September 18, 2025 • 46 mins
It’s not every day you meet your heroes.
But The GIST’s Associate Managing Editor Lauren Tuiskula did just that earlier this week, sitting down with legendary ESPN reporter Holly Rowe to discuss the evolution of female fandom across the sports universe. Tune in to this episode of The GIST of It to hear Lauren and Holly discuss college football, Holly’s biggest storyline of the ongoing WNBA playoffs, and to hear about Holly’s work with the Allstate Good Works Team, which highlights NCAA student-athlete community service projects across the U.S.
This episode was brought to you by Amazon Business, the ultimate partner for smart business buying. Amazon Business offers a one-stop shop for all of your business needs, helping companies of all shapes and sizes simplify their purchasing process. Learn more by checking out business.amazon.com today.
Show notes:
Learn more about the Allstate Good Works Team
More on The GIST:
☎️ Leave us a voicemail! Call us at 1-437-564-5579 or hold down on this link
🎧 Subscribe: thegistsports.com/subscribepod
✉️ Email: pod@thegistsports.com
📷 Instagram: @thegistca @thegistusa
🐦 X: @thegistpod
But The GIST’s Associate Managing Editor Lauren Tuiskula did just that earlier this week, sitting down with legendary ESPN reporter Holly Rowe to discuss the evolution of female fandom across the sports universe. Tune in to this episode of The GIST of It to hear Lauren and Holly discuss college football, Holly’s biggest storyline of the ongoing WNBA playoffs, and to hear about Holly’s work with the Allstate Good Works Team, which highlights NCAA student-athlete community service projects across the U.S.
This episode was brought to you by Amazon Business, the ultimate partner for smart business buying. Amazon Business offers a one-stop shop for all of your business needs, helping companies of all shapes and sizes simplify their purchasing process. Learn more by checking out business.amazon.com today.
Show notes:
Learn more about the Allstate Good Works Team
More on The GIST:
☎️ Leave us a voicemail! Call us at 1-437-564-5579 or hold down on this link
🎧 Subscribe: thegistsports.com/subscribepod
✉️ Email: pod@thegistsports.com
📷 Instagram: @thegistca @thegistusa
🐦 X: @thegistpod
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Happy Tiny Friday. Sports fans, welcome or welcome back to
another episode of The Gist of It. Today is Thursday,
September eighteenth. We're your co hosts. I'm Ellen Hyslop.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
And I'm Stuff Rots And.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
We know that we were chatting with you on Tuesday,
but as we mentioned on Tuesday, that was an evergreen
pre recorded episode. So Steph and I haven't talked for
a week, which feels illegal and should be wrong. And Steph,
you went up north and had a cute cozy cottage
weekend with the girlies since we last chatted.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
How was it we saw? And I'm not even lying.
Five deer. This is not exciting for you because you
see deer all the time, but these were deer that
looked like something out of a cartoon. The white spots
on the back, the white trimming, the perfectly pointed is
(01:00):
the little poof of the tail. They galloped through the
wind the woods behind us like dogs.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
It was so cute little bambies everywhere. That's really sweet.
And for context for folks, I spent my time everywhere
but where as so most of my time is on
the East coast of Canada, and deer are pests essentially
where I live, so we see clumps of five deer
every single day. And when I started to be out here,
(01:28):
I was taking pictures every single time I saw deer
in the while like, oh my god, dear, this is
so cool, and everyone out here was making so much
fun of me. And then now I'm making fun of Steph.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
I knew as me and my friend were parked up
on the side of the road snap and picks, staying
at respectable distance, but snaping pics of these deer that
the folks driving by were probably thinking city girls, city girls, dity.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Girls, steady girl. No, I love it. And what a
tree and you know, what a treat stuff. What today's
episode for that one? I am so excited because we
get to yap all the time, but today's episode actually
features two of our favorites yapping. Our associate managing editor
(02:16):
Lauren had the opportunity to chat with Holly Row. And
for those of you who aren't familiar with Holly Row,
she is a legendairy ESPN reporter. I don't think this
woman sleeps whenever I'm watching sports she is on TV.
She does a lot of work as a sideline reporter
for the WNBA, for college football, for college basketball. She's
(02:40):
creating stories here, there, and everywhere. And I think also
steph she's just such a champion for young athletes, college athletes,
but also female athletes period and has done such a
great job at telling stories that I feel like for
people who are entering new spaces and for casual fans.
(03:00):
She kind of creates the thread I think between that
like avid fan and that casual fan and keeps it
really fun and light and is really well respected and
regarded in sports and from all of these athletes. So
the fact that Holly reached out to us and was
like let's chat, we said, are you kidding? Yes, please, yes, please,
And we're also going to talk to about this like
(03:22):
really great stuff that she's doing for the community and
in the community right now, which is awesome.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Yeah, So Lauren gets into all of that behind the
scenes with her work as a sideline reporter. She's going
to talk about her pick for the top storyline in
the WNBA playoffs, which is oh tea love to hear
to have that comes straight from Holly Rose. Just such
a treat for this podcast. In addition to all of
the great work that she's doing with all State good Works.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
That is a good reminder stuff for our audience. We're
so sorry we can't talk about the WNBA Playoffs right now.
Every time that we're recording our podcasts, literally during a game.
We are in the first round of the Postsea and
right now that's best of three. I am quite surprised
about how many series are actually going to three. I
(04:07):
thought that there would be more two game sweeps, but
we love a longer series. And then as a reminder,
the Semis is best of five, and then the finals
for the first time ever, is best of seven.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Could we promise the listeners that we will at some
point do a full episode on the WNBA Playoffs when
it's a little bit more timely in terms of what
we're recording one.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Hundred percent, I think I think that we could feel
confident to make that promise to the listeners. I also think, Steph, you,
I'm making that promise to you. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
I'm looking you in the in the virtual I not
that I really control it.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Like, we've got to talk to our producers, Al and
Lisa let us know if we're allowed to do this.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Before we get started, and we let y'all listen to
that treat of an interview, we do need to call
an audible. And I think the one thing that I
absolutely need to talk about on this podcast is the
launch of another podcast coming from two absolute legends, Serena
and Venus Williams. They are, of course of tennis fame,
(05:11):
they are sisters. I feel like we don't really I
don't need to tell you who they are, no, but
they spoke with people this week about their debut podcast,
Stockton Street. Is that how you say an yep? Perfect?
And they're going to give listeners an intimate look into
their lives both on and off the tennis coore in
this podcast, and I am so excited, Like to be
(05:34):
able to know more about these two is such a
privilege and I'm so looking forward to it.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Yes, I agree, I feel like and maybe we're speaking,
maybe we're speaking out of turn, but I feel like
with hosts, you really get to develop this parasostal relationship
where you get to feel like you know them even
though you don't know them at all. At least I
feel that way with some of my favorite podcasts, and
so the idea that we get to be besties Venus
(06:00):
and Serena Williams. That's really exciting to me. I also
feel like, too, such a big part of podcasting is
finding who you have chemistry with, and those two are
chalk full of chemistry. We've seen it when they're on
the court playing doubles together, we see it on social
media when they're riffing with each other, and so I'm
(06:22):
excited to see how it actually plays out in a show.
What I do find interesting in all of this, and
I feel like a little bit of my hot take
is I'm surprised that it's being hosted on X. And
part of the reason why I'm surprised that it's being
hosted on X is just where that social media channel
(06:44):
is right now, and that a lot of people are
flocking away from it. And I think that a lot
of people who would want to listen to a Williams
Sisters podcast are flocking away from it. Maybe it's a
play by X to try to get people to come
back to the platform. The platform also hasn't been doing
well from a revenue perspective and advertising perspective because major
(07:07):
brands haven't been advertising as much, and so we've seen
them start to develop their own IP and shows so
that they can make more money through these types of partnerships.
And so there's a couple of other sports podcasts on X,
but I'm like, is this the right home for them?
I'm not sure? Are they making X better one hundred
(07:28):
and ten percent? And it's just part of again, it's
a part of our scroll. People are still gonna be
involved in Twitter and X even that just has our
couple accounts there that are like kind of active. But
I found that very interesting.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
X certainly needs them more than I think they need X.
They could have taken this to any platform, So I'm
very that is an interesting take. I wouldn't say that's
the hot take either, that's just facts.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Perhaps we don't know anything behind the scenes, right, Maybe
X approach them or they approach like who knows. Obviously,
in anything, I we owe so much to the Williams sisters.
We owe so much in sports to the Williams sisters,
and so the fact that we get to see them
(08:16):
in this next era is really special.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
I'm so excited.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
So they're going to release bi weekly episodes starting on Wednesday, So.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
I guess that mean once every two weeks, uh usually right?
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Okay, yeah, bye bye.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Weekly, just bye, a monthly, bi weekly, by annual just twice,
So like, can we say a year? Can we say
twice a month?
Speaker 2 (08:37):
You know? I so agree, I so agree. But I'm
so excited because I really needed a new podcast. So
thank you, thank you, a.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Big thank you to Amazon Business for supporting this podcast.
September always makes me nostalgic for back to school season.
From color coding my notebooks by subject math was blue,
of course, to picking out the perfect planner as an adult,
I'm finding the same joy by supporting our team with
Amazon Business. Amazon businesses smart buying tools make it easy
(09:06):
for companies to outfit their staff with all of the
essentials like sticky notes, laptop chargers, and most important to
us at the gist second screeze to keep up with
all of the sports action check out Amazon Business Today. Okay,
(09:28):
we're so excited to pass us over to Lauren, who
had the opportunity to interview one of her faves and
I think one of her is supposed too, so I
feel like that shines through the interview and she did
such a great job at asking all these questions. But
it's time to pass it off to Lauren and Holly Rowe.
As we mentioned, if you're in the US, you probably
recognize Holly as the ESPN sideline reporter who's here, there, everywhere.
(09:52):
For a Canadian comparison, I was thinking about that today
before the podcast, Stef, I don't know if Canada actually
has someone who is at the same level as a
Holly Row or a doors Work. I feel like the
closest could maybe be a Jennifer Hedger on TSN, but
I feel like that's only for avid fans versus. I
(10:13):
do feel like Holly Row extends beyond sports in a
certain way, and or because she's done so much against
men's sports women's sports for so long that people just
recognize her face.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Yeah, I would say she is recognizable as a personality
in persona in the US, I think, regardless of sport.
And I don't know if we have the same comparison
in Canada for an anchor here, So it's kind of
hard to give a one for one, but you know,
you got to listen in she is primarily covering college
football and the WNBA, given where we are at the
time of the year, and she of course has been
(10:48):
an advocate for women's sports for decades now. She's been
doing this for a while, and she has been covering
the WNBA since its inception, so she is a day wanner.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
I also love it because she's a short queen. She's
interviewing the athletes. I just I can only imagine. I
can only imagine what those camera people have to do
in order to fit these tall w n b A athletes.
