February 7, 2025 • 34 mins
Callie Brownson, former NFL assistant coach turned senior director of high performance for USA Football, joins Sarah to discuss knowing it was time to leave the NFL for a new opportunity, being on a staff with a problematic high-profile player, and how she’s making sure Team USA is ready for flag football’s 2028 Olympic debut. Plus, the worst kind of “National Girls and Women in Sports” day tribute, an NWSL x WNBA crossover, and a Black History Month spotlight you won’t want to miss.
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Check out Veronica Wells’ story on Billie Harris here
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Fill out a bracket for the Unrivaled 1-on-1 tourney! The bracket on the Unrivaled site is pretty hard to read, but super slice Joey Maldonado made a better one that you can print out here
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Find out more about the new NWSL x WNBA training facility in Portland here
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Interested in season tickets for Denver’s new NWSL team? Details are here
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're fifty
percent Pym's Cup and fifty percent Purple Drink, but we
still haven't gotten our hands on a ben yet. It's Friday,
February seventh, and on today's show, we'll be kicking it
with Callie Bronson, former Cleveland Brown's assistant coach now senior
director of High Performance and USA National Football Operations. We'll
talk about getting the US ready for flag football in
(00:22):
the Olympics, getting to contribute to a global movement, what
she learned from the NFL, and how she handled being
on a staff with a problematic, high profile player, plus
how not to celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports
Day and NWSL WNBA crossover in the Rose City, and
bracket season is back, Baby, It's all coming up right
(00:42):
after this Welcome back slices, Happy Friday. Here's what you
need to know today in idiotic news. Trump signed an
(01:05):
executive order on Wednesday banning transgender athletes from participating in
Girls in Women's sports. The quote keeping Men Out of
Women's Sports order mandates that schools and institutions receiving federal
funding must abide by the new administration's interpretation of Title
nin where quote unquote, sex is defined as the gender
a person is assigned at birth, worth noting. On his
(01:27):
first day in office, Trump issued an executive order declaring
that the US government would only recognize two sexes, limiting
the definition of a male or female to a person's
reproductive cells at conception, and requiring that the federal government
used the term sex instead of gender. Trump will allegedly
lean on the Department of Education to help investigate and
enforce this new executive order, presumably the same Department of
(01:49):
Education he's seeking to dismantle. Also no word yet on
how they plan to investigate whether someone is a girl
or a boy and how to enforce that. In a
statement about the executive order, NCAA President Charlie Baker said, quote,
we strongly believe that clear, consistent, and uniform eligibility standards
would best serve today's student athletes instead of a patchwork
(02:10):
of conflicting state laws and court decisions. To that end,
President Trump's order provides a clear national standard.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Baker continued.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
The NCAA Board of Governors is reviewing the executive order
and will take necessary steps to align NCAA policy in
the coming days. Subject to further guidance from the administration,
the Association will continue to help foster welcoming environments on
campuses for all student athletes.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
We stand ready to assist.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Schools as they look for ways to support any student
athletes affected by changes in the policy.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
End quote.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
It's not lost on us, y'all that Trump announced this
executive order on National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
The cruelty is the point.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Even though we had a feeling this was coming, even
though we dreaded that this might be coming, it is
still extremely upsetting. We're sending love to all the athletes
and all the families affected, and we will certainly still
be covering this issue more in the future. Trans Girls
and Women in Sport are girls and women in Sport.
In NWSL news, the Denver expansion franchise has become the
fastest new side in league history to reach five thousand
(03:09):
season ticket deposits. Denver received fifty two hundred and eighty
deposits only three days after being named the NWSL's sixteenth
team on January thirtieth. That's a huge show of support
and further proof that fans in the Mile High City
were eager for their first women's pro sports team in
a major national league.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Do you live in the Denver area?
Speaker 1 (03:27):
We'll link to the site where you can sign up
for season tickets in our show notes in NWSL and
WNBA news, it was announced on Thursday that the Portland
Thorns and the Cities yet to be named WNBA expansion
team will train together at a brand new seventy five
million dollar training facility that's expected to open ahead of
the twenty twenty six WNBA season, part of a larger
(03:48):
one hundred and fifty million dollar project. Both teams are
owned by the Bethal family, who purchased the Thorns in
January of twenty twenty four and then won the bid
for the WNBA's fifteenth team in September of the same year.
Struction will take place in stages, with the training facility
coming first, but eventually the family hopes to build out
a broader campus that will function as a dedicated center
for women's sports performance and recovery. Per Thorn's release, the
(04:10):
completed twelve acre campus will include a sixty three thousand
square foot training facility, a seventeen thousand square foot practice
gym with two full sized basketball courts, two full sized
soccer pitches with an outdoor training zone, a five thousand
square foot strength and training facility with top of the
line equipment, an outdoor turf zone and a yoga pilate's room.
Dedicated dressing rooms for THORNSFC and WNBA Portland, a dining
(04:32):
room with a full time chef and nutritionist, dedicated rooms
for players, families and team meeting rooms and social media.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Content rooms, and more.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
One other cool tidbit, the Bethals are working with Workspace
Property Trust to repurpose a former Nike office complex west
of Portland in order to minimize environmental impact While building
out this vision, We'll link to the Thorns release and
mockups for the facility in our show notes. We love
these facility wars. Y'all keep battling to be the best teams.
We love to see it more. WNBA News free agent
(05:02):
Tiffany Hayes is headed to the Golden State Valkyries. The
twenty twenty four to sixth Woman of the Year signed
with the WNBA's thirteenth team and will rock Valkyrie Violet
this upcoming season. After coming out of WNBA retirement last
year to join the Las Vegas Aces. She's a twelve
year vet and is currently hooping in the Unrivaled Basketball
three on three League with former Aces teammate Kate Martin,
who also moved from Vegas to the Bay this offseason.
(05:23):
Hayes brings flat out scoring ability and a veteran presence
to a team that's mostly composed of youngsters and some
excellent glue players, led by first time WNBA head coach
Natalie Nicasse. In Unrivaled News, the bracket for the league's
Won on one tournament dropped, and mile my, there are
some intriguing matchups coming our way. Kaylea McBride versus d
Jna Carrington, Jackie Young versus Rakia Jackson, Tiffany Hayes versus
(05:48):
Courtney Williams, and those are all just the first round.
We can't wait to see where this tournament goes. It
starts on Monday, and while originally it was billed as
a winner take all, the site now reads that the
winner will earn two hundred thousand dollars for them sols
and ten thousand dollars for each player on their basketball club,
plus runner up gets fifty k and semi finalists get
twenty five thousand. Of course, because the folks behind the
(06:09):
scenes know we welcome the possibility of maximum chaos. Co
founders Defisa Collier and Brianna Stewart are on opposite sides
of the bracket. And get this, there's even a bracket challenge,
just like in college hoops, but with a twist. We'll
link to the instructions on how to fill yours out
in our show notes. We happen to notice that the
version on the Unrivaled website has a super dark background,
(06:29):
so if you print it out, you're not gonna be
able to see what you write. But thankfully, super Slice
Joey Maldonado saves the day again. He independently of the
Unrivaled one being posted, made one himself and it has
a white background, So if you go to My Blue
Sky you'll find it, or we'll put the link in
my show notes. That's an easier one to print and
fill out and share. Some Unrivaled games tonight two. We
(06:51):
love these Friday night faceoffs. First up, it's the six
and zero Lunar Owls versus My Phantom BC at seven
to fifteen pm Eastern, followed by roseby C versus Miss BC.
More games Saturday too, we'll link to the schedule in
our show notes. The college softball season kicked off yesterday,
so there are a bunch of teams ranked and unranked
hitting the diamond today. Too many to preview, so we'll
link to the day's full schedule. You guessed it in
(07:13):
our show notes to pro Vibes. League one Volleyball is
back tonight. Love Atlanta faces Love Salt Lake at nine
pm Eastern at Maverick Center in Salt Lake City. You
can watch that live on Love dot com and Dezone.
Love's got two other games tomorrow as well. We'll link
to the schedule in our show notes. And don't forget
it's Love with the BLOVB. Don't be don't be googling
(07:34):
Love dot com. I don't know what's on that site.
More vibes. The Pro Volleyball Federation's got two games tonight.
First up is Grand Rapids Rise versus Club is Fury
at seven Eastern, streaming live on YouTube. Then it's Vegas
Thrill at San Diego Mojo, starting at ten oh five
pm Eastern on Volleyball World TV.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
PVF has two other games tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
We'll link to the schedule in our show notes elsewhere
in the sport adjacent sphere, The met Gala's reviving its
host committee tradition this year, and a few of our
faves were tapped to service members. Team USA gymnasts Simone Biles,
wnba U, Unrivaled player Angel Reese, and Team USA sprinter
Shkari Richardson all made the list, which also includes folks
like mister Biles, Regina King, Jenell Money and Moore.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Lebron James is the honorary chair.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
The committee will support the evening's festivities and help set
the tone for this year's dress code. Tailored for You
a nod to the museum's super fine tailoring Black Style
Costume Institute exhibit. Can't wait to see what looks they
put together. Finally, in college hoops, a couple of big matchups
going down this weekend. On Saturday, number eight Ohio State
tries to bounce back from a sixty five fifty two
(08:37):
loss to.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Top ranked UCLA the other night.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
They traveled just a few more miles to play number
seven USC and then on Sunday, Number four Texas host
number two South Carolina for an SEC showdown. We'll link
to the full weekend schedule in our show notes finished
up Day two of Radio Row Slices, and I have
to say I'm leaving the ick behind and finding just joy.
