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The Women’s Sports Champion They Didn’t Want to Keep
Episode 223 • 18th March 2025 • TonyTidbit: A Black Executive Perspective • TonyTidbit ™
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Episode Audio Link: https://podcast.ablackexec.com/episode/The Women’s Sports Champion They Didn’t Want to Keep

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In this episode of A Black Executive Perspective podcast, host Tony Tidbit sits down with Carol Stiff, a renowned sports executive and former ESPN powerhouse. They discuss Stiff's extensive career, her contributions to the growth of women's sports, and her role in advancing Title IX awareness. Carol shares her experiences navigating a male-dominated industry, the challenges she faced at ESPN, and the eventual creation of the Women's Sports Network. The conversation also touches on important issues within diversity, equity, and inclusion in sports, as well as the ongoing battle for equal representation and funding. Listeners are encouraged to support the Women's Sports Network and continue advocating for equality in all forms.


▶︎ In This Episode

00:00: Introduction to Title IX and Guest Speaker

00:41: Welcome to the Podcast

01:18: Carol Stiff's Background and Achievements

03:40: Carol's Family and Personal Life

05:52: Motivation and Early Career in Sports

08:41: Joining ESPN and Early Experiences

21:15: Navigating Corporate America and Building Relationships

28:21: Handling Workplace Challenges

29:18: Experiences of Diversity and Inclusion

33:37: Impact of Title IX

37:42: Transitioning from ESPN

43:06: Founding the Women's Sports Network

47:11: Challenges and Future of Women's Sports

52:23: Final Thoughts and Call to Action

🔗 Resources

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:


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This episode was produced by TonyTidbit ™ . Copyright © 2024 A BLACK EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this podcast may be reproduced without prior written permission. For permissions, email podcast@ablackexec.com .

Transcripts

Carol Stiff:

Title IX is 37 words.

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:

Talk

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:

Tony Tidbit: to us.

4

:

Carol Stiff: Uh, so part of my, my

role at ESPN and one of the Women's

5

:

Sports Foundation is educating

people about what Title IX is.

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:

Basically, um, equal rights

for all on campus of any

7

:

campus receiving federal funds.

8

:

You can't discriminate, discriminate

against their sex, their gender.

9

:

So, uh, yeah, I worked on the 30th

anniversary, 35th, 40th, 40th.

10

:

And so this was the 50th and we did

a four part series on the 37 words.

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:

BEP Narrator: We'll

discuss race and how it

12

:

plays a factor and how we didn't even talk

about this topic because we were afraid.

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:

A black.

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:

Tony Tidbit: We are coming to you

live from the new BEP studio for

15

:

another thought provoking episode of

a black executive perspective podcast.

16

:

We talk about race, culture,

and those uncomfortable topics

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:

that people tend to avoid.

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:

I'm your host, Tony tidbit.

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:

So before we get started in a

very fantastic episode, I want

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:

to remind everyone to check out

our partners at CodeM Magazine.

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:

CodeM Magazine, which mission is to save

the black family by first saving the black

22

:

man, check them out at CodeMMagazine.

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:

com.

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:

That is CodeMMagazine.

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:

com.

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:

So today we are joined by Carol Stiff,

a powerhouse in women's sports media to

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:

discuss her journey through corporate

America, the challenges she faced and

28

:

the lessons learned along the way.

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:

Carol will share her unfiltered

perspective on navigating a male

30

:

dominated industry, standing firm on

principles while advancing women's sports

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:

and the reality of being pushed out.

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:

After decades of commitment.

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:

Let me tell you a little bit about Carol.

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Carol Stiff is a nationally recognized

sports executive and a driving force

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:

behind the growth of women's sports.

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During her 31 year career at ESPN,

she spearheaded programming for NA

37

:

NCAA women's basketball, the WNBA

and multiple, multiple collegiate

38

:

championships across ESPN networks.

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A woman basketball hall of fame inductee.

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:

My girl, I love it.

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:

We want to learn more about that.

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:

She received a prestigious honors,

including the John Bunn award from

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the Naismith Memorial Basketball

Hall of Fame and the Edward R.

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:

Murrow award for her sports reporting.

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Since retiring from ESPN in 2021,

Carol has continued her mission

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:

as president of the Women's Sports

Network and founder of Stiff Sports

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:

Media Consulting LLC, advising

brands on advancing women's sports.

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:

She also served as the

executive producer for ESPN 30.

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:

For 30 documentaries dream on and the Emmy

winning 37 words beyond our media work.

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Carol is deeply involved in advocacy

serving on boards of the Women's

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Sports Foundation and the Woman's

Basketball Hall of Fame and the

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Pat Summit Foundation Fund as well.

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A former college basketball

coach and student athlete.

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She remains a leading voice in the

fight for equity in sports, Carol

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Stiff, my sister, welcome to a

black executive perspective podcast.

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Thrilled to be here.

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Thanks for having me.

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:

Oh my God.

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I mean, look at the end of the day, as I

was going through your bio, the only thing

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missing is they gave you land and title.

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All right.

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Very lustrous.

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Oh my God.

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You've done a lot of great things.

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So I can't wait till we

can dive in and learn more.

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But before we go there, tell us a little

bit, where are you currently residing?

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And tell us a little

bit about your family.

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Carol Stiff: Sure.

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I'm presently living in

Farmington, Connecticut, which

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was 10 miles from ESPN campus.

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Um, I'm staying there, although the anchor

of the women's sports network is in LA.

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Uh, decided to stay back

here in cold Connecticut.

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Um, I have two children, uh,

both are adults now, both out of

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college, no more tuition payments.

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Um, one's in bank financing and

decides who gets, uh, who gets

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:

loans and who doesn't out in

Torrey Pines, uh, California.

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And my other, my other child's a woman,

a young woman who just got a special

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ed job teaching bilingual special

ed to, uh, three and four year olds.

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Tony Tidbit: Wow.

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So that's impressive.

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Plus that takes a lot of patience as well.

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I could imagine.

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She's

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Carol Stiff: very

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Tony Tidbit: patient.

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Did she get that from her mother?

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Carol Stiff: No, no, no.

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I don't know where she got that.

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Well, that's

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Tony Tidbit: awesome.

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So listen, you know, just

going through your bio, you.

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Have a list.

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I mean, you've been everywhere.

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:

You've been on major platforms.

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:

You're a basketball

hall and fame inductee.

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Um, you've done many different type

of, um, interviews and, and, and

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obviously, uh, executive producer of

30 for 30, why did you want to come on

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a black executive perspective podcast?

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Talk about this topic because it's

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Carol Stiff: so important, especially

where we are politically right now.

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Uh, diversity and inclusion is not wiped

out of my mind or my mouth or my words.

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Uh, it makes us better, makes

us stronger, and no one should

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be discriminated against.

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Tony Tidbit: Well, number one, I

mean, see how we kicked the show off.

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He goes right to the right to it, right?

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So we're so excited for you

to be here and thank you.

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So you ready to talk about it?

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Cause we got a lot of stuff to talk about.

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I'm ready.

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All right.

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So let's talk about it.

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So, you know, obviously, you

know, we're 31 years or excuse

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me, you retired in 2021.

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Now we're in 2025.

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So, and you've done a lot of things along

the way, but there's always a beginning.

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So let's back up a little bit

and let's, let's go back to

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the early days of your career.

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Okay.

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Tell us a little bit, what was

your motivation to get into sports?

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Talk a little bit about that.

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:

Carol Stiff: So I, uh, believe it

or not, it was in my mother's DNA.

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She had a, uh, brother, um, he was the

only woman out of five and he was a

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terrific basketball player and coach and

he coached at the university of Dayton.

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:

And so early on, we used to listen

to the games on the radio and he,

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Um, you know, Dayton Flyers, I think

they beat John Wooden's team once.

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So, um, I, it caught fire and, but I

remember the day she, my mom, I don't know

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how she got the money out of six kids.

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I was the youngest.

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She took him to Madison square

garden, not to watch the Knicks who

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I adore or love still, but to watch a

doubleheader women's basketball game.

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And it had Montclair state with

a woman named Carol Blaisdowski.

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And she hit 52 points

in the garden that day.

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And I felt like I was around my peeps.

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Got it.

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Uh, and basketball came very easy for me.

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Uh, used to whip my

brother in the backyard.

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He'll kill me for saying that.

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Was

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Tony Tidbit: this a, a, a Sheryl

Miller and Reggie Miller type thing?

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:

Yeah,

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Carol Stiff: maybe, maybe a little under.

142

:

Um, so, you know, mostly boys

in the neighborhood and sports

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just came very easily to me.

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So I knew once I graduated and.

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Uh, went on to college.

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I wanted to be a PE teacher and a coach.

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And that's what I did for the

first five years of my life.

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And then I pivoted and went to ESPN.

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Tony Tidbit: Wow.

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Wow.

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:

So real quick, before I go to

the pivot, so when you went

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to see Montclair estate, okay.

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At Madison square garden,

which is not a small arena.

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Okay.

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How many people were there sold out?

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It was sold out.

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It was sold out.

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Wow.

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So that I didn't even think, I

didn't even think there was sold out.

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Yeah.

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Now it

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Carol Stiff: was, it was really,

um, I forget who sponsored.

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I should know that, but it was

really, uh, it was Montclair state.

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Immaculata, uh, Queen state was very good.

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And, um, uh, it was the last one.

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I can't remember.

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Um,

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Tony Tidbit: Yeah, it doesn't matter.

