ESPN's Linda Cohn Talks About Memoir

ESPN's Linda Cohn was online Thursday, Sept. 11 at 11 a.m. ET to take your questions about "Cohn-Head: A No-holds-barred Account of Breaking into the Boys' Club," her chronicle of her career as a female anchor in the male-dominated world of TV sports.

A transcript follows.

Linda Cohn: Hi! Im Linda Cohn from ESPN. I have a new book out entitled "COHN-HEAD", A No-Holds Barred Account of Breaking into the Boy's Club. Located right now on Amazon.com or at your favorite book store.

Those who have already read "Cohn-Head" have told me they see themselves in the book. I will be telling you why. I welcome your questions and thanks for your time.

Linda

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Patuxent River, Md.: Hi Linda:

I have been a long-time fan of yours on ESPN, especially your work with the NHL. In my opinion, you on TV and John Buccigross's hockey column on the Web site are the two main reasons I pay attention to ESPN, no disrespect intended to anyone else there.

If you hadn't gone to work with ESPN, what other line of work would you have gotten into? Is there any other job you would still love to do? Any favorite sport to cover or person(s) to interview?

You are living every sports junkie's dream!

Linda Cohn: I love hockey as much as you. I hope ESPN gets hockey back. I wish I could have played goalie in the NHL!!

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Burke, Va.: Hi Linda,

Though I haven't read your book yet -- frankly I didn't even know you wrote one until I saw this chat -- I've always admired your Sports Center persona. From reading the reviews at Amazon, I will have to grab a copy and read it. Your book probably addresses it, but which sports figure interview to date is your favorite and why?

Linda Cohn: Thanks! I appreciate it.

Tough to single one out. But I have to say interviewing and just talking with Michael Jordan was most memorable. The best moments and conversations can occur sometimes when the cameras are not rolling.

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Washington, D.C.: Linda, Thanks for taking our questions and you do a great job! Were you a sports fan growing up or did you acquire the sports bug later on?

Linda Cohn: When you check out "Cohn-Head" you will know right away I loved sports as a little girl. It not only filled a tremendous void in my life but it brought me closer to my Dad.

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Culver City, Calif.: I'm enjoying your book as a Jewish woman who loves ESPN -- and because I am married to a SUNY Oswego classmate of yours, Steve Leblang. I have a few questions. Did being Jewish help or hurt your career? What is your favorite sport to cover? Who is the biggest flirt in the ESPN newsroom? Sexiest athlete you've interviewed? What is your favorite nickname Cohn-head or Chico? (Go Lakers!)

Linda Cohn: Say hi to Steve! Nickname definitely Cohn-Head..thus the book title. Chico was a NY Islander...I was and am a Rangers fan.

Favorite sport to cover: Has to be hockey because I played it in high school and college.

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San Francisco, Ca: I'm probably not alone in the fact that I stopped watching SportsCenter a few years ago when they replaced sports highlights with segments of garbage commentary and blowhards. It's unwatchable!

Linda Cohn: I'm sorry to hear that. Have your tried watching ESPNEWS? It has a feel of what SportsCenter used to be. I know, I've been there for the last 16 years.

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Urban Legend: While I admire your breaking into the old boys club, is the rumor of six toes true or not?

Sorry for the frivolity.

Linda Cohn: Its not true and never has been. I would have had a hard time fitting so many toes in a hockey goalie skate, if it was.

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Gambrills, Md.: If there is one thing that bugs me about network sports and female reporters, it is how they are segregated to the "sideline reporter" roles. In baseball, they're down in the box seats for a few 30-second spots that offer no real added value and seem to just be perfunctorily added by the network.

Football is even worse -- the obligatory halftime and end-of-game "interview" that last all of a minute.

There are plenty of good female reporters who would do fine in the booth or getting to do real interviews that last longer than one question, but it seems like those sport are left for the retired jocks who are dumber than stumps, while the capable women are segregated, and the fact that they're only given these limited roles perpetuates the idea that those are the only roles they can hold. Any thoughts?

Linda Cohn: There are a lot of quality female reporters out there. But when I speak to young aspiring journalists, I always tell them to aim high. If they truly love sports and have a passion and knowledge for it, they should strive to be an anchor or an analyst. The role of sideline reporter may soon go away, anyway. Some networks have already got rid of that role.

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Aldie, Va.: How did Evander Holyfield work out as your child's daycare provider?

Linda Cohn: Very well. My daughter Sammy is now 17 and I'm so proud of her. That SC commercial was one of my favorites because I was able to include my daughter in it. She was about 5 or 6 at the time of that shoot.

