Females Have It Tough Enough.....

If you have been listening to my show or Todd 'N Tyler over the past few days, you have heard me talk about a girl at the Nebraska Football Media Day that was dressed like she was ready to put on a show at the 20's.

Females who cover sports for a living have an incredibly difficult job. Not because sports is all that tough of a beat, but because the work environment is unlike any other in our country. It's challenging and often uncomfortable for women to find their place and many feel unwanted. If they are attractive, triple the difficulty because now they have to prove they know what they are talking about and not just a pretty face. As guys in sports - competing is all we know. It's a big reason why were are in the media - to be around competition. Women who try to run with the boys can do so if they prove themselves. Unfortunately, that normally means the line they walk is very thin and one slip can cause them to lose any good will.

Sure, there are other places in this country where women have had to fight there way into - politics, board rooms, etc. But sports media is unique because your peers have the ability to hammer you in front of thousands of readers, viewers and listeners. We can talk about everything about them from who they are dating to who's locker they spent the most time at. Everything is scrutinized because men are simple, small minded creatures and the introduction of a woman puts us into a different frame of mind. Suddenly, men have to watch their actions because they don't want to look like a fool in front of the lady. It's the presence of sex that changes everything. It becomes a mating game.

Think I'm nuts? Think about school and what happens when boys are left alone among boys in a classroom. Then add one single girl - the environment is totally different. This is what happened on Monday in Lincoln.

The picture below is the only picture I have been able to find of a blonde who came into the press conference wearing what I can only describe as a "pink teddie" with 4 inch white heels. It was show stopping. Every time she got up to get her recorder from the podium and leaned forward, there wasn't much left to the imagination. If this was a bar, guys would have been staring and smiling at each other. Inside Memorial Stadium, this was beyond inappropriate.

When I saw her "dress", my first thought was why didn't someone tell her that having your breasts and ass hanging out for all to see is totally unprofessional in a male dominant field. Once you introduce your sexuality to your job - all credibility is out the window. Football players are male but so are most in the media and men all act the same when a beautiful woman is flaunting her stuff. You notice the peacock's feathers. To cover sports, you must understand your place. Women have every right to wear what they want to work but don't blame us when we don't take you seriously as a media member.

Am I objectfying this woman? Sure, but I think she wanted to be seen as an object the second that dress went on. It's biological.

ESPN understands this completely. Look at their anchors - they all look like your mother (See Linda Cohn). Plain. Boring. Not ugly but not exactly Pamela Anderson. Anchors deliver the sports news to mostly men every night. Straight forward information. Then look at their reporters. Nearly all are attractive but they tell stories and can use their attractiveness to their advantage when needed (see Wendy Nix). Finally, the sideline reporter. This is where sex comes in big time because you get 20 seconds of air time and you must be noticeable to the male eye. Beautiful women do the trick (See Erin Andrews). Men are simple and easy to figure out - especially what we like to look at.

Now, tell me a sports writer that you know that is a beautiful woman? They are out there but they don't flaunt it. How about a sports talk show host? They are a few there too but they often go for TV if they have a good voice. If you have the looks, you go for the medium that you will be the most successful in. There is nothing wrong with using your good looks to your advantage as long as you understand how to use it. Inappropriate attire on one day ruins your reputation for a long time.

If your daughter is thinking about going into sports media - lesson number 1 should be "Learn How To Dress". If she doesn't, don't get upset at what others say about her in the media because we will look - see - and talk about it publicly.

Sorry, a backshot is all I could find......and we don't know who she is except that she isn't a student.