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They were all the big top teams.

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So you said you found your peeps.

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And in other words, you found what

you're calling them basically, right?

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A little bit.

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I was

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Carol Stiff: just so like enthusiastic

and happy and just in awe.

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Of the talent that was on the court

and Blaise Jowski, I did a piece on

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her later in life and didn't make the

Olympic team, but that's for another day.

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But she reminded me that she

also had a double, double,

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double points and rebounds.

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And she reminded me that we didn't

have the three point line, so

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she would have had more points.

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Tony Tidbit: No, and

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Carol Stiff: you said she

scored 52 or something.

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52.

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She held the record for the longest.

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I think Kobe Bryant broke it.

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No

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Tony Tidbit: joke.

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Yeah.

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Wow.

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So it's, uh, you know, talking

about breaking records, you

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were at ESPN for 31 years.

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Tell us that pivot.

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What made you go to ESPN?

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And what was your, what did

you think you were going to

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do when you first went there?

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Carol Stiff: Um, Tony, I just

remembered the 14 Delta State.

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Tony Tidbit: So wait a minute.

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So Delta State, wasn't that

a, um, isn't that, um, HPCU?

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Okay.

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Yeah.

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Okay.

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That was awesome.

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Yeah.

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Carol Stiff: That's pretty cool.

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Tony Tidbit: So tell us, you went to ESPN.

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What were you, what was,

what was your motivation?

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What do you think you were going to do?

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Because obviously a lot of times people

start here and then they end up over here.

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So tell us a little bit about that.

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Carol Stiff: So I was, uh, I

was coaching my final year of

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coaching at Brown university.

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Also, you forgot, you're a

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Tony Tidbit: college

basketball coach at Brown.

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Ivy League.

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What was your record?

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Carol Stiff: Um, we did

really well that year.

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I was there one year and we won, uh,

defensive team of the year or something.

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Did you guys make March

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Tony Tidbit: Madness?

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Carol Stiff: Uh, no, we did not.

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NIT?

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Uh, I don't remember doing that.

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No, we were good, but I don't

remember making the NCAA tournament.

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You

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Tony Tidbit: so the ESPN

recruits you to come there.

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No,

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Carol Stiff: no, he's a great story.

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So I was not recruited.

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I I decided I wanted to get out

of coaching I didn't want to

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have to rely on 17, 18 year olds,

either making us win or lose.

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If you have talent, you win.

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If you don't, you lose.

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So, um, so I decided to dial it back and

find something else to do with my life.

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And I also didn't care for recruiting

the road, a lot of stuff, right.

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Going to

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Tony Tidbit: people's houses and trying

to convince their kids, dealing with

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their parents, can I start all that?

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Right.

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Carol Stiff: And then Ivy league,

no, no athletic scholarship.

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So you have to pay the freight,

you know, you might get some

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financial aid, but not, not enough.

244

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So anyhow, I decided to pivot and, um,

I was working for a little temp agency

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in Connecticut here and I got a call.

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Would you like to work, um, over at

the small cable company called ESPN?

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It's in Bristol, Connecticut.

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They're looking for someone to help,

uh, with their 10th anniversary party.

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Tony Tidbit: So this

was an 89 then, right?

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Carol Stiff: It's 88 going into 80.

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Yeah, it was 89 actually

because it was September.

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Because they started in 79, am I correct?

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Right.

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You're right.

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You got it.

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So, uh, who doesn't want

to work on a party, Tony?

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I mean, flat out.

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Tony Tidbit: I'd have been there.

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Sign me up.

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Carol Stiff: So, uh, the communications

department hired me with Rosa Gaddy,

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who is also a Brown, um, employee.

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She was the first SID ever

that was a woman from Brown.

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She took, she, she was,

uh, before her time.

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So when you say SID, what do you mean?

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Sports Information Director.

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Got it, got it, got it.

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Yeah, for Brown.

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And so she went to this

company and so we clicked and.

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I loved every day of it.

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It was, every day was different.

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Uh, I came early, I stayed late, I

did whatever they wanted me to do.

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They treated me well, royal.

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I mean, it was just,

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Tony Tidbit: it was the dream come true.

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So what, what made you love it?

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Why, why was so exciting

back in 89, 90, 91?

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Carol Stiff: You felt like you

were the little blue engine

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trying to go up the mountain.

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Uh, and uh, I remember they,

shortly after, remember the MLB,

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uh, negotiation and ESPN got MLB.

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Fast forward now,

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Tony Tidbit: you know, it's kind of funny.

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Um, I never worked, I always

wanted to work at ESPN, right?

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My, well, my wife, you know, my

wife, she worked at ESPN, right?

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I worked at a few startups, but I know

that feeling when you talked about,

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cause that, you know, ESPN, a billion

dollars, whatever the case may be.

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But even at a 10 year old, it

still was a young company that

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was still trying to make its way.

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And, you know, when I

worked at a young company.

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And it was like a family.

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Everybody had, we were all

rolling in the same direction.

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Everybody was trying to build this brand.

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And it just, it is, it was like catching

lightning, lightning in a bottle.

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Do you agree with that or?

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Carol Stiff: Absolutely.

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The, like I said, the, the, uh,

analogy of the little engine going

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up the mountain, you would be asked a

question, you would just figure it out.

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Figure it out.

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Just figure it out.

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Yeah.

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Paper

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Tony Tidbit: clips.

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And you, you would, we

would put stuff together.

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Right.

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And we didn't have all the resources.

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We would just, we would just do it.

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And it was a lot of fun.

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Carol Stiff: Yeah.

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Yeah.

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It, it, it was that way

of my entire career there.

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Then Disney bought us, we got

more corporate, um, but, you

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know, adding new networks and,

you know, new technology and.

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Just every day was different.

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And I love that.

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I could never work, God bless those

people that work in, in Detroit,

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you know, and putting cars together.

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I just, that was, that

would not be for me.

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Tony Tidbit: So you started off in

the communications department and

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then how did you pivot and started

moving around and stuff to that?

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Carol Stiff: So an opening, uh, in the

programming department, uh, programming

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and acquisition is the department

that actually cuts all the deals.

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With the leagues, um, radio,

every, every platform and, um,

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whatever we, we acquire, we then

turn over to production to produce.

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So I, there was an opening for a

very low level program position

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where I was basically data entering

the schedule and coding it.

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And so

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Tony Tidbit: just for layman's terms,

so people, when you say data entering

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the talk, explain that a little bit.

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So they

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Carol Stiff: had, they had these

grids where the next step up was

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program planner and someone was

assigned to the sports center shows.

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Someone was assigned to college

football and they would take pencils

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:

and actually enter them in on a

graph of Monday through Sunday.

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And my job was to take what they penciled

in and then put that into the computer.

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So six o'clock sports center, seven

o'clock, Big East college basketball,

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and just putting them in by codes.

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And I did that while I was

getting my master's degree.

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So it worked out great.

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Uh, and then, um, I, I worked with Nielsen

ratings and that was also just filling

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in the number on what we got for ratings.

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So I learned about that and I asked

a ton of questions along the way.

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And then one day, Tommy O'Jackson

came up to me and he said to

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me, he's a legend of ESPN.

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Used to

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Tony Tidbit: be Denver Broncos, right?

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Was that Tommy?

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Oh, you said Tommy O?

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Tommy,

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Carol Stiff: Tommy O, OJ.

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Tony Tidbit: Got it, got

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Carol Stiff: it.

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Um, and he said to me, he was

in charge of all college sports.

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And he was in charge of programming and

acquisitions, so programming, we should

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have this big East game here, and these

are the two teams that should play, and

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we should have this football team there.

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And he had a big old stack of files,

and he goes, look, I know you played

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basketball, I know you coached basketball,

I just don't have time to schedule women's

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basketball, and by contract we have to.

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So here you go.

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And so he gave me the files and.

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I fell in love with that job.

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You know, just deciding who I think's

gonna be really good, like depth charts

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you would do for your team and who's gonna

be good from the A, CC or the Big East.

364

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Putting 'em together, finding the right

window that they gave me to use and,

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and then handing it over to production

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Tony Tidbit: producer.

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So just so I'm clear, 'cause

that sounds like, you know,

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you're playing with a puzzle.

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Yes.

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:

So just so I'm clear, what you're

saying is, is that you would get the

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schedules from all the games around,

from the conferences, and then you

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would pick based on the matchup and

based on what you thought was a good

373

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team and stuff of that nature that the

viewers would definitely dive into.

374

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And then so you would put those matches

up together based on the time, the date.

375

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Uh, when the game was going to be played,

what the case may be, and then that would

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turn the reality when I tell it that,

that, that matchup would come on ESPN.

377

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Is that what I'm hearing?

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Carol Stiff: Correct.

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Right.

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:

Got it.

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But the best part was when you could

put matchups together on your own, where

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you could go ask, you know, Ari Emma,

you know, it's that the contract says.

383

:

Big East versus ACC, this is a

true story and I thought UConn was

384

:

going to be really good because

they had a woman named Rebecca

385

:

Tony Tidbit: Lobo,

386

:

Carol Stiff: they had this guard

named Jen Rizotti, they had Jamel

387

:

Elliott inside and you know, I said,

they're going to be really good.

388

:

So there's my Big East team, but

the contract says an ACC school.

389

:

So the year before in 94, North Carolina.

390

:

One the national championship.

391

:

Okay, so I went to Sylvia Hatchel and

said I have to put together a biggies

392

:

ACC game before the conference starts.