And Holly Row, I love how you're looking this.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Up like we have height on reporters, Like she's not
an athlete, there is no publicly available information.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
You're taking that up. What do you think you're going
to find her driver's license?
Speaker 3 (11:23):
According to.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Five so normal. I could not believe you just looked
that up. Anyway, when this average queen, we will go
short queen. When this average height queen, who looks really
small compared to these w NBA athletes isn't on the court.
She is a coach for the All State Good Works Team,
(11:47):
which recognizes NCAA student athletes who are giving back to
their communities in a major way, which just feels so
odd brand to her. So, without further ado, here is
Lauren and Holly Row.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
Holly Row, welcome to the gist of we are so
so excited to have you on the podcast today.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
I'm excited.
Speaker 5 (12:03):
I'm a fan of your newsletters, your platform, all the
things that you're doing.
Speaker 4 (12:06):
So I'm excited that you wanted to have me on great.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Oh that is so special to hear. That is such
an honor. And again, yeah, we are so grateful for
your time, especially because it is so busy for you
right now. We are in the thick of college football
WNBA playoffs. I feel like I watch college football on
Saturday and then I go to bed, I relax, and
then I wake up the next day watching WNBA and
there you are on the sidelines doing that too, So
(12:30):
just all over the place. So I wanted to start there.
And how do you do it? How much caffeine are
you consuming?
Speaker 4 (12:37):
Right?
Speaker 3 (12:37):
How do you maintain balance with this schedule?
Speaker 4 (12:40):
It's really crazy?
Speaker 5 (12:41):
And you know, so I've been doing this now for
about fifteen years, where I will have a college football
game on Saturday, and then I usually have to be
to a WNBA city Sunday, and then I'll have like
I'll have four games this week, you know, three WNBA
games and then a football game. So it really is crazy.
I wish I could show you my suitcase right now.
(13:02):
I have packed for a month because I don't know
when I'll be able to get home.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
And it's really weird. You know, you just make it work.
Speaker 5 (13:09):
So for example, I left Knoxville at like midnight and
drove four hours and got to Atlanta in time to
do that game. So I'm really putting in a lot
of personal effort and sacrifice. And my son always gives
me so much grief peakies. He's like, Mom, you don't
get paid any extra. Like I'm just on an unlimited contract.
I get paid exactly the same if I do one
game or four games. But I love the WNBA and
(13:31):
I just would rather die than get off a college
football game just to and give up on my women.
So I go through whatever it takes to be there
at these w games. Caffeine is involved. I did a
lot of bubble gum this Saturday, Like when I was driving,
I'm like, I'm just going to blow bubbles and chew
bubble gum. And then I listened to games, and then
I listened to podcasts, so I try to keep my
(13:52):
mind busy.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
Amazing, Okay, that's the formula for long road trip. The podcasts. Yes,
and we appreciate it because we love seeing you on
the side reporting, so it is very much appreciated.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
Oh, thank you.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
And amid all of that work, you are also working
with All State on the Good Works Team. Can you
tell us more about that program and how you're involved
with them.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
Yes.
Speaker 5 (14:12):
So for many many years, over thirty years, All State
has been doing the Good Works Team, and they had
you know, college football players who were volunteering off the
field like Tim Tebow and Kirk Cousins and Peyton Manning,
you know, really highlighting that they weren't more than just
football players. Well, this is the first year that they've
expanded the program to include all divisions, Division one, two, three, NAIA,
(14:34):
all of the different divisions and women. So I think,
if you know me, I am just like all for
all the new opportunities for women, and so that All
State wanted to do this, I was like, I'm on board.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
I love this.
Speaker 5 (14:46):
And so we've been able to go and fly around
the country and it's so cute. We plan these great
surprises for different people. Our three captains so far have
been at Auburn, Penn State, Loyala, Chicago, and we roll
up and go out and surprise them and it's just epic.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
It's so cool. You know, they get nil money towards
their charities.
Speaker 5 (15:06):
We get to showcase what these people are doing, like
incredible projects they're doing. One young lady has raised almost
three hundred thousand dollars through her golf tournament. She's in
her twenties, you know, early twenties, and she is making
this kind of impact in the world. So for me,
that just really aligns with who I am, what I
believe in is trying to make an impact in this world,
and we get to highlight these incredible young people who
(15:26):
are doing it.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
It's such an amazing program. We'll definitely put a link
in the show notes for people to go check it out.
And like you're saying, they're doing this work while they're
doing their sport, and they're doing this off the field
as well. You mentioned the golf player. Is there another
story or more on that one that's really standing out
to you with this program this year?
Speaker 4 (15:43):
Yeah, there's a few.
Speaker 5 (15:44):
We just got to surprise the young man named Adan
Crawford and he is at Loyal Chicago. He's one of
their best goalkeepers, you know, super busy, high academics, but
he started from scratch, a brand new Special Olympics chapter
at Loyal you know, first event they roll out, they
have no volunteers, and they have become one of the
most successful Special Olympics chapters. And so I just really
(16:05):
love it that he got there and he saw a
need that there are people in their community who may
be disabled or who may be athletes competing with special challenges.
And he said, I want them to have the same
access to sport and competition that I do.
Speaker 4 (16:17):
So he started that from scratch.
Speaker 5 (16:19):
Another one of my favorite stories was, you know Pagebackers,
she's one of the most famous players in the WNBA.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
She'll likely be the WNB Rookie of the Year. I
know I voted for her.
Speaker 5 (16:29):
But you know, in her spare time, she noticed that
there's a lot of food in security for kids in
high school. So you come to high school, maybe you
can't afford school lunch. Maybe you go home you don't
have great food. And so she set up shopping centers
in a high school in Minnesota, so so kids can
go to their high school and shop and get groceries
and get food to take home to their families. Like
(16:50):
Pagebackers is busy, she's just coming off winning a national
championship and that she wants young people to have less
food insecurity and not be worried about that one thing
in their life. I mean, these are just beautiful, beautiful stories,
and that All State wants to highlight them. You know,
we hear all the great stories about them as athletes,
we rarely hear about any of these stories, and so
(17:11):
I'm really passionate that with All State and NACTA that
I get to help highlight these and bring these out
because they deserve to be told. But I think it
also inspires other young people like, wow, if they can
do this, what can I do in my community? And
I know I've become more active in my community as
a volunteer in doing projects because of these young people
that I'm seeing. I'm like, oh my gosh, I've got
(17:32):
to be better and do better too.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
Definitely, yeah, we again, we'll put the link in the
show notes because we're all about that at the gist
to telling more than the athlete, all of these competitors
they're doing more off the field as well, So again,
such an amazing program. We will put the link in
so people can check out more about that. And while
we're on the subject of college sports and this impact,
we of course have to talk college football. We're looking
ahead to week four. It's really getting going now. I'm curious.
(17:57):
You mentioned, of course with all the travel, but what
does your game day prep look like? What does that
week look like, and what's your routine to get ready
for game day?
Speaker 5 (18:05):
Great question. College football can be all consuming. So you know,
we start really on Sunday. I just had Georgia Tennessee
epic game goes to overtime, and Sunday I have a
WNBA game, and then I quickly have to like turn
my brain to Florida at Miami this weekend. You know,
Miami's playing really great. Florida's coming off this crazy game
where their young quarterback through five picks.
Speaker 4 (18:27):
He is this.
Speaker 5 (18:28):
Great talented young player, and so like I've got to
dig into, Okay, what's next for both teams? How does
Florida overcome a five interception game from their star quarterback
and how can he rebound? So I watched their previous games.
I've set up player interviews and phone interviews. I'll go
to practice in Miami on Thursday, so like I have
a WNBA game Wednesday night. Phoenix New York and then
(18:51):
I have a six am flight to get to Miami
in time to go to Miami football practice on Thursday.
So it's really hectic, but I try to be routine
and rigid, like, Okay, Monday, did I watch the games?
Did I get my game board set up? Have I
set up my player interviews? You know, all those kind
of things so that you're on top of things by
the time you hit the ground on Thursday, that I
(19:12):
know these teams well and then can dig in and
find even more stories.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Definitely, And you mentioned that routine that you've set up.
How has your game day prep evolved over the years, Like,
how has it changed as you've become more comfortable in
the space and with all those years of experience, how
has that prep changed over the course of your career.
Speaker 5 (19:29):
Yeah, I think the prep is really challenging because, you know,
early in my career, we were kind.
Speaker 4 (19:35):
Of the only voice on college football.
Speaker 5 (19:36):
So if I researched a story and told a story,
you know, nobody had heard it before.
Speaker 4 (19:41):
That was the first time.
Speaker 5 (19:41):
And now with social media, it's really hard to find
stories that haven't been told right, and it's really hard
to uncover new layers and peel back the layers of
these athletes that aren't already out on social media. So
I feel like I've more challenged now to really dig in.
I actually have a great researcher, Jamie Dean. She's helping
me research, like I'll have her go through people's social
(20:02):
media and we'll find stories that you know, maybe I
didn't know this player had a special connection with this
other player because they posted about it, you know, So
like really having to comb through. I think social media
is a new element to my job that I haven't
always done, but I think it's an important one because
we do find good story ideas like oh, hey, I
didn't know you know, these two kids went to high
(20:23):
school together, or this player knew him from peewee football,
and we're going to try to now effort a photograph
of this. So, you know, just trying to get good
information and good stories everywhere, and that's added a lot
to the prep.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
Definitely as you're watching the broadcast, so you definitely notice
that when you get that moment, that break in the
game and you get that little highlight thing, it does
really contribute to your impact watching the game and you
get to know the players intimately, So it does make
a difference.
Speaker 5 (20:46):
Yeah, Like I'll give you one keut example, And I
was so devastated we did not get this in the
game on Saturday. But the Georgia's center is a young
man named Drew Bobo and their quarterback is Gunner Stockton,
and so they're going on this long drive, you know,
and Chris Faller and Kirk Street mentioned a couple of
different times, Wow, you know, the center's really handling things.
They're communicating well. And I'm like, I have a.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
Picture of them.
Speaker 5 (21:08):
They grew up as childhood friends, and I have a
picture of them fishing together, you know, holding up these
big fish when they're six years old. There's a reason
they have this chemistry and connection on the field and
this trust between a quarterback and a center because they've
been childhood friends their whole life.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
You know.
Speaker 5 (21:24):
So those are those are moments that you're trying to
get those stories. But I was devastated because you know,
sometimes the game goes fast and snaps happen and we
can't get it in. But that was one that I
was like, Oh, this is one that I'm so proud
we found, but I wish we would have gotten in the.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
Game with those things that don't make it to the broadcast.