So many old friends and colleagues, athletes that I've covered
(09:01):
in the past, and people that I am so glad
to finally meet in person. As long as I steer
clear of that outkickstage, just joy the rest of the
way out. Also, I got to quickly chat with Sabrina
and Escu. We talked unrivaled in Phantom BC as she
hustled between interviews.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Try to get her. We'll be sure to grab.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Her for the show soon when she's not hawking products
and overscheduled. As for last night, I continued to take
all the res and bop around the French Quarter, heading
back to see my guy at Aaron Rose for another
frozen Irish coffee, then off to the Davenport Lounge at
the Ritz for a Pims cup that's a New Orleans specialty.
That's the spot where the chiefs are stay in this year,
and listen to some jazz from local legend trumpeter Jeremy Davenport.
(09:40):
Then it was off to hear some live piano at
Lafitte's blacksmith's shop built in nearly seventeen hundreds. It's alleged
to be the oldest structure used as a bar in
the US. Good times always there. I took a risk.
I ordered the frozen foodoo Dackery, which is called Purple Drink.
It is made with bourbon and ever Clear, but somehow
just tastes like a purple jolly rancher.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Very dangerous. Just had one.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
I did some sightseeing on Bourbon Street. Always some good
people watching there, grab some food, hung out with some friends.
Enjoyed the scene and things are only going to get
hotter and busier and crazier as we get closer to
the weekend and the big game.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
And speaking of the big game, quick props.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
Two former Cornell football players are facing off on Sunday,
Hunter Nours out of the Chiefs and Jalx Hunt of
the Eagles, both in their rookie NFL season. So either
way this weekend Cornell wins. Hope y'all enjoyed the game.
We're going to take a quick break and when we
come back. Callie Bronson joined me on Radio Row to
talk about what she learned from the NFL that she's
brought with her to the world of women's flag football.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Joining US now.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
She's a barrier breaking coach at the college and professional
levels who just joined USA Football as the Senior Director
of High Performance and National Team Operations after spending five
seasons with the Cleveland Browns in the NFL, acting as
chief of staff and assistant wide receivers coach. She's the
first woman ever to coach an NFL position group in
a regular season game. She was a two time champion
with the DC Divas in the Women's Football Alliance as
(11:08):
a free safety and running back, and a two time
gold medalist with the US women's National American Football team.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
It's Calie Bronson. What's up, Callie?
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Well, that's a lot DC Divas. Yeah, how'd you feel
about that?
Speaker 4 (11:18):
Name?
Speaker 3 (11:19):
Was favorite?
Speaker 4 (11:20):
Yeah, let's just say I wasn't on a lot of
the advertisements. I didn't fit the Diva mold, but I
still repped when I had to.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
You know. Is that the same league that had the
Philadelphia Lady Bells.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
Or that Yeah, a long time for two years. Yeah,
and now they're the fansoms I believe.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Okay, Well, shout out to my sister. Katie always weasel
it in. I don't think she talks enough about how
cool it was that she played professional football for two years. Okay,
I want to first start with this new gig because
you're overseeing USA Football's US national team program.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
What does that mean?
Speaker 2 (11:47):
What do they do?
Speaker 3 (11:48):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (11:48):
Okay, Well, so obviously the big news that came out
was flag footballs in the Olympics. I think to preface
that and rewind like there's always been We've always had
national teams. I played for the women's sacle national team,
and obviously in the past few years we fielded flag
national teams both men and women, adult and junior national teams. Well,
obviously now it's in the Olympics. Everybody's talking about it.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
Big deal. Men and women adult national teams are in
the Olympics.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
So with that happening, we're seeing such a shift and
a growth in the sport. So really my job is
to figure out our process, both player evaluations, to player selection,
to coach selection, to how we practice, how we train.
So we're really kind of taking our operation and souping
it up to get to the point where over the
next few years we're putting together the perfect operation for
(12:30):
our national teams.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
To go and win gold in LA.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
And You're coming from the NFL, so they want someone
that knows how things run at the very highest level
of football and to bring those standards to flag exactly.
Speaker 4 (12:40):
Yeah, you know, and I always I've already done it,
you know, I'm in week three. So I go back
to a lot of the stuff I dealt with as
a chief of staff, you know, putting these processes in place,
and understanding what's going to be the best and really
like the role all of us, everybody on the high
performance team, our job is to just create the best
possible environment for our players and our coaches.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
That's sick.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
How do you feel about the timing of the Olympics,
Because whenever I talk to women athletes, like you know,
Sue Bird is like, of course, I'm jealous that right
now people are making millions of dollars and they have
the best resources that they're flying charter and they're you know,
do you wish that you would have had a shot
at it.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
At the Olympics. I think about it all the time.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
Yeah, you know, just just in general, I think about
sports for women right now and how amazing it is.
I mean, what an awesome time to be a female athlete,
Like whether it be Olympic level or even what we're
seeing in a WNBA, Like, it's so cool to see.
So yeah, I mean, of course those of us who
are competitors and put our bodies on the line are
a little jealous, but I'm also so excited. It's so
cool to see how this has grown. And it's late,
(13:40):
it's overdue, but it's happening, and we have to keep
driving that momentum.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
Yeah, I'm definitely a little bittersweet.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
I also like to convince myself that if all these
things had been around when I was a kid, I
would have worked harder and then I would have been
at the level of being in the Olympics, even though yeah,
probably isn't true. Okay, tell me about this Champions Rising documentary.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
Yeah, so obviously they followed our national teams last year,
going through the whole process. I love it because it's
going to be a great way for the random person
who wants to learn more about what the national teams
are because it follows the whole journey from trials to
training camp all the way through competition, so you get
such a great view of what it is to be
a national team player, but also what our process is.
(14:18):
I get so many questions, especially since I took this job,
on what our operation is all about, and hey, I
never heard of this. This like gives such concrete legitimacy
to what we do and how it works. You watch that,
you're like, this is a full on operation, and it is.
We're the national team. So I think it's awesome. It's
coming out. It'll be on the YouTube channel. The trailer
came out, I encourage everybody to watch the trailer because
I think that's a great little snippet of what it's
(14:40):
going to be about. But when it comes out on
YouTube channels and through USA Football, I encourage everybody to
watch it.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
I think if you have any.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
Questions about what we're about and what it is, it's
a great foundation for what the national team is and
you get to see the sport from some pretty cool
angles too.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
So yeah, I mean, it.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Just feels like the ability to film in places and
have more documentaries of every kind has allowed us to
see the legitimacy and value of things that previously weren't
given that treatment because it was primarily focused on men's
sports and also goes documentary is much rare, and also
with streaming there's more space to put.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Them, yep, and I'm looking forward to watching that.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
Okay, I want to I want to ask you what
you find most exciting about the current moment for women's
slag football.
Speaker 4 (15:19):
Yeah, a lot, to be honest, I'm excited about a lot.
But the biggest thing is like where we are and
how competitive it is, you know, watching these women play
and even even the girls on the junior national team.
It's come such a long way and it's it's only growing.
So what I'm most excited about is being at this
point and looking back in a couple of years and
then looking back as we go to LA and being like, wow,
we we just built.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
Something very special.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
Because the other thing that's being that I take as
a task of mine is yeah, we need to go
win gold, right, and we need to take it. You know,
a great two great teams to LA, but we want
to grow this for globally. We want every team that
shows up in LA to be competitive. We want every
game to be you know, close and competitive in this
display of the amazing athletes that are part of it.
So part of our approach these next couple of years
(16:02):
is to continue to grow the game and help in
our capacity to do that and help these other countries
get to a point where when we go to La
everybody who watches.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
Flag football is like, wow, I have to tell you.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
The only flag football name I know men's are women's
is Deanna Flores.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
Freaking badass. She's a friend.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
We were on the Gatoray Women's Advisory Board together, Mexican
national team quarterback. Okay, so I'm like, Okay, Mexico's got
to be great because they've got Tana.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
Is that true?
Speaker 4 (16:26):
Oh yeah, great, they got a good team and they
have they have done a great job with the sport
of football too, because I know when when I both
coached and played on the on the tackle team, the
national team have a great women's tackle team too. I mean, yeah,
they definitely deserve their flowers and their respect in that regard.
