we are in front of this camera it is okay to have fun.
AE: With college football in sight, what are some of the things we as fans should look out for on Campus Insiders?
SD: For me, it will be the more long form interview type. The answer really Art is I am not sure. That is what is exciting about it. I come out of the TV world. I have a show on the CBS Sports Network during the college basketball season called “Courtside.” It is on every Wednesday at 7 o’clock. You are locked in.
When you are in the digital space you are not so quite locked in. If we want to do Tuesday this week instead of Monday or do we want the segment to be 12 minutes instead of 35 minutes. We are kind of throwing things against the wall and seeing what works. We want to be high level in terms of our presentation and our information. You are getting good information. It is being presented in an opinionated and fun way, but it is also authentic.
I don’t think you are going to see people, and I am not denigrating other anybody, but I don’t think you are going to see me and Bonnie screaming at each other. We may debate or argue, but I would like to think of it as high level, smart, fun conversation between two people who don’t take themselves too seriously.
AE: I enjoy your work at CBS Sports as you cover NCAA men’s college basketball. You went to Duke. Is it hard to not be a homer when breaking the games down?
SD: (Laughs) You know what, it is not hard at all. I get this question a lot. They are like the Yankees man. A lot of people say to me is it hard to be critical of Duke. First of all there is not that much to criticize. What are you really going to say about them? The answer is it is much harder to praise them.
I wish it wasn’t this way, but I am cognizant of this because everybody knows that I went to Duke because folks like you bring it up to me all the time. If I am inclined to praise them I find myself not doing it that much. It is hard for me to say good things about them because people say he just saying that because he went to Duke.
Well I say the win a lot. They don’t really cheat. Coach K is the USA Basketball coach. There is really not a whole lot of bad things you can say about them. That doesn’t mean I will not criticize them. When I put on my suit and tie, when I get behind my desk I am a journalist, an analyst, and an expert. That is how I deal.
I would be less than honest if I said when I watch Duke, do I want to see them win. Of course I do. I went to that school. It is in my blood. I really do believe that the vast, vast majority of readers and fans understand the difference between those two things. It is just the one percent who ride me on Twitter, but that is the kind of age we live in now. (Laughs.)
Aug 28th
Bonnie Bernstein explains how Campus Insiders takes fans deep inside college sports
A new mobile app launched by Campus Insiders takes fans deep inside college sports with game highlights, interviews and a behind-the-scenes perspective of the trending stories of the day, from on-camera hosts Bonnie Bernstein and Seth Davis, as well as top college analysts, former coaches and special contributors.
Campus Insiders is the online destination and leading digital content syndication source for college sports fans. The app is free and now available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. It provides an interactive user experience that enables college sports fans to access the same content available at CampusInsiders.com, along with the insight and perspective of Campus Insiders’ stable of experts, including broadcasters Bonnie Bernstein, Seth Davis and the nearly 100 Insiders from college campuses across the country.
The Campus Insiders app features breaking news and video alert, video on-demand, filtered by sport, and daily original programming, including live programming (starting this Fall) featuring Bonnie Bernstein and Seth Davis.
I had the great pleasure to speak with Bonnie Bernstein about the Campus Insider website and app, her career in sports journalism, and much more. Be sure to click on the link below to listen to the entire interview.
Art Eddy: You and your team at Campus Insiders created a very cool app. Tell me about the app and why people should download it to their smartphone or tablet?
Bonnie Bernstein: The app is one of the many Campus Insider platforms we have. Of course we have the website, we have the app available for your mobile, your smartphone, and iPad. Just like the network that was in its fledgling stages we have written editorial and video, but we are really emphasizing the video right now.
All of the different segments that we create during our live shows will also be available on demand on the app. In the event you miss my show or Seth Davis’ show you can find it any time. We have a whole written editorial side Pete Fiutak, our managing editor, he is terrific.
