Melissa Stark: Balancing NFL Sidelines, Motherhood & Femininity in Version 2.0

Today in The Coop, Kit is joined by the unstoppable Melissa Stark — trailblazing sports broadcaster, Sunday Night Football sideline reporter, and mom of four. From interviewing legends to raising teens, Melissa opens up about her fearless career in a male-dominated field, how she walked away from her dream job at 26 to raise her family, and how she made an epic return in her 50s.

Melissa opens up about what it really took to make it in a male-dominated world — from navigating locker rooms and live broadcasts with zero margin for error, to cutting her hair short just to blend in, to proving (again and again) that she belonged. 

In this episode:

• How Melissa landed her Monday Night Football job at 26

• The unfiltered truth about being “the woman on the sidelines”

• Identity shifts, and the impossible pressure to do it all

• Melissa’s take on motherhood, mentorship, and giving yourself permission

• Why she’s calling this next chapter “Melissa 2.0”

• Being coachable at every age

This one’s packed with laughs, career grit, behind-the-scenes stories, and real talk about the juggle of working motherhood, aging, ambition, and what it looks like to come back stronger.

Whether you’re chasing your next chapter, navigating work/life crazy, or just need a reminder that you do belong in the room — this episode is for you.

Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe to The Coop with Kit — and share this one with a friend who’s ready to start their 2.0.

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This episode was produced by Kit Hoover and Harper McDonald. Business Development by Casey Ladd. Editing by You & Me Media.

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Transcript

This transcript was generated using AI. Inconsistencies may exist.

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Okay, y'all. Today in the coop we've got a total trailblazer, a sideline smasher, and one of my all time favorite women in sports broadcasting, Melissa Stark.

Now you know her as the Fearless silent reporter from Monday and Sunday Night Football,

But she's also a journalist. She's got news chops. She's a mom of four. She's the kinda woman who can go from the NFL field to team mom, making it all look effortless. She's one of the first women to own her space in a male dominated world, and she did it all with grit, grace, and a game day swagger.

She's got stories y'all. She's got perspective and she is just getting started. Let's go. Melissa Stark. Welcome to the coop.

okay everybody, welcome to the coop, my friend Melissa. Stark saying, we look like a little bumblebee over here. We do. 

We didn't plan it, but yes. I feel like we would've been best friends in college. I can't believe we missed each other, but, we're making up for lost time.

We really are. You and I were sort of parallel and I would always cheer you on from afar. I love everything [00:01:00] about your drive, your commitment. I think you are flawless on the air, so I always admired you. And it's just sort of recently that we've come into each other's orbit, which is so fun. Do you remember we wrote Paris together.

 side by side covering the opening ceremony or the, what was it that we were, 

well, it was the red carpet for the opening ceremony, just by the Eiffel Tower. I mean, we had the most spectacular spot in all of Paris and we had all the stars coming through we were sewing your element because it's a red carpet.

And you said, well, they're not gonna wanna talk to me because they love talking sports. They love 

They're gonna wanna talk to you. Do you remember the best thing? Peyton Manning came up. And so I took a picture and I'm like, oh my gosh, 3D one athletes. And you're like, kit, thank you.

I'm not a D one athlete. I'm like, yes, you are. Your tennis game is unmatched I'm like, we're going with this. 

Well, I've gotten better since college. I was, I was a club athlete at University of Virginia, but I'm so glad you put me up there with the, uh, with the D one athlete.

But that was so much fun. And you're on your little box, you know, so short. And it's just absolutely adorable. And, but then you just get whiffed away. You [00:02:00] just, you move from spot to spot to spot. I can hardly keep up with you, but, yeah, 

And just the Olympics are just such a highlight. I mean, especially this year because IWe were given by NBC, the green light to show our joy. You know, we were never supposed to say we, as Americans, but it was, you know, celebrate because after covid, you know, they just lost a little bit of luster.

and I feel they nailed it this year. Absolutely. And then it was so fun for me to cover swimming because the UVA stars were just abundant. 

yeah. That was the last time we saw each other. I know. And here we are. I, I can't wait to reconvene. Well, we start the coop, Melissa, with everybody 

one word to describe where you are in your life right now.