And it's always a pretty competitive matchup anytime the US
national teams team up with with Team Mexico.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
So it's the win, of course. Great. Good to know
it's right.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
You know a lot of times, when say, for instance,
there's developments in the softball world, softball players are excited,
but also men who play baseball don't necessarily want to
be diverted to something if baseball is their love.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
How do you feel about flag football being the thing
that's getting pushed for women and what it might mean
for tackle football for women.
Speaker 4 (17:11):
Yeah. Well, so one of the things I like to
say when when when this comes up is they're vastly
different sports, so I mean vastly tackle versus flag.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
So it's not gonna be for everybody, right, there are.
Speaker 4 (17:20):
Gonna be plenty of women who currently play in the
in the tackle leagues around the US and even around
the world who don't need to venture into the space.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Now.
Speaker 4 (17:28):
I know it's a feeling because it's in the Olympics,
but they're vastly different sports, not going to be for everybody.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
But what we're we're.
Speaker 4 (17:33):
Looking at is the transition of athletes from every sport,
so men and women, you know, basketball players, Like what
are the translatable skills that make a successful flag football
player that exists in other sports? I mean, that's where
a lot of that talent pool is going to come from.
So we've we've kind of started looking into all those
things and it's been really exciting because you know, to
that point, it's not going to be for everybody, and
that's okay. You know, well, tackle football have resources still Yeah,
(17:54):
of course, yeah, absolutely, and and and tackle still falls
under us at USA Football. You know, we are the
governing body of football in the In the US, it's
flag and tackle. So we have not forgotten about tackle.
It's near and dear to my heart, so I certainly
haven't forgotten about it. But we're very invested in all
those things.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
You're very small, were you always very small? I can't
picture you're wrapping someone up and taking him down.
Speaker 4 (18:15):
I have some perfect form, I have some pictures, and
yes I worked on my form, but I was a
little beef heer back then, in a good way, like
I think. I think when I was playing, I was
one fifty five, one sixty on this frame. I had
some muscles I've leaned out in my retired years.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
None of the sports I played allowed tackling.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
It didn't always stop me, though, and I don't wish
I'd had more opportunity, don't doubt that.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
I want to ask how you first got into football. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
I grew up loving the game because my dad loved
the game, so he went to University of Miami, and
so I grew up watching like the glory days of Miami,
like Larry Kocher was the head coach, and all those
guys come through the Hurricane program, and so that's what
we did on Saturdays. We watched Miami Hurricane football and
we used to go to games, and we used to
go down for spring practice because we still he still
had a house down there in Coral Gables.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
So it was kind of ingrained in me from the
jump to love football.
Speaker 4 (19:02):
I mean, baseball was my first love because I grew
up watching Cal Ripken in Baltimore and that was hard.
It's hard to shy away from that kind of stuff.
But football always like had a different pool on me.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
And then you got into soopta because they wouldn't let
you play fastball, let me play football.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
And you don't have to answer this if it's sensitive.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
You were raised by your dad, Yeah, solo dad?
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Yeah, how come? Well? My parents got divorced early on.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
My mom was kind of going through some stuff personally,
and it was just the right decision. And I tip
my hat to my dad every day for making hard
decisions like that. But it really made me who I
am today, and I'm so grateful for him. Tough things
for families to go through but necessary things and I'm
just I'm so happy to call him dad.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
Yeah, okay, so you play softball in college, but then
you get back into football.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
You've always had this like love of it.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
And in twenty nineteen, you became the first woman to
coach full time in Division one college football as an
offensive quality control coach for Dartmouth. Yep, that was my
number one choice. I did not get in, but that's okay.
I really enjoyed where I went. Will not hold it
against them for the rest of my life, even though
I saw to him. What do you think coach Buddy
Teven saw in you back then? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (20:05):
I remember when we met. We met at the Manning
Passing Academy. They're doing a clinic for women and girls
down in Thibodaux, Louisiana at Nicols State University.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
It was like early August. It was so hot.
Speaker 4 (20:14):
I just I remember that part, and I remember Buddy.
We just clicked.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
Like.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
We sat there the night before the camp with a
whiteboard and he and I went through. He had never
really done a camp for women and girls before. She
was like, how advanced did we go?
Speaker 3 (20:26):
Whatever?
Speaker 4 (20:26):
So I sat there in the locker room with him,
and we were writing everything, all the stations down on
a whiteboard and it was just one of those things
that felt so organic and so easy, like we saw
things the same way, we communicated the same way. He
was a very like organized I need to know what's
happening at all times.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
That's how I operate.
Speaker 4 (20:45):
And so then the next day at the camp, just
rolling around, he could see how much fun I was having.
And a week later I got a call and he said,
I don't know what it is, but I I want
you to be a part of our football program. Could
come up in intern for us during camp, and I
told him, I said, I share the sentence, the sentiment,
you know I I I was so honored to work
with you. And even in those two days what I
learned was incredible. So kind of took off from there
(21:06):
and even when I left Dartmouth, but he was one
of my closest friends. We didn't stop talking and we
were always in touch and somebody had considered a really
close front.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
Yeah, he tragically passed away in a bike accident, but
had a great, great resume of helping make the sport
more safe, yes, and more equitable and divorse absolutely and
So the reason you were ready for that job is
you played college softball and then you transferred to George Mason.
And while at George Mason, that's when you started playing
with the DCDA. So you're playing alongside women in their
(21:36):
twenties with full time jobs while you're at college. Yeah,
that's how much you wanted to get back into football.
How did you translate playing to being ready for an
opportunity at Dartmouth when that opportunity presented itself.
Speaker 4 (21:47):
It's a great question, and I think it's something that
a lot of former players can can attest to. But
when I was playing, I was such an analytical I
saw the game from a way that I wanted to
learn every facet of it was as a film study nerd.
I really wanted to learn the game schematically. And I
played both sides of the ball, so that really helped me.
Understanding defense has made me a better wide receiver, you know,
(22:09):
understanding the wide receiver position and the specifics that going
too that made me a better defensive back.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
So I just I was like a football junkie. I
loved it.
Speaker 4 (22:17):
And even on the field, you know, the resources in
women's stockle are not where they need to be, so
some of us had to step up and be coaches
during practice, you know. And I just always had a
knack for it. I was coaching high school softball at
the time, trying to make some money while I was
in school and all so forth, and so I loved
coaching because coaching is just teaching, And to me, coaching
is teaching on something that you're like massively passionate about,
(22:38):
Like that's coaching. So I was like, I love football,
I love the coach, and that's kind of how it intertwined.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
And it's amazing. Yeah, it's really cool.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
How do you decide when you're with the Browns and
you're getting a lot of publicity as one of the
few coaches in the NFL women coaches, how do you
decide whether to just do the work or to lean
into what representation means for other women and how you're
in flos might impact future generations.
Speaker 4 (23:02):
I think it's important to find the balance because at
the end of the day, you're not gonna be in
that position of influence if you're not doing the work
and you're not doing your job, you know, So so
I think it's a balance. It's like I always say,
like with some of the women who jump in there,
it's like finding a way to be passive and aggressive
at the same time.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
So knowing I'm very passive aggressive as joking, I will
I'm gonna that's my follow up. I'll be asking no.
Speaker 4 (23:25):
But it's it's it's one of those things where you
do need to use your platform. I always tell like
some of the women who come in, like when you
get asked a question when you do something, if you
do a podcast, if you do an event, are you
doing it for yourself or you're doing it for the
greater good. If you're going to answer that question you're
doing it for the greater good, then it's worth your time.
If you're doing it for yourself and your self promotion,
go back to work, like pick up something to do,
because I think that that's that's where you have to
(23:47):
get really careful. But I think anything you do to
promote women in football, and it's for the benefit of
anybody else who wants to get in or who is
currently in, you should do it.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
Absolutely use your platform.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
I've talked to coach Low about this Lori Locust, and
she said the problem is like if you're getting a
ton of attention that other people around the same position
aren't getting. It can isolate you, and it can make
you feel othered in a way that doesn't bring you
to the team.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
And a huge part of being one of the only women.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
On the staff is to make sure that you can
be a part of the squad and not always on
the outside. And so she was very careful and continues
to be very careful about what publicity she does do
and how she uses her platform, and then also not
othering herself.
Speaker 4 (24:24):
And I agree, and I think you just have to
be selective in the things you do. You know, at
the end of the day, you got hired to do
a job. It's cool that it created this platform for you.
