On the Inside…
When the Eagles announced they were signing convicted dog-fighting felon Michael Vick to their team, the whole city had something to say about it. So when he joined the the team for his first practice with them, I was sent go to the Eagles training complex to see what his teammates had to say about it (or, if he was there, to get his reaction.)
Of course he wasn’t there, but his teammates were. After a news conference with coach Andy Ried, all of us reporters were allowed into the locker room.
Of 20 or 30 reporters, I was only one of about 3 female reporters there. I don’t usually cover sports, unless the sports turns into news, which in this case with Vick, it was.
Our sports reporter on duty back at the station reassured me not to worry about being there. I didn’t think twice about being female and being there and talked to the players and got all the sound I needed to get. After a bit, I realized though that the Eagles players are treating their locker room… like a locker room! Going through their clothes while wearing towels, getting dressed for practice, etc. I did my best to not get distracted.
Afterwards, I sent a text about where I was to one of my brothers who’s a big Eagles fan. He laughed, I blushed. Ah, the on-the-job hazards of news reporting.
