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What Beth Mowins calling Monday Night Football means to women in the industry

Beth Mowins will become the first woman in 30 years to call play-by-play for a regular-season NFL game, a move that has drawn praise from other women in the industry.

Beth Mowins knows there will be viewers who think her Monday Night Football game-calling assignment next September is a stunt or political correctness run amok from ESPN. But she has no interest in exerting any energy over those who do not believe she should be calling an NFL game.

“I learned a long time ago that you don’t ask why you did or why you didn’t get a job, you simply say thank you very much and work your tail off to keep it, or you work your tail off to get the next one,” Mowins said. “I am most focused on doing a respectful job and earning the respect of my peers and my family. I understand I will not please everybody and I try the best I can not to listen to negative people with negative attitudes. Life is too short for that.”

As SI first reported last week, Mowins has been assigned the play-by-play role for the Sept. 11, 2017 game between Chargers and Broncos in Denver, the late game of the MNF opening week doubleheader. The assignment marks the first time in 30 years that a woman will call play-by-play for a regular season NFL game. Gayle Sierens was assigned by NBC Sports to call the Seahawks-Chiefs game on Dec. 27, 1987, a game played on the final week of the regular season that year. Rex Ryan, making his NFL game debut, will be her analyst.

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Mowins said she has known about the MNF assignment since the end of March; last Tuesday ESPN made it official during their upfront presentation to advertisers. NFL play-by-play has always represented one of the landmark glass ceilings for women sports broadcasters (This Washington Post column by Sally Jenkins on the subject is recommended) and as game time gets closer, you can expect more examination of the move. Mowins is not hyper-focused on the pioneering aspect of the upcoming assignment but said she is happy that Sierens has gotten more attention for what she did 30 years ago. (Mowins and Sirens have also been texting each other regularly.)

“What I have decided is I understand the significance of that many in America will hear a woman call an NFL game for the first time but I have been calling Monday Night Football since I was knee-high and sitting in my family living room with my parents and brothers,” Mowins said. “Obviously, Monday Night Football is a big stage but I am going to try the best I can to treat it with the same preparation and passion as I would any other game. Other people will determine how it goes and its significance.”

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Mowins said she won’t look too far in the future regarding whether this will lead to future NFL assignments for her. If it does, it will have to be on another network given ESPN is locked in with Sean McDonough as its main MNF announcer. Mowins said she expects to be nervous, but she also has healthy nerves prior to every broadcast. “That means it means something to you,” Mowins said. “Rex and I are both competitive people and we want to do well at this.”

Two years ago Vittorio De Bartolo, the executive producer of broadcasting for the Oakland Raiders, recruited Mowins to call preseason games for the Raiders. He said last week that he’s more than confident that Mowins will excel doing it for a national audience. The Raiders have a history of being hiring pioneers and what’s clear is Mowins was unlikely to get this gig without Oakland executives taking a shot on her.

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“I would guess that anything that happens in the NFL heading forward for me I will be thanking the Raiders for,” Mowins said. “I knew all along that I wouldn’t have to impress millions of people, but I had to impress the eye of one or two decision makers who said this is the right person and that is who we want. From [owner] Mark Davis to [business operations head] Marc Badain to Vittorio De Bartolo to [VP of Media & Entertainment] Brad Phinney, they were so instrumental to me.”

On the issue of what ESPN assigning Mowins to call an NFL game means for the profession and for them personally, I empanelled a sampling of women (there are 21 voice here) I respect in the business for their thoughts.

Kerith Burke, Pac 12 Network:

When I read Beth Mowins will be the first woman to call a regular season NFL game in 30 years, the idea "you can't be what you can't see" came into my mind. Gayle Sierens was the last woman to have this opportunity in 1987—that span is nearly my lifetime. I'm glad Mowins earned this moment. She has a sterling reputation for preparedness, deep knowledge of the sport and calling a compelling broadcast. On a personal level, the moment feels like it's part of a larger conversation about barriers. Consider a parallel situation: Debbie Antonelli was the first woman to be an analyst for the men's 2017 NCAA tournament since 1995. In a New York Times article, CBS Chairman Sean McManus explained why like this: "It just wasn't on our radar screen" and “probably just an oversight,” and “a little bit of a lack of creativity, perhaps." It's telling that it doesn't occur to the powers-that-be to consider women for big roles. Just an “oversight" means decades go by with the door closed to talented people.