It's actually great that it did. But I always found
too like doing a really good job at what you
do and then getting promoted, that's a bigger message than
anything else.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
So always choose job and work first, and it's okay
to say no to things. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
While you're with Cleveland, the team acquired quarterback to Shan
Watson after he was sued by more than two dozen
female massage therapists for sexual arrassment and sexual assault. He's
settled twenty claims of sexual misconduct. I often find that
marginalized groups are expected to a advocate for themselves and
their peers, while members of the offending group aren't taken
to the path for their silence and their complicity. I
don't expect you to talk specifically about Watson. I just
(25:09):
wonder whether you felt a particular burden as a female
member of that coaching staff, either to speak out or
express or displeasure or or otherwise. Did people demand something
of you they didn't demand of others.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
I would say this, I have so much respect for
Kevin and Andrew Berry already. How they handled that situation
internally was even more respectable. You know, I didn't. I
didn't feel marginalized. I didn't feel like I couldn't, you know,
say my piece. I didn't, you know, I never felt
that way. I think between the two of them, internally
(25:42):
they hand you tell our lesteners who they are. Andrew
Berry is the general manager of the Cleveland Browns and
Kevin Stefanski's the head coach, and you know, I think,
you know, they really care about the people around them,
and they understand, you know, certain decisions and there's controversy
behind them.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
I would say I never felt isolated.
Speaker 4 (25:58):
I never felt not supported, I never felt unheard, and
that's a credit to them as leaders.
Speaker 1 (26:03):
Yeah, for sure, I feel like it's frustrating when I've
been in the space of speaking out about issues like that,
or even when there were issues at ESPN, people would
come to me and be like, how do you keep working.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
There when this guy did this?
Speaker 1 (26:15):
Sure, and I'm like, are you asking all the men
why you're not? And we can't be the ones being
victimized and also the ones expected to put our next
on the line, our jobs on the line, and have
nobody else step.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
Up, so and I will.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
I'll say this too about those two I and continue
to still have so much faith in their leadership and
what they would do that at the end of it all,
if they felt it was the right thing for the organization,
I was with them, you know. And that's how I
feel about them as individuals and leaders. I would run
through a brick wall for both of them. So if
it's a direction they wanted to go, I'm right there.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
I'm with you. Then why did you know it was
time to leave?
Speaker 4 (26:51):
Honestly, this opportunity is what made me start considering it.
I didn't really have any you know, it's gonna be
the NFL forever. And you know, other people had expected
for what the next five to ten years of my
life were supposed to be in the NFL. When this
opportunity came up, I just saw this as an incredible
opportunity that.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
Was once in a lifetime.
Speaker 4 (27:09):
And as I continue to talk to the people that
you say football and what they envisioned for this role,
I had to ask myself, like, if I look back
in a year or two years or three years and
pass this up, would I be okay with it? And
I didn't feel like I would be. This is something
really special and it's going to change. You know, it's
not just the Olympics. It's going to change the nature
of American football in the United States and in the world,
like American football is in the Olympics, which makes a
(27:29):
big statement. And we at this point have the opportunity
to build it how we want it to be, and
open it up how we want it to be, and
educate people on how we wanted to be and get
coaches up to speed. Like it's such a special thing
that when I do look back in five or ten
years and we get past the Olympics. It's something that
you can literally say like, I'm so proud I was
a part of that. So it was hard for me
to say no, like honestly.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
And you've got the talent that if you change your
mind on the NFL it's calling again, you can always
go back. Of course, what was the biggest lesson you
learn from your time in Cleveland?
Speaker 4 (27:58):
I learned a lot, But I would say one of
the things I really respected about coach Stefanski is he's
so cool, calm and collected through everything. And I said
this to him he or two when I was the
chief of staff. I was like, I need to learn
composure from you because as chief of staff, you have
so much going on, and I always, you know, I
would let myself. Biggest thing I took away was that
(28:19):
part you got overwhelmed a lot. It was it was
just a lot, you know, and you didn't want to
always react to things.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
You know.
Speaker 3 (28:24):
It's like it's like in the game when the.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
Quarterback throws an interception and they immediately zoom in on
the head coach, yeah, you know, And I was like, Okay,
who would I be in that situation?
Speaker 3 (28:33):
And so I literally I told him, you know.
Speaker 4 (28:36):
Year two, I was like, that's what I'm gonna work
on this year because I think in order to lead people,
they need to see that, even in times of trial,
you're unshaken.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
And that's who he is.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
So I really worked on that with him, and I
mean we saw it all the way through I mean
twenty twenty three season.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
Everything, We went.
Speaker 4 (28:49):
Through four or five quarterbacks, all this stuff, and Kevin
every meeting, even behind closed doors, unshaken. So I've really
tasked myself with that. That's the biggest thing I took away.
It is like, how can I be a leader that
went things go awry and the boat starts to rock.
Everybody's looking like she's cool, So I'm cool. Yeah, Okay.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
Final two questions honest answer, no bias. Who will win
the first Olympics and women's flag football the US?
Speaker 3 (29:15):
Okay? Who will win a Super Bowl? First? The Chicago
Bears or the Cleveland Browns.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
The Cleveland Browns, God damn it bias that there was
a ton of bias. Clean honest answer, y'all don't even
have a quarterback situation figured out.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
The Cleveland Browns figured out, oh we do dog pound.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
The Leeland Browns figure out is what the fans have
been saying for literally decade, and they'll do it again
this year. It's fine. They've been telling the Bears that too. Callie,
thanks so much for the time. We're looking forward to
seeing everything.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
We have to take another quick break. When we come back.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
We celebrate Black History Month by introducing you to a
pioneering softball player.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
Welcome back, Slices.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
It's Black History Month, and throughout February, we're going to
shine a spotlight on some black women's sports pioneers you
might not know about. Since college softball season just got underway, feels.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
Fitting to start there.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
Now.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
We're certain you've heard of Jackie Robinson, the man who
broke Major League Baseball's color.
Speaker 2 (30:15):
Barrier, but who led the way in softball.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
One of the women who took the field first was
Billy Harris. If you've seen a League of their Own,
Harris as one of the real life players that inspired
some of the show's characters. According to an excellent article
by Veronica Wells in Essence magazine, Harris discovered softball through
a piece she read about a couple of local Arizona
softball teams back in nineteen forty seven. From there, she
started working on her skills. As she practiced on the
(30:38):
side of the road. One day, a stranger came up
to her and asked if she'd like to try out
for a team called the Sunshine Girls.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
She made the team and the rest was history.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
In her long career, which lasted until she was seventy
four years old, she threw seventy no hitters, pitched four
perfect games, and scored one hundred and twenty three runs.
Some folks even called her the Jackie Robinson of softball.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
Of course, it wasn't all peaches and cream.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
During the time she played, she was often the only
black woman on her team. Segregation meant she was mistreated
commared to her white teammates, and sometimes her teammates were
the ones being racist and showing hostility toward her. Despite
that and so much more, she went on to become
the first African American woman inducted into the USA Softball
Hall of Fame. Fast forward to present day, and we've
(31:21):
got so many talented black softballers to cheer on, like Ottissi, Alexander,
Nijerie Kennedy, and MICHAELA.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
Edenfield, just to name a few.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
But there's still work to be done to ensure that
young black kids are welcomed in the sport, believe it
or not, In the year twenty twenty four, Olivia Madkins,
Columbia Softball's first ever black softball player, took the field. Now,
does that mean Columbia softball has been intentionally biased since
the program's first team was formed in nineteen ninety eight.
Not necessarily, but it just goes to show that there
(31:49):
have always been opportunities that.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Could have gone to black players and didn't.
Speaker 1 (31:53):
So hats off to Billy forgetting in the game back
in the late forties, and more power to Olivia and
other athletes still breaking down barrier today. We always love
that you're listening, but we want you to get in
the game every day too, So here's our good game
play of the day. Fill out your unrivaled one on
one tournament bracket and give us your logic as to
(32:14):
why you picked the way you did. We'd love to
know who you got and see if any slices can
correctly pick the last couple players standing. Find the bracket
in our show notes, and let us dot your thoughts
by hitting us up on email. Good game at wondermedianetwork
dot com or leave us a voicemail talking about it
eight seven two two oh four fifty seventy. Don't forget
to subscribe, rate and review too, everybody.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
It's real easy.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
Watch the WNBA and O Pill partnership rating five out
of five. Keep doing the damn work review with so
many companies already bowing down to the dictatorial directives and
threats from above that are trying to erase progress. Shouts
to the WNBA for pushing ahead with important initiatives like
the one with over the counter daily oral contraceptive OPILL
(32:58):
and nonprofit organization Black Women's Health Imperative Level the Court,
which launched on Tuesday, kicks off with a spring campus tour,
stopping at the University of Texas at San Antonio and
then three historically black colleges and universities. A rep for
OPEL told Despnsri Chambers that the Black Women's Health Imperative
chose schools end quote states where there is more restricted
access and restrictive laws surrounding what girls, women and those
(33:20):
who can become pregnant can and cannot do unquote. The
tour is just the first of several planned events and
opportunities to provide Black women with more information and options
surrounding their reproductive healthcare. WNBA Chief Growth Officer Coley Edison
told Chambers, quote, the WNBA has always said that women's
health is society's health. We're really trying to mirror the
work our players are already doing.
Speaker 2 (33:42):
End quote. Now it's your.