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New York: What was the most challenging part of writing your book?

Linda Cohn: Remembering everything!

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Mahopac, N.Y.: OK, so you've been probably asked about seven toes, yadda, yadda, yadda.

But what about the job that Pam Ward has done on football these last few years? In this era where people have been praising/criticizing the NFL/CFB eye candy (Arrington, Bernstein, Guerrero, etc.), she's doing a heck of a job.

Linda Cohn: Like you, I'm a big fan of Pam. Play by play is the most challenging job you can do in sports and Pam aces it every time.

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Arlington, Va.: Linda,

I know harassment has occurred at ESPN due to the firing of Harold Reynolds. Does your book detail any possible harassment you may have received during your career to date? Has the culture changed for the better since the early days in that regard? Finally, who was the 'pin head' who dropped the towel?

Linda Cohn: I do talk about my experiences with this subject. I also tell a story or two in "Cohn-Head" that might surprise you about this topic.

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Baltimore: Is the filming of the ESPN commercials as fun as it looks? They're pretty creative and I'd watch anything with Evander Holyfield calling out Charlie Steiner

Linda Cohn: They're awesome! We all feel like movie stars with the hundred or so people that are needed to make these commercials.
I talk about the SC commercials in my book "Cohn-Head," because over the years I have been asked to do some of the most controversial SportsCenter commericials which never made the light of day. Here's a hint, one involved a hot tub, champagne and Rams offensive tackle Orlando Pace!

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Herndon, Va: Who determines which anchors are going work a particular SportsCenter? Is there a set rotation?

Linda Cohn: Our bosses at ESPN do. Some of us have a set rotation with regular partners..ie Scott Van Pelt and Neil Everett at 11pm eastern SportsCenter.
I used to be seen all the time on the 1am est live SportsCenter which was repeated about 8 times on tape the following morning. Now Im all over the SC map usually 11pm or 1am..and sometimes I can be found on ESPNEWS as well.

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Queens, NY: I used to listen to you on WFAN in New York. Are your experiences on WFAN included in your book? Is it different now for a woman on WFAN than it was when you worked there?

Linda Cohn: Yes, they are! I love WFAN and still listen to them now I was a guest with Mike Francesa yesterday for a full hour talking about my book "Cohn-Head".
In the book I recount a story when I had the opportunity to host my first call-in talk show there back in the late '80s and how that turned out.

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Anonymous: During your first forays into male locker rooms, was there any, um, anatomical awkwardness?

Linda Cohn: I write about my early locker room experiences in my book. Some serious, some just boys being boys silly. First rule of thumb, you should leave there knowing the color of the eyes of the player you interviewed.

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Stone Ridge, Va.: You can't leave without sharing your thoughts on the Caps. You just can't.

Linda Cohn: You know me well! Any thoughts of trading Ovechkin to the Rangers for half the team? Haha! {I'm a big Ranger fan obviously} Alex is amazing! Deep down was rooting for the Caps to take out those Flyers.
You have a lot to look forward to this season as a Caps fan!! You will be right there battling with NYR, and the Penguins, and oh yeah, the Flyers, in the East.

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Delaware: Aside from the obvious pick of Detroit...who has the best chance of walking away with the Lord Stanley this season?

Linda Cohn: Detroit will not repeat. The winner will be coming out of the East!

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Washington: I hate all TV ads except for ESPNs. They are sublimely hilarious. Which is your favorite one?

Linda Cohn: Has to be the ESPN Swimsuit commercial..where Mr Met was rubbing suntan oil on my back. Talk about a fantasy come true!! hahaha

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Columbia, Md.: Could we talk you into putting on goalie pads with a slow adult hockey team in Laurel, Md. for charity some time?

Linda Cohn: That would be fun!

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Springfield, Va.: Hello way out there! Isn't it refreshing that the Yankees will NOT be participating in the playoffs? Go Rays!

Linda Cohn: I'll sign up for a Rays-METS World Series right now!!! Always next year for those poor Yanks.

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Gotta Ask: Linda,

You look great. Natural or some 'help'?

Linda Cohn: Yeah, gotta admit, reddish-blonde is not my natural hair color.

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Alexandria, Va.: Linda, do you have a "favorite moment" of your time while working at ESPN?

Linda Cohn: So many to choose from!!! Favorite moments have to be when I was in the building for the Rangers winning the Cup in '94 and the Giants upsetting the Pats in the Super Bowl last Feb.

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR DAYS TO TALK SPORTS WITH ME. HOPE YOU LIKE MY BOOK COHN-HEAD!!!

BEST ALWAYS,

LINDA

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