Sports TV News
Mowins, Raiders Break New Ground
Published
9 years agoon
Beth Mowins has spent her accomplished career as a play-by-play announcer trying to tell the story, not be it.
That will change Friday night when the 1989 Lafayette College grad becomes just the second woman play-by-play announcer ever for an NFL game. Mowins will handle the Bay Area broadcast of the Oakland Raiders’ exhibition game against the St. Louis Rams, 28 years after Gayle Sirens broke the barrier when she broadcast a late-season game on NBC between Seattle and Kansas City.
That turned out to be the only NFL game Sirens ever broadcast and it took nearly three decades for another woman to get the chance. The game will be broadcast locally in the Bay Area and will be aired later Friday night on a tape-delayed basis on the NFL Network.
“I think most football play-by-play announcers would love to have that opportunity so certainly I’ll try to make the most of it,” said Mowins, who has been calling college football games on ESPN for a decade. “To be able to do it with the Raiders is pretty cool. I’m friends with Gayle Sirens so it’s pretty cool that it has come back full circle and the opportunity is there for me.”
Mowins got her start in broadcasting as an undergrad at Lafayette where she did her first gig as a color commentator for legendary Dick Hammer while still a standout basketball player for the Leopards.
Mowins was at the top of the list of potential broadcasters when Raiders owner Mark Davis decided he wanted a dedicated television crew for preseason games this year instead of simulcasting the radio broadcast.
Vittorio DeBartolo, the vice president, executive producer for the Raiders, was tasked with putting together a team and quickly focused on Mowins. He was intrigued by the trailblazing aspect of the hire for an organization that had hired the first female CEO in league history (Amy Trask), the first black coach in modern history (Art Shell) and the second Hispanic coach in league history (Tom Flores).
Watching tapes of her college broadcasts solidified the decision and Davis was quickly impressed.
“I think people are kind of curious at first,” DeBartolo said. “Most people who don’t know Beth don’t know how qualified she is. Once they read her resume and look at what she’s done, it’s a no-brainer. It was something we could build on and it kind of went in that direction. Luckily, we had the type of owner who doesn’t care who you are.”
Only adding to the attraction was the fact that Mowins went to graduate school in her hometown of Syracuse, N.Y., where Al Davis went to college, and she had no connections with other NFL teams.
Mowins will work the four preseason games this year with a pair of former Raiders greats in recently inducted Hall of Famer Tim Brown and four-time Super Bowl champion Matt Millen.
Mowins’ career as a national play-by-play football broadcaster began in 2005 when she was hired by ESPN to call Western Athletic Conference games. She followed Pam Ward as the second female play-by-play broadcaster for college football on a national outlet.
She also broadcasts men’s and women’s basketball games, as well as other college sports at ESPN.
“When I was younger I immediately realized I wasn’t going to be the ex-coach or ex-player but that other guy, I might be able to do what he does,” Mowins said.
So Mowins started doing local broadcasts near Syracuse before working her way to ESPN. While there are plenty of women sideline reporters in professional men’s sports, the broadcast booth has been a different story.
“I understand it’s a little different for a lot of other people, but for me it’s always been my day-to-day,” she said. “I’ve been really lucky over the years to have great guys who believed in me and mentored me and helped me out along the way. I don’t feel like it’s a big deal. Most of the time places I go, I can’t remember a bad experience. Most people are very friendly and professional.”
Mowins said it is a bit awkward to talk about herself when her career has been built on describing the actions of others. But she is able to appreciate the trend-setting aspect of her career when she hears from up-and-coming women in the business.
“When younger people walk up to me and say they want to do what I do, it does feel pretty good to sort of be someone who they can say, `Hey, it’s possible if you want it and work hard at it.”‘
Credit to the Allentown Morning Call which originally published this article
Jason Barrett is the owner and operator of Barrett Sports Media. Prior to launching BSM he served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He has also produced national shows for ESPN Radio including GameNight and the Dan Patrick Show. You can find him on Twitter @SportsRadioPD or reach him by email at [email protected].
Sports TV News
ESPN Names NFL Draft Broadcast Teams; Nick Saban to Debut on ABC
ABC will feature the College GameDay crew of Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard, who will be joined by former Alabama head coach Nick Saban, who will join the crew this fall.
Published
7 hours agoon
April 15, 2024By
BSM Staff
ESPN has announced their commentator teams for their extensive coverage of the NFL Draft. Coverage will take place on both ESPN and ABC as well as ESPN Radio and ESPN Deportes.
The NFL Draft takes place April 25-27 and on the first two days, ABC will feature the College GameDay crew of Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard, who will be joined by former Alabama head coach Nick Saban, who will join the crew this fall. Field Yates, Laura Rutledge and Pete Thamel will also be part of the ABC team.
On ESPN, Mike Greenberg will host alongside Mel Kiper, Jr., Booger McFarland, Louis Riddick, Molly McGrath and Adam Schefter. Both ESPN and ABC will start coverage on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET and on Friday at 7 p.m. ET.