Is there another way that you get that information out
there after you do all that research, or is it
just that's on the cutter groom floor unfortunately and didn't
make it in.
Speaker 5 (21:48):
Sometimes I'll try to put it on social media. Sometimes
it's on the cutting room floor. But in that case, like,
I know, I'll have Georgia again in two weeks, and
so I'm going to save that and put it out
in two weeks when we have Alabama Georgia most likely,
So you know, you kind of try to figure out
where can I place this. I have been trying to
harass my bosses at ESPN that we need a show
(22:09):
like every Monday or something of all the ESPN sideline reporters, like,
here's the best stuff we didn't get in the game,
and put it on YouTube, because I think there's a
lot of female college football fans, you know, like what
you guys are doing with the gist. I feel like
we could do a better job talking to the female
college football fan. I don't think we're doing anything special
for them, So I keep bugging my bosses for that.
(22:30):
Maybe one day they'll listen to me about that. I
think that would be a really good idea.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
I would certainly watch it so I can voast, yes,
I would watch. That sounds fantastic. Or we can do
it together?
Speaker 4 (22:39):
Really, well, do we get the gist on it. Let's go,
we can do it.
Speaker 3 (22:43):
Yeah, let's do it. That sounds fantastic.
Speaker 4 (22:44):
So many great stories.
Speaker 5 (22:46):
And I feel like not to simplify women in any
way because I like x's and o's.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
I like to hear people talk x's and o's.
Speaker 5 (22:53):
But I also think that women in general, we love
to hear that personal connection story as well. We want both,
and so I think that we could speak to both
a little bit better.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
That's it. That's I feel like sometimes it gets it
becomes a binary where oh, that's what the female fan
is interested, But it really is that both for me,
that coupling, and they for inform each other, like you're saying,
with the center and the quarterback, that's what makes it different.
So yeah, let's well, we have a platform here, we
can do it together.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
I love it.
Speaker 4 (23:16):
I love it.
Speaker 5 (23:17):
Let's work on it, because I do think that there
is a huge audience of women, Like I just grew
up a huge college football fan since I was five
years old.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
Like I live, eat, breathe.
Speaker 5 (23:26):
I've worked thirty straight years for college football ESPN, and
I've missed one game in my whole thirty one Saturday
in thirty years, I have not been at a college
football game. That's incredible, but it also is I freaking
love college football, and so I think there's a lot
of other women like me.
Speaker 4 (23:42):
We didn't go up as female college football fans.
Speaker 5 (23:44):
We just love college football, and so I think that
we can the media in general, on all of us,
can do a better job of servicing us and giving us.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
What we want one hundred percent, and that's what we're
about here. So yeah, I love that. And you mentioned
the ex's and the o's, and we want to talk
about that too. So there's so many storylines in college
football right now. I think the expanded playoff field is
really impacting everything. And you're thinking about that these early
week games. Even if you lose one, you still have
a chance to get into the expanded field. So if
you have to narrow it to one storyline in college
(24:14):
football that you're paying attention to, really following closely, what's
your top storyline for college football?
Speaker 1 (24:19):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (24:20):
My gosh, this is a hard This is a hard
one to come out because I have seventy five million
in my hand right now. Two that I like right
now is how good can Alabama? Alabama is like one
of the bastions of college football, and for them to
lose like they did early in the season, and Kaylan
de Boor, you know, kind of is he losing that
fan base? I really love him, he is. I got
(24:44):
to do his run. I think I did five or
six Washington games the year that they went to the
National championship. He is an awesome coach, like I trust him.
He can coach football, he can bring a winning culture.
I trust in all the things, Kayland Boor. But that
fan base when you lose early, can get really negative
and really ugly down there. So you know, they had
to win this weekend. I think that was important. But
(25:07):
what happens with Alabama because how Alabama goes, I think
the rest of the SEC that's going to really impact.
So that's a big storyline that I've got my eyes on.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
We'll be watching that one too. Alabama, like you said,
they are the pinnacle of college They're really the one
team everyone's following. We're going to do a Holly Row
style pivot and take it to WLA. We're doing one
weekend because we do talk about the WA playoffs. Of
course we're I've just had game ones as we're talking
now this podcast. People be listening to it after the
game twos. So I want to start just with the
(25:38):
history the records that this league is seeing right now.
And again, you've been at the sidelines and reporting on
so so much of this growth in the league. So
what has it been like for you to just watch
this this amazing catapulting of the league and the growth
over these last few years.
Speaker 5 (25:53):
It's incredibly rewarding and satisfying. Because I started my career
the very first w NBA game I work was very
first season, so I have literally been with the WNBA
since day one, and I started pulling cable for the cameraman,
and then I worked my way up and became a
stats person and a stage manager, and then I worked
my way up and became an announcer for the Utah
(26:13):
Stars WNBA team. So when I tell you, this has
been a labor of love and my lifetime, like I
think I've probably poured more of who I am and
my love into the WNBA than any part of my
life other than maybe being a mother.
Speaker 4 (26:28):
And so when.
Speaker 5 (26:28):
Finally people see how great these women are and how
fabulous and talented and exciting the games are. You know,
we've been yelling it from the rooftops and now more
people are getting to see it, and it just feels.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
Like, oh see, we told you, we just you know.
Speaker 5 (26:43):
I have offered to bring fans to games, like I
promise you, if you go to one game, you will
be hooked for the rest of your life. And I've
offered to buy people tickets, like, just come to one game,
and I promise you will love the WNBA. And that's happening.
So I'll give you one great example of this. So
you know, Caitlin Clwark has been a big difference maker
as far as just eyeballs that weren't already watching the
(27:04):
w basketball fans that have you know, really attached to
her when she was playing at Iowa.
Speaker 4 (27:09):
New people have come and started watching the league. So Indiana.
Speaker 5 (27:13):
She has only played thirteen games all year, Indiana, they
still have the best ratings of any team in the WNBA.
So that tells me fans came and watched her and
fell in love with the rest of the team. Fell
in love with Kelsey Mitchell and Eliah Boston and the
rest of these women who are so incredible. And Natasha
Howard is having a great year. No one's talking about her,
(27:33):
and it just rewards my heart so much that they
just had to learn about this team and learn about
the skill sets and how great these women are and
now they're hooked. So I'm just so gratified, excited, rewarded.
Speaker 1 (27:46):
You know.
Speaker 5 (27:47):
Now the next step is to get these women paid more.
You know, the new collective bargaining agreement is being negotiated
right now. They will have substantial I mean the numbers
that I'm hearing they will quadruple their salary for WNBA players.
Think of all the hard work and all the you know,
bad conditions and lesser than moments that they have had
to survive through their lives, and now that they are
(28:08):
going to have the money and get some of those rewards,
I'm just I'm so happy for everybody.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
It's very much that we told you so of this
has been happening, and you guys are missing out Now
now they're in, and it's so cool to see people
be invested now, but.
Speaker 5 (28:22):
In a loving way, Like I see some shirts and
I see stuff like we told you both you know
the WNBA, And I'm like, no, no, no, We're happy
you're here.
Speaker 4 (28:30):
Come.
Speaker 5 (28:31):
It doesn't matter how long it took you to find it.
It doesn't matter how long it took you to get
here and see how great this product is. Now you know,
and we love that you're here, and stick with us.
We're going to service you and serve the viewer, the
viewing fan with great storytelling and awesome content.
Speaker 4 (28:46):
So stick stick with us.
Speaker 3 (28:47):
Exactly. There's a room for everybody. We want everybody. Later
and you're talking about the storytelling, and again I want
a hard question, but I do want to know your
top storyline for the WNBA. We'll go on the court,
because I think CBA is the biggest thing out everyone's
mind off the court, but on the court, is there
a player or a team. What's the top storyline for
you in these playoffs right now?
Speaker 1 (29:06):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (29:06):
I think my top storyline is the roller coaster season
and incredible apex of the Las Vegas Aces. You know,
there was a point this season and really it was
not that long ago. We're sitting here, you know, it's
like September eighteenth, dish and August second, they were in
the tank. They were like a five hundred team. They
were down in the standings, looking like they were fighting
(29:27):
for a playoff position, and now they are the number
two overall seed. They're probably playing the best and most
competitive basketball of anybody in the w right now. You know,
they just beat the number one team, the Minnesota Links,
last week in a regular season game. So to me,
I think the story of the jek lun Hyde season
or the emergence of the Aces of they had to
(29:49):
fight through some real adversity within, you know, on the court,
off the court, and find out who they are as people,
and I just am obsessed with the way they have
found who they are right now. Well, and I mean,
to me, they could win it all. I really believe
they could win it all.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
I did pick them in my chist bracket for that reason.
I feel like playoffs is so much about that momentum
and how you're playing at the end of the season,
and they are so peaking at the right time. So
I did multiple dis brackets, but I did pick them
in one of them for that reason of they're just
hitting their stride exactly when it matters the most.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
I agree.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
Also on the WNBA playoffs. One thing for me as
a sports reporter and a journalist watching you, I feel
like those trophy moments, those celebratory moments, you are such
a part of those core memories of watching that team
win the championship, and you do such a good job
of capturing that moment. So you're a core memory for
me as a sports reporter fan. But I feel like
you let the players shine and let that moment really
(30:42):
breathe while also capturing the essence of all that emotion
that goes into winning a championship or winning a playoff game.
So I'm so curious about your mindset in that moment
of how do you come up with just that exact
right question to ask to capture that player and the
essence of this moment. And how do you prepare for
that championship?
Speaker 4 (31:00):
Oh that's such a great question. This is going to
sound so awful, don't I don't prepare?
Speaker 2 (31:05):
Is?
Speaker 5 (31:05):
I feel like I am living the stories of these
women alongside of them.
Speaker 4 (31:11):
I'll give you one example.
Speaker 5 (31:12):
Alicia Clark had signed with the Las Vegas Aces two
years ago, and she she lost her father unexpectedly. He
passed away very young, and I had done a preseason
sit down interview with her and we both cried, and like,
you know, I knew her story with her dad. You know,
I'm close with Alicia and her fam you know her
(31:33):
family background, and to hear her grieving her father in
the preseason was hard, and you know, we get emotional
watching her cry, and it was really hard to watch
her be so sad. So she plays the whole season,
she's great. They win the championship and in a moment
after the game, I interview her and I ask her
about this season being special, and you know, she just
(31:56):
breaks down and talks about her dad, and she's dedicating
this win. I'm going to cry talk about it. And
these are real moments and real people who are fighting
through really hard stuff every day. And to see her
get to celebrate a WNBA championship in the hardest year
of her life, that's something I haven't prepared for and
(32:16):
I can't prepare for, but I can feel it in
the moment. And if I can bring that out so
she gets to have a special moment to talk about
her dad, then I did my job.