Maggie Gray, SI Now and CBS Sports Radio:

Beth Mowins has long been changing the sports soundtrack. She is talented  knowledgeable, entertaining and her calls are always exciting and satisfying. When I was coming out of journalism school, my current job didn't exist yet. Hosting a digital sports talk show (SI Now) was still years in the making. Rather, I got into broadcasting because I wanted to do play-by-play like Beth Mowins. I've never told her that, but I don't think it's a stretch to say that all women who have made sports broadcasting their careers feel a sense of pride that Beth got the MNF opportunity. We owe her a debt of gratitude for breaking down yet another barrier. Not only is she damn good at play-by-play, but her confidence in breaking down broadcasting’s glass ceiling likely earned her a fair share of backlash (imagine her Twitter mentions?). Yet she stuck with her pursuits, displaying only grace and class. From women's college volleyball to softball to college football, Beth is peerless when it comes to the credentials of someone in our field. It's long overdue, but I'm elated she has finally gotten her biggest break.

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Ann Killion, San Francisco Chronicle

 I used to want to be the first play-by-play woman on MNF. Obviously, since I didn't go into broadcasting, that was never going to happen. So I'm thrilled for Beth, who did a great job on the Raiders' preseason games last year. But I still think it's strange that this continues to be newsworthy in 2017.  Women have been providing sports news in one form or another for four decades. This is another logical step forward. While I criticize ESPN for a lot of things, the network gets full credit for providing opportunities for talented women over the years.

Trenni Kusnierek, CSN New England and WEEI:

When I was a little girl, I never dreamed of being a sports reporter. It’s not because I didn’t love sports—I was obsessed with them. The problem was, I didn’t realize it was possible. Beth Mowins calling a Monday Night Football game is so much more than another first for women in sports media. I imagine a little girl watching that game in September and realizing—maybe for the first time—that every option is open to her. She’s not constrained to being on the sidelines or on the anchor desk, she can be the VOICE of the game.

Andrea Kremer, NFL Network:

Last November I was on a panel with ESPN President John Skipper and I asked him what it would take for a woman to call play-by-play for an NFL game.  He said, “I think we’ll get there; we’re committed to it.”  He went on to say it would be a good thing.

Well now it’s a great thing.

Kudos to John for living up to his word when it could have just been pabulum that we’ve all heard before. I’m thrilled for Beth Mowins and proud of and for her because she’s earned this opportunity, has paid her dues and is a really strong broadcaster who just happens to be a woman. She’s knowledgeable, has a great, resonant voice and fully understands the mechanics and art of play-by-play. I’ve heard her on Raiders' preseason games and it was an easy listen. After the first play, I got beyond the, “Wow, that’s a woman at the mic.” I also give props to Skipper because they’ve really shown faith in her by pairing her with a novice analyst, Rex Ryan. That’s not an easy job, as Joe Buck and Kevin Burkhardt will learn with Tony Romo and Jay Cutler, respectively. That puts even more pressure and responsibility on Mowins but she’s clearly up to the task. I will be watching her with the same excited interest and pride that I did when the first woman, Gayle Gardner, debuted as a host on network TV for NBC back on New Year’s Day in 1987. I had tears in my eyes because I thought, “Wow, maybe I can do that.” I hope that many young women will feel that way when Mowins debuts on Monday Night Football

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Jessica Mendoza, ESPN:

My introduction to ESPN was with Beth Mowins eleven years ago as she sat next to me for my audition to be an [college softball] analyst back in 2006. We then worked almost every game together and I credit her the most for my growth within the booth. Her Monday Night Football assignment is long overdue because she is so talented and deserves to be at the highest level. Not because she is a woman, but because she is GOOD. That is so important. It does not help other women in the industry to have women in these roles unless they can do it right. Bringing a talented and unique voice to the broadcast is exactly what Beth Mowins will do on Monday Night Football.

Rachel Nichols, ESPN:

I'm happy for Beth, because she has worked hard for it and earned it. I'm happy for people who love football, because Beth calls a great game and more fans are going to get to hear that now. And I'm happy because I know there will be at least one little girl in her living room somewhere that Monday, who will hear Beth call the game and won't think of it as some groundbreaking event, but just absorb it into her definition of the way things are. When I was a kid, it never occurred to me that it was strange for a woman to cover the NFL, because I was reading Christine Brennan do it in the Washington Post every day. By the time anyone clued me in that it being female in this profession was supposedly some barrier or obstacle, it was way too late—I was already so firmly on my way.

