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Hanging with...Ms. Isaacson
By Scott Venci Sports Editor
Q: Have you ever felt discriminated against in the sports journalism field because of your gender? A: There have been times over the course of my career that I have felt I may have been stopped short of my aspirations because I am a woman — everything from particular story assignments to not getting a full-time columnist position. But I have probably been given just as many opportunities, and maybe even reached those points to begin with, because of my gender. All in all, I would say the good and bad has cancelled each other out and that all in all, I am very fortunate to be in the position I’m in now. Q: Has the recent boom in women’s sports (tennis, soccer) made it more socially acceptable for girls to participate in sports? A: That may be the case, but I honestly can’t remember in my lifetime (and I’ll soon be 40) where I felt it wasn’t socially acceptable to participate in sports. Thanks to Title IX, I think that hasn’t been a problem since the early 70s. The only regret I have as I look at all the opportunities my daughter has, is that I wasn’t able to participate in organized sports (girls softball) until I was 12 or 13. It wasn’t that it wasn’t acceptable before then, it simply did not exist in an organized setting. Q: Who has been your favorite interview since becoming a writer? The worst? A: I wish I had a good answer to this since I have been asked many times. I always include Michael Jordan, at least during the mid stages of his NBA career because I believe very, very few athletes at or near his stature were ever that accessible, friendly and seemingly open with the media, regardless of the size of your paper, etc. That changed in later years as he became less accessible, less free with his answers and less articulate. I think he simply burned out. I always enjoyed Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden because he seemed to genuinely enjoy his give-and-take with the media and also clearly figured out what benefit this would be to him as a coach. To me, he is a sincerely nice man, generous with his time, entertaining as a quote — always the most important thing — and eminently accessible. I believe his home phone number in Tallahassee is still listed. The worst interview that springs to mind was the one and only time I tried to talk to Dick Butkus by phone when I worked for the Orlando Sentinel and I was assigned to do a story on an anniversary of the, I believe now-defunct, Butkus Award (given to the nation’s best college linebacker). Hopefully, this was a bad day for him. I know it was for me. After agreeing to do the interview, he was, alternately rude, abrasive, abusive and non-responsive altogether before we mercifully ended the conversation probably about six minutes in!! Since I was relatively young and impressionable (probably 24 or 25) and since I always loved Butkus as a player, this truly burst my bubble. Even though I knew of his obviously gruff reputation, I somehow expected him to be nicer to me, particularly since we were doing the ultimate puff piece. However, it also taught me a valuable lesson about elevating sports heroes or any celebrities to a status above any normal human being. I haven’t made that mistake since! Q: Will the Cubs ever win a World Series, or are Chicago fans doomed for the next hundred years? A: I would have to be Merlin the Magnificent to predict this one. Odds are that it can’t go another 100 years, but I would say the chances of this happening in the next five to 10 years seems slim indeed. Of course, as long as the Yankees keep plugging along as they are currently, I would say this for a lot of teams. Q: Will Michael Jordan indeed come back to play in the NBA? A: I would never be foolish enough to discount this possibility, especially since he refuses to discount it entirely himself. I think until he literally can’t manage it physically, there will always be an outside chance because of his competitiveness and love of drama. The Columbia Chronicle would like to hear your opinion on this topic. Note: If your browser does not support multiple windows, click here. Back to top | Home The Columbia Chronicle is a student produced publication of Columbia College Chicago and does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of Columbia College administrators, faculty or students. |
April 23, 2001
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