Oh my goodness. Okay. Well, we're similar ages, you know, just hitting our fifties. I feel like for me, this is 2.0 because I had my entire career, in very early on, I was on Monday night football as a 26-year-old, and, because there weren't many women in sports, so as soon as I entered, it just sort of took off.

And, you know, the landscape has completely changed. There was no social [00:03:00] media, there wasn't any of that stuff. I leave to start this family. I had four kids in four years, and, I was okay leaving. I just, you know, I said, all right, if I, if that's not gonna work for me.

And then I got back into it. So I feel like for me, it's just really kind of come full circle. And, I'm about to be an empty nester. I mean, you and I have so many parallels, you know, and so, uh, the kids are about to leave and this is just it. It's so nice to have both. It's so nice to be able to have this career, which we were sort of always told.

I think, you know, you had to choose one or the other. I'll never forget, I was, at CBS Evening News with Dan Rather and Connie Chung, and I was doing an internship while in the summers in New York City, and Dan rather said, this is the kind of job that you have to give up your life for. And I thought, oh gosh.

You know, I was so close to my family. Yes. You know, I can see you're so close to your family. I know that about you. And family was so important. And I thought, oh gosh, but news is that way and we can get to it. But I, I feel like that's for me why sports worked over news. Iand I, I [00:04:00] guess I would say 2.0, 2.0.

we're gonna get into all of this. 'cause I just have to laugh. Here you are with Dan rather CBS news, the Pinnacle. And I'm in a Winnebago and chugging Budweiser. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But, but look where we both up but up. But I think you had a 

lot more fun. 

 growing up.

What were you like? When you were little, 

what was young Melissa's stark like? Or what were you like in high school? So 

my sister and brother called me motor mouth because I talked all the time. I was voted most interested in high school because I just always peppered people with questions. I just always wanted to know, and not in a gossipy way.

I'm really not, I'm not a gossip type person. and then I just cut to the chase. I feel like I just get right to the heart of, what I wanna know, you know, and what, how, how you get to know somebody and just, maybe it's too abrupt or too aggressive for some people, but I just, I like to get to know people and I like to just, I kind of zero in with, with a bunch of questions, but I was always, it's funny, my mom and I were recently talking and she said I was in the Nutcracker when I was in fifth grade, and she went to all my performances 

and she, uh, wait, what did, what did she play in the Nutcracker?

I was 

just a little [00:05:00] dancer. I came out from underneath the skirt. I don't even remember now. You know what? It's like my brain plumy completely 

sugar plum ferry. Did you come out from her? Yes. How'd you know that? Harper gave it to me.

That's amazing. Okay. That's amazing. Yes. And I came out from underneath and my mom said after the weekend and we'd had so many shows, she said, aren't you tired? And I said. Tired. I love to be on stage. I think I've just always had a ton of energy and been a very curious 

person. 

Yeah. 

Curiosity. I love, it's one of my favorite traits in people. 

and I know you're super close with your dad, he was, eye doctor right? To the Baltimore Cults. Did I read that right? Yes. 

Yeah. So, okay.

So he was, an eye surgeon at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. And when we were little, uh, before the Colts left in 1983. They left in the middle of the night, but he would help out. And my dad and brother and sister and I would go, and then I'd go down to the locker room with my dad at halftime and post game.

And that was sort of my first foray into, I always loved competition. I've always. You know, I'm so competitive, uh, and I [00:06:00] just love sport. I, I, I think sports, and you were talking about your Winnebago and your beer, but I think sports is the ultimate reality television. Right. Hundred percent. You don't know the outcome.

 it's one of the few things that just is, it's live, it's fabulous and you just have no idea how it's gonna unfold. So, I think I fell in love with it then. Yeah. Through my father, but we had that, that connection from the start, 

And so how old were you when you were in the locker room? Like what age was that? 

6, 7, 8. Wow. Nine. How 

cool. Yes. 

Yeah. 