393

:

So like January matter of fact,

how about Martin Luther King Day?

394

:

Martin Luther King Day, it's

a Monday afternoon, it's a big

395

:

holiday in Connecticut, and so,

Connecticut versus North Carolina.

396

:

So she said, I'll take the game,

I go, it's going to be on ESPN,

397

:

Robin Roberts calling the game, Mimi

Griffin, all the bells and whistles,

398

:

and she said, well, I'll take the

game if it's at North Carolina.

399

:

Okay.

400

:

She just won the national championship.

401

:

Yeah,

402

:

Tony Tidbit: and so she, they have

to leverage, they want to, I get

403

:

Carol Stiff: it.

404

:

She asked the right question, so.

405

:

And you had to go to Geno now, right?

406

:

No, I had to go to the file where

it said the last two years it was at

407

:

Virginia, which is ACC soil, right?

408

:

So it needed to be in a Big East.

409

:

It had to be on a Big East campus.

410

:

So I said, I'm sorry, Sylvia, but it's got

to be at, at UConn, but they'll come back

411

:

the following year and you can play them.

412

:

No, I don't want the game.

413

:

And I said, what?

414

:

She goes, no, I don't want the game.

415

:

It's in January, January 16th.

416

:

They're in ACC competition.

417

:

All right.

418

:

So at Summit, Tennessee,

Tennessee, what do you think?

419

:

You want the game?

420

:

Same script, Robin Roberts calling.

421

:

And then, but I laid low.

422

:

I stopped talking and she goes,

well, it's during the sec conference.

423

:

We have Auburn on Saturday and wow.

424

:

To get up to Connecticut on

Monday, Tony, I didn't say a word.

425

:

Tony Tidbit: Classic sales move

426

:

Carol Stiff: kept talking.

427

:

And then she said for the good

of the game, I'll take the game.

428

:

And

429

:

Tony Tidbit: that

430

:

Carol Stiff: became a

431

:

Tony Tidbit: rivalry big time, right?

432

:

Because Tennessee was a Primero

number one, they were one.

433

:

And then UConn was moving itself up

and then they became a superpower.

434

:

Carol Stiff: Yeah.

435

:

And

436

:

Tony Tidbit: then they played

every year after for a while.

437

:

Is that correct?

438

:

Carol Stiff: That's correct.

439

:

So that day.

440

:

So think about that.

441

:

I made that call in may

game went to air in January.

442

:

So how many months is

that you do the math?

443

:

It's half a year, right?

444

:

Tony Tidbit: Right.

445

:

Carol Stiff: So the game goes to air,

Tennessee's one, UConn's two, both

446

:

undefeated, they held the AP poll that

day, the place was packed, you could

447

:

feel the electricity at Gamble Pavilion,

and UConn wins, they go on to be

448

:

undefeated, win the National Championship.

449

:

It was like 36

450

:

Tony Tidbit: 0 that year,

451

:

Carol Stiff: right?

452

:

Yep, yep.

453

:

And so, uh, I remember going back to

congratulate both coaches, and Gino

454

:

was on the dais giving his remarks.

455

:

Big old smile and then I went down

the hall and there was Pat with

456

:

looking at the stats outside the

locker room She looks up and I go Pat.

457

:

This was unbelievable This was

gonna be massive rating, but which

458

:

it was and she goes only thing she

said was for the good of the game

459

:

Tony Tidbit: That's a great story

man, so So what I'm hearing is,

460

:

is that Carol Stiff, which people

don't know, was the person that

461

:

actually made that rivalry happen.

462

:

Okay.

463

:

Because she had an idea and she, instead

of her using a puzzle, said, you know

464

:

what, I'm going to do this myself.

465

:

Let me reach out to the coach here.

466

:

And the coach said, that

is a fantastic story.

467

:

Carol Stiff: Fast forward.

468

:

Now I, I put the, uh, South

Carolina UCONN game together.

469

:

So Dawn Staley and Gino,

and that's a rivalry.

470

:

Now that is insane.

471

:

So I'm glad they're playing each

other again, UCONN, Tennessee.

472

:

And, uh, matter of fact, that night in

retrospect, Pat said I made one mistake.

473

:

It should have flown the team from Auburn

up the store straight to Connecticut.

474

:

She took him to Knoxville and she

washed the team uniforms at her home.

475

:

Tony Tidbit: So, you know, and

I want to get into that, right?

476

:

Because, you know, the coach

is washing the team's uniform.

477

:

That means they're not, they

don't have enough money.

478

:

Right.

479

:

They're not being funded the right way.

480

:

Right.

481

:

Before I go there, though, I want to

go back to you because let's be fair.

482

:

You, you know, moved to ESPN and,

and it's a male dominated company.

483

:

Let's just be fair.

484

:

And, you know, even the stories you

tell, you, you, you've told thus

485

:

far, where you are programming and

somebody says, here, you do it.

486

:

Okay.

487

:

Versus, Hey, I think you, or you could

be great at this, or we would love,

488

:

I think because you play basketball,

it makes sense because you can do the

489

:

matchups, but it was just, you do it.

490

:

And I, maybe I'm making a

little tough of it, but talk a

491

:

little bit, how you navigate it.

492

:

You know, corporate America,

cause that was corporate America.

493

:

It is corporate America, a male

dominated in a company, um, and

494

:

be able to rise the way you did.

495

:

And more importantly, be able to

put your imprint on the things

496

:

that happened that you just told

30 for 30 and all the other things.

497

:

Carol Stiff: Yes.

498

:

Um, If I was going to fight a

battle, I always had my facts ready

499

:

to go for a rating allowed me to

get better windows or et cetera.

500

:

Asked a lot of wire and why not?

501

:

Um, I really didn't stop my feet down.

502

:

Um, I didn't want to be labeled and

I didn't want to become white noise.

503

:

I don't labeling as a feminist.

504

:

I didn't want, I didn't want that.

505

:

Um, Surrounded myself with, which went

back to my coaching days and being made

506

:

the youngest of six, surround myself with

teams, um, advocated for those around me.

507

:

And then I also had

allies, and they were male.

508

:

I aligned myself with the male allies.

509

:

A lot of times you have to know your

sports, you know, around the water, cool.

510

:

Hey, that NFL game, boy, that Detroit.

511

:

What a team they got.

512

:

You know, I could always talk sports.

513

:

Um, I didn't alienate

myself from, from the men.

514

:

Um, there was one, one thing I used to

do was I would get to know if we were

515

:

meeting outside the company, I don't

know how I did it, but I would get bios

516

:

of some sort on, on the gentlemen that

were going to be in the room and often

517

:

would say, Hey, Tony, how are the kids?

518

:

And that just, it just, it, the whole

like facade of a, of a wall came

519

:

crashing down and I would sit next to

him and go, gosh, you know, my, you

520

:

have this problem with your daughter.

521

:

Cause I have the same problem.

522

:

And then, oh, he said,

no, you have a family.

523

:

And so I personalized myself.

524

:

Um, and then on Fridays

I often wrote notes.

525

:

I would shut down the office and,

um, before emails were popular and

526

:

I would hand write notes to people.

527

:

Um, or, or call back Pat Summit and ask

about Tyler, don't ask for, I need you to

528

:

play, you know, on this, this one date.

529

:

So I, I use relationship

building and that helped.

530

:

Tony Tidbit: Yeah.

531

:

I mean, look, number one

is classic Dale Carnegie.

532

:

Okay.

533

:

So I hope you guys are listening

here because you know, um, you know,

534

:

a lot of the things that you have

to do to break down barriers is to

535

:

understand who you're dealing with.

536

:

Everybody wants to Talk about themselves.

537

:

They want, you know, cause everybody's

in their own little universe and you

538

:

took a, I want to say a backseat, but

you allowed them in terms of asking

539

:

the questions and stuff to that nature.

540

:

And then all of a sudden those

barriers came down like, Oh,

541

:

she's, she knows about my family.

542

:

Oh, she knows about the

lions game yesterday.

543

:

Oh.

544

:

And you know, and those things

are very, very important.

545

:

Now the thing also this is

that there probably was times

546

:

where People wasn't friendly.

547

:

Okay.

548

:

There were times when you probably felt

diminished even when you did those things.

549

:

Talk about those times.

550

:

Carol Stiff: Oh, Oh,

one comes right to mind.

551

:

I was in a, um, cause I worked on all our

NCAA championships, men's and women's.

552

:

So the last one of the year was

baseball college world series, massive,

553

:

massive tournament for baseball.

554

:

And, um, the chair of the

selection committee decides who

555

:

gets a bid for the tournament.

556

:

We were in our summer meetings.

557

:

So the season was over and he

had a, he had something is crawl,

558

:

um, against me because I put his

team and I won't name the team.

559

:

Um, I put his team at one o'clock on

ESPN on the, on the regional, the,

560

:

the weekend before the big, big games.

561

:

And he was really mad at me because he

was living in Mississippi and at one

562

:

o'clock in late May, it's really hot.

563

:

Right.

564

:

And so I got called into my,

his best friend was my boss.

565

:

So he calls me in and he

says, Now what did you F up?

566

:

And I go, what does that mean?

567

:

And he said, why would you

put that team at one o'clock?

568

:

Why would you not put them?

569

:

He wanted prime time and he

was the chair of the committee.

570

:

So he thought he should get an

extra, you know, And I did my job.

571

:

His team was not gonna rate in prime time.

572

:

And I put him on ESPN.

573

:

I said, he's on ESPN.