Speaker 1 (33:43):
Turn to rate and review. Thanks for listening, Have a
great weekend, See you next week. Good Game, Cali, Good Game,
Billy Harris. You anti science, anti intellectual, anti common sense,
anti humanity policies. Good Game with Sarah Spain is an
iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports
(34:05):
and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Production by
Wonder Media Network, our producers are Alex Azzie and Misha Jones.
Our executive producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan,
and Emily Rudder. Our editors are Emily Rutterer, Britney Martinez,
and Grace Lynch. Our associate producer is Lucy Jones and
I'm your host Sarah Spain
Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're fifty
percent Pym's Cup and fifty percent Purple Drink, but we
still haven't gotten our hands on a ben yet. It's Friday,
February seventh, and on today's show, we'll be kicking it
with Callie Bronson, former Cleveland Brown's assistant coach now senior
director of High Performance and USA National Football Operations. We'll
talk about getting the US ready for flag football in
(00:22):
the Olympics, getting to contribute to a global movement, what
she learned from the NFL, and how she handled being
on a staff with a problematic, high profile player, plus
how not to celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports
Day and NWSL WNBA crossover in the Rose City, and
bracket season is back, Baby, It's all coming up right
(00:42):
after this Welcome back slices, Happy Friday. Here's what you
need to know today in idiotic news. Trump signed an
(01:05):
executive order on Wednesday banning transgender athletes from participating in
Girls in Women's sports. The quote keeping Men Out of
Women's Sports order mandates that schools and institutions receiving federal
funding must abide by the new administration's interpretation of Title
nin where quote unquote, sex is defined as the gender
a person is assigned at birth, worth noting. On his
(01:27):
first day in office, Trump issued an executive order declaring
that the US government would only recognize two sexes, limiting
the definition of a male or female to a person's
reproductive cells at conception, and requiring that the federal government
used the term sex instead of gender. Trump will allegedly
lean on the Department of Education to help investigate and
enforce this new executive order, presumably the same Department of
(01:49):
Education he's seeking to dismantle. Also no word yet on
how they plan to investigate whether someone is a girl
or a boy and how to enforce that. In a
statement about the executive order, NCAA President Charlie Baker said, quote,
we strongly believe that clear, consistent, and uniform eligibility standards
would best serve today's student athletes instead of a patchwork
(02:10):
of conflicting state laws and court decisions. To that end,
President Trump's order provides a clear national standard.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Baker continued.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
The NCAA Board of Governors is reviewing the executive order
and will take necessary steps to align NCAA policy in
the coming days. Subject to further guidance from the administration,
the Association will continue to help foster welcoming environments on
campuses for all student athletes.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
We stand ready to assist.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Schools as they look for ways to support any student
athletes affected by changes in the policy.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
End quote.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
It's not lost on us, y'all that Trump announced this
executive order on National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
The cruelty is the point.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Even though we had a feeling this was coming, even
though we dreaded that this might be coming, it is
still extremely upsetting. We're sending love to all the athletes
and all the families affected, and we will certainly still
be covering this issue more in the future. Trans Girls
and Women in Sport are girls and women in Sport.
In NWSL news, the Denver expansion franchise has become the
fastest new side in league history to reach five thousand
(03:09):
season ticket deposits. Denver received fifty two hundred and eighty
deposits only three days after being named the NWSL's sixteenth
team on January thirtieth. That's a huge show of support
and further proof that fans in the Mile High City
were eager for their first women's pro sports team in
a major national league.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Do you live in the Denver area?
Speaker 1 (03:27):
We'll link to the site where you can sign up
for season tickets in our show notes in NWSL and
WNBA news, it was announced on Thursday that the Portland
Thorns and the Cities yet to be named WNBA expansion
team will train together at a brand new seventy five
million dollar training facility that's expected to open ahead of
the twenty twenty six WNBA season, part of a larger
(03:48):
one hundred and fifty million dollar project. Both teams are
owned by the Bethal family, who purchased the Thorns in
January of twenty twenty four and then won the bid
for the WNBA's fifteenth team in September of the same year.
Struction will take place in stages, with the training facility
coming first, but eventually the family hopes to build out
a broader campus that will function as a dedicated center
for women's sports performance and recovery. Per Thorn's release, the
(04:10):
completed twelve acre campus will include a sixty three thousand
square foot training facility, a seventeen thousand square foot practice
gym with two full sized basketball courts, two full sized
soccer pitches with an outdoor training zone, a five thousand
square foot strength and training facility with top of the
line equipment, an outdoor turf zone and a yoga pilate's room.
Dedicated dressing rooms for THORNSFC and WNBA Portland, a dining
(04:32):
room with a full time chef and nutritionist, dedicated rooms
for players, families and team meeting rooms and social media.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Content rooms, and more.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
One other cool tidbit, the Bethals are working with Workspace
Property Trust to repurpose a former Nike office complex west
of Portland in order to minimize environmental impact While building
out this vision, We'll link to the Thorns release and
mockups for the facility in our show notes. We love
these facility wars. Y'all keep battling to be the best teams.
We love to see it more. WNBA News free agent
(05:02):
Tiffany Hayes is headed to the Golden State Valkyries. The
twenty twenty four to sixth Woman of the Year signed
with the WNBA's thirteenth team and will rock Valkyrie Violet
this upcoming season. After coming out of WNBA retirement last
year to join the Las Vegas Aces. She's a twelve
year vet and is currently hooping in the Unrivaled Basketball
three on three League with former Aces teammate Kate Martin,
who also moved from Vegas to the Bay this offseason.
(05:23):
Hayes brings flat out scoring ability and a veteran presence
to a team that's mostly composed of youngsters and some
excellent glue players, led by first time WNBA head coach
Natalie Nicasse. In Unrivaled News, the bracket for the league's
Won on one tournament dropped, and mile my, there are
some intriguing matchups coming our way. Kaylea McBride versus d
Jna Carrington, Jackie Young versus Rakia Jackson, Tiffany Hayes versus
(05:48):
Courtney Williams, and those are all just the first round.
We can't wait to see where this tournament goes. It
starts on Monday, and while originally it was billed as
a winner take all, the site now reads that the
winner will earn two hundred thousand dollars for them sols
and ten thousand dollars for each player on their basketball club,
plus runner up gets fifty k and semi finalists get
twenty five thousand. Of course, because the folks behind the
(06:09):
scenes know we welcome the possibility of maximum chaos. Co
founders Defisa Collier and Brianna Stewart are on opposite sides
of the bracket. And get this, there's even a bracket challenge,
just like in college hoops, but with a twist. We'll
link to the instructions on how to fill yours out
in our show notes. We happen to notice that the
version on the Unrivaled website has a super dark background,
(06:29):
so if you print it out, you're not gonna be
able to see what you write. But thankfully, super Slice
Joey Maldonado saves the day again. He independently of the
Unrivaled one being posted, made one himself and it has
a white background, So if you go to My Blue
Sky you'll find it, or we'll put the link in
my show notes. That's an easier one to print and
fill out and share. Some Unrivaled games tonight two. We
(06:51):
love these Friday night faceoffs. First up, it's the six
and zero Lunar Owls versus My Phantom BC at seven
to fifteen pm Eastern, followed by roseby C versus Miss BC.
More games Saturday too, we'll link to the schedule in
our show notes. The college softball season kicked off yesterday,
so there are a bunch of teams ranked and unranked
hitting the diamond today. Too many to preview, so we'll
link to the day's full schedule. You guessed it in
(07:13):
our show notes to pro Vibes. League one Volleyball is
back tonight. Love Atlanta faces Love Salt Lake at nine
pm Eastern at Maverick Center in Salt Lake City. You
can watch that live on Love dot com and Dezone.
Love's got two other games tomorrow as well. We'll link
to the schedule in our show notes. And don't forget
it's Love with the BLOVB. Don't be don't be googling
(07:34):
Love dot com. I don't know what's on that site.
More vibes. The Pro Volleyball Federation's got two games tonight.
First up is Grand Rapids Rise versus Club is Fury
at seven Eastern, streaming live on YouTube. Then it's Vegas
Thrill at San Diego Mojo, starting at ten oh five
pm Eastern on Volleyball World TV.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
PVF has two other games tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
We'll link to the schedule in our show notes elsewhere
in the sport adjacent sphere, The met Gala's reviving its
host committee tradition this year, and a few of our
faves were tapped to service members. Team USA gymnasts Simone Biles,
wnba U, Unrivaled player Angel Reese, and Team USA sprinter
Shkari Richardson all made the list, which also includes folks
like mister Biles, Regina King, Jenell Money and Moore.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Lebron James is the honorary chair.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
The committee will support the evening's festivities and help set
the tone for this year's dress code. Tailored for You
a nod to the museum's super fine tailoring Black Style
Costume Institute exhibit. Can't wait to see what looks they
put together. Finally, in college hoops, a couple of big matchups
going down this weekend. On Saturday, number eight Ohio State
tries to bounce back from a sixty five fifty two
(08:37):
loss to.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Top ranked UCLA the other night.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
They traveled just a few more miles to play number
seven USC and then on Sunday, Number four Texas host
number two South Carolina for an SEC showdown. We'll link
to the full weekend schedule in our show notes finished
up Day two of Radio Row Slices, and I have
to say I'm leaving the ick behind and finding just joy.