Wendi Nix, ESPN:

When I spoke to Beth about this last week, I thought her reaction was the best I've heard. As excited as she is, this really is an extension of what she's done for a long time. Beth is dedicated to her craft, good at what she does, and so this really is the next logical step. It's exciting to think that one day soon, a role like this won't make news, and I mean that in the best possible way. I'm thrilled for her that this opportunity is available and know she will be fantastic.

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Laura Okmin, Fox Sports:

It's hard to put in words why Beth's opportunity means so much to me and so many women in sports broadcasting—it's much easier to put into feelings. I'm sitting here in Atlanta putting on a two-day Bootcamp for 25 women hoping to make this a career or having already begun their journey. I talk constantly to young women about wanting to be more than a sideline reporter, explaining it's a terrific gig but very rarely a long career. But sidelines is all they know since it's often all they see women doing. As I tell them, It's a great side order of mash potatoes, but what's your filet minion that will sustain you and nourish you for years to come? That conversation changed today because Beth just got the filet, which changed the menu for all of us. I hope Beth's opportunity is an opportunity for all these beautiful young faces I'm looking at as I write this, and thousands of others who love sports, know sports, prepare just as hard as their male teammates and would be an asset—not just for 15 seconds between plays—but for the entirety of a game. Beth isn't a great woman sportscaster—she's a great sportscaster and I hope one day there's no distinction. I am so happy for her, so proud of her and for her and hope she feels the army of women cheering her on as she kicks open the door.

Pam Oliver, Fox Sports:

I got really excited for Beth when I heard the news. I thought, this is great, really great, and it is. That said, I’m sure Beth, like many women who work in various jobs covering the NFL, would like people to stop trippin’ because she’s a woman. It’s not gender-specific work. I’m sure her gender will bring out the dumbasses who won’t be able to see that Beth is absolutely terrific at what she does. Lesser male broadcasters have been given tons of opportunities over the years. It’s time for this.

Marly Rivera, ESPN:

Every time a young person reaches out to me for advice on, “How can I have your job?,” I always tell them I never focused on being on TV or being recognized. I always tell them a lot of the best journalists I've ever known they'd never recognize. The advice is always simple: “Do the work.” I tell them to make themselves the very best journalists they can be. Develop and never betray your sources, and most of all, work hard and be kind. Honestly, they never want to hear that. They want to hear some sort of shortcut to being famous, to have lots of social media followers, to be on TV. This MNF assignment for Beth is a validation that hard work still pays off. That when you are THAT good at what you do, it actually doesn't matter that you are not of the gender that plays that particular professional sport. That when you dedicate your career to being exemplary, you can get rewarded. I hope that seeing Beth succeed in this role will also open up doors for all those women who are out there in the trenches, doing the work, without any recognition or fanfare, to also have an opportunity to take a similar step in their careers. I hope that it one day allows me, a Hispanic woman, to call a baseball game on TV for a national audience. We all win when hard work and excellence are rewarded. About time Beth, about time.

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LaChina Robinson, basketball analyst, multiple networks:

I was very excited and proud when I heard about Beth Mowins’s upcoming opportunity on Monday Night Football. I will never forget her stories about being a little girl in the backyard pretending to call the action during family sports brawls. Beth was born for this and she could have turned back amidst unfair scrutiny and misogynistic attitudes, but she set her eyes on what she wanted and not what this world gave her permission to accomplish. Professionally, it's encouraging to see Beth's hard work rewarded. I am sure she was not the "safest" choice for this assignment because of the anticipation of backlash. It's great to see ESPN reward someone who has earned the opportunity versus choosing what may have been a more "popular" option.

Holly Rowe, ESPN:

I have often fought a battle with men who think women like Doris Burke, Jessica Mendoza and Beth Mowins shouldn't have certain roles in sports commentating. I simply say, don't think of her as a woman, just listen to WHAT is said, not who is saying it. EVERY time and I mean EVERY time, they tell me, "Wow, you were right!" They had just been caught up in the old idea of how things have always been. Beth Mowins is simply one of the finest announcers I ever work with. Her pride in preparation, sense of story, sense of moment, technical organization and team work, is second to none. Also, she is hilarious and delightful. She deserves every opportunity she gets and should have gotten some of them years ago. A good announcer is a good announcer. She will show you!

