Game Changers: The Unsung Heroines of Sports History by Schiot Molly

Author:Schiot, Molly [Schiot, Molly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 2016-10-17T16:00:00+00:00

LISA OLSON

Though Sports Illustrated reporter Melissa Ludtke won equal access for female reporters to team locker rooms in 1978, change was slow to come. Harassment and humiliation by male athletes became a matter of course, reaching a very public climax in 1990, with Boston Herald reporter Lisa Olson at its center.

Olson had been covering the New England Patriots for a few months, and on September 17, she entered the Patriots’ locker room to interview a player about an injury. Suddenly, she found herself surrounded by three players: Robert Perryman, Michael Timpson, and Zeke Mowatt. Mowatt allegedly stood in front of her, an arm’s length away, fondled his genitals, and taunted, “Is this what you want? Do you want to take a bite out of this?” The other two crowded around her, naked and making lewd gestures, while other the players yelled, “Give her what she wants! Give her what she wants!” She fled the room, shaken and furious, later telling People magazine in an interview, “I didn’t know whether to scream or break down and cry. It was a premeditated mind rape. After a few minutes, I gave up trying to interview Maurice, thanked him and walked away. I felt total, blind rage.” Then-owner of the Patriots Victor Kiam II responded to the accusations by saying, “I can’t disagree with the players’ actions.” He blamed the incident on the Herald , claiming they had “asked for trouble” when they assigned a female reporter to the beat. Kiam didn’t spare the press his feelings about Olson, either, reportedly calling her a “classic bitch.”

An investigation was launched into the incident and as a result, Olson was subjected to an avalanche of obscene phone calls and hate mail from Patriots fans. Her tires were slashed and her home was burglarized. She was even left a note that said, “Leave Boston or die.” Fearing for her safety, she fled to Australia, where she remained for six years, writing for the Sydney Daily Telegraph Mirror. After returning to the United States, Olson continued to receive hate mail, but refused to back down from the job she loved. She went on to work for the New York Daily News and then AOL’s Sporting News . In 2013, Olson was awarded the Mary Garber Pioneer Award, the highest honor from the Association for Women in Sports Media.

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