574

:

He's on ESPN too.

575

:

And also, he'll be the, if he wins

through, he'll be the first team

576

:

to get the rest for, um, for Omaha.

577

:

So what did I do?

578

:

He said, I want you to change it.

579

:

I want you to put him in prime.

580

:

I go, no, it's too late.

581

:

I already gave it to the NCAA.

582

:

It's already published.

583

:

And he's just not going to get his way.

584

:

Like.

585

:

So fast forward to the

summer meetings and, um,

586

:

Tony Tidbit: real quick

before you go to here.

587

:

So what happened?

588

:

Carol Stiff: Oh, he had to play the

game at the time I told him, and he

589

:

was the first team to get to Omaha

and he was the most rested team.

590

:

Tony Tidbit: So it all worked out.

591

:

Yeah, it

592

:

Carol Stiff: all worked out.

593

:

And the team I've had in front two

teams, they rate rated very well.

594

:

And my day to day boss is a guy.

595

:

And I said, you know, Dave,

did I do something wrong?

596

:

Cause I want to learn.

597

:

He goes, no.

598

:

You program it the way it should

have been programmed for the, for the

599

:

viewer and for ratings and for sales.

600

:

I go, thank you.

601

:

So we go to the summer meetings.

602

:

I'll never forget.

603

:

It was in San Diego and I had

a young guy working for me.

604

:

Uh, Delroy, uh, Jones,

I think was the name.

605

:

Anyhow, we're in San Diego at a hotel.

606

:

Who doesn't love San Diego?

607

:

And I am pacing outside the room.

608

:

And he said to me.

609

:

What's the matter with you?

610

:

I go, Oh, you don't know

what we're going into.

611

:

So we walk in and I was the only

woman in the room except for the woman

612

:

that does the tickets for the NCA.

613

:

So it felt like the Pentagon and

the production guy couldn't make it.

614

:

He was on a star phone speaker phone.

615

:

So this guy came up to me, the gentleman

that was treating me so poorly.

616

:

And he said, who makes the

decision on TV windows?

617

:

And I said, well, we give our

recommendation to the NCAA, but it's

618

:

their tournament with due respect.

619

:

If they don't like something,

we can talk about it.

620

:

So we sit down and we start the meeting.

621

:

He would not look at me.

622

:

And then he asked a programming

question about the following year.

623

:

Could we have a selection show

on this day and not that day?

624

:

And he's looking at the star phone and

he's talking to production and that's

625

:

a programming, that's a scheduling.

626

:

So, I, I could just feel the blood

going up my neck and I just said,

627

:

Hey Eddie, on the star phone, that's

my, that's my area of expertise.

628

:

I'll take that one.

629

:

And then I, Hey Larry, this is what

we're doing and why we're doing it.

630

:

And then I just acted very professional

and kind of went above him.

631

:

Anyhow, after the meeting, we're

having drinks or whatever dinner.

632

:

And the one woman in the room came up and

she said, Bravo, Bravo, you handle that.

633

:

So we get outside the door and

Delroy goes, Oh, my God, bravo.

634

:

He goes, I'm embarrassed

for the male species.

635

:

I

636

:

Tony Tidbit: mean, so number

one, thanks for sharing that.

637

:

I, my blood is going up

just hearing the story.

638

:

Okay.

639

:

And you know, one of the things, and

you, when we talked to her, when I asked

640

:

you, why'd you want to come on BEP?

641

:

And you said, Hey, Tony, you know,

based on what's going on right now

642

:

in the country, based on diversity,

equity, inclusion, I want to come

643

:

in and chat about these things,

because it's not something that

644

:

I'm a race in what the case may be.

645

:

When I hear these stories, and I've

experienced them as well, okay, you

646

:

know, where you're one, I've been in

places where I was the only black person.

647

:

And especially as I rose up

the ranks to the VP level, I

648

:

didn't see anybody look like me.

649

:

However, I worked my butt

off, obviously, right?

650

:

Like you, you work your butt off,

you do everything you overwork.

651

:

You, you play chess, not checkers.

652

:

So you're, you're seeing moves.

653

:

You're making moves to two

steps ahead because you're

654

:

anticipating blah, blah, blah.

655

:

And then obviously you're

not perfect either.

656

:

Okay.

657

:

And then there's other things.

658

:

And when you make one mistake after

all the things you've done, right.

659

:

You make one mistake all of a sudden.

660

:

And again, I'm paraphrase, you

know, what did you up this time?

661

:

Carol Stiff: Right.

662

:

Tony Tidbit: Right.

663

:

Which Okay.

664

:

And look, let's say, let's

say, let's say you were wrong

665

:

because you really wasn't right.

666

:

It was his friend, which is another issue.

667

:

Right.

668

:

But let's say you were wrong.

669

:

Okay.

670

:

Okay.

671

:

I made a mistake.

672

:

So what did I F up again?

673

:

So that means in your mind, I've

been effing up stuff all along.

674

:

Um, which ain't true, but you

make it in a narrative, all right,

675

:

because you're trying to diminish me.

676

:

And I've experienced that a little bit.

677

:

Now you handle, I got to give it to

you and you know, Bravo to, you know,

678

:

you made a human, the male species look

horrible and I get all that, right.

679

:

But you shouldn't have to do that.

680

:

But talk about, yeah, you had that

face on at work, but talk about

681

:

how that affected you when you went

home or the day after, because.

682

:

One of the things that's very important

for all of us to be successful is

683

:

to have psychological safety, right?

684

:

To see that what we do,

people appreciate it.

685

:

They see the value.

686

:

They know what we're

bringing to the table.

687

:

And if something does go wrong,

they're not going to erase me

688

:

or erase all my accomplishments.

689

:

Can you speak to that a little bit?

690

:

Carol Stiff: I often found that if

If I did make a mistake, and I, we

691

:

all make mistakes, that's how you

learn, um, I would, I would just come

692

:

right out and say, Hey, that's on me.

693

:

My bad.

694

:

Not going to happen again.

695

:

Those are hard calls to have

with a rights holder too.

696

:

Um, and 99.

697

:

9 percent of the time, the other

person just comes, calms right down.

698

:

She's owning it.

699

:

She's, she's willing to learn from it and

we're going to give her that opportunity.

700

:

So that's how I always

handle that situation.

701

:

Be righteous and all

that all that good stuff.

702

:

Um regarding home Try

not to bring it home.

703

:

Um, but I, I, I do remember I

was, I was going down to Howard

704

:

University and my son, uh, was young.

705

:

He was probably, no, he wasn't really,

really young, probably middle school.

706

:

And I let the kids go on one trip

a year, maybe two, one on one.

707

:

I had two children and I took

them down to Howard and I said,

708

:

look, son, you go over there, the

cafeteria area, here's some cash.

709

:

I'm going to meet with

the, uh, athletic director.

710

:

We're going to do a game down

here and I'll be back in an hour.

711

:

Okay.

712

:

So off he goes.

713

:

Off I go.

714

:

So I come back an hour later and

we're crossing that beautiful campus

715

:

to, um, to catch a cab or something.

716

:

And, um, I go, how, how, how you doing?

717

:

How, how you, he goes, Hey, I'm not

going to lie, but I was the only

718

:

white kid person on this campus.

719

:

And I said, how'd you feel?

720

:

How did you feel?

721

:

And that lesson, you know, I,

I, you know, what did he say?

722

:

Uncomfortable.

723

:

Yeah,

724

:

Tony Tidbit: exactly.

725

:

Carol Stiff: Uncomfortable.

726

:

Tony Tidbit: Exactly.

727

:

Carol Stiff: Um, I said, well, did,

were they hostile or were people night?

728

:

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

729

:

Food was great.

730

:

It was great.

731

:

Oh my

732

:

Tony Tidbit: God.

733

:

It was

734

:

Carol Stiff: delicious.

735

:

But he saw the other side.

736

:

Yep.

737

:

And, um, so for that, I'm proud

that, that I introduced him to that.

738

:

So

739

:

Tony Tidbit: that is awesome.

740

:

That is a great story.

741

:

So listen, you've been there for a while.

742

:

You're kicking, but you're moving around.

743

:

Um, You now ESPN executive

producer 30 for 30.

744

:

Um, and then obviously the Emmy winning

one, any Emmy winning one, 37 words

745

:

real quick, tell us a little bit about

746

:

Carol Stiff: title nine is 37 words.

747

:

Talk to us.

748

:

Um, so part of my, my role at ESPN and

when the women's sports foundation is

749

:

educating people about what title nine is.

750

:

Basically, um, equal rights

for all on campus of any

751

:

campus receiving federal funds.

752

:

You can't discriminate,

discriminate against their sex.

753

:

Their gender.

754

:

So, uh, yeah, I worked on the 30th

anniversary, 35th, 40th, 40th.

755

:

And so this was the 50th and we did

a four part series on the 37 words.

756

:

And from back to 1972, right up to

where we are with transgender athletes.

757

:

And, um, it was very, very

powerful and well received.

758

:

Um, and it's a great, great tool

of education on, on title nine.

759

:

Tony Tidbit: Wow.

760

:

And if, and again, I, if I remember

correctly, wasn't Billie Jean

761

:

King, a big advocate of title

nine back in 72, is that correct?

762

:

Carol Stiff: Yeah.

763

:

She played, she played, she

764

:

Tony Tidbit: played, she played

was Billy Bob was his dude name.

765

:

I forget.

766

:

Carol Stiff: Um, Billy Riggs,

Bobby Riggs, Bobby Riggs.