Speaker 4 (32:26):
You know, there's there's been.
Speaker 5 (32:28):
One of my other really favorite moments was Candace Parker
twenty sixteen. So many things went wrong for her that year,
and one of the worst was she lost Pat Summit,
her legendary coach, and so in that post came interview,
you know, she says, this is for Pat, this is
for Pat, and I can be there with her in
that moment and understand why she's why she's feeling this
(32:51):
way because you know, I got to cover her games
when she played for Pat Summit, and I was close
to Pat. So I think living these moments and feeling
what's important to these women makes you better at that
moment because it's not about you. It's about bringing out
what they're feeling and what is special. And if I
do that, well, that makes me really happy that that's
(33:13):
my favorite thing.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
Yeah, you definitely do, and it's it's cool to hear that.
That's how you go about it. Like you said, it's
not it's not lack of preparation, it's just letting the
moment be and letting me really shine on TV.
Speaker 5 (33:23):
Yeah it's and it's really I've been preparing all season
by living these stories alongside these women. So when their
moment happens. I know those stories right exactly.
Speaker 4 (33:34):
That's important.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
It's on the side page. Oh that is so cool.
That is so cool to I'm like nerding out as
a sports reporter fan hearing you talk about that. That
is so neat. I We're almost at time. I didn't
want to wrap with just maybe one big question. I
have watched you on Women's College World Series. I'm a
big softball fan, soy and that has had such that
as an entity. The growth of women's sports that's been rising,
(33:56):
and women's sports as a whole, as we've talked about,
has evolved so much. And we always talk about it's
not a moment, it's a movement here, and I'm curious
to you, how do we keep that momentum going? What's next?
And how do we keep this going?
Speaker 1 (34:09):
Well?
Speaker 5 (34:09):
I think number one, So I'll speak for my company
ESPN ABC. I think we've done a really good job
giving women the platform. So really where we started to
see softball, we've been growing, I would say for the
last twelve years, thirteen years, Like we just keep getting ratings,
boosts and ratings, and we're really pouring a lot more
and our budget's grown and our event is bigger. But
(34:31):
really when we started putting games on ABC, when we
put the Gymnastics National Championship, the Volleyball National Championship, College
World Series of Softball, Women's College basketball National Championship has
just been on ABC the last few years, cancel of years.
So when we have given women a platform that is
a free platform anybody in the world can watch, I
(34:54):
think that's when it's really grown. Because you know, cable
is still a thing where people may have it, they
may not. I feel like your younger generation more people
don't have cable than have it, and so I think
those three big platforms have been really important and we
can keep doing that. So because the games are rating well,
we keep getting more and more ABC windows, and so
that's important to the growth of our sports. And I'm
(35:16):
really proud of ESPN and ABC because we've been the
first to put these put these games and these women
on mainstream network platforms and boom, then it just takes
off and the rest is history. So I'm proud of
us for giving them the.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
Platform, definitely, And if people are just kind of flipping by,
they'll see it and maybe it'll stay on the TV.
And so yeah, to have it accessible make such an home.
Speaker 5 (35:38):
Oh my gosh, I can't tell you how many people
are like texting me, like Kirk kurb Street is texting
me during the Softball World Series and I'm having all
kinds that I'll go out on the football field and
the coaches like, oh my gosh, that WNBA game last
night is you just cannot believe the mainstream trickle down
of Because it is in the mainstream, it becomes ever
(35:59):
present for people who may not be seeking it out,
and I think that's really important.
Speaker 3 (36:03):
Definitely totally well, Holly Road, thank you so so much
for coming on the podcast. It was truly such an
honor to get to chat with you today. I can't
wait for our audience to hear this conversation. We appreciate
you and all the work that you've done for women's
sports and women in sports as well.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
Well.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
Thank you. It's my honor and I'm grateful that you
would have me to thank you.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
Thanks again to Amazon Business for standing by the gist
of it. Like Ellen, I'm feeling extra nostalgic for back
to school these days and itching for some workplace organization.
That's why we're shopping with Amazon Business and saving a
little cash along the way, stick with what you know
and scratch that itch by checking out business dot Amazon
dot com. What an absolute treat this podcast has been.
(36:51):
In the treats, there's still a coming because it's time
for our Personal Training sesshon. This is where we answer
your heart hitting questions about anything, and we mean anything
in the sports world and or where we maybe highlight
something that you find interesting or we discussed the hot
take of yours. We truly want to involve you in
the sports conversation through this segment.
Speaker 1 (37:09):
Yes, and we've had a lot of people reach out recently,
whether it's through voicemail or DMS or email, all of
them are open DM Steph and I on Instagram, I'm
at Sephanie Rods, I'm at Ellenethais, email us Pott Sports
dot com or call us one four three seven five
six four five five seven nine. We do have to
(37:31):
get to our personal training sesch today from Maggie, But
I also want to give a shout out to Aaron
m who DMed me and who is basically like, what
were you guys thinking in Tuesday's podcast not giving a
shout out to one of her favorite movies of all
time when we were talking about nostalgia and how that
was coming back with Happy Gilmour and betted like Beckham
(37:52):
and whatnot. She sent me. She sent me a DM
and said, killing me Smalls, How do you leave the
samlt off your movie? My kids knew that quote so early.
And you know what, Aaron call us out.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
That's one of those movies where I have seen it
countless times because it was always on TV. But I
don't think because I never rented it or sought it out,
that I forgot. I forgot about it, I forgot the title.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
It's so funny that you mentioned rented because famously, well,
I don't know if our audience knows this. I worked
at the Carlisle Video Store, which was our corner store's
video store.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
You really want to get my back down?
Speaker 1 (38:30):
Yeah, oh my god, yeah, whatever, nobody, it doesn't matter.
Which is a corner store and I worked there throughout
all of high school. And I can only picture the
sail Out cover because I rented out that movie so
much to people who were watching. Oh, but I wouldn't
say it was heavy on my rotation. I feel like
it was a little bit earlier than us, but still
(38:52):
a great film. Still a great filmed out Aaron, We're
so sorry. Yeah, call us out. Also, everyone call us out,
like literally d ms and call so we learn every time.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
I love to learn.
Speaker 1 (39:02):
Yeah. Thank Anyway, let's.
Speaker 3 (39:04):
Get to today.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
Let's get to what we're also learning to learn. Boy
did we learn?
Speaker 2 (39:08):
And we're diving into new territory with today's personal training set.
We're digging into a cheating scandal. But what thing you
might not have heard about because it's a cheating scandal
that happened at the World Stone Skimming Championship. And this
was forwarded to Ellen and myself via Instagram DM by
a listener, Maggie. Thank you so much. Maggie also for
(39:30):
copying and pasting the link into our chat because as
a Canadian, I have news blocked via Instagram.
Speaker 4 (39:37):
We all do.
Speaker 2 (39:38):
The government doesn't let us view news on Instagram, so
she had to send us physically the link to this.
So thank you so much for all of that effort.
Because I'm gagged.
Speaker 1 (39:48):
I'm gagged. I'm also gagged. At the end of this story,
Maggie was like, I feel like this is something you
guys would cover and I was like, what part of
this It's something that we would cover. But I love
that this is randomly our brand. I'm like, this is
giving us scandal. It's the gist of it. Yeah, we're
covering scandals, and so let's talk about this scandal, and
(40:10):
let's talk about what Maggie said through to us.
Speaker 5 (40:12):
So.
Speaker 1 (40:13):
Held annually on the tiny historic island of east Dale, Scotland,
the World Skimming Championships draw competitors and spectators from across
the globe to witness the mesmerizing excitement of competitive stone skimming.
Speaker 2 (40:30):
And this year, this year, several competitors in the World
Stone Skimming Championship were disqualified for allegedly using suspiciously circular
rocks while competing.
Speaker 1 (40:42):
And to that, I have to say, are men okay?
Are men?
Speaker 5 (40:49):
How?
Speaker 1 (40:50):
Like? We're talking about skipping stones and they're literally trying
to cheat skipping stones by creating new rocks? Are men okay?
Speaker 2 (41:01):
And the goal of this championship is to raise money
for local projects and charities.
Speaker 1 (41:07):
And I will say, we don't there's probably some women
involved in stone skiing. Sure, all of the photos that
I've seen online for when we researched this further from Meggie,
all of the photos are featuring men. So That's why
I'm saying our men, okay, I feel like, what's so
cool about this two stuff is anything can be a sport,
you know what I mean, you can make it up.
(41:28):
This village that hosts it is normally home to like
sixty people. I think we learned, but more than twenty
two hundred people from twenty seven countries come into e
scale for this competition, and it's been going on since
nineteen eighty three. And to that, I say, if you
like it, I love it.
Speaker 2 (41:49):
So the offenders of this basically how this happened as
judges heard rumors and murmurings of some of the various
deeds going on, and that there was a little bit
of doctrin with the stones. So for some context, rock
tussers tossers, sorry, rock tossers must use stones from naturally
occurring island slate in Scotland while competing, and stones cannot
(42:11):
be bigger than three inches in diameter, and judges measure
each stone before it's gets tossed, and competitors get to
toss three stones in the competition. And so the stones
were being doctored. But the offenders did hold their hands
up and apologize.
Speaker 1 (42:29):
They've been cut. I've been cut. Oh, I've been cut.
There's this great nephwlix documentary. Oh no, I'm so sorry.
I'm really blanking on what it's called right now. I
think it's called called odd sport, or maybe I'm getting
that confused with bad sport, Seph. Maybe you look it up.
So this was something that I watched during COVID and
(42:53):
it was basically covering all of these weird ass things
that happen Honestly, I have to say mostly in Europe
with some of these weird sports. And I think that
this rock skipping competition in this world stone skimming competition
might be on the same level as the cheese race
competition where they throw a cheese wheel and I think
(43:14):
it's also in Scotland or somewhere else in the UK.
They throw a cheese wheel down a hill and they
have to run down a hill and people have legitimately died.
Speaker 2 (43:24):
Is it we are the Champions? Does that sound familiar
because that's a documentary about cheese rolling in the farmlands
of England.
Speaker 1 (43:33):
Is it just about cheese rolling?
Speaker 2 (43:35):
I think it might be. I can't find this.
Speaker 3 (43:36):
This was one.
Speaker 1 (43:37):
This was one that had a bunch of other sports.
Anyway you can close this out. I'm gonna find this though,
and find this and recommend this, and Maggie, thank you
so much for sending this to us. You know what,
I'm excited that this is our brand.
Speaker 2 (43:54):
I am so excited also, this this event just looks
like a good time. I'm putting it on my list.
