This list is from Bleacher Report. And there are 25 lovely ladies who made the list. I think we can admit, if there were 26, I would absolutely have made it. But for now, we will have these ladies in the spotlight. Who doesn’t love a powerful woman in sports? Here are the most influential women in sports.
via http://kmmsports.com/kelli-masters/
The thing I enjoyed most about this list was it did not just mention the athletes of the women’s world. Specifically, in this case, it mentions Kelli Masters, who is one of the few female sports agents in the field. Love this. Not only is she a graduate of the University of Oklahoma College of Law, she snagged Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy in 2010, and held him under her wing. (In 2010, McCoy was number three in the NFL draft, taken by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers-and in 2013 he totaled nine sacks and 50 tackles, according to Roto World.)
My personal favorite (and I only say this because my nickname from my favorite teacher in high school was Linda Cohn) is, well, Linda Cohn.
via twitter.com
The struggles for a female in the sports media world are scary. Every time I’m asked for some advice on how “I do it,” or advice to give, I say, “Don’t do it.” I believe there has to be some screw lose in your head to maintain composure and professionalism in this field. which I struggle with. Linda Cohn however, is breaking through those barriers. And if it wasn’t for her, I don’t believe my job would be worth pursuing.
In addition to the most difficult and rewarding job in the world, being a mother, Cohn is also a ESPN Sportscenter Anchor, a radio host, and hosts her own podcast: Listen Closely to Linda Cohn.
Cohn’s mentality is just that. Strong, professional, and she maintains that “one of the guys” attitude, but still looks amazing doing it. She is also saving extremely awkward interviews in the process. For this and so much more, Cohn is among the most influential women in sports.
Another woman I feel I have grown up with, is Stephanie McMahon. We remember her from the Undertaker vs Stone Cold Steve Austin days (back when it was the World Wrestling Federation). Now, the daughter of Chairmen and CEO Vince McMahon is the reason World Wrestling Entertainment stays afloat. Her hard work in and out of the ring make her someone women and children should look up to, and in addition to that she’s a wife (of wrestler Hunter Hearst Helmsley) and a mother as well. All while making sure the fans of WWE are entertained with story lines and fun.
I of course had to touch on an athlete in this countdown. None other than Serena Williams. Unless you are living under a rock, you know about the tennis phenom that is Serena Williams.
From the age of three (via biography.com) Serena and sister Venus endured daily, three hour tennis practices with her father. Fast forward years later, Williams won two gold medals in women’s doubles and women’s singles at the 2012 Summer Olympic games.
To keep her resume full, and you impressed, just several months later she won her second French Open title against Maria Sharapova (who also makes a cameo on this list) and another U.S. Open title that September. Not to mention, she hasn’t exactly slowed down in recent times. Last year, she even was named, according to Chris Case of USA TODAY Sports, as one of the greatest female athletes of all time.
via www.celebritynetworth.com
If you are a believer that women do not belong in sports, that’s quite alright. But think for one moment if every female at this very moment was eliminated from your favorite sport, how boring would that be?
You would have no Erin Andrews, you would not be greeted on the sidelines by Michelle TaFoya, you wouldn’t be able to watch the amazing athletic ability that is Lindsey Vonn. You can forget all about Pat Summit or even down to the nitty gritty, the mothers who supported every athlete in the process. Just sit on that for a moment.
Photo: www.thekjblog.com