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Kate Scott, Pac 12 Network and CSN Bay Area and CSN California:

I'm over-the-moon excited for Beth. She's worked her tail off for decades and deserves this opportunity, which is why I think the meaning of this assignment is both simple and profound. It means if you work and work and work some more and never stop trying to grow and improve as a broadcaster, you might one day be recognized and rewarded for your hard work. That's how it should be. That's the simple part. The fact that Beth has been recognized and given this opportunity could turn out to be quite profound. Does this mean employers are no longer considering gender when hiring play by play announcers? Does this mean we've finally reached the point where skill and past work truly are what matters? We won't know for a while, but if nothing else this is an inspiring step in that direction. For me, Beth has and continues to be an inspiration. The arc of her career and now her getting this assignment gives me hope that my dreams of calling a Super Bowl, calling a World Cup, may not be so crazy after all.

And one more thing: I don't get the chance to call a couple of Niners’ preseason games last year without her and without her years of hard work and putting up with fans crap and earning the respect of our fellow play by platy broadcasters. That opportunity only comes about because of Beth. And who was texting me to check in during the months leading up to those games? And then again just last month, as I called an Arizona softball series, to say I'm doing a great job and to keep it up? Beth. That's why I look up to her. That's why I'm so excited for her. And that's why I know she's going to be fantastic with Rex come September.

Ramona Shelburne, ESPN:

It used to be that female broadcasters called women's sports and male broadcasters got to do both. Beth kept chipping away at those antiquated norms by doing good work everywhere she went. It's really gratifying as a woman to see that recognized by this promotion. She's truly earned this.

Suzanne Smith, CBS Sports (the only woman directing NFL games fulltime):

I am proud of Beth, happy for her and inspired by her. It is enormously important that the best, most qualified person for this position has been given the job. Beth has always been an inspiration to so many and this assignment will give hope to more people then you can count, especially women. I look forward to Beth Mowins doing play by play for an entire NFL season—sooner, rather then later.

Michele Tafoya, NBC Sports:

When I heard the news about Beth I immediately tweeted out my congratulations. She has proven she deserves this. ESPN's decision will no doubt lead to more opportunities for Beth and others. And no doubt young eyes will be opened to new possibilities. On a personal note, I will use Beth's example to underscore one of my core beliefs to my son and daughter: Hard work—not gender—is what earns respect and success.

Amy Trask, CBS Sports:

It is significant that Beth will be the play-by-play announcer for an NFL regular season game. What will more significant is when the hiring and promotion of qualified individuals without regard to gender, race, religion, ethnicity or other individualities which have no bearing whatsoever on whether someone is qualified to do a job is no longer significant. Might Beth encounter some gender-based resistance from others? Of course. What do I believe she should do if she does?  Her job. And that is precisely what I believe Beth will do. She is terrific at her job and I wish her all the very best for continued success. I can't wait to hear her call this game.

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Lesley Visser:

The Greeks said character is destiny. Beth is perfect for this role—she has honorably put in the time and the work and is worthy of the assignment. I always said men weren't born knowing a safety blitz, they had the passion to learn it, just like Beth Mowins did. Let's all raise a glass.

Jenny Vrentas, The MMQB:

I've heard Beth Mowins talk about watching Phyllis George on The NFL Today show when she was younger, and the impact that had on her, realizing that she, too, could make a career in sports broadcasting. That's a major reason why Mowins receiving the MNF assignment is so important. It's a big deal regardless of gender; she's joining a small club of people who have earned the opportunity to call a primetime NFL game. But the broader impact is that women who are interested in sports or broadcasting; or those who maybe never considered those fields; or others who have been working in this field for a while and feel stuck, with limited options to move up, will now be able to see Mowins's position as a legitimate career goal. There are far more women working in sports journalism today and thanks to the women who came before my generation, the hurdles are fewer (or at least lower). But for 30 years, NFL play-by-play has been one of those areas where that was not the case. Mowins is a veteran broadcaster who has demonstrated her talent with premier assignments in college sports, and also more recently, as the voice of Raiders preseason games. Her appointment was met with praise, because of her hard work and qualifications. But it was also difficult not to notice the small but unfortunate chorus of people sneering at her appointment, most likely without ever having seen any of Mowins's body of work. Well, now more people than ever will get to see Mowins's work and form an opinion off of that. To any woman working in sports journalism, even in 2017, that's the one hope you have above anything else: To be evaluated based on your work and your work alone.