Something that I didn't know existed is now causing me
so much delight. So thank you so much Maggie for
submitting this to us, because this was a cheating scandal
that did bring just a.
Speaker 1 (44:10):
Little bit of levity and joy.
Speaker 2 (44:12):
To our week this week, so we do appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (44:14):
And it is we are the champions, and it's narrated
by Rain Wilson aka Dwight Shrut.
Speaker 2 (44:19):
Hmmm ford narrator.
Speaker 4 (44:22):
Yes perfect.
Speaker 1 (44:23):
Thanks you all so much for tuning in, and thank
you Holly for being you and for joining us.
Speaker 2 (44:29):
We'll be back in your feed with a new podcast
on Tuesday. In the meantime, if you enjoyed today's episode,
we would love if you could rate, review, and subscribe.
Speaker 1 (44:37):
This episode was deeply edited by Fan of Health and
produced by Alex jndra Puccio and Lauren Tuscala. Again I'm
Ellen Hyslop.
Speaker 2 (44:44):
And I'm seth Rotts and we will chat with you
again on Tuesday. Don't do anything nefarious while we're gone.
Speaker 3 (45:12):
App
Happy Tiny Friday. Sports fans, welcome or welcome back to
another episode of The Gist of It. Today is Thursday,
September eighteenth. We're your co hosts. I'm Ellen Hyslop.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
And I'm Stuff Rots And.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
We know that we were chatting with you on Tuesday,
but as we mentioned on Tuesday, that was an evergreen
pre recorded episode. So Steph and I haven't talked for
a week, which feels illegal and should be wrong. And Steph,
you went up north and had a cute cozy cottage
weekend with the girlies since we last chatted.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
How was it we saw? And I'm not even lying.
Five deer. This is not exciting for you because you
see deer all the time, but these were deer that
looked like something out of a cartoon. The white spots
on the back, the white trimming, the perfectly pointed is
(01:00):
the little poof of the tail. They galloped through the
wind the woods behind us like dogs.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
It was so cute little bambies everywhere. That's really sweet.
And for context for folks, I spent my time everywhere
but where as so most of my time is on
the East coast of Canada, and deer are pests essentially
where I live, so we see clumps of five deer
every single day. And when I started to be out here,
(01:28):
I was taking pictures every single time I saw deer
in the while like, oh my god, dear, this is
so cool, and everyone out here was making so much
fun of me. And then now I'm making fun of Steph.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
I knew as me and my friend were parked up
on the side of the road snap and picks, staying
at respectable distance, but snaping pics of these deer that
the folks driving by were probably thinking city girls, city girls, dity.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Girls, steady girl. No, I love it. And what a
tree and you know, what a treat stuff. What today's
episode for that one? I am so excited because we
get to yap all the time, but today's episode actually
features two of our favorites yapping. Our associate managing editor
(02:16):
Lauren had the opportunity to chat with Holly Row. And
for those of you who aren't familiar with Holly Row,
she is a legendairy ESPN reporter. I don't think this
woman sleeps whenever I'm watching sports she is on TV.
She does a lot of work as a sideline reporter
for the WNBA, for college football, for college basketball. She's
(02:40):
creating stories here, there, and everywhere. And I think also
steph she's just such a champion for young athletes, college athletes,
but also female athletes period and has done such a
great job at telling stories that I feel like for
people who are entering new spaces and for casual fans.
(03:00):
She kind of creates the thread I think between that
like avid fan and that casual fan and keeps it
really fun and light and is really well respected and
regarded in sports and from all of these athletes. So
the fact that Holly reached out to us and was
like let's chat, we said, are you kidding? Yes, please, yes, please,
And we're also going to talk to about this like
(03:22):
really great stuff that she's doing for the community and
in the community right now, which is awesome.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Yeah, So Lauren gets into all of that behind the
scenes with her work as a sideline reporter. She's going
to talk about her pick for the top storyline in
the WNBA playoffs, which is oh tea love to hear
to have that comes straight from Holly Rose. Just such
a treat for this podcast. In addition to all of
the great work that she's doing with all State good Works.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
That is a good reminder stuff for our audience. We're
so sorry we can't talk about the WNBA Playoffs right now.
Every time that we're recording our podcasts, literally during a game.
We are in the first round of the Postsea and
right now that's best of three. I am quite surprised
about how many series are actually going to three. I
(04:07):
thought that there would be more two game sweeps, but
we love a longer series. And then as a reminder,
the Semis is best of five, and then the finals
for the first time ever, is best of seven.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Could we promise the listeners that we will at some
point do a full episode on the WNBA Playoffs when
it's a little bit more timely in terms of what
we're recording one.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Hundred percent, I think I think that we could feel
confident to make that promise to the listeners. I also think, Steph, you,
I'm making that promise to you. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
I'm looking you in the in the virtual I not
that I really control it.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Like, we've got to talk to our producers, Al and
Lisa let us know if we're allowed to do this.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Before we get started, and we let y'all listen to
that treat of an interview, we do need to call
an audible. And I think the one thing that I
absolutely need to talk about on this podcast is the
launch of another podcast coming from two absolute legends, Serena
and Venus Williams. They are, of course of tennis fame,
(05:11):
they are sisters. I feel like we don't really I
don't need to tell you who they are, no, but
they spoke with people this week about their debut podcast,
Stockton Street. Is that how you say an yep? Perfect?
And they're going to give listeners an intimate look into
their lives both on and off the tennis coore in
this podcast, and I am so excited, Like to be
(05:34):
able to know more about these two is such a
privilege and I'm so looking forward to it.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Yes, I agree, I feel like and maybe we're speaking,
maybe we're speaking out of turn, but I feel like
with hosts, you really get to develop this parasostal relationship
where you get to feel like you know them even
though you don't know them at all. At least I
feel that way with some of my favorite podcasts, and
so the idea that we get to be besties Venus
(06:00):
and Serena Williams. That's really exciting to me. I also
feel like, too, such a big part of podcasting is
finding who you have chemistry with, and those two are
chalk full of chemistry. We've seen it when they're on
the court playing doubles together, we see it on social
media when they're riffing with each other, and so I'm
(06:22):
excited to see how it actually plays out in a show.
What I do find interesting in all of this, and
I feel like a little bit of my hot take
is I'm surprised that it's being hosted on X. And
part of the reason why I'm surprised that it's being
hosted on X is just where that social media channel
(06:44):
is right now, and that a lot of people are
flocking away from it. And I think that a lot
of people who would want to listen to a Williams
Sisters podcast are flocking away from it. Maybe it's a
play by X to try to get people to come
back to the platform. The platform also hasn't been doing
well from a revenue perspective and advertising perspective because major
(07:07):
brands haven't been advertising as much, and so we've seen
them start to develop their own IP and shows so
that they can make more money through these types of partnerships.
And so there's a couple of other sports podcasts on X,
but I'm like, is this the right home for them?
I'm not sure? Are they making X better one hundred
(07:28):
and ten percent? And it's just part of again, it's
a part of our scroll. People are still gonna be
involved in Twitter and X even that just has our
couple accounts there that are like kind of active. But
I found that very interesting.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
X certainly needs them more than I think they need X.
They could have taken this to any platform, So I'm
very that is an interesting take. I wouldn't say that's
the hot take either, that's just facts.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Perhaps we don't know anything behind the scenes, right, Maybe
X approach them or they approach like who knows. Obviously,
in anything, I we owe so much to the Williams sisters.
We owe so much in sports to the Williams sisters,
and so the fact that we get to see them
(08:16):
in this next era is really special.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
I'm so excited.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
So they're going to release bi weekly episodes starting on Wednesday, So.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
I guess that mean once every two weeks, uh usually right?
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Okay, yeah, bye bye.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
Weekly, just bye, a monthly, bi weekly, by annual just twice,
So like, can we say a year? Can we say
twice a month?
Speaker 2 (08:37):
You know? I so agree, I so agree. But I'm
so excited because I really needed a new podcast. So
thank you, thank you, a.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Big thank you to Amazon Business for supporting this podcast.
September always makes me nostalgic for back to school season.
From color coding my notebooks by subject math was blue,
of course, to picking out the perfect planner as an adult,
I'm finding the same joy by supporting our team with
Amazon Business. Amazon businesses smart buying tools make it easy
(09:06):
for companies to outfit their staff with all of the
essentials like sticky notes, laptop chargers, and most important to
us at the gist second screeze to keep up with
all of the sports action check out Amazon Business Today. Okay,
(09:28):
we're so excited to pass us over to Lauren, who
had the opportunity to interview one of her faves and
I think one of her is supposed too, so I
feel like that shines through the interview and she did
such a great job at asking all these questions. But
it's time to pass it off to Lauren and Holly Rowe.
As we mentioned, if you're in the US, you probably
recognize Holly as the ESPN sideline reporter who's here, there, everywhere.
(09:52):
For a Canadian comparison, I was thinking about that today
before the podcast, Stef, I don't know if Canada actually
has someone who is at the same level as a
Holly Row or a doors Work. I feel like the
closest could maybe be a Jennifer Hedger on TSN, but
I feel like that's only for avid fans versus. I
(10:13):
do feel like Holly Row extends beyond sports in a
certain way, and or because she's done so much against
men's sports women's sports for so long that people just
recognize her face.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Yeah, I would say she is recognizable as a personality
in persona in the US, I think, regardless of sport.
And I don't know if we have the same comparison
in Canada for an anchor here, So it's kind of
hard to give a one for one, but you know,
you got to listen in she is primarily covering college
football and the WNBA, given where we are at the
time of the year, and she of course has been
(10:48):
an advocate for women's sports for decades now. She's been
doing this for a while, and she has been covering
the WNBA since its inception, so she is a day wanner.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
I also love it because she's a short queen. She's
interviewing the athletes. I just I can only imagine. I
can only imagine what those camera people have to do
in order to fit these tall w n b A athletes.
And Holly Row, I love how you're looking this.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Up like we have height on reporters, Like she's not
an athlete, there is no publicly available information.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
You're taking that up. What do you think you're going
to find her driver's license?
Speaker 3 (11:23):
According to.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Five so normal. I could not believe you just looked
that up. Anyway, when this average queen, we will go
short queen. When this average height queen, who looks really
small compared to these w NBA athletes isn't on the court.
She is a coach for the All State Good Works Team,
(11:47):
which recognizes NCAA student athletes who are giving back to
their communities in a major way, which just feels so
odd brand to her. So, without further ado, here is
Lauren and Holly Row.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
Holly Row, welcome to the gist of we are so
so excited to have you on the podcast today.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
I'm excited.
Speaker 5 (12:03):
I'm a fan of your newsletters, your platform, all the
things that you're doing.