So many old friends and colleagues, athletes that I've covered
(09:01):
in the past, and people that I am so glad
to finally meet in person. As long as I steer
clear of that outkickstage, just joy the rest of the
way out. Also, I got to quickly chat with Sabrina
and Escu. We talked unrivaled in Phantom BC as she
hustled between interviews.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Try to get her. We'll be sure to grab.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Her for the show soon when she's not hawking products
and overscheduled. As for last night, I continued to take
all the res and bop around the French Quarter, heading
back to see my guy at Aaron Rose for another
frozen Irish coffee, then off to the Davenport Lounge at
the Ritz for a Pims cup that's a New Orleans specialty.
That's the spot where the chiefs are stay in this year,
and listen to some jazz from local legend trumpeter Jeremy Davenport.
(09:40):
Then it was off to hear some live piano at
Lafitte's blacksmith's shop built in nearly seventeen hundreds. It's alleged
to be the oldest structure used as a bar in
the US. Good times always there. I took a risk.
I ordered the frozen foodoo Dackery, which is called Purple Drink.
It is made with bourbon and ever Clear, but somehow
just tastes like a purple jolly rancher.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Very dangerous. Just had one.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
I did some sightseeing on Bourbon Street. Always some good
people watching there, grab some food, hung out with some friends.
Enjoyed the scene and things are only going to get
hotter and busier and crazier as we get closer to
the weekend and the big game.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
And speaking of the big game, quick props.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
Two former Cornell football players are facing off on Sunday,
Hunter Nours out of the Chiefs and Jalx Hunt of
the Eagles, both in their rookie NFL season. So either
way this weekend Cornell wins. Hope y'all enjoyed the game.
We're going to take a quick break and when we
come back. Callie Bronson joined me on Radio Row to
talk about what she learned from the NFL that she's
brought with her to the world of women's flag football.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Joining US now.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
She's a barrier breaking coach at the college and professional
levels who just joined USA Football as the Senior Director
of High Performance and National Team Operations after spending five
seasons with the Cleveland Browns in the NFL, acting as
chief of staff and assistant wide receivers coach. She's the
first woman ever to coach an NFL position group in
a regular season game. She was a two time champion
with the DC Divas in the Women's Football Alliance as
(11:08):
a free safety and running back, and a two time
gold medalist with the US women's National American Football team.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
It's Calie Bronson. What's up, Callie?
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Well, that's a lot DC Divas. Yeah, how'd you feel
about that?
Speaker 4 (11:18):
Name?
Speaker 3 (11:19):
Was favorite?
Speaker 4 (11:20):
Yeah, let's just say I wasn't on a lot of
the advertisements. I didn't fit the Diva mold, but I
still repped when I had to.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
You know. Is that the same league that had the
Philadelphia Lady Bells.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
Or that Yeah, a long time for two years. Yeah,
and now they're the fansoms I believe.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Okay, Well, shout out to my sister. Katie always weasel
it in. I don't think she talks enough about how
cool it was that she played professional football for two years. Okay,
I want to first start with this new gig because
you're overseeing USA Football's US national team program.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
What does that mean?
Speaker 2 (11:47):
What do they do?
Speaker 3 (11:48):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (11:48):
Okay, Well, so obviously the big news that came out
was flag footballs in the Olympics. I think to preface
that and rewind like there's always been We've always had
national teams. I played for the women's sacle national team,
and obviously in the past few years we fielded flag
national teams both men and women, adult and junior national teams. Well,
obviously now it's in the Olympics. Everybody's talking about it.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
Big deal. Men and women adult national teams are in
the Olympics.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
So with that happening, we're seeing such a shift and
a growth in the sport. So really my job is
to figure out our process, both player evaluations, to player selection,
to coach selection, to how we practice, how we train.
So we're really kind of taking our operation and souping
it up to get to the point where over the
next few years we're putting together the perfect operation for
(12:30):
our national teams.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
To go and win gold in LA.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
And You're coming from the NFL, so they want someone
that knows how things run at the very highest level
of football and to bring those standards to flag exactly.
Speaker 4 (12:40):
Yeah, you know, and I always I've already done it,
you know, I'm in week three. So I go back
to a lot of the stuff I dealt with as
a chief of staff, you know, putting these processes in place,
and understanding what's going to be the best and really
like the role all of us, everybody on the high
performance team, our job is to just create the best
possible environment for our players and our coaches.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
That's sick.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
How do you feel about the timing of the Olympics,
Because whenever I talk to women athletes, like you know,
Sue Bird is like, of course, I'm jealous that right
now people are making millions of dollars and they have
the best resources that they're flying charter and they're you know,
do you wish that you would have had a shot
at it.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
At the Olympics. I think about it all the time.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
Yeah, you know, just just in general, I think about
sports for women right now and how amazing it is.
I mean, what an awesome time to be a female athlete,
Like whether it be Olympic level or even what we're
seeing in a WNBA, Like, it's so cool to see.
So yeah, I mean, of course those of us who
are competitors and put our bodies on the line are
a little jealous, but I'm also so excited. It's so
cool to see how this has grown. And it's late,
(13:40):
it's overdue, but it's happening, and we have to keep
driving that momentum.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
Yeah, I'm definitely a little bittersweet.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
I also like to convince myself that if all these
things had been around when I was a kid, I
would have worked harder and then I would have been
at the level of being in the Olympics, even though yeah,
probably isn't true. Okay, tell me about this Champions Rising documentary.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
Yeah, so obviously they followed our national teams last year,
going through the whole process. I love it because it's
going to be a great way for the random person
who wants to learn more about what the national teams
are because it follows the whole journey from trials to
training camp all the way through competition, so you get
such a great view of what it is to be
a national team player, but also what our process is.
(14:18):
I get so many questions, especially since I took this job,
on what our operation is all about, and hey, I
never heard of this. This like gives such concrete legitimacy
to what we do and how it works. You watch that,
you're like, this is a full on operation, and it is.
We're the national team. So I think it's awesome. It's
coming out. It'll be on the YouTube channel. The trailer
came out, I encourage everybody to watch the trailer because
I think that's a great little snippet of what it's
(14:40):
going to be about. But when it comes out on
YouTube channels and through USA Football, I encourage everybody to
watch it.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
I think if you have any.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
Questions about what we're about and what it is, it's
a great foundation for what the national team is and
you get to see the sport from some pretty cool
angles too.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
So yeah, I mean, it.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Just feels like the ability to film in places and
have more documentaries of every kind has allowed us to
see the legitimacy and value of things that previously weren't
given that treatment because it was primarily focused on men's
sports and also goes documentary is much rare, and also
with streaming there's more space to put.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Them, yep, and I'm looking forward to watching that.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
Okay, I want to I want to ask you what
you find most exciting about the current moment for women's
slag football.
Speaker 4 (15:19):
Yeah, a lot, to be honest, I'm excited about a lot.
But the biggest thing is like where we are and
how competitive it is, you know, watching these women play
and even even the girls on the junior national team.
It's come such a long way and it's it's only growing.
So what I'm most excited about is being at this
point and looking back in a couple of years and
then looking back as we go to LA and being like, wow,
we we just built.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
Something very special.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
Because the other thing that's being that I take as
a task of mine is yeah, we need to go
win gold, right, and we need to take it. You know,
a great two great teams to LA, but we want
to grow this for globally. We want every team that
shows up in LA to be competitive. We want every
game to be you know, close and competitive in this
display of the amazing athletes that are part of it.
So part of our approach these next couple of years
(16:02):
is to continue to grow the game and help in
our capacity to do that and help these other countries
get to a point where when we go to La
everybody who watches.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
Flag football is like, wow, I have to tell you.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
The only flag football name I know men's are women's
is Deanna Flores.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
Freaking badass. She's a friend.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
We were on the Gatoray Women's Advisory Board together, Mexican
national team quarterback. Okay, so I'm like, Okay, Mexico's got
to be great because they've got Tana.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
Is that true?
Speaker 4 (16:26):
Oh yeah, great, they got a good team and they
have they have done a great job with the sport
of football too, because I know when when I both
coached and played on the on the tackle team, the
national team have a great women's tackle team too. I mean, yeah,
they definitely deserve their flowers and their respect in that regard.
And it's always a pretty competitive matchup anytime the US
national teams team up with with Team Mexico.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
So it's the win, of course. Great. Good to know
it's right.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
You know a lot of times, when say, for instance,
there's developments in the softball world, softball players are excited,
but also men who play baseball don't necessarily want to
be diverted to something if baseball is their love.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
How do you feel about flag football being the thing
that's getting pushed for women and what it might mean
for tackle football for women.