Jennifer Pransky, Fox Sports producer:

I care about sports and I care about equality. As long as both are served, then I am pleased with that state of our industry. Equality in this case is that she is qualified, so she should be considered for the job. On the sports side, I just want her to be good at the job so I can enjoy a game I love. 

I hope she does so well that Fox is bummed she isn't in our booth. If she is mediocre, then she will have company within the industry. I just hope we are equal in our criticism of her as we are with every other play-by-play announcer. While she is forging a path and will be in the history books, we shouldn't pin the future of women in football on this hire. That's the only thing I am fearful of happening, but I am excited that she is being given the opportunity to fail or succeed. 

THE NOISE REPORT

(SI.com examines some of the week’s most notable sports media stories)

1. Episode 119 of the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast features a return of the sports media roundtable with Sports Business Daily media writer John Ourand and SI.com columnist Jimmy Traina. On this podcast, we discuss the ESPN 2018 television schedule which includes a new Mike Greenberg solo show every morning and a reduction of SportsCenter on linear television; the announcement that Beth Mowins and Rex Ryan will call the late game of the Monday Night Football doubleheader on Sept. 11; Fox Sports’ plans for this fall; ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball; why the NBA ratings are up on TNT and ESPN; the ripple effect of the ESPN layoffs heading forward; Sports Illustrated’s layoffs; whether competitors see ESPN’s issues as a chance to outbid them when new NFL deal comes to tender; and much more.

On the issue of ESPN’s new weekday lineups that will debut on ESPN and ESPN2, no matter how ESPN execs want to spin it, they have sent a message to the marketplace that SportsCenter is no longer the television sports show of record. Instead, ESPN is banking on opinion-driven dialogue for its most-watched channel in an era of declining cable subscribers and viewership. The new ESPN daytime lineup in 2018 will begin with a Mike Greenberg-fronted morning show that will premiere on Jan. 1. The still-untitled daily program will originate from a studio in Manhattan and will air live from 7-10 a.m. ET on ESPN, and re-air each day at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN2.

“I can tell you what the wrong strategy is and that is to have the SportsCenter we grew up with,” said Ourand. “If they were to say we are going to have a highlight-driven show that show you the highlights that happened yesterday, that is what hasn’t been rating.”

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Google Play and Stitcher.

2. FOX Sports announced this week a pretty bold idea for an upcoming NASCAR race. For its live broadcast of the June 10 Xfinity Series race from Pocono Raceway (1:00 PM ET on FOX), the entire race will be called by drivers. Kevin Harvick will serve as the play-by-play announcer alongside analysts Joey Logano and Clint Bowyer. Ryan Blaney, Erik Jones and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will cover pit road while Danica Patrick and Denny Hamlin will host race coverage from the studio. Fox said they believe it is the first time a nationally televised live sporting event has featured on-air broadcasters comprised strictly of athletes actively competing in that sport. Here’s longtime racing writer Jeff Gluck on FOX’s experimental broadcast

2a. ESPN reporter Holly Rowe told AP’s Doug Feinberg that her melanoma cancer has recently recurred and spread.

3. Paul Pierce will join NBA Countdown for pre-game and halftime shows throughout the NBA Finals on ABC. In addition, Pierce will make regular appearances on ESPN’s The Jump with host Rachel Nichols throughout the NBA Finals.

3a. Via Sports TV Ratings: ESPN drew 3.224 million for the NBA Draft Lottery, up 17% from last year's 2.748 million.

4.Non sports pieces of note:

• From The Washington Post: Your teeth are a reflection of wealth and poverty in America

• Incredible story from Mike Newall of the Philadelphia Inquirer on the heroic librarians battling Philly's heroin epidemic—who literally helped save a life in front of Newell. 

Texas Monthly writer Michael J. Mooney on the empathy of Dallas police chief David Brown 

• Via Thomas Erdbrink of the New York Times: My Strange Trip Through Iran’s Heartland

• From Alex Tizon of The Atlantic: My Family’s Slave

• Jay Caspian Kang on Alex Tizon’s Brutal Honesty

• Read this from CNN’s Michelle Kosinski‏: This is how your government responds to unfavorable news coverage 

• From Pam Louwagie of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune: A teenager plotted to massacre people in a small Minnesota town. Now he's back living there.