Speaker 4 (12:06):
So I'm excited that you wanted to have me on great.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Oh that is so special to hear. That is such
an honor. And again, yeah, we are so grateful for
your time, especially because it is so busy for you
right now. We are in the thick of college football
WNBA playoffs. I feel like I watch college football on
Saturday and then I go to bed, I relax, and
then I wake up the next day watching WNBA and
there you are on the sidelines doing that too, So
(12:30):
just all over the place. So I wanted to start there.
And how do you do it? How much caffeine are
you consuming?
Speaker 4 (12:37):
Right?
Speaker 3 (12:37):
How do you maintain balance with this schedule?
Speaker 4 (12:40):
It's really crazy?
Speaker 5 (12:41):
And you know, so I've been doing this now for
about fifteen years, where I will have a college football
game on Saturday, and then I usually have to be
to a WNBA city Sunday, and then I'll have like
I'll have four games this week, you know, three WNBA
games and then a football game. So it really is crazy.
I wish I could show you my suitcase right now.
(13:02):
I have packed for a month because I don't know
when I'll be able to get home.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
And it's really weird. You know, you just make it work.
Speaker 5 (13:09):
So for example, I left Knoxville at like midnight and
drove four hours and got to Atlanta in time to
do that game. So I'm really putting in a lot
of personal effort and sacrifice. And my son always gives
me so much grief peakies. He's like, Mom, you don't
get paid any extra. Like I'm just on an unlimited contract.
I get paid exactly the same if I do one
game or four games. But I love the WNBA and
(13:31):
I just would rather die than get off a college
football game just to and give up on my women.
So I go through whatever it takes to be there
at these w games. Caffeine is involved. I did a
lot of bubble gum this Saturday, Like when I was driving,
I'm like, I'm just going to blow bubbles and chew
bubble gum. And then I listened to games, and then
I listened to podcasts, so I try to keep my
(13:52):
mind busy.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
Amazing, Okay, that's the formula for long road trip. The podcasts. Yes,
and we appreciate it because we love seeing you on
the side reporting, so it is very much appreciated.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
Oh, thank you.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
And amid all of that work, you are also working
with All State on the Good Works Team. Can you
tell us more about that program and how you're involved
with them.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
Yes.
Speaker 5 (14:12):
So for many many years, over thirty years, All State
has been doing the Good Works Team, and they had
you know, college football players who were volunteering off the
field like Tim Tebow and Kirk Cousins and Peyton Manning,
you know, really highlighting that they weren't more than just
football players. Well, this is the first year that they've
expanded the program to include all divisions, Division one, two, three, NAIA,
(14:34):
all of the different divisions and women. So I think,
if you know me, I am just like all for
all the new opportunities for women, and so that All
State wanted to do this, I was like, I'm on board.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
I love this.
Speaker 5 (14:46):
And so we've been able to go and fly around
the country and it's so cute. We plan these great
surprises for different people. Our three captains so far have
been at Auburn, Penn State, Loyala, Chicago, and we roll
up and go out and surprise them and it's just epic.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
It's so cool. You know, they get nil money towards
their charities.
Speaker 5 (15:06):
We get to showcase what these people are doing, like
incredible projects they're doing. One young lady has raised almost
three hundred thousand dollars through her golf tournament. She's in
her twenties, you know, early twenties, and she is making
this kind of impact in the world. So for me,
that just really aligns with who I am, what I
believe in is trying to make an impact in this world,
and we get to highlight these incredible young people who
(15:26):
are doing it.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
It's such an amazing program. We'll definitely put a link
in the show notes for people to go check it out.
And like you're saying, they're doing this work while they're
doing their sport, and they're doing this off the field
as well. You mentioned the golf player. Is there another
story or more on that one that's really standing out
to you with this program this year?
Speaker 4 (15:43):
Yeah, there's a few.
Speaker 5 (15:44):
We just got to surprise the young man named Adan
Crawford and he is at Loyal Chicago. He's one of
their best goalkeepers, you know, super busy, high academics, but
he started from scratch, a brand new Special Olympics chapter
at Loyal you know, first event they roll out, they
have no volunteers, and they have become one of the
most successful Special Olympics chapters. And so I just really
(16:05):
love it that he got there and he saw a
need that there are people in their community who may
be disabled or who may be athletes competing with special challenges.
And he said, I want them to have the same
access to sport and competition that I do.
Speaker 4 (16:17):
So he started that from scratch.
Speaker 5 (16:19):
Another one of my favorite stories was, you know Pagebackers,
she's one of the most famous players in the WNBA.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
She'll likely be the WNB Rookie of the Year. I
know I voted for her.
Speaker 5 (16:29):
But you know, in her spare time, she noticed that
there's a lot of food in security for kids in
high school. So you come to high school, maybe you
can't afford school lunch. Maybe you go home you don't
have great food. And so she set up shopping centers
in a high school in Minnesota, so so kids can
go to their high school and shop and get groceries
and get food to take home to their families. Like
(16:50):
Pagebackers is busy, she's just coming off winning a national
championship and that she wants young people to have less
food insecurity and not be worried about that one thing
in their life. I mean, these are just beautiful, beautiful stories,
and that All State wants to highlight them. You know,
we hear all the great stories about them as athletes,
we rarely hear about any of these stories, and so
(17:11):
I'm really passionate that with All State and NACTA that
I get to help highlight these and bring these out
because they deserve to be told. But I think it
also inspires other young people like, wow, if they can
do this, what can I do in my community? And
I know I've become more active in my community as
a volunteer in doing projects because of these young people
that I'm seeing. I'm like, oh my gosh, I've got
(17:32):
to be better and do better too.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
Definitely, yeah, we again, we'll put the link in the
show notes because we're all about that at the gist
to telling more than the athlete, all of these competitors
they're doing more off the field as well, So again,
such an amazing program. We will put the link in
so people can check out more about that. And while
we're on the subject of college sports and this impact,
we of course have to talk college football. We're looking
ahead to week four. It's really getting going now. I'm curious.
(17:57):
You mentioned, of course with all the travel, but what
does your game day prep look like? What does that
week look like, and what's your routine to get ready
for game day?
Speaker 5 (18:05):
Great question. College football can be all consuming. So you know,
we start really on Sunday. I just had Georgia Tennessee
epic game goes to overtime, and Sunday I have a
WNBA game, and then I quickly have to like turn
my brain to Florida at Miami this weekend. You know,
Miami's playing really great. Florida's coming off this crazy game
where their young quarterback through five picks.
Speaker 4 (18:27):
He is this.
Speaker 5 (18:28):
Great talented young player, and so like I've got to
dig into, Okay, what's next for both teams? How does
Florida overcome a five interception game from their star quarterback
and how can he rebound? So I watched their previous games.
I've set up player interviews and phone interviews. I'll go
to practice in Miami on Thursday, so like I have
a WNBA game Wednesday night. Phoenix New York and then
(18:51):
I have a six am flight to get to Miami
in time to go to Miami football practice on Thursday.
So it's really hectic, but I try to be routine
and rigid, like, Okay, Monday, did I watch the games?
Did I get my game board set up? Have I
set up my player interviews? You know, all those kind
of things so that you're on top of things by
the time you hit the ground on Thursday, that I
(19:12):
know these teams well and then can dig in and
find even more stories.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Definitely, And you mentioned that routine that you've set up.
How has your game day prep evolved over the years, Like,
how has it changed as you've become more comfortable in
the space and with all those years of experience, how
has that prep changed over the course of your career.
Speaker 5 (19:29):
Yeah, I think the prep is really challenging because, you know,
early in my career, we were kind.
Speaker 4 (19:35):
Of the only voice on college football.
Speaker 5 (19:36):
So if I researched a story and told a story,
you know, nobody had heard it before.
Speaker 4 (19:41):
That was the first time.
Speaker 5 (19:41):
And now with social media, it's really hard to find
stories that haven't been told right, and it's really hard
to uncover new layers and peel back the layers of
these athletes that aren't already out on social media. So
I feel like I've more challenged now to really dig in.
I actually have a great researcher, Jamie Dean. She's helping
me research, like I'll have her go through people's social
(20:02):
media and we'll find stories that you know, maybe I
didn't know this player had a special connection with this
other player because they posted about it, you know, So
like really having to comb through. I think social media
is a new element to my job that I haven't
always done, but I think it's an important one because
we do find good story ideas like oh, hey, I
didn't know you know, these two kids went to high
(20:23):
school together, or this player knew him from peewee football,
and we're going to try to now effort a photograph
of this. So, you know, just trying to get good
information and good stories everywhere, and that's added a lot
to the prep.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
Definitely as you're watching the broadcast, so you definitely notice
that when you get that moment, that break in the
game and you get that little highlight thing, it does
really contribute to your impact watching the game and you
get to know the players intimately, So it does make
a difference.
Speaker 5 (20:46):
Yeah, Like I'll give you one keut example, And I
was so devastated we did not get this in the
game on Saturday. But the Georgia's center is a young
man named Drew Bobo and their quarterback is Gunner Stockton,
and so they're going on this long drive, you know,
and Chris Faller and Kirk Street mentioned a couple of
different times, Wow, you know, the center's really handling things.
They're communicating well. And I'm like, I have a.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
Picture of them.
Speaker 5 (21:08):
They grew up as childhood friends, and I have a
picture of them fishing together, you know, holding up these
big fish when they're six years old. There's a reason
they have this chemistry and connection on the field and
this trust between a quarterback and a center because they've
been childhood friends their whole life.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
You know.
Speaker 5 (21:24):
So those are those are moments that you're trying to
get those stories. But I was devastated because you know,
sometimes the game goes fast and snaps happen and we
can't get it in. But that was one that I
was like, Oh, this is one that I'm so proud
we found, but I wish we would have gotten in the.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
Game with those things that don't make it to the broadcast.
Is there another way that you get that information out
there after you do all that research, or is it
just that's on the cutter groom floor unfortunately and didn't
make it in.
Speaker 5 (21:48):
Sometimes I'll try to put it on social media. Sometimes
it's on the cutting room floor. But in that case, like,
I know, I'll have Georgia again in two weeks, and
so I'm going to save that and put it out
in two weeks when we have Alabama Georgia most likely,
So you know, you kind of try to figure out
where can I place this. I have been trying to
harass my bosses at ESPN that we need a show
(22:09):
like every Monday or something of all the ESPN sideline reporters, like,
here's the best stuff we didn't get in the game,
and put it on YouTube, because I think there's a
lot of female college football fans, you know, like what
you guys are doing with the gist. I feel like
we could do a better job talking to the female
college football fan. I don't think we're doing anything special
for them, So I keep bugging my bosses for that.
(22:30):
Maybe one day they'll listen to me about that. I
think that would be a really good idea.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
I would certainly watch it so I can voast, yes,
I would watch. That sounds fantastic. Or we can do
it together?
