Lisa Olson declined to be interviewed in the definitive film about women sportswriters.
The directors of Let Them Wear Towels, which airs tonight on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET, used archive interviews with Olson (left in photo) to help tell the story of the infamous locker room incident involving the New England Patriots.
Olson passed when approached by directors Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern.
You can understand why. The backlash was so harsh again Olson, she eventually went to Australia to try to escape some of the madness. Clearly, she isn’t eager to revisit an extremely painful part of her life.
Last month, Olson was given the Association for Women in Sports Media’s Mary Garber Pioneer Award. Paola Boivin of the Arizona Republic did a column on Olson.
Boivin writes:
They broke into her apartment. Slashed her tires. Spit on her at games. The torment was incessant. When her employer, News Corp., offered her an opportunity to work overseas, she jumped at the chance. She intended to remain in Australia for six months. She stayed for six years.
The incident was a watershed moment for women in sports journalism. Even though the NFL had enacted an equal-access policy five years earlier, women in the business were still scrutinized, chastised and ridiculed. The story prompted conversation and inspired teams to take a closer look at the behavior of players.
Australia, meanwhile, suited her well.
“I used to hate the ‘things happen for a reason’ (saying), but … they did,” she said. “I left Boston very sad, not knowing what my career was going to be like. It took me a month there to realize you make of it what you want to make of it, and that there was a whole other world than covering sports in Boston.”
AWSM has the write-up on Olson’s acceptance speech (that’s AWSM’s Meri-Jo Borzilleri on right).
In her acceptance speech, Olson covered highlights — and lowlights — of her career, from being a high school sports editor to her first job and to her time as the first female sports columnist in Australia.
“Live like someone is watching but don’t compromise yourself,” Olson said. “Be kind to each other. Lift each other up. Treat your critics with kindness and remember all who came before you.
“I was so blessed to have this incredible army of women behind me — they’re still behind me.”
Ed, thank you for this. The “Nine for IX” series is great. She is mentioned in the film anyway, even if she wasn’t on camera. Lisa’s story is the stuff of legend…I was a newbie when her story broke, and I was constantly warned to keep my head down and don’t make waves. I admire and respect her for what she has made of her career. Most of all, I am glad that her story had a happy ending.
As someone who is in the business and has been for 35 years I never had an issue with women reporters being allowed to go where they needed to go in performance of their jobs. But at the same time I always wondered why male reporters weren’t allowed to go into female locker rooms.
I don’t know if this has changed yet and maybe it has but there was a time when men weren’t allowed to talk with athletes on the LPGA or the WTA in their locker rroms immediately after an event.
They were brought out to talk with male reporters in a media area.
Why is it wrongone way but not the other? Fair is fair right??
Maybe Ed can clarify if this has changed since I’ve never covered women’s golf or women’s tennis.
Disappointed in you Ed. I give you a comment in which i point to an alternativee view on the Lisa Olson story and you shut me down. You are not much of a journalist, Ed, if you only report one side. You brought up Lisa Olson, not me.
Can you resend? Don’t see it…