I recently had a conversation with a person who is very dear to me. It was a pretty typical Saturday conversation, "how are you" or "what's new in your life", the usual banter. Then after wading through all the obligatory pleasantries the weightier conversation ensued, the exchange about college football.
Suddenly some actual excitement entered the environment as teams and games were discussed and analyzed. Talks about who the best team was and who had a realistic shot (sorry BYU) to make the inaugural College Football Playoff bounced between my acquaintance and I. Then he asked me a very simply question that changed my perception about this person. The question was, "what game are you watching?" My response, Virgina Tech and Georgia Tech, a very competitive and exciting game. The response I receive was very surprising and somewhat alarming. "Oh I watched that game for about five minutes before I had to change the channel," he said, "Doris Burke has no business calling the play-by-play for football, I couldn't stand her." A man, who as long as I had known him, had stood up for the ideal of respecting women, just discredited a women just because she hadn't played a game. The conversation didn't last much longer and I was left to ponder what was just said and implied.
Maybe he's right? That was my initial thought. Take a good hard look at the sports broadcasting world. Women have been regulated to sideline reporting or the token women host of some analytical talk show that doesn't air anywhere close to prime time. CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox do not employ any women as play-by-play commentators for their NFL broadcasts. Aside from women's sports you'd be hard pressed to find a women commentator on a major network for any sport. Maybe my acquaintance was right then, you have to play the game to be able to talk about it. That's the only experience that can qualify you to talk about a sport, participation in that sport.
Well let's take a look at a high profile commentator, Mr. Joe Buck. Joe Buck is the number one play-by-play commentator at Fox for both the NFL and the MLB. Buck has also called both the Super Bowl and World Series, as well as hosts and participates in numerous other shows where his opinions on sport carry some influence. The funny thing about Joe Buck is that he never played sports, at least not at a high level. Nevertheless, for the most part, nobody is calling for his head. His opinion isn't dismissed or questioned, even though he has never played the game. So does the argument that women can't call a game because they didn't participate in the game hold any validity? In my personal opinion no, it does not.
So what is being said when someone says, "she doesn't belong here" or when there are no women play-by-play commentators on major networks? Is it they aren't qualified to do it because they never played the game? Or is it they aren't qualified because of their gender, because they are a women in a man's world? I would lean to the latter.
So why are women discriminated in the broadcasting world? Is it because they can't do a sufficient job? Not according to Bob Ryan, a columnist for the Boston globe, who thinks Doris Burke does a hell of a job and knows what she's talking about. At the end of the day it comes down to sports fans (mostly men) aren't comfortable with a women telling them about a sport that they consider to be in their possession. The idea that a women can give the results of games in a post game show or let everyone know the hustle that's going on down on the sideline in a nice outfit is fine, but the second she tries and explains what happening during the live game she isn't good enough. What a load of crap. Play-by-play is about communication what is happening during a game clearly and effectively, point blank. Why does it matter what genetic make-up one has as long as they can accomplish the task? That's called discrimination and it shouldn't be tolerated. If anyone male of female, black or white or whatever classification you want to associate one with has passion and communicate the action of an athletic event effectively, they should be allowed to participate. It's that simple. So to Doris Burke, a very talented and versatile commentator talent, who just happens to be a women I tip my cap to you.
If you like to learn about how women CAN be great analyst in the sports community check out this article from ESPNW.
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