Speaker 4 (22:39):
Really, well, do we get the gist on it. Let's go,
we can do it.
Speaker 3 (22:43):
Yeah, let's do it. That sounds fantastic.
Speaker 4 (22:44):
So many great stories.
Speaker 5 (22:46):
And I feel like not to simplify women in any
way because I like x's and o's.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
I like to hear people talk x's and o's.
Speaker 5 (22:53):
But I also think that women in general, we love
to hear that personal connection story as well. We want both,
and so I think that we could speak to both
a little bit better.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
That's it. That's I feel like sometimes it gets it
becomes a binary where oh, that's what the female fan
is interested, But it really is that both for me,
that coupling, and they for inform each other, like you're saying,
with the center and the quarterback, that's what makes it different.
So yeah, let's well, we have a platform here, we
can do it together.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
I love it.
Speaker 4 (23:16):
I love it.
Speaker 5 (23:17):
Let's work on it, because I do think that there
is a huge audience of women, Like I just grew
up a huge college football fan since I was five
years old.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
Like I live, eat, breathe.
Speaker 5 (23:26):
I've worked thirty straight years for college football ESPN, and
I've missed one game in my whole thirty one Saturday
in thirty years, I have not been at a college
football game. That's incredible, but it also is I freaking
love college football, and so I think there's a lot
of other women like me.
Speaker 4 (23:42):
We didn't go up as female college football fans.
Speaker 5 (23:44):
We just love college football, and so I think that
we can the media in general, on all of us,
can do a better job of servicing us and giving us.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
What we want one hundred percent, and that's what we're
about here. So yeah, I love that. And you mentioned
the ex's and the o's, and we want to talk
about that too. So there's so many storylines in college
football right now. I think the expanded playoff field is
really impacting everything. And you're thinking about that these early
week games. Even if you lose one, you still have
a chance to get into the expanded field. So if
you have to narrow it to one storyline in college
(24:14):
football that you're paying attention to, really following closely, what's
your top storyline for college football?
Speaker 1 (24:19):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (24:20):
My gosh, this is a hard This is a hard
one to come out because I have seventy five million
in my hand right now. Two that I like right
now is how good can Alabama? Alabama is like one
of the bastions of college football, and for them to
lose like they did early in the season, and Kaylan
de Boor, you know, kind of is he losing that
fan base? I really love him, he is. I got
(24:44):
to do his run. I think I did five or
six Washington games the year that they went to the
National championship. He is an awesome coach, like I trust him.
He can coach football, he can bring a winning culture.
I trust in all the things, Kayland Boor. But that
fan base when you lose early, can get really negative
and really ugly down there. So you know, they had
to win this weekend. I think that was important. But
(25:07):
what happens with Alabama because how Alabama goes, I think
the rest of the SEC that's going to really impact.
So that's a big storyline that I've got my eyes on.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
We'll be watching that one too. Alabama, like you said,
they are the pinnacle of college They're really the one
team everyone's following. We're going to do a Holly Row
style pivot and take it to WLA. We're doing one
weekend because we do talk about the WA playoffs. Of
course we're I've just had game ones as we're talking
now this podcast. People be listening to it after the
game twos. So I want to start just with the
(25:38):
history the records that this league is seeing right now.
And again, you've been at the sidelines and reporting on
so so much of this growth in the league. So
what has it been like for you to just watch
this this amazing catapulting of the league and the growth
over these last few years.
Speaker 5 (25:53):
It's incredibly rewarding and satisfying. Because I started my career
the very first w NBA game I work was very
first season, so I have literally been with the WNBA
since day one, and I started pulling cable for the cameraman,
and then I worked my way up and became a
stats person and a stage manager, and then I worked
my way up and became an announcer for the Utah
(26:13):
Stars WNBA team. So when I tell you, this has
been a labor of love and my lifetime, like I
think I've probably poured more of who I am and
my love into the WNBA than any part of my
life other than maybe being a mother.
Speaker 4 (26:28):
And so when.
Speaker 5 (26:28):
Finally people see how great these women are and how
fabulous and talented and exciting the games are. You know,
we've been yelling it from the rooftops and now more
people are getting to see it, and it just feels.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
Like, oh see, we told you, we just you know.
Speaker 5 (26:43):
I have offered to bring fans to games, like I
promise you, if you go to one game, you will
be hooked for the rest of your life. And I've
offered to buy people tickets, like, just come to one game,
and I promise you will love the WNBA. And that's happening.
So I'll give you one great example of this. So
you know, Caitlin Clwark has been a big difference maker
as far as just eyeballs that weren't already watching the
(27:04):
w basketball fans that have you know, really attached to
her when she was playing at Iowa.
Speaker 4 (27:09):
New people have come and started watching the league. So Indiana.
Speaker 5 (27:13):
She has only played thirteen games all year, Indiana, they
still have the best ratings of any team in the WNBA.
So that tells me fans came and watched her and
fell in love with the rest of the team. Fell
in love with Kelsey Mitchell and Eliah Boston and the
rest of these women who are so incredible. And Natasha
Howard is having a great year. No one's talking about her,
(27:33):
and it just rewards my heart so much that they
just had to learn about this team and learn about
the skill sets and how great these women are and
now they're hooked. So I'm just so gratified, excited, rewarded.
Speaker 1 (27:46):
You know.
Speaker 5 (27:47):
Now the next step is to get these women paid more.
You know, the new collective bargaining agreement is being negotiated
right now. They will have substantial I mean the numbers
that I'm hearing they will quadruple their salary for WNBA players.
Think of all the hard work and all the you know,
bad conditions and lesser than moments that they have had
to survive through their lives, and now that they are
(28:08):
going to have the money and get some of those rewards,
I'm just I'm so happy for everybody.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
It's very much that we told you so of this
has been happening, and you guys are missing out Now
now they're in, and it's so cool to see people
be invested now, but.
Speaker 5 (28:22):
In a loving way, Like I see some shirts and
I see stuff like we told you both you know
the WNBA, And I'm like, no, no, no, We're happy
you're here.
Speaker 4 (28:30):
Come.
Speaker 5 (28:31):
It doesn't matter how long it took you to find it.
It doesn't matter how long it took you to get
here and see how great this product is. Now you know,
and we love that you're here, and stick with us.
We're going to service you and serve the viewer, the
viewing fan with great storytelling and awesome content.
Speaker 4 (28:46):
So stick stick with us.
Speaker 3 (28:47):
Exactly. There's a room for everybody. We want everybody. Later
and you're talking about the storytelling, and again I want
a hard question, but I do want to know your
top storyline for the WNBA. We'll go on the court,
because I think CBA is the biggest thing out everyone's
mind off the court, but on the court, is there
a player or a team. What's the top storyline for
you in these playoffs right now?
Speaker 1 (29:06):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (29:06):
I think my top storyline is the roller coaster season
and incredible apex of the Las Vegas Aces. You know,
there was a point this season and really it was
not that long ago. We're sitting here, you know, it's
like September eighteenth, dish and August second, they were in
the tank. They were like a five hundred team. They
were down in the standings, looking like they were fighting
(29:27):
for a playoff position, and now they are the number
two overall seed. They're probably playing the best and most
competitive basketball of anybody in the w right now. You know,
they just beat the number one team, the Minnesota Links,
last week in a regular season game. So to me,
I think the story of the jek lun Hyde season
or the emergence of the Aces of they had to
(29:49):
fight through some real adversity within, you know, on the court,
off the court, and find out who they are as people,
and I just am obsessed with the way they have
found who they are right now. Well, and I mean,
to me, they could win it all. I really believe
they could win it all.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
I did pick them in my chist bracket for that reason.
I feel like playoffs is so much about that momentum
and how you're playing at the end of the season,
and they are so peaking at the right time. So
I did multiple dis brackets, but I did pick them
in one of them for that reason of they're just
hitting their stride exactly when it matters the most.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
I agree.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
Also on the WNBA playoffs. One thing for me as
a sports reporter and a journalist watching you, I feel
like those trophy moments, those celebratory moments, you are such
a part of those core memories of watching that team
win the championship, and you do such a good job
of capturing that moment. So you're a core memory for
me as a sports reporter fan. But I feel like
you let the players shine and let that moment really
(30:42):
breathe while also capturing the essence of all that emotion
that goes into winning a championship or winning a playoff game.
So I'm so curious about your mindset in that moment
of how do you come up with just that exact
right question to ask to capture that player and the
essence of this moment. And how do you prepare for
that championship?
Speaker 4 (31:00):
Oh that's such a great question. This is going to
sound so awful, don't I don't prepare?
Speaker 2 (31:05):
Is?
Speaker 5 (31:05):
I feel like I am living the stories of these
women alongside of them.
Speaker 4 (31:11):
I'll give you one example.
Speaker 5 (31:12):
Alicia Clark had signed with the Las Vegas Aces two
years ago, and she she lost her father unexpectedly. He
passed away very young, and I had done a preseason
sit down interview with her and we both cried, and like,
you know, I knew her story with her dad. You know,
I'm close with Alicia and her fam you know her
(31:33):
family background, and to hear her grieving her father in
the preseason was hard, and you know, we get emotional
watching her cry, and it was really hard to watch
her be so sad. So she plays the whole season,
she's great. They win the championship and in a moment
after the game, I interview her and I ask her
about this season being special, and you know, she just
(31:56):
breaks down and talks about her dad, and she's dedicating
this win. I'm going to cry talk about it. And
these are real moments and real people who are fighting
through really hard stuff every day. And to see her
get to celebrate a WNBA championship in the hardest year
of her life, that's something I haven't prepared for and
(32:16):
I can't prepare for, but I can feel it in
the moment. And if I can bring that out so
she gets to have a special moment to talk about
her dad, then I did my job.
Speaker 4 (32:26):
You know, there's there's been.
Speaker 5 (32:28):
One of my other really favorite moments was Candace Parker
twenty sixteen. So many things went wrong for her that year,
and one of the worst was she lost Pat Summit,
her legendary coach, and so in that post came interview,
you know, she says, this is for Pat, this is
for Pat, and I can be there with her in
that moment and understand why she's why she's feeling this
(32:51):
way because you know, I got to cover her games
when she played for Pat Summit, and I was close
to Pat. So I think living these moments and feeling
what's important to these women makes you better at that
moment because it's not about you. It's about bringing out
what they're feeling and what is special. And if I
do that, well, that makes me really happy that that's
(33:13):
my favorite thing.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
Yeah, you definitely do, and it's it's cool to hear that.
That's how you go about it. Like you said, it's
not it's not lack of preparation, it's just letting the
moment be and letting me really shine on TV.
Speaker 5 (33:23):
Yeah it's and it's really I've been preparing all season
by living these stories alongside these women. So when their
moment happens. I know those stories right exactly.