Speaker 4 (17:11):
Yeah. Well, so one of the things I like to
say when when when this comes up is they're vastly
different sports, so I mean vastly tackle versus flag.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
So it's not gonna be for everybody, right, there are.
Speaker 4 (17:20):
Gonna be plenty of women who currently play in the
in the tackle leagues around the US and even around
the world who don't need to venture into the space.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Now.
Speaker 4 (17:28):
I know it's a feeling because it's in the Olympics,
but they're vastly different sports, not going to be for everybody.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
But what we're we're.
Speaker 4 (17:33):
Looking at is the transition of athletes from every sport,
so men and women, you know, basketball players, Like what
are the translatable skills that make a successful flag football
player that exists in other sports? I mean, that's where
a lot of that talent pool is going to come from.
So we've we've kind of started looking into all those
things and it's been really exciting because you know, to
that point, it's not going to be for everybody, and
that's okay. You know, well, tackle football have resources still Yeah,
(17:54):
of course, yeah, absolutely, and and and tackle still falls
under us at USA Football. You know, we are the
governing body of football in the In the US, it's
flag and tackle. So we have not forgotten about tackle.
It's near and dear to my heart, so I certainly
haven't forgotten about it. But we're very invested in all
those things.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
You're very small, were you always very small? I can't
picture you're wrapping someone up and taking him down.
Speaker 4 (18:15):
I have some perfect form, I have some pictures, and
yes I worked on my form, but I was a
little beef heer back then, in a good way, like
I think. I think when I was playing, I was
one fifty five, one sixty on this frame. I had
some muscles I've leaned out in my retired years.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
None of the sports I played allowed tackling.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
It didn't always stop me, though, and I don't wish
I'd had more opportunity, don't doubt that.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
I want to ask how you first got into football. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
I grew up loving the game because my dad loved
the game, so he went to University of Miami, and
so I grew up watching like the glory days of Miami,
like Larry Kocher was the head coach, and all those
guys come through the Hurricane program, and so that's what
we did on Saturdays. We watched Miami Hurricane football and
we used to go to games, and we used to
go down for spring practice because we still he still
had a house down there in Coral Gables.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
So it was kind of ingrained in me from the
jump to love football.
Speaker 4 (19:02):
I mean, baseball was my first love because I grew
up watching Cal Ripken in Baltimore and that was hard.
It's hard to shy away from that kind of stuff.
But football always like had a different pool on me.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
And then you got into soopta because they wouldn't let
you play fastball, let me play football.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
And you don't have to answer this if it's sensitive.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
You were raised by your dad, Yeah, solo dad?
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Yeah, how come? Well? My parents got divorced early on.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
My mom was kind of going through some stuff personally,
and it was just the right decision. And I tip
my hat to my dad every day for making hard
decisions like that. But it really made me who I
am today, and I'm so grateful for him. Tough things
for families to go through but necessary things and I'm
just I'm so happy to call him dad.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
Yeah, okay, so you play softball in college, but then
you get back into football.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
You've always had this like love of it.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
And in twenty nineteen, you became the first woman to
coach full time in Division one college football as an
offensive quality control coach for Dartmouth. Yep, that was my
number one choice. I did not get in, but that's okay.
I really enjoyed where I went. Will not hold it
against them for the rest of my life, even though
I saw to him. What do you think coach Buddy
Teven saw in you back then? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (20:05):
I remember when we met. We met at the Manning
Passing Academy. They're doing a clinic for women and girls
down in Thibodaux, Louisiana at Nicols State University.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
It was like early August. It was so hot.
Speaker 4 (20:14):
I just I remember that part, and I remember Buddy.
We just clicked.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
Like.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
We sat there the night before the camp with a
whiteboard and he and I went through. He had never
really done a camp for women and girls before. She
was like, how advanced did we go?
Speaker 3 (20:26):
Whatever?
Speaker 4 (20:26):
So I sat there in the locker room with him,
and we were writing everything, all the stations down on
a whiteboard and it was just one of those things
that felt so organic and so easy, like we saw
things the same way, we communicated the same way. He
was a very like organized I need to know what's
happening at all times.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
That's how I operate.
Speaker 4 (20:45):
And so then the next day at the camp, just
rolling around, he could see how much fun I was having.
And a week later I got a call and he said,
I don't know what it is, but I I want
you to be a part of our football program. Could
come up in intern for us during camp, and I
told him, I said, I share the sentence, the sentiment,
you know I I I was so honored to work
with you. And even in those two days what I
learned was incredible. So kind of took off from there
(21:06):
and even when I left Dartmouth, but he was one
of my closest friends. We didn't stop talking and we
were always in touch and somebody had considered a really
close front.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
Yeah, he tragically passed away in a bike accident, but
had a great, great resume of helping make the sport
more safe, yes, and more equitable and divorse absolutely and
So the reason you were ready for that job is
you played college softball and then you transferred to George Mason.
And while at George Mason, that's when you started playing
with the DCDA. So you're playing alongside women in their
(21:36):
twenties with full time jobs while you're at college. Yeah,
that's how much you wanted to get back into football.
How did you translate playing to being ready for an
opportunity at Dartmouth when that opportunity presented itself.
Speaker 4 (21:47):
It's a great question, and I think it's something that
a lot of former players can can attest to. But
when I was playing, I was such an analytical I
saw the game from a way that I wanted to
learn every facet of it was as a film study nerd.
I really wanted to learn the game schematically. And I
played both sides of the ball, so that really helped me.
Understanding defense has made me a better wide receiver, you know,
(22:09):
understanding the wide receiver position and the specifics that going
too that made me a better defensive back.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
So I just I was like a football junkie. I
loved it.
Speaker 4 (22:17):
And even on the field, you know, the resources in
women's stockle are not where they need to be, so
some of us had to step up and be coaches
during practice, you know. And I just always had a
knack for it. I was coaching high school softball at
the time, trying to make some money while I was
in school and all so forth, and so I loved
coaching because coaching is just teaching, And to me, coaching
is teaching on something that you're like massively passionate about,
(22:38):
Like that's coaching. So I was like, I love football,
I love the coach, and that's kind of how it intertwined.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
And it's amazing. Yeah, it's really cool.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
How do you decide when you're with the Browns and
you're getting a lot of publicity as one of the
few coaches in the NFL women coaches, how do you
decide whether to just do the work or to lean
into what representation means for other women and how you're
in flos might impact future generations.
Speaker 4 (23:02):
I think it's important to find the balance because at
the end of the day, you're not gonna be in
that position of influence if you're not doing the work
and you're not doing your job, you know, So so
I think it's a balance. It's like I always say,
like with some of the women who jump in there,
it's like finding a way to be passive and aggressive
at the same time.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
So knowing I'm very passive aggressive as joking, I will
I'm gonna that's my follow up. I'll be asking no.
Speaker 4 (23:25):
But it's it's it's one of those things where you
do need to use your platform. I always tell like
some of the women who come in, like when you
get asked a question when you do something, if you
do a podcast, if you do an event, are you
doing it for yourself or you're doing it for the
greater good. If you're going to answer that question you're
doing it for the greater good, then it's worth your time.
If you're doing it for yourself and your self promotion,
go back to work, like pick up something to do,
because I think that that's that's where you have to
(23:47):
get really careful. But I think anything you do to
promote women in football, and it's for the benefit of
anybody else who wants to get in or who is
currently in, you should do it.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
Absolutely use your platform.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
I've talked to coach Low about this Lori Locust, and
she said the problem is like if you're getting a
ton of attention that other people around the same position
aren't getting. It can isolate you, and it can make
you feel othered in a way that doesn't bring you
to the team.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
And a huge part of being one of the only women.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
On the staff is to make sure that you can
be a part of the squad and not always on
the outside. And so she was very careful and continues
to be very careful about what publicity she does do
and how she uses her platform, and then also not
othering herself.
Speaker 4 (24:24):
And I agree, and I think you just have to
be selective in the things you do. You know, at
the end of the day, you got hired to do
a job. It's cool that it created this platform for you.
It's actually great that it did. But I always found
too like doing a really good job at what you
do and then getting promoted, that's a bigger message than
anything else.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
So always choose job and work first, and it's okay
to say no to things. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
While you're with Cleveland, the team acquired quarterback to Shan
Watson after he was sued by more than two dozen
female massage therapists for sexual arrassment and sexual assault. He's
settled twenty claims of sexual misconduct. I often find that
marginalized groups are expected to a advocate for themselves and
their peers, while members of the offending group aren't taken
to the path for their silence and their complicity. I
don't expect you to talk specifically about Watson. I just
(25:09):
wonder whether you felt a particular burden as a female
member of that coaching staff, either to speak out or
express or displeasure or or otherwise. Did people demand something
of you they didn't demand of others.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
I would say this, I have so much respect for
Kevin and Andrew Berry already. How they handled that situation
internally was even more respectable. You know, I didn't. I
didn't feel marginalized. I didn't feel like I couldn't, you know,
say my piece. I didn't, you know, I never felt
that way. I think between the two of them, internally
(25:42):
they hand you tell our lesteners who they are. Andrew
Berry is the general manager of the Cleveland Browns and
Kevin Stefanski's the head coach, and you know, I think,
you know, they really care about the people around them,
and they understand, you know, certain decisions and there's controversy
behind them.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
I would say I never felt isolated.
