Spain: Sports world needs to prevent not just respond to sexual harassment

[KG]

https://www.espn.com/espnw/voices/story/_/id/31595284/sports-world-needs-prevent-not-just-respond-sexual-harassment?addata=espn:nfl:index

It's not all men, but it might be all women.

I used to think I was one of the few unlucky ones. Now I'm starting to believe that any woman who hasn't been the victim of sexual harassment in pursuit of a career in sports media is an outlier, not the norm.

The details differ, but the story is the same and the message is clear: This is the price you pay for wanting to do this job. Men are entitled to go after what they want, no matter how many times they're told "no." By merely existing -- in that body, no matter the body -- you are a temptation and a distraction. Boys will be boys. Lighten up. Laugh it off. And, most importantly: The sports world is a place that will protect men and punish women.

Listen: Sarah Spain talks to Jenn Sterger about how sexual harassment cases are covered in the media and her own experience while covering the New York Jets.

Sexual harassment in sports media is a feature, not a bug.

Case in point: We're just a few months removed from yet another high-profile incident and we've already returned to business as usual. I bet most people reading this aren't even aware that an investigation into Los Angeles Angels pitching coach Mickey Callaway (formerly the manager of the New York Mets) was completed and resulted in a ban from the sport through the end of 2022.