767

:

Yeah.

768

:

Bobby Riggs.

769

:

Yeah, yeah.

770

:

She, uh, She she had to win.

771

:

She

772

:

Tony Tidbit: had no choice.

773

:

She had no choice.

774

:

He was calling her out Oh, right and

think about how you know, and again, I

775

:

hate you know, but it's like a Jackie

Robinson thing Right where you're

776

:

carrying the whole race To play baseball

because if he didn't make it then it

777

:

would have been years further before

black or people of color could play

778

:

baseball It was no different then right

Um, so let me ask you this, you know,

779

:

in terms of title nine today, what's

some of the implications and some of the

780

:

things that still being people trying

to erase a lot of these issues, a lot

781

:

of these prop policies, because they see

it as discrimination on the other side.

782

:

You talk a little bit about that.

783

:

Carol Stiff: Oh, absolutely.

784

:

Uh, let's, where do you want to start?

785

:

NIL?

786

:

Um, who's getting all the NIL deals?

787

:

Correct.

788

:

Tony Tidbit: The males.

789

:

Carol Stiff: Yeah.

790

:

That's, that's a violation.

791

:

That's a violation.

792

:

Um, but they really can't prosecute

because the money to date is

793

:

not coming from the schools.

794

:

It's coming from collectives,

the boosters and the boosters.

795

:

It's not coming from the department now

with the new house settlement, which will

796

:

be probably going to affect in April.

797

:

Um, division one schools can pay their

athletes up to 20 million a year.

798

:

Where are they?

799

:

Where is that money coming from?

800

:

Where's cop and state

going to find 20 million.

801

:

So they're eliminating, um, positions.

802

:

They're limiting, you know, diversity

inclusion officers where wherever they

803

:

can cut, um, they're also dropping,

uh, programs, athletic programs.

804

:

So opportunities for kids to compete

are, are going to go the wayside.

805

:

And, um, I just worry

about the federal funding.

806

:

Um, I don't think it will go totally away

because God forbid, most of the federal

807

:

funding goes to the hospitals on campus

and the research that's being done.

808

:

But there, there is,

there are some concerns.

809

:

Definitely on the women's side,

but the problem with Title IX

810

:

is it's not being enforced.

811

:

There hasn't been one school

that's had to go to court or,

812

:

or had to pay a penalty fee.

813

:

Uh, because they don't have the funding

at the government to prosecute schools.

814

:

So they're just all

running the Wild Wild West.

815

:

Tony Tidbit: It's the

Wild Wild West, right?

816

:

It's the Wild Wild West.

817

:

So you, the, the policies are there.

818

:

Everybody says the right

thing in a soundbite.

819

:

Um, but push come to shove, it's not

being enacted and it's not being,

820

:

nobody's being held accountable to

making sure that it's equal access,

821

:

equal funding, the whole nine yards.

822

:

Is that correct?

823

:

Correct.

824

:

Wow.

825

:

So in speaking of, in terms of

accountability, when did you figure out

826

:

it was time for you to start moving on?

827

:

When did you think your, your

tenure at ESPN was starting in?

828

:

Uh,

829

:

Carol Stiff: well, I got, I got

moved over at one point, I was, I

830

:

was actually offered an opportunity

to go on a rotation, a job rotation.

831

:

Only six people in the

company were offered.

832

:

I could go anywhere I wanted

to go and learn about our

833

:

business from their, their lens.

834

:

So I went to business and development.

835

:

And based out of New York, but

also the nine for nine films I

836

:

was working on with my rotation.

837

:

So I was on the films group

and business development.

838

:

So we were back then talking about

streaming and what's this Netflix yeah.

839

:

Sort of looking in this crystal

ball and like guessing what

840

:

was going to be coming next.

841

:

So I found it fascinating, loved it.

842

:

Got a call about seven

months of the nine month.

843

:

rotation to go over to ESPNW, which is a.

844

:

com and John Skipper asked me to do that.

845

:

And, um, you know, I told him with

due respect, I'm not a journalist.

846

:

I don't know what a good, you know,

I could tell you what I think of that

847

:

article, but I don't know how to edit it.

848

:

Right.

849

:

And he said, we're bringing you over

there to, to be the relationship builder.

850

:

And, um, basically decide what

content should rise to the top.

851

:

So I did that for three years and was

watching some of the program ratings,

852

:

um, on women's sports diminish.

853

:

So I asked Burke Magnus, my boss at the

time, if I could come back to programming.

854

:

Um, which I did and I was very happy,

but I didn't go back into the same role.

855

:

Um, I lost a lot of my, I lost

all the NCAA championships

856

:

minus women's basketball.

857

:

And I loved working on throwing softball

and women's lacrosse or men's soccer.

858

:

And so I, I, I kind of noticed then that

my responsibilities were diminished.

859

:

Um, but I kept pushing and, you

know, having to come up with new tech

860

:

technology for the women's tournament

and just stayed really, really

861

:

focused on what I was able to control.

862

:

So that's probably where I kind of

saw the writing on the wall that I'm

863

:

probably not going to be here long.

864

:

Tony Tidbit: Got it.

865

:

And then when did it eventually end?

866

:

Carol Stiff: Well, COVID came.

867

:

Okay.

868

:

And, um, you know, obviously business

decisions needed to be made because no one

869

:

was going to the Disney parks, Broadway,

cruise lines, everything was shut down.

870

:

So there was a massive amount of

layoffs and, um, all the vice presidents

871

:

in my department got, uh, retired.

872

:

Tony Tidbit: So they got retired, right?

873

:

Carol Stiff: I'm retiring.

874

:

Yeah.

875

:

That's basically what happened.

876

:

Yeah.

877

:

They, they gave me a nice package, Tony.

878

:

I was able to leave, um, and be

able to provide for my kids, but

879

:

I really wasn't ready to retire.

880

:

And that that's what, why I'm

still really active right now.

881

:

Tony Tidbit: Well, I want to talk

about women's sports network,

882

:

but I want to ask you a question.

883

:

You gave 31 years there.

884

:

You did a lot of work.

885

:

You did a lot of the dirty work.

886

:

You, and obviously they paid

you and I get all that, right?

887

:

But how did it feel?

888

:

Because I, you know, yeah, I remember

hiring, I had hired a life coach

889

:

years ago when I was leaving one

company to go in next company.

890

:

And as that, um, uh, as that job started

to move, I started to move on from that

891

:

career, from that, that company, she

said something to me, I never forgot.

892

:

And she said, Tony, When you leave

you're going to be emotional and I

893

:

didn't know what she's talking about.

894

:

And she said no she said people identity

Today is based on where they work and

895

:

The problem is is that when people

lose their job when they get laid

896

:

off or whatever the case may be that?

897

:

Identity is gone.

898

:

Mm hmm, right and it takes a while For

you to jump back out there again, because

899

:

you're mourning I'm not the VP no more.

900

:

I'm not, you know, executive vice

president of whatever the case

901

:

may be, because in our minds,

we think that's who we are.

902

:

And it's really not.

903

:

It's just a title.

904

:

Right.

905

:

But unfortunately, that part of our dance.

906

:

So talk a little bit before

we get into a woman's sports.

907

:

How did that make you feel?

908

:

And what was the morning game?

909

:

If there was, maybe you're

like, forget it, I'm out and

910

:

you just went on another thing.

911

:

Talk about that mourning process

that you had to go through.

912

:

Carol Stiff: I was shocked.

913

:

I was really shocked.

914

:

Um, Although they gave me a great package.

915

:

Um, I wasn't finished.

916

:

I wasn't ready.

917

:

Uh, what didn't see it really come in.

918

:

Um, I wish I had gotten

that lifetime coach.

919

:

Tony Tidbit: She told me that

years ago, but it's still, it

920

:

Carol Stiff: hurt and hurt.

921

:

It hurt for quite a

bit, quite a long time.

922

:

Um, and I, I, I moved on pretty quickly.

923

:

But boy, even telling my friends

and telling my colleagues, they

924

:

were like, you, you, not you.

925

:

WNBA said that I'm like,

yeah, well, um, it happened.

926

:

Tony Tidbit: So you were

able to get past it.

927

:

Yeah.

928

:

Right.

929

:

Which is tough.

930

:

Okay.

931

:

But.

932

:

My pastor, my church always says when

one door closes, another door opens up.

933

:

So talk about post ESPN, talk

about women's sports network.

934

:

Tell us a little bit about that.

935

:

Carol Stiff: I have to give a

shout out to George Bodenheimer.

936

:

You

937

:

Tony Tidbit: have a bunch of

shout outs all you want to.

938

:

Carol Stiff: George was the president

of ESPN on my early years there and

939

:

the classiest guy you'll ever meet.

940

:

Uh, it was always, we, we,

we, it was never, I, I, I, um,

941

:

he always let us do our jobs.

942

:

You know supported us.

943

:

So one of the first phone calls

actually the very first phone call

944

:

I received was from Robin Roberts

945

:

Tony Tidbit: For real for real.

946

:

That's awesome yeah,

947

:

Carol Stiff: she had heard somebody else

was laid off and she was she was upset

948

:

about that name and um, I waited, you

know waited for her to Go off on the

949

:

phone and then I, and I, you know, took

a breather and I said, yeah, me too.

950

:

And so, but those

951

:

Tony Tidbit: things, those call and tell

us a little, because I know when you

952

:

get those calls, you don't want them.

953

:

But then once you chat with

people, it makes you feel better.