Speaker 4 (25:58):
I never felt not supported, I never felt unheard, and
that's a credit to them as leaders.
Speaker 1 (26:03):
Yeah, for sure, I feel like it's frustrating when I've
been in the space of speaking out about issues like that,
or even when there were issues at ESPN, people would
come to me and be like, how do you keep working.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
There when this guy did this?
Speaker 1 (26:15):
Sure, and I'm like, are you asking all the men
why you're not? And we can't be the ones being
victimized and also the ones expected to put our next
on the line, our jobs on the line, and have
nobody else step.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
Up, so and I will.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
I'll say this too about those two I and continue
to still have so much faith in their leadership and
what they would do that at the end of it all,
if they felt it was the right thing for the organization,
I was with them, you know. And that's how I
feel about them as individuals and leaders. I would run
through a brick wall for both of them. So if
it's a direction they wanted to go, I'm right there.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
I'm with you. Then why did you know it was
time to leave?
Speaker 4 (26:51):
Honestly, this opportunity is what made me start considering it.
I didn't really have any you know, it's gonna be
the NFL forever. And you know, other people had expected
for what the next five to ten years of my
life were supposed to be in the NFL. When this
opportunity came up, I just saw this as an incredible
opportunity that.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
Was once in a lifetime.
Speaker 4 (27:09):
And as I continue to talk to the people that
you say football and what they envisioned for this role,
I had to ask myself, like, if I look back
in a year or two years or three years and
pass this up, would I be okay with it? And
I didn't feel like I would be. This is something
really special and it's going to change. You know, it's
not just the Olympics. It's going to change the nature
of American football in the United States and in the world,
like American football is in the Olympics, which makes a
(27:29):
big statement. And we at this point have the opportunity
to build it how we want it to be, and
open it up how we want it to be, and
educate people on how we wanted to be and get
coaches up to speed. Like it's such a special thing
that when I do look back in five or ten
years and we get past the Olympics. It's something that
you can literally say like, I'm so proud I was
a part of that. So it was hard for me
to say no, like honestly.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
And you've got the talent that if you change your
mind on the NFL it's calling again, you can always
go back. Of course, what was the biggest lesson you
learn from your time in Cleveland?
Speaker 4 (27:58):
I learned a lot, But I would say one of
the things I really respected about coach Stefanski is he's
so cool, calm and collected through everything. And I said
this to him he or two when I was the
chief of staff. I was like, I need to learn
composure from you because as chief of staff, you have
so much going on, and I always, you know, I
would let myself. Biggest thing I took away was that
(28:19):
part you got overwhelmed a lot. It was it was
just a lot, you know, and you didn't want to
always react to things.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
You know.
Speaker 3 (28:24):
It's like it's like in the game when the.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
Quarterback throws an interception and they immediately zoom in on
the head coach, yeah, you know, And I was like, Okay,
who would I be in that situation?
Speaker 3 (28:33):
And so I literally I told him, you know.
Speaker 4 (28:36):
Year two, I was like, that's what I'm gonna work
on this year because I think in order to lead people,
they need to see that, even in times of trial,
you're unshaken.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
And that's who he is.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
So I really worked on that with him, and I
mean we saw it all the way through I mean
twenty twenty three season.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
Everything, We went.
Speaker 4 (28:49):
Through four or five quarterbacks, all this stuff, and Kevin
every meeting, even behind closed doors, unshaken. So I've really
tasked myself with that. That's the biggest thing I took away.
It is like, how can I be a leader that
went things go awry and the boat starts to rock.
Everybody's looking like she's cool, So I'm cool. Yeah, Okay.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
Final two questions honest answer, no bias. Who will win
the first Olympics and women's flag football the US?
Speaker 3 (29:15):
Okay? Who will win a Super Bowl? First? The Chicago
Bears or the Cleveland Browns.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
The Cleveland Browns, God damn it bias that there was
a ton of bias. Clean honest answer, y'all don't even
have a quarterback situation figured out.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
The Cleveland Browns figured out, oh we do dog pound.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
The Leeland Browns figure out is what the fans have
been saying for literally decade, and they'll do it again
this year. It's fine. They've been telling the Bears that too. Callie,
thanks so much for the time. We're looking forward to
seeing everything.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
We have to take another quick break. When we come back.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
We celebrate Black History Month by introducing you to a
pioneering softball player.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
Welcome back, Slices.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
It's Black History Month, and throughout February, we're going to
shine a spotlight on some black women's sports pioneers you
might not know about. Since college softball season just got underway, feels.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
Fitting to start there.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
Now.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
We're certain you've heard of Jackie Robinson, the man who
broke Major League Baseball's color.
Speaker 2 (30:15):
Barrier, but who led the way in softball.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
One of the women who took the field first was
Billy Harris. If you've seen a League of their Own,
Harris as one of the real life players that inspired
some of the show's characters. According to an excellent article
by Veronica Wells in Essence magazine, Harris discovered softball through
a piece she read about a couple of local Arizona
softball teams back in nineteen forty seven. From there, she
started working on her skills. As she practiced on the
(30:38):
side of the road. One day, a stranger came up
to her and asked if she'd like to try out
for a team called the Sunshine Girls.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
She made the team and the rest was history.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
In her long career, which lasted until she was seventy
four years old, she threw seventy no hitters, pitched four
perfect games, and scored one hundred and twenty three runs.
Some folks even called her the Jackie Robinson of softball.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
Of course, it wasn't all peaches and cream.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
During the time she played, she was often the only
black woman on her team. Segregation meant she was mistreated
commared to her white teammates, and sometimes her teammates were
the ones being racist and showing hostility toward her. Despite
that and so much more, she went on to become
the first African American woman inducted into the USA Softball
Hall of Fame. Fast forward to present day, and we've
(31:21):
got so many talented black softballers to cheer on, like Ottissi, Alexander,
Nijerie Kennedy, and MICHAELA.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
Edenfield, just to name a few.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
But there's still work to be done to ensure that
young black kids are welcomed in the sport, believe it
or not, In the year twenty twenty four, Olivia Madkins,
Columbia Softball's first ever black softball player, took the field. Now,
does that mean Columbia softball has been intentionally biased since
the program's first team was formed in nineteen ninety eight.
Not necessarily, but it just goes to show that there
(31:49):
have always been opportunities that.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Could have gone to black players and didn't.
Speaker 1 (31:53):
So hats off to Billy forgetting in the game back
in the late forties, and more power to Olivia and
other athletes still breaking down barrier today. We always love
that you're listening, but we want you to get in
the game every day too, So here's our good game
play of the day. Fill out your unrivaled one on
one tournament bracket and give us your logic as to
(32:14):
why you picked the way you did. We'd love to
know who you got and see if any slices can
correctly pick the last couple players standing. Find the bracket
in our show notes, and let us dot your thoughts
by hitting us up on email. Good game at wondermedianetwork
dot com or leave us a voicemail talking about it
eight seven two two oh four fifty seventy. Don't forget
to subscribe, rate and review too, everybody.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
It's real easy.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
Watch the WNBA and O Pill partnership rating five out
of five. Keep doing the damn work review with so
many companies already bowing down to the dictatorial directives and
threats from above that are trying to erase progress. Shouts
to the WNBA for pushing ahead with important initiatives like
the one with over the counter daily oral contraceptive OPILL
(32:58):
and nonprofit organization Black Women's Health Imperative Level the Court,
which launched on Tuesday, kicks off with a spring campus tour,
stopping at the University of Texas at San Antonio and
then three historically black colleges and universities. A rep for
OPEL told Despnsri Chambers that the Black Women's Health Imperative
chose schools end quote states where there is more restricted
access and restrictive laws surrounding what girls, women and those
(33:20):
who can become pregnant can and cannot do unquote. The
tour is just the first of several planned events and
opportunities to provide Black women with more information and options
surrounding their reproductive healthcare. WNBA Chief Growth Officer Coley Edison
told Chambers, quote, the WNBA has always said that women's
health is society's health. We're really trying to mirror the
work our players are already doing.
Speaker 2 (33:42):
End quote. Now it's your.
Speaker 1 (33:43):
Turn to rate and review. Thanks for listening, Have a
great weekend, See you next week. Good Game, Cali, Good Game,
Billy Harris. You anti science, anti intellectual, anti common sense,
anti humanity policies. Good Game with Sarah Spain is an
iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports
(34:05):
and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Production by
Wonder Media Network, our producers are Alex Azzie and Misha Jones.
Our executive producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan,
and Emily Rudder. Our editors are Emily Rutterer, Britney Martinez,
and Grace Lynch. Our associate producer is Lucy Jones and
I'm your host Sarah Spain
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