Over the last couple of years, one person that has risen up in popularity in the sports media landscape is ESPN host and sideline reporter, Maria Taylor. This week, she was on the Bill Rhoden On Sports Podcast on the BLEAV Network with Bill Rhoden and Jamal Murphy to talk about her career and covering sports in what has been the new normal.
During this interview, Taylor talked about what was happening as sports were shutting down and one of the unique programming ideas ESPN had to mesh the NBA and the Women’s Final Four before sports came to a halt back in March.
“It’s been kind of a roller coaster. It came to a screeching haul,” Taylor said. “We had just gotten through the NBA All-Star Game. I was heading home for a couple of days, then I was going to head to Bristol to host the NCAA Women’s Tournament up through the Final Four. We had plans to bring NBA Countdown to New Orleans. We all found out together there weren’t going to be any more games for a while.”
Taylor did mention that there are protocols whenever she goes into the studio at ESPN where only 2 people can be in a conference room and there are 3 computers in between each person as people wear face shields, masks, and gloves. As far as the new normal, there is one thing Taylor likes about it she hopes that will stick around.
“I think it kind of levels the playing field for storytelling. Everyone has access to everyone. I do like seeing athletes or the subjects of our stories in a home setting. It takes some of the glitz and glamour away from the formality and kind of breaks down that wall a little bit. I hope that continues moving forward.”
As a former collegiate athlete at the University of Georgia, Taylor knows first-hand what it means to be a student-athlete and one of the things she appreciates now is that student-athletes are finding their voice and speaking up on issues.
“The student athletes are realizing that their voices are so much bigger than the sport because they are the sport. Being on the sidelines for almost 10 years, its great to finally see that,” She said. “I’ve had so many conversations with players where they felt like their voices have been silenced. To be honest, it was the same way when I was in school. For once, it seems as though the power has been given to the people. It’s not just about whether or not they catch 5 passes for 100 yards, which is in itself pressure packed. They are trying to figure out how do I use my influence when I know this isn’t right on my campus?”
As Taylor continues to work at ESPN, she realizes how important her voice is when it comes to speaking on social injustice and how her speaking up helps people who can’t.
“I recognize the responsibility of if I don’t speak up in meetings or on TV, the production assistant in Bristol is not going to have the opportunities that they deserve. As black women, stop being humble. I’m good at my job. It’s almost like what are you going to do? If you fire me, people would be upset about it at this point. I haven’t done anything wrong. I’m going to continue to excel, work hard, be a good teammate, make sure everyone feels good. You can’t feel any type of way about my opinion on how black people are treated because I am speaking the facts. I do believe you kind of ascend to that level of confidence.”
Throughout this interview, you will hear Taylor’s story of becoming a broadcaster and also the work she is doing with LeBron James’ More Than A Vote initiative.