954

:

Carol Stiff: Yeah.

955

:

Yeah.

956

:

Oh, yeah.

957

:

She said all the right words.

958

:

That's for sure.

959

:

Um, but the second call was George

and I don't even know how he knew.

960

:

And.

961

:

Yeah.

962

:

He reassured me.

963

:

He said, you're going

to have so many offers.

964

:

Don't jump at, you know, ones you're not

sure about gave me some, but he called

965

:

me quite a few times and we still talk.

966

:

And, uh, he was just a great

resource for me to get over the

967

:

hump, but a good guy, really good

guy, uh, women's sports network.

968

:

Okay.

969

:

So I left, I left ESPN in July

and then, um, launched my advisory

970

:

company, stiff sports media consulting.

971

:

Uh, and that was amazing because some

friends reached out before the women's

972

:

sports network and one was Val Ackerman.

973

:

Tony Tidbit: Okay.

974

:

The

975

:

Carol Stiff: WNBA, uh, commissioner, but

she was the president for 10 years and now

976

:

she's the commissioner of the big East.

977

:

Okay.

978

:

God, she wasn't

979

:

Tony Tidbit: the commissioner of a WNBA.

980

:

They only

981

:

Carol Stiff: made this last person.

982

:

Yeah.

983

:

It was president.

984

:

Got it.

985

:

So she reached out and she said,

I need your counsel on title nine

986

:

programming for our conference.

987

:

Would you, you know, take a stipend?

988

:

I said, absolutely.

989

:

And then another company fish bait

at hired two other guys that were

990

:

let go that day, hired me as well

to advise them on women's sports.

991

:

And.

992

:

So that helped me, you know, get my

head off the pillow and pay some bills.

993

:

I still had a child in college and,

and then that November I got a call,

994

:

a cold call from a gentleman that,

um, wanted to launch a women's sports

995

:

network, 24 seven streaming network.

996

:

No paywall, no subscription.

997

:

Uh, and what sold me was doing a show

called Game On, which is our version that

998

:

you and I would know as SportsCenter.

999

:

Oh, okay.

:

00:45:42,879 --> 00:45:42,949

Cool.

:

00:45:42,959 --> 00:45:44,080

Um, highlights.

:

00:45:44,080 --> 00:45:45,620

And so the first segment was highlights.

:

00:45:45,629 --> 00:45:49,720

Second one was, you know, uh,

discussion about a hot topic.

:

00:45:50,220 --> 00:45:54,160

And then the third, third segment

is, is still, um, interview segment.

:

00:45:54,380 --> 00:45:59,910

And so I love the format and we did about

150 episodes the first year we launched.

:

00:46:00,340 --> 00:46:02,470

Uh, got some proof points out of L.

:

00:46:02,470 --> 00:46:02,620

A.

:

00:46:02,640 --> 00:46:08,860

produced and, um, I would love to

see that show go for seven days

:

00:46:08,860 --> 00:46:10,320

a week, just like SportsCenter.

:

00:46:10,350 --> 00:46:11,060

We earned it.

:

00:46:11,070 --> 00:46:12,030

We deserve it.

:

00:46:12,110 --> 00:46:15,859

Um, I often heard people saying,

well, there are not enough highlights

:

00:46:15,860 --> 00:46:17,830

for a full year of women's sports.

:

00:46:17,870 --> 00:46:21,900

You know, when you get to

college football, uh, playoffs.

:

00:46:22,325 --> 00:46:25,730

It's NBA and NFL and I'm like, no, no.

:

00:46:25,895 --> 00:46:26,855

Tony Tidbit: There's a

bunch of stuff going on.

:

00:46:26,855 --> 00:46:27,035

Yeah,

:

00:46:27,035 --> 00:46:29,730

Carol Stiff: there's Australians,

va, I, there's many things going on.

:

00:46:29,730 --> 00:46:33,545

Caught me a break, so I said no, I think

I can fill the, fill it with highlights.

:

00:46:33,545 --> 00:46:36,125

But, um, so we're a 24 7 network.

:

00:46:36,125 --> 00:46:38,345

Three years in all women's sports.

:

00:46:38,345 --> 00:46:40,385

We have live rights, we have studio.

:

00:46:40,805 --> 00:46:46,835

Um, I consider us a surround sound of

what ESPN and NBC and Fox are doing in es.

:

00:46:46,865 --> 00:46:47,795

We can't compete.

:

00:46:48,200 --> 00:46:52,460

With those, those, uh, those rights fees

a week, they getting billions of dollars.

:

00:46:52,490 --> 00:46:52,970

Exactly.

:

00:46:53,120 --> 00:46:54,770

We just, and it's growing.

:

00:46:54,830 --> 00:47:01,680

Um, but we can be the storytellers and we

can tell all the stories and let you know,

:

00:47:02,060 --> 00:47:07,460

uh, an NWSL game, or a hockey league,

or a college, women's basketball, let's,

:

00:47:07,460 --> 00:47:08,565

let's learn about who the players are.

:

00:47:09,770 --> 00:47:11,240

So that's, that's what

we're going to focus.

:

00:47:11,450 --> 00:47:16,000

Tony Tidbit: So, so tell us a little bit,

like what is some, cause obviously there's

:

00:47:16,000 --> 00:47:19,250

challenges along the way, what's been some

of the challenges in terms of getting this

:

00:47:19,250 --> 00:47:23,730

off the ground and get more people to, to

know about it and to be a viewer on it.

:

00:47:24,389 --> 00:47:28,130

Carol Stiff: So, uh, we're really easy

to find our distribution is fabulous.

:

00:47:28,140 --> 00:47:31,300

We're in, uh, 150 to 2 million homes.

:

00:47:31,300 --> 00:47:33,870

We're on connected TV,

Samsung, we're on Roku.

:

00:47:34,520 --> 00:47:38,040

Um, once you get used to the pattern

of how to find us, we're easy to find.

:

00:47:38,040 --> 00:47:40,620

We're on your phone with Tubi

and Freebie and Fubo on all

:

00:47:40,620 --> 00:47:42,390

those new chicklets of channels.

:

00:47:42,795 --> 00:47:45,725

Um, so finding us is not, not the problem.

:

00:47:45,775 --> 00:47:51,165

What we have, um, you know, to really

focus on is getting advertisers

:

00:47:51,165 --> 00:47:53,475

and that's in all women's sports.

:

00:47:53,485 --> 00:47:56,065

It's still not here, Tony, still not here.

:

00:47:56,225 --> 00:47:58,135

Tony Tidbit: So just stop

right there for a second.

:

00:47:58,415 --> 00:47:59,214

Just unclear.

:

00:48:00,140 --> 00:48:04,880

So you're having a hard time getting

advertisers, a Gatorade or whatever the

:

00:48:04,880 --> 00:48:12,620

case may be, a Footlocker or Dicks or

Nike to run across women's sports content?

:

00:48:12,920 --> 00:48:14,010

Carol Stiff: We're having a hard time

:

00:48:14,010 --> 00:48:14,340

Tony Tidbit: with that.

:

00:48:14,350 --> 00:48:16,150

What's the reason why?

:

00:48:16,310 --> 00:48:19,410

Carol Stiff: So, um, first of all,

people were caught off guard with the

:

00:48:19,410 --> 00:48:22,080

Caitlin Clark movement, not moment.

:

00:48:23,295 --> 00:48:25,305

Tony Tidbit: When you, Oh, when

you say movement, when it was

:

00:48:25,305 --> 00:48:28,055

godlike, everybody was on it.

:

00:48:28,055 --> 00:48:28,245

Right.

:

00:48:28,245 --> 00:48:29,825

So they wanted to put money towards that.

:

00:48:29,965 --> 00:48:32,255

Carol Stiff: So it was too

late because she came along.

:

00:48:32,255 --> 00:48:39,164

If you think about it in March and

April and then the WNBA, um, season.

:

00:48:39,744 --> 00:48:43,425

Um, all, most all the advertising

budgets are already spent.

:

00:48:44,250 --> 00:48:50,610

we, we, we really think that:

only in February, soon to be March, that

:

00:48:50,640 --> 00:48:53,860

a lot of people were caught off guard and

didn't have a women's sports strategy.

:

00:48:53,950 --> 00:48:55,149

Tony Tidbit: Ah, got it.

:

00:48:55,280 --> 00:48:57,840

Carol Stiff: So they're getting calls

from some of the people you just

:

00:48:57,840 --> 00:49:00,810

mentioned, Hey, where's our women's

sports strategy and the media come,

:

00:49:00,840 --> 00:49:02,610

uh, we don't have one, you know?

:

00:49:03,020 --> 00:49:06,290

So they're building one now,

but they still haven't come.

:

00:49:06,580 --> 00:49:09,950

And so we need advertisers to

step up and support these, these

:

00:49:09,950 --> 00:49:11,589

great athletes and their stories.

:

00:49:11,995 --> 00:49:13,775

Um, so that's, that's important.

:

00:49:13,795 --> 00:49:18,665

And then we need, um, we're looking for

some investors come in so we can go out

:

00:49:18,695 --> 00:49:23,604

and get, you know, richer rights and

more expensive rights and get that game

:

00:49:23,604 --> 00:49:25,925

on studio up and running every day.

:

00:49:25,934 --> 00:49:27,397

Like I want, yeah, I love,

:

00:49:27,397 --> 00:49:28,625

Tony Tidbit: I can't wait for that.

:

00:49:28,985 --> 00:49:29,425

What's.