One of the really exciting pieces is that we are shooting for by the time the college football season starts, the ability to live stream games. We have exclusive digital rights to some of those smaller conferences like Mountain West, West Coast Conference. We are working on the Patriot League. We are in discussions with some other conferences. Just like so many people go to their television to watch games, you are going to be able to watch it on your app or online at Campus Insiders.
AE: One of the cool things I like about the app is the behind-the-scenes content. What made you guys decide to do that?
BB: We really wanted to our name to as a literal extent as we can. The whole premise of Campus Insiders is that we will have our “insiders” embedded on campuses all over the country. If there is a breaking story ESPN, CBS, or Yahoo would send a reporter to that site. We are going to have our insiders embedded on campuses, embedded with the teams, dealing with the coaches on a daily basis.
We are really encouraging to break their news with us. These are play by play guys, color guys, beat reporters, newspaper reporters. They are all the reporters that are covering these teams. We are incentivizing them to break stories with us. Give us that inside look. What is going on in practice and send us an Instagram photo. If you are on sideline and there is a star player who is questionable because he tweaked his ankle, get that information to us.
We really want to take our viewers and our fans inside what we do as a network. We are in this day and age where we are all trying to get our heads around what is it that make a video go viral. What my sense is that it is not the polished journalistic video unless of course you are breaking news. It is that raw behind the scenes how are you making the sausage kind of video. We want to take people inside our production meetings and let them see how it is that we are deciding what we are going to be talking about during my show. Go into the control room and see how the producers are working. See how the directors are working the shots. That is a really exciting part of what we are doing and it is kind of unique.
AE: Tell me about the site Campus Insiders itself. What was the catalyst to start up that site?
BB: Campus Insiders is a partnership between IMG College, which is America’s largest college sports marketing firm, and Silver Chalice. (Silver Chalice) is a digital media company that was founded by Jerry Reinsdorf, who owns the White Sox and Bulls.
Silver Chalice has already had success, most prominently with the ACC Digital Network, which fairly recently superseded the SEC Digital Network as the number one most viewed college sports site. IMG College was looking for a way to take all of their great properties and the relationships they have with their schools and create content with it.
So IMG College spent a year talking to the AOL’s, the Yahoo’s of the world and trying to find the right digital media partner and came upon Silver Chalice. After a lot discussions they felt as though we were the best fit. They understand the extraordinary production value that we bring to the table and we partnered up.
AE: What drove you to get into sports journalism?
BB: I have always maintained that you are a product of your own environment and both of my parents are die-hard sports fans. It is basically that simplistic. When I was a kid we didn’t have remote controls that you could steal from mom and dad and put on whatever you wanted to watch. You physically had to walk up to the television and change the channel. If you knew my dad you know that he is tall and imposing. Whatever dad wanted to watch, the kids are watching.
It is not just my dad, my mom is a die-hard sports fan. Both of them grew up in Brooklyn. Die-hard Dodgers fans. When they moved out west and the Mets came into town. We are a baseball family. We are a football family. My parents are more passionate about the NBA and my mom in particular with hockey than I am.
When I would be out covering games for the NFL on CBS I would call my mom. You are covering the game and you can’t keep an eye on everything else that is going on. My mom would be the human sports ticker. The Jets lost. The Giants lost. This one threw for four touchdowns. Because I was exposed to sports at such an early age it was just something that naturally rubbed off on me.
I did a lot of creative writing. I remember the third grade and fourth grade I have always been an athlete. I played soccer when I was five and gymnastics, my primary sports, when I was seven. I did that for fourteen years all the way to the University of Maryland.
I realized very early on that not only did I love sports, but I loved writing. I decided to find a career that enabled me to tap into both of those passions. I wrote about sports in my high school’s paper and specifically went to the University of Maryland because of the reputability of their journalism school. Wound up gravitating toward broadcast, which wasn’t really in the plan. I really wanted to write for Sports Illustrated, but I loved the TV classes at Maryland and I sort of stuck with it. Twenty plus years later here we are. I feel very blessed that I established a dream early on and I have really been able to achieve it.
AE: How tough was it and is it still today to be a woman in sports journalism?