A number of ESPN football reporters will also report from various team sites including Courtney Cronin who will be with the Chicago Bears who have the No. 1 overall pick.
ESPN Radio will feature Chris Canty and Chris Carlin along with Ian Fitsimmons, Jordan Reid and Mike Tannenbaum. ESPN Deportes will have a team of Sebastian M. Christensen, Carols Nava, Miguel Pasquel, Eduardo Varela and Pablo Viruega.
Meet the commentator team for @ABCNetwork's presentation of the 2024 #NFLDraft on April 25 & 26
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) April 15, 2024
🎙 @ReceDavis
🎙 @KirkHerbstreit
🎙 @DesmondHoward
🎙 Nick Saban
🎙 @FieldYates
🎙 @LauraRutledge
🎙 @PeteThamel
More: https://t.co/Kl8CklPCWR pic.twitter.com/YdkYIRgB6t
Sports TV News
DraftKings Network to Introduce ‘Good Follow’ Women-Led Show on June 7
“Engagement with women’s sports is at an all-time high, and we couldn’t be more excited to expand our programming to include a women-centric sports show to our content portfolio.”
Published
11 hours agoon
April 15, 2024By
BSM Staff
DraftKings Network will be introducing a new one-hour, weekly women-led sports show, adding to its slate of sports content and programming. The show will be titled Good Follow and debut on June 7 at 8 p.m. EST on DraftKings Network. Award-winning content creator Megan Reyes has been named the host of the show, which will blend news and pre-produced segments into interviews and discussion surrounding women’s sports. Additionally, former Texas Southern University golfer Logan Hackett will contribute to the show and look at the biggest events in sports as well.
“Engagement with women’s sports is at an all-time high, and we couldn’t be more excited to expand our programming to include a women-centric sports show to our content portfolio,” Stacie McCollum, vice president of content at DraftKings, said in a statement. “At the core, a ‘Good Follow’ is someone who unapologetically moves culture forward within or adjacent to women’s sports. Our approach to this show aligns with growth trends we’re seeing within the space and from our customers as they interact with women’s sports across all our products.”
Ahead of the program’s debut on DraftKings Network, the show will be posted on social media platforms, including Instagram, X, Facebook and TikTok, for daily women’s sports content. This will include coverage from the WNBA Draft on April 15, which will take place from the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, N.Y. Lucy Rohden and other contributing personalities from Meadowlark Media will be on site for coverage to record content and interviews with draftees into the league. Furthermore, there will be additional behind-the-scenes features and access to those making an impact in women’s sports.
DraftKings Network is a free ad-supported television (FAST) channel that is available to watch for free through various services, including Samsung TV Plus, The Roku Channel and Google TV. Consumers can also find the programming on DKNetwork.com and YouTube and as audio on major podcasting platforms.
Sports TV News
ESPN Films Creating Stuart Scott ‘30 for 30’
“ The 30 for 30 film will explore Scott’s rise up the ranks at ESPN, his influence on media and culture, a painful divorce and his fight against cancer, which ultimately took his life.”
Published
1 day agoon
April 14, 2024By
BSM Staff
ESPN Films has announced plans for an upcoming 30 for 30 documentary on former SportsCenter star Stuart Scott. The film will be directed by Andre Gaines.
According to Deadline, the film will detail how Scott shattered preconceived notions of how on-air talent were expected to look, talk, act, and think. It’ll also highlight how hip-hop and Black culture were brought into the sports media mainstream.
“Stuart Scott transcended broadcasting, journalism, sports and culture in ways that we’re only beginning to really understand and appreciate now,” said Andre Gaines. “He made his mark on so many people, especially young black men, and his legend has only grown since his passing. The opportunity I’ve had now to examine his life, visit his home, get to know his daughters Taelor and Sydni, and understand how incredibly vast and rich a life Stuart lived, I can only hope that audiences find the same catharsis I’ve already experienced in making this film.”
Vice President and Executive Producer of ESPN Films Marsha Cooke added, “We pride ourselves on telling the stories of true originals who changed the world, and Stuart epitomized that in so many ways. This film is the perfect tribute to a man who touched lives in front of and behind the camera. Andre Gaines has begun crafting a film that will shine a new light on who Stuart really was–from his relationship with Taelor and Sydni to the many people who saw the world differently just from spending time with him. The film will be Stuart through and through–funny, smart, edgy, touching, and transformational.”
Scott passed away at the age of 49 in January 2015 following a battle with cancer. His style and memorable catchphrases helped ESPN attract new fans, influence broadcasters, and put a modern twist on the network’s signature show.
The 30 for 30 film will explore his rise up the ranks at ESPN, his influence on media and culture, the pain of a divorce and his fight with cancer that ultimately took his life. Scott’s daughters Taelor and Syndi will also lend their voices to the tribute to their father.
A release date has not yet been announced.
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