:

00:49:29,680 --> 00:49:30,630

What's the end game here?

:

00:49:30,630 --> 00:49:33,390

What are you trying to,

where do you see this going?

:

00:49:33,400 --> 00:49:36,220

If you get the funding and all that

stuff, where do you see this going?

:

00:49:36,280 --> 00:49:38,370

Carol Stiff: I kind of don't want

to have a women's sports network.

:

00:49:38,370 --> 00:49:45,510

Like it should be equal, like not, not

lesser than, you know, you still see it.

:

00:49:45,539 --> 00:49:48,410

Um, I won't name names

of, of cable networks.

:

00:49:49,125 --> 00:49:51,665

You know, they're still putting

all our women's sports and

:

00:49:51,665 --> 00:49:53,435

inferior windows and second tier

:

00:49:53,435 --> 00:49:53,715

Tony Tidbit: stuff.

:

00:49:53,765 --> 00:49:54,015

Yeah.

:

00:49:54,015 --> 00:49:54,415

And so

:

00:49:54,415 --> 00:49:56,855

Carol Stiff: if you give them

an opportunity, if you build

:

00:49:56,855 --> 00:49:57,955

it, they will come right.

:

00:49:58,205 --> 00:50:01,415

And we have very, we

have many proof points.

:

00:50:01,795 --> 00:50:06,465

Um, I don't know if we're still gun shy

and putting women's sports in prime time.

:

00:50:07,035 --> 00:50:10,495

Um, but you know, maybe on a

Thursday night, you'll see it,

:

00:50:10,505 --> 00:50:13,395

you know, the WNBA is running

on a Friday night in the summer.

:

00:50:13,395 --> 00:50:14,205

I don't know who.

:

00:50:14,595 --> 00:50:19,315

I mean, they did really well, but who

watches TV on a Friday night in Minnesota?

:

00:50:19,315 --> 00:50:22,325

I mean, you're out, you're out

having, you're out in the park.

:

00:50:22,325 --> 00:50:23,645

To be honest, even being in

:

00:50:23,645 --> 00:50:25,525

Tony Tidbit: Detroit, you

know, it doesn't matter.

:

00:50:25,525 --> 00:50:25,945

Right.

:

00:50:26,195 --> 00:50:29,635

Carol Stiff: So, um, that

still needs to be flushed out.

:

00:50:29,635 --> 00:50:32,595

But I think what will happen is,

and I hope this, and I saw a proof

:

00:50:32,595 --> 00:50:36,235

point with, with on a call out

Google, they came to the table,

:

00:50:36,235 --> 00:50:37,785

they were going to spend money on.

:

00:50:37,870 --> 00:50:45,590

Uh, NBA and WNBA and the woman who was

representing Google was an Olympian rower

:

00:50:46,520 --> 00:50:51,159

and she got their deck and she's being

very, you know, cordial at the meeting

:

00:50:51,159 --> 00:50:55,130

and of course the meeting starts, you

know, about the NBA and we're going

:

00:50:55,130 --> 00:50:58,479

to do this, we're going to do that

and they want her to spend a billion

:

00:50:58,559 --> 00:51:04,610

dollars and she shut the deck and she

goes, I want to see the WNBA Oh, well,

:

00:51:04,610 --> 00:51:07,710

that was page 39 of a 40 page deck,

:

00:51:07,730 --> 00:51:08,150

Tony Tidbit: right?

:

00:51:08,200 --> 00:51:08,590

Right.

:

00:51:08,590 --> 00:51:08,680

Right.

:

00:51:09,590 --> 00:51:14,309

Carol Stiff: So she said it's the

25th anniversary of the WNBA and

:

00:51:14,310 --> 00:51:16,800

there aren't even 25 games schedule.

:

00:51:17,330 --> 00:51:21,049

Uh, I want 25 games, push the deck back.

:

00:51:21,049 --> 00:51:23,789

So she wasn't gonna spend a dime on NBA.

:

00:51:24,100 --> 00:51:25,080

Tony Tidbit: But there

you go though, right?

:

00:51:25,080 --> 00:51:26,110

So that's what we need.

:

00:51:26,120 --> 00:51:28,260

You get advocates like that who got money.

:

00:51:29,015 --> 00:51:30,175

That believe in it.

:

00:51:30,555 --> 00:51:32,245

So that's why it's important.

:

00:51:32,265 --> 00:51:32,735

I get it.

:

00:51:32,735 --> 00:51:35,005

You don't want to have only women's own.

:

00:51:35,045 --> 00:51:39,025

I get that But in a day you

got something that eventually

:

00:51:39,025 --> 00:51:41,245

you get people behind it Right.

:

00:51:41,275 --> 00:51:43,175

And then they got money

and they're pushing it.

:

00:51:43,175 --> 00:51:46,555

And then let's get a lot of credit

to you because it wouldn't happen.

:

00:51:46,855 --> 00:51:50,535

Those things wouldn't happen if it wasn't

for people like yourself, or, you know,

:

00:51:50,545 --> 00:51:57,425

Billie Jean King or all these other, you

know, forerunners of women's sports to be

:

00:51:57,425 --> 00:51:59,494

fair to even got it to where it is today.

:

00:51:59,575 --> 00:52:02,385

But the thing about it, which I love.

:

00:52:03,325 --> 00:52:04,165

You're not done.

:

00:52:04,675 --> 00:52:06,305

There's still more to do.

:

00:52:06,725 --> 00:52:10,755

There's still more things to, there's

still more hoops to jump, right?

:

00:52:10,755 --> 00:52:12,905

Because that's really the key here.

:

00:52:12,945 --> 00:52:17,095

The more that people like yourself,

they're out there advocating, pushing,

:

00:52:17,454 --> 00:52:21,835

don't give it up because you believe

it, that's going to affect change.

:

00:52:21,925 --> 00:52:22,175

Yep.

:

00:52:22,285 --> 00:52:22,875

Okay.

:

00:52:23,025 --> 00:52:26,215

And you know, that's why we were

excited to have you here because

:

00:52:26,215 --> 00:52:29,965

at the end of the day, what people

need to understand is that you.

:

00:52:30,300 --> 00:52:34,150

You yourself, only you have

the ability to affect change.

:

00:52:34,180 --> 00:52:35,460

You may not think so.

:

00:52:35,710 --> 00:52:39,180

You may think you're going up

against a behemoth, but guess what?

:

00:52:39,360 --> 00:52:44,060

If you just start rolling that little

snowball down the hill, you get a

:

00:52:44,060 --> 00:52:48,579

Carol stiff, who's creating a women's

sports network, which I'm so excited.

:

00:52:48,579 --> 00:52:52,680

And listen, you know, anything that we

can do to help you, but final thoughts,

:

00:52:52,680 --> 00:52:55,310

tell us, give us the final thoughts

that you want to leave the audience.

:

00:52:56,710 --> 00:52:58,070

Carol Stiff: Don't be, I could be talking

:

00:52:58,070 --> 00:52:58,580

Tony Tidbit: all day long.

:

00:52:59,300 --> 00:53:02,000

Carol Stiff: We'll have to go to

the local bar, get a cold one.

:

00:53:02,470 --> 00:53:04,909

Um, don't be afraid to ask why not.

:

00:53:05,929 --> 00:53:10,910

And, uh, be prepared to, you know, to

fight the battles that are most important

:

00:53:10,910 --> 00:53:16,199

to you, um, and that you have facts

for, and then, you know, lastly, uh,

:

00:53:16,699 --> 00:53:20,380

take, take the pride in knowing that

you can look at yourself in the mirror

:

00:53:20,380 --> 00:53:21,740

at night and say, you've done good.

:

00:53:22,710 --> 00:53:25,820

And you didn't, you weren't unethical and.

:

00:53:26,480 --> 00:53:31,100

You can, you know, rest, rest a lovely

night of sleep knowing that you can

:

00:53:31,100 --> 00:53:32,400

smile at yourself in the mirror.

:

00:53:32,840 --> 00:53:34,080

Tony Tidbit: Oh, that is awesome.

:

00:53:34,090 --> 00:53:34,920

That is awesome.

:

00:53:35,210 --> 00:53:35,679

Question.

:

00:53:35,679 --> 00:53:36,560

My final question.

:

00:53:36,840 --> 00:53:39,270

How can a black executive

perspective podcast help you?

:

00:53:40,080 --> 00:53:40,869

Just get the word

:

00:53:40,870 --> 00:53:41,240

Carol Stiff: out.

:

00:53:41,610 --> 00:53:46,140

Um, it's important and keep doing

what you're doing, Tony, because

:

00:53:46,140 --> 00:53:47,610

this is really, really important.

:

00:53:47,610 --> 00:53:50,320

And, you know, straight talk only

:

00:53:50,320 --> 00:53:50,860

Tony Tidbit: helps.

:

00:53:51,875 --> 00:53:52,645

Well, thank you.

:

00:53:52,665 --> 00:53:56,125

And just so I'm clear, when you say get

the word out, what word should we be

:

00:53:56,125 --> 00:53:58,535

getting out that there's a women's sports?

:

00:53:58,535 --> 00:53:59,245

There we go.

:

00:54:00,555 --> 00:54:03,385

Carol Stiff: There's a

women's sports network, right?

:

00:54:03,474 --> 00:54:05,235

Tony Tidbit: So that's

a, that's a no brainer.

:

00:54:05,285 --> 00:54:05,795

Okay.

:

00:54:05,795 --> 00:54:07,015

We're definitely going to do that.