BB: Well relatively speaking I think it is easier. The Lisa Olson’s, the Lesley Visser’s, and the Christine Brennan’s of the world paved the way for us. Years ago women were not allowed to be in locker rooms. So just that very fact that we are enables us to do our job.
I think the thing that people don’t realize is that we are not going into locker rooms because we want to. The simple fact of the matter is that we are on deadline. Once the game is over you have to get in. You don’t have time to wait for players to take their showers, to put their jewelry on, their suits on and walk outside and be all relaxed. You got to a story to write or you got a TV show to get ready for. So more than anything it is a matter of time.
In terms of the perception of women in the business I think that it has gotten better overall. To a certain degree I think that it is an individual thing. I think it is incumbent upon any woman who wants to get into sports journalism to take pride in her work. I hope that fans make their judgment on sort of a case by case basis. If you are good at what you do and you do it well consistently, then there is really no room for people to criticize. Unless they simply don’t feel that women have any business covering sports that they haven’t played.
People are certainly entitled to their own opinion. The one thing that I don’t think that fans understand is that there are many, many men, who cover sports, who haven’t played that sport as well. When you take that into consideration, the fact that I played a Division I sport, from a psychological and preparatory stand point puts me on par with anybody. I know what the mental process is like to prepare and to be in the heat of competition and the amount of focus that it requires. So when I am formulating questions they are coming from experience.
AE: What advice would you want to give women who are thinking about a career in that field?
BB: Well I would say don’t just watch sports, but really listen. By that I mean don’t watch the big game on a Saturday night with a bunch of friends at a bar. If you really want to learn about sports not only do you learn by watching, but by listening to what the play by play, the color announcer, the sideline reporter are talking about. You would be amazed at how much you can learn about sports.
Watching the games. Watching the specialty shows, like College Football Live, there are so many shows out there. The other thing that I would really recommend is networking. If you are in college right now or in high school, make sure you seize all the opportunities. Intern or serve as a runner for the networks when they are coming to cover the events. Show them that you have that passion and that you are willing to take that initiative. Collect those business card and stay in touch with those people. You never know that those folks that you meet along the way can be a tremendous resource in helping you get a job.
AE: You have covered a ton of great sporting events like a few Super Bowls. Is there an event that stands out more than others?
BB: I would say two in particular. The very first Super Bowl I covered which was down in Tampa in 2001. The Ravens Giants (game). New York kind of got pounded, but it was the first Super Bowl that I have done sideline for. It just so happened that I was assigned to the Giants sideline.
I had to interview Jim Fassel before the game. Just having access to the team and the coaches before the game and I remember the day before the game. The Giants has their final run through. I walked with Fassel from midfield to into the tunnel as he was going into the locker room. Just having the ability to have that conversation with a coach about what is going on in his mind as he is preparing his team to play in the “holy grail” of NFL events. I really took the time to soak that up.
The other big one was the Maryland run to the 2002 National Basketball Championship. I went to Maryland and I was there from late 80s early 90s. I call it the dark days of Maryland basketball. I got there and we were not too far removed from Len Bias. My freshman year the basketball team the coach there got nailed for all of these NCAA recruiting violations.
Gary Williams came in my sophomore year. He was faced with probation, TV bans, and postseason bans. It really was a mess. I did stuff for our school. I did campus newspaper, campus radio station, and campus TV station. I had the chance to meet Gary Williams when I was a sophomore in college.
So to see all of his hard work culminate in a National Championship, when I got the opportunity to cover every single one Maryland’s games with Jim Nantz and Billy Packer. To be standing on the court at the Georgia Dome watching the players standing on the podium. Watching themselves in highlights of one shining moment was so surreal. I sort of felt like very few people in that arena that night that could appreciate how monumental of a moment that was because where the program came from. It was really, really special to me.
Since Bonnie is well versed in every aspect of sports I asked her opinion on the whole Johnny Manziel situation. To listen to her take on that issue, challenging Dan Le Batard and his father to a showdown with Bonnie and her mother on a sports show, and the entire interview click here.
Jul 18th