Speaker 4 (33:34):
That's important.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
It's on the side page. Oh that is so cool.
That is so cool to I'm like nerding out as
a sports reporter fan hearing you talk about that. That
is so neat. I We're almost at time. I didn't
want to wrap with just maybe one big question. I
have watched you on Women's College World Series. I'm a
big softball fan, soy and that has had such that
as an entity. The growth of women's sports that's been rising,
(33:56):
and women's sports as a whole, as we've talked about,
has evolved so much. And we always talk about it's
not a moment, it's a movement here, and I'm curious
to you, how do we keep that momentum going? What's next?
And how do we keep this going?
Speaker 1 (34:09):
Well?
Speaker 5 (34:09):
I think number one, So I'll speak for my company
ESPN ABC. I think we've done a really good job
giving women the platform. So really where we started to
see softball, we've been growing, I would say for the
last twelve years, thirteen years, Like we just keep getting ratings,
boosts and ratings, and we're really pouring a lot more
and our budget's grown and our event is bigger. But
(34:31):
really when we started putting games on ABC, when we
put the Gymnastics National Championship, the Volleyball National Championship, College
World Series of Softball, Women's College basketball National Championship has
just been on ABC the last few years, cancel of years.
So when we have given women a platform that is
a free platform anybody in the world can watch, I
(34:54):
think that's when it's really grown. Because you know, cable
is still a thing where people may have it, they
may not. I feel like your younger generation more people
don't have cable than have it, and so I think
those three big platforms have been really important and we
can keep doing that. So because the games are rating well,
we keep getting more and more ABC windows, and so
that's important to the growth of our sports. And I'm
(35:16):
really proud of ESPN and ABC because we've been the
first to put these put these games and these women
on mainstream network platforms and boom, then it just takes
off and the rest is history. So I'm proud of
us for giving them the.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
Platform, definitely, And if people are just kind of flipping by,
they'll see it and maybe it'll stay on the TV.
And so yeah, to have it accessible make such an home.
Speaker 5 (35:38):
Oh my gosh, I can't tell you how many people
are like texting me, like Kirk kurb Street is texting
me during the Softball World Series and I'm having all
kinds that I'll go out on the football field and
the coaches like, oh my gosh, that WNBA game last
night is you just cannot believe the mainstream trickle down
of Because it is in the mainstream, it becomes ever
(35:59):
present for people who may not be seeking it out,
and I think that's really important.
Speaker 3 (36:03):
Definitely totally well, Holly Road, thank you so so much
for coming on the podcast. It was truly such an
honor to get to chat with you today. I can't
wait for our audience to hear this conversation. We appreciate
you and all the work that you've done for women's
sports and women in sports as well.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
Well.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
Thank you. It's my honor and I'm grateful that you
would have me to thank you.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
Thanks again to Amazon Business for standing by the gist
of it. Like Ellen, I'm feeling extra nostalgic for back
to school these days and itching for some workplace organization.
That's why we're shopping with Amazon Business and saving a
little cash along the way, stick with what you know
and scratch that itch by checking out business dot Amazon
dot com. What an absolute treat this podcast has been.
(36:51):
In the treats, there's still a coming because it's time
for our Personal Training sesshon. This is where we answer
your heart hitting questions about anything, and we mean anything
in the sports world and or where we maybe highlight
something that you find interesting or we discussed the hot
take of yours. We truly want to involve you in
the sports conversation through this segment.
Speaker 1 (37:09):
Yes, and we've had a lot of people reach out recently,
whether it's through voicemail or DMS or email, all of
them are open DM Steph and I on Instagram, I'm
at Sephanie Rods, I'm at Ellenethais, email us Pott Sports
dot com or call us one four three seven five
six four five five seven nine. We do have to
(37:31):
get to our personal training sesch today from Maggie, But
I also want to give a shout out to Aaron
m who DMed me and who is basically like, what
were you guys thinking in Tuesday's podcast not giving a
shout out to one of her favorite movies of all
time when we were talking about nostalgia and how that
was coming back with Happy Gilmour and betted like Beckham
(37:52):
and whatnot. She sent me. She sent me a DM
and said, killing me Smalls, How do you leave the
samlt off your movie? My kids knew that quote so early.
And you know what, Aaron call us out.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
That's one of those movies where I have seen it
countless times because it was always on TV. But I
don't think because I never rented it or sought it out,
that I forgot. I forgot about it, I forgot the title.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
It's so funny that you mentioned rented because famously, well,
I don't know if our audience knows this. I worked
at the Carlisle Video Store, which was our corner store's
video store.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
You really want to get my back down?
Speaker 1 (38:30):
Yeah, oh my god, yeah, whatever, nobody, it doesn't matter.
Which is a corner store and I worked there throughout
all of high school. And I can only picture the
sail Out cover because I rented out that movie so
much to people who were watching. Oh, but I wouldn't
say it was heavy on my rotation. I feel like
it was a little bit earlier than us, but still
(38:52):
a great film. Still a great filmed out Aaron, We're
so sorry. Yeah, call us out. Also, everyone call us out,
like literally d ms and call so we learn every time.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
I love to learn.
Speaker 1 (39:02):
Yeah. Thank Anyway, let's.
Speaker 3 (39:04):
Get to today.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
Let's get to what we're also learning to learn. Boy
did we learn?
Speaker 2 (39:08):
And we're diving into new territory with today's personal training set.
We're digging into a cheating scandal. But what thing you
might not have heard about because it's a cheating scandal
that happened at the World Stone Skimming Championship. And this
was forwarded to Ellen and myself via Instagram DM by
a listener, Maggie. Thank you so much. Maggie also for
(39:30):
copying and pasting the link into our chat because as
a Canadian, I have news blocked via Instagram.
Speaker 4 (39:37):
We all do.
Speaker 2 (39:38):
The government doesn't let us view news on Instagram, so
she had to send us physically the link to this.
So thank you so much for all of that effort.
Because I'm gagged.
Speaker 1 (39:48):
I'm gagged. I'm also gagged. At the end of this story,
Maggie was like, I feel like this is something you
guys would cover and I was like, what part of
this It's something that we would cover. But I love
that this is randomly our brand. I'm like, this is
giving us scandal. It's the gist of it. Yeah, we're
covering scandals, and so let's talk about this scandal, and
(40:10):
let's talk about what Maggie said through to us.
Speaker 5 (40:12):
So.
Speaker 1 (40:13):
Held annually on the tiny historic island of east Dale, Scotland,
the World Skimming Championships draw competitors and spectators from across
the globe to witness the mesmerizing excitement of competitive stone skimming.
Speaker 2 (40:30):
And this year, this year, several competitors in the World
Stone Skimming Championship were disqualified for allegedly using suspiciously circular
rocks while competing.
Speaker 1 (40:42):
And to that, I have to say, are men okay?
Are men?
Speaker 5 (40:49):
How?
Speaker 1 (40:50):
Like? We're talking about skipping stones and they're literally trying
to cheat skipping stones by creating new rocks? Are men okay?
Speaker 2 (41:01):
And the goal of this championship is to raise money
for local projects and charities.
Speaker 1 (41:07):
And I will say, we don't there's probably some women
involved in stone skiing. Sure, all of the photos that
I've seen online for when we researched this further from Meggie,
all of the photos are featuring men. So That's why
I'm saying our men, okay, I feel like, what's so
cool about this two stuff is anything can be a sport,
you know what I mean, you can make it up.
(41:28):
This village that hosts it is normally home to like
sixty people. I think we learned, but more than twenty
two hundred people from twenty seven countries come into e
scale for this competition, and it's been going on since
nineteen eighty three. And to that, I say, if you
like it, I love it.
Speaker 2 (41:49):
So the offenders of this basically how this happened as
judges heard rumors and murmurings of some of the various
deeds going on, and that there was a little bit
of doctrin with the stones. So for some context, rock
tussers tossers, sorry, rock tossers must use stones from naturally
occurring island slate in Scotland while competing, and stones cannot
(42:11):
be bigger than three inches in diameter, and judges measure
each stone before it's gets tossed, and competitors get to
toss three stones in the competition. And so the stones
were being doctored. But the offenders did hold their hands
up and apologize.
Speaker 1 (42:29):
They've been cut. I've been cut. Oh, I've been cut.
There's this great nephwlix documentary. Oh no, I'm so sorry.
I'm really blanking on what it's called right now. I
think it's called called odd sport, or maybe I'm getting
that confused with bad sport, Seph. Maybe you look it up.
So this was something that I watched during COVID and
(42:53):
it was basically covering all of these weird ass things
that happen Honestly, I have to say mostly in Europe
with some of these weird sports. And I think that
this rock skipping competition in this world stone skimming competition
might be on the same level as the cheese race
competition where they throw a cheese wheel and I think
(43:14):
it's also in Scotland or somewhere else in the UK.
They throw a cheese wheel down a hill and they
have to run down a hill and people have legitimately died.
Speaker 2 (43:24):
Is it we are the Champions? Does that sound familiar
because that's a documentary about cheese rolling in the farmlands
of England.
Speaker 1 (43:33):
Is it just about cheese rolling?
Speaker 2 (43:35):
I think it might be. I can't find this.
Speaker 3 (43:36):
This was one.
Speaker 1 (43:37):
This was one that had a bunch of other sports.
Anyway you can close this out. I'm gonna find this though,
and find this and recommend this, and Maggie, thank you
so much for sending this to us. You know what,
I'm excited that this is our brand.
Speaker 2 (43:54):
I am so excited also, this this event just looks
like a good time. I'm putting it on my list.
Something that I didn't know existed is now causing me
so much delight. So thank you so much Maggie for
submitting this to us, because this was a cheating scandal
that did bring just a.
Speaker 1 (44:10):
Little bit of levity and joy.
Speaker 2 (44:12):
To our week this week, so we do appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (44:14):
And it is we are the champions, and it's narrated
by Rain Wilson aka Dwight Shrut.
Speaker 2 (44:19):
Hmmm ford narrator.
Speaker 4 (44:22):
Yes perfect.
Speaker 1 (44:23):
Thanks you all so much for tuning in, and thank
you Holly for being you and for joining us.
Speaker 2 (44:29):
We'll be back in your feed with a new podcast
on Tuesday. In the meantime, if you enjoyed today's episode,
we would love if you could rate, review, and subscribe.
Speaker 1 (44:37):
This episode was deeply edited by Fan of Health and
produced by Alex jndra Puccio and Lauren Tuscala. Again I'm
Ellen Hyslop.
Speaker 2 (44:44):
And I'm seth Rotts and we will chat with you
again on Tuesday. Don't do anything nefarious while we're gone.
Speaker 3 (45:12):
App
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