:

00:54:07,415 --> 00:54:11,145

Um, I'm looking forward to

working with you in any way.

:

00:54:11,175 --> 00:54:15,075

And we'll talk about that, you know,

offline, but more importantly, I'm

:

00:54:15,565 --> 00:54:19,705

Knowing how busy you are, knowing

that you're, you know, championing a

:

00:54:19,705 --> 00:54:24,804

network that's going to not just, um,

something for women to watch, but for

:

00:54:24,905 --> 00:54:27,644

all human beings to be able to gravitate.

:

00:54:28,125 --> 00:54:31,895

And knowing the challenges that

it takes to do that, I salute you.

:

00:54:32,155 --> 00:54:34,345

So you ain't got no

problem having our back.

:

00:54:34,355 --> 00:54:34,665

All right.

:

00:54:34,665 --> 00:54:36,635

Cause we're going to do, we're

going to be right there with you.

:

00:54:36,995 --> 00:54:38,434

So Carol stiff.

:

00:54:38,434 --> 00:54:41,775

I want to thank you for joining a

black executive perspective podcast.

:

00:54:42,125 --> 00:54:45,295

I want you to stay right there

because you're going to help

:

00:54:45,295 --> 00:54:47,245

us with our call to action.

:

00:54:47,245 --> 00:54:48,305

So stay right there.

:

00:54:48,625 --> 00:54:52,895

So now I think it's

time for Tony's tidbit.

:

00:54:53,235 --> 00:54:58,295

Corporate America may give you a title,

but it will never define your worth.

:

00:54:59,115 --> 00:55:03,874

True success is surviving the

system, learning the game, and

:

00:55:03,895 --> 00:55:05,945

thriving on your own terms.

:

00:55:06,725 --> 00:55:08,005

And you heard a lot of that.

:

00:55:08,410 --> 00:55:09,570

From Carol stiff.

:

00:55:09,640 --> 00:55:13,180

So again, I want to remind everyone

to make sure you check out every

:

00:55:13,180 --> 00:55:17,110

Thursday on a black executive

perspective podcast need to know by Dr.

:

00:55:17,110 --> 00:55:18,619

Nsenga Burton, Dr.

:

00:55:18,619 --> 00:55:23,800

Burton dives into the timely and crucial

topics that shape our community that

:

00:55:23,800 --> 00:55:25,929

you don't have time to figure out.

:

00:55:26,099 --> 00:55:28,560

So definitely you want to

check her out every Thursday.

:

00:55:28,845 --> 00:55:30,765

Need to know by Dr.

:

00:55:30,765 --> 00:55:31,715

Nsenga Burton.

:

00:55:31,865 --> 00:55:36,105

And then you also want to check out our

round table, pull up, speak up, right?

:

00:55:36,105 --> 00:55:38,115

Which is coming out next week.

:

00:55:38,365 --> 00:55:42,794

We're bold unfiltered voices

tackle the day's most provocative

:

00:55:42,794 --> 00:55:44,845

issues, sharp perspectives.

:

00:55:44,845 --> 00:55:48,314

You heard Carol say real

talk and a call to action.

:

00:55:48,325 --> 00:55:51,085

Don't forget to watch

and join the revolution.

:

00:55:51,355 --> 00:55:51,795

So.

:

00:55:52,200 --> 00:55:56,860

As, uh, typically people who watch or

listen to a black executive perspective

:

00:55:56,860 --> 00:55:59,250

podcast, they know our call to action.

:

00:55:59,340 --> 00:56:04,070

Our goal here is to eliminate

all forms of discrimination.

:

00:56:04,410 --> 00:56:09,910

And the way we do that, we have

an acronym called less L E S S.

:

00:56:10,030 --> 00:56:11,930

And Carol stiff is going

to help us with that.

:

00:56:11,940 --> 00:56:12,810

Carol kick us off.

:

00:56:13,660 --> 00:56:14,190

Carol Stiff: For L.

:

00:56:14,510 --> 00:56:14,610

Yeah.

:

00:56:14,980 --> 00:56:20,620

Learn, always ask questions, always

just, you know, uh, be willing

:

00:56:20,620 --> 00:56:22,890

to say, yeah, I can do that.

:

00:56:22,960 --> 00:56:26,500

Try it, but then also it's okay

to fail because you're learning.

:

00:56:26,989 --> 00:56:27,789

Tony Tidbit: Absolutely.

:

00:56:27,790 --> 00:56:30,750

And after you learn, E stands for empathy.

:

00:56:31,370 --> 00:56:34,040

Now you've learned about

people that you don't know.

:

00:56:34,050 --> 00:56:36,730

You've learned about things

that you wasn't aware of.

:

00:56:37,165 --> 00:56:41,745

Now you can be more empathetic because

you can put yourself in their shoes.

:

00:56:42,725 --> 00:56:47,675

Carol Stiff: So S, the first S is to

share your insights to enlighten others.

:

00:56:48,165 --> 00:56:52,464

And that works really, really well

that you have to talk through things.

:

00:56:52,494 --> 00:56:58,395

And I always surrounded myself with the

team and my team was all different ages.

:

00:56:58,555 --> 00:57:00,285

Different colors, different backgrounds.

:

00:57:00,675 --> 00:57:04,185

And I always took their insights

and then made my decision.

:

00:57:04,475 --> 00:57:05,415

Tony Tidbit: That is awesome.

:

00:57:05,415 --> 00:57:07,445

And then the final S is stop.

:

00:57:08,005 --> 00:57:11,655

You want to stop discrimination

as it walks in your path.

:

00:57:11,995 --> 00:57:16,394

So if aunt Jenny or uncle Joe say

something at the Sunday dinner

:

00:57:16,394 --> 00:57:18,364

table, that's inappropriate.

:

00:57:18,405 --> 00:57:22,555

You say auntie Jenny, uncle

Joe, we don't believe that.

:

00:57:22,575 --> 00:57:24,295

And you stop it right there.

:

00:57:24,535 --> 00:57:26,945

So if everyone can incorporate less.

:

00:57:27,175 --> 00:57:32,095

L E S S will build a more

fair, more understanding world.

:

00:57:32,325 --> 00:57:32,945

And guess what?

:

00:57:33,325 --> 00:57:36,935

We all will be able to see

the change that we want to see

:

00:57:37,145 --> 00:57:39,244

because less will become more.

:

00:57:39,775 --> 00:57:43,195

Don't forget to check out all episodes

on a black executive perspective

:

00:57:43,234 --> 00:57:48,315

podcast on YouTube, Apple, Spotify,

or wherever you get your podcast.

:

00:57:48,445 --> 00:57:51,865

And you can follow us on

our socials of LinkedIn X.

:

00:57:52,015 --> 00:57:59,015

YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok at a

black exec for our fabulous guests, Carol

:

00:57:59,015 --> 00:58:02,325

president of the women's sport network.

:

00:58:02,364 --> 00:58:03,795

We appreciate her being here.

:

00:58:04,135 --> 00:58:05,275

I'm Tony tidbit.

:

00:58:05,545 --> 00:58:06,685

We talked about it.

:

00:58:06,854 --> 00:58:08,195

We learned about it.

:

00:58:08,304 --> 00:58:09,794

We even laughed about it.

:

00:58:10,074 --> 00:58:11,035

We love you.

:

00:58:11,355 --> 00:58:12,065

And guess what?

:

00:58:12,295 --> 00:58:14,524

We're out

:

00:58:16,905 --> 00:58:18,745

a black executive

:

00:58:18,805 --> 00:58:19,485

Carol Stiff: perspective.

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122. ep 122. The Distinction between “Not Racist” and “Anti-Racist”: Why Non-black Americans need to proactively participate in racial equity.
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121. bonus ep 121. MLK - How he inspired Me
00:54:38
120. ep 120. What is Woke and Why is it a Bad Thing?
01:16:14
119. ep 119. Colorism in the Workplace: Understanding Its Impact with Dr. Patrice Le Goy
00:55:30
118. ep 118. The Road From Me to Me... and Ultimately Me
00:59:01
117. ep 117. Too White to Be Black: Navigating Biracial Identity
00:46:35
116. ep 116. Exploring Interracial Marriage: Different Worlds, One Love
01:06:34
115. ep 115. Shattering Barriers: A Deep Dive into Black Executive Challenges and Triumphs with Chris P. Reed
01:23:08
114. ep 114. Female Influencers in the Gaming Space, Doing It w/ 5GRV
00:57:46
113. ep 113. Breaking the Mold: Confronting Queen Bee Syndrome in the Corporate Hive
00:53:22
112. ep 112. See It to Believe It: Why Representation Matters
01:00:52
111. ep 111. Putting the Advocacy back in Allyship
01:02:17
110. ep 110. Beyond the Black Square: A Deep Dive into Corporate DEI with Tony Tidbit
01:04:48
109. ep 109. Are you being MINDFUL of your mental health?
00:49:09
108. ep 108. All Elections Matter: The Importance of State & Local Elections
00:54:51
107. ep 107. This AND That: Intersectionality 101
00:51:02
106. ep 106. Authenticity and Assimilation
00:43:39
105. ep 105. We're Our Ancestors Wildest Dreams
00:56:13
104. ep 104. Indigenous People's Day
00:53:54
103. ep 103. We are All in This Together.
00:51:38
102. ep 102. Tony Tidbit & Friends - Why There's Still a Glass Ceiling?
00:53:45
101. ep 101. An Open Conversation on Race with corporate America
01:02:50