• From David Joy of the Bitter Southerner: Digging In The Trash

• From The News Observer: Why have thousands of smart, low-income NC students been excluded from advanced classes?

The New York Times had a devastating report on China crippling U.S. spying operations

• If you have yet to read this Pro Publica piece, it's one of the best stories of the year

• Finding Lisa: A Story of Murders, Mysteries, Loss, and, Incredibly, New Life, by Shelley Murphy, of The Boston Globe

• From the great Garrett M. Graff: What Donald Trump Needs to Know About Bob Mueller and Jim Comey 

• The Atlantic’s Julie Beck attempted to find all the other Julie Becks

 • From The New Republic’s Ted Genoways: “The Only Good Muslim Is a Dead Muslim” 

• Via The New Yorker: A letter to my mother that she will never read

• One of the great sub stories ever, by Buffalo News writer Stephen T. Watson 

Sports pieces of note:

• Great work by SI’s Stephanie Apstein on Jon Lester’s yips 

• For those who love old school basketball pieces, Portland Monthly’s Casey Jarman on the 1977 Trailblazers

• From Sally Jenkins of The Washington Post: More women in sports television means less boring guy TV

• From sportswriter Travis Haney: Another crossroads, same optimism

• Terrific piece by SI’s Mark Bechtel on Cleveland In 1954: The Browns, the Indians, And A Murder Trial

The Tennessean’s Joe Rexrode on Predators coach Peter Laviolette

• From Jeff Pearlman of B/R: The Night That Cost Bryce Dejean-Jones His NBA Dream—And His Life 

5. CBS Sports announced it has extended its broadcast, cable and digital rights deal for the Army-Navy game through 2028. Last year’s Army-Navy game was the most-watched in 24 years. CBS said in a release that the new agreement, beginning in 2019, provides for CBS Sports Network to televise extensive shoulder programming, including live on-site coverage of the March On, archival programming and encore showings of the game. The deal also keeps Army-Navy basketball game on CBS Sports Network. 

5a. FS1 officially announced its new morning show, First Things First with Cris Carter and Nick Wright, will debut September 5 at 6:00 AM ET.

5b. Awful Announcing’s Andrew Bucholtz tracked the amount of times ESPN and FS1 has the LaVar Ball business and found that Ball appeared eight times on FS1 and the network tweeted about him 105 times in two months. Awful Announcing said ESPN gave Ball three TV appearances and tweeted about him 37 times.

5c. FS1 drew 909,000 for last Thursday’s Yankees-Royals game, the network most-watched regular-season game since the network’s inception. Sports Media Watch said the previous high for FS1 was 823,000 for Yankees-Rangers in July 2015.

5d. CSN New England host Trenni Kusnierek offered strong thoughts on what she believes is hypocrisy from FS1 and FOX Sports Radio host Colin Cowherd

5e. Peyton Manning will host the 2017 ESPYs, which will air live on ABC on July 12, at 8 p.m. ET from Los Angeles.

5f. It’s FOX Sports-on-FOX Sports love but worth listening to is this Cowherd interview with FOX Sports executive vice president Michael Mulvihill on the changing landscape of sports TV broadcasting and the impact of cord-cutting, password sharing, and the strength of RSNs when it comes to baseball.

5g. ESPN’s brilliant Hillsborough documentary, which aired on ESPN in 2014 as part of ESPN Films’ 30 for 30 Soccer Stories series, won a BAFTA for Single Documentary at the British Academy Television Awards on Sunday. The film was directed by Daniel Gordon and a co-production between ESPN and the BBC.

5h. On Tuesday at 10PM ET/PT HBO’s Real Sports will examine the largest sexual abuse scandal in soccer history—more than 500 former players said they were sexually abused while playing for British youth teams associated with some of the biggest clubs in pro soccer. Having seen the report, it’s very disturbing and none of the clubs involved nor the FA would speak to HBO Sports. In the same broadcast, Vin Scully visits with Real Sports on his longtime friend and fellow Dodgers broadcaster, Jaime Jarrin.

5i. NBC Sports soccer host Rebecca Lowe addressed the rampant sexism she faced in England covering soccer on an episode of That’s A Dive With Kyle Martino podcast.