By the way, your dad total, babe. All the pictures that I've seen. Oh, they very good looking. Your dad had charisma. He had what the kid calls Riz, like he had it going on.

Yeah. Yeah. 

He was. Yes, yes, yes. I know. We had, we had so much fun and again, going back to family and that's why it was so important for me. to, you know, have all these kids and, I've always been torn between my career and my kids And striking that balance. Everybody always says what's the perfect, I don't know what the perfect balance is. I was working at the Today Show. I remember, and I'd wanna be there, but I'd have one foot out the door looking at, at when the boat was to come home to, I live in New Jersey and you take a ferry and seeing, [00:07:00] okay, what, what, what, which one can I get on to get back home?

You know, you always feel that guilt. I think when they're younger, it's nicer now that they're you older and they're teenagers and they can come and they can appreciate it, and they come to the games and, and that's, that's been the fun part of 2.0 right? Is that. My kids can be on the field with me. 

I always say balance is a four letter word and I think we jump to the generation now that I think a lot of people see what you and I have been, have earned and carved out for ourselves.

But the sacrifice. We've made. Like I just, I mean it, it is a grind. It is a fabulous grind. It is competitive. We've missed out on a lot of things. Yes. We can't be everywhere. We want the mom circle. A lot of times we'll move on without you, you know, it is a little bit of a sacrifice and not in a bitter way, but I think a lot of people look where you are and be like, wow, she's so golden.

She just has all this stuff. I mean, I know we'll get to your current job and I mean, what do you have to leave on a Wednesday for Sunday night football to be gone? To come on Monday. So I 

leave on a Thursday night. Everyone just thinks I show up on a Sunday Exactly. Looking great, and you're on the field.

I'm like, no, I know. My friend is like, yeah, then [00:08:00] I just vault right in. Uh, no. Usually I go on Thursday night because we, depending on the city, but we, we go to practice first thing. Yeah. Friday morning we sit down with the quarterback, a star, offensive player, defensive player, the coaches, and so that's how the weekend kind of starts.

And then the visiting team comes on Saturday. We do the same with them. And so yeah, it's, it's a lot more work than people think, we treat on Sunday night football, they treat each game like a mini Super Bowl. Mm-hmm. And there's so many, there's 200 people that work on the show.

There's so many ideas and, and so many minds working that come into it just to make it, you know, as exciting and, and, and great as it is. And, and we call it, you know, it's a broadcast, it's not a narrow cast. We're not just going to the hardcore football fans. So I really start on Mondays, 

you know, watch the game from the night before. it's painful. I have to review. I literally, we watch every single word I say, every single hit I do, uh, whatever video was covering it and critique it. And, and then we, we flip the page to the next week. 

Is it harder being a female in that [00:09:00] position?

Because I know my time at E-S-P-N-Y you gotta watch your P's and Q's. At least back then we did. As women. There's very few of us in there and I feel like it's changed a little bit, however. Yes. Not a lot. 

Yes. Yeah, exactly. No, I know. I do think we've evolved, right? There's still a ways to go, but uh, back then it was nerve.

I remember I cut my hair so short. Yes, yes. I wouldn't wear any makeup. I would wear my glasses to practice. I just wanted to be one of the guys. I just wanted to fit in and not stand out or not be there. Okay. 'cause you're a woman or you're different. but then it's so funny because fast forward, I went to the Today Show and Katie Kirk is wearing heels this high.

Yes. And skirts and so feminine. And I thought, wow, this is fabulous. That you can sort of embrace your femininity in this world. And then I feel like it's now that I'm much more secure, you know, being married, having kids, not, not. Thinking that people think I'm in it for the wrong reasons, or that I wanna meet a football player, or that I wanna meet an athlete and coming back to it, I feel like I can combine the two right now.

I've got the, I've got the long hair. [00:10:00] I can, you know, be a little bit more feminine and, and feel okay with that. But, you know, it's, it's, 

it's funny because I remember going back to teach a journalism class at UVA, and this was before I'd come back to Sunday net football a couple years ago.

And I said, I wish I knew then, you know, when I was a 26-year-old, what I know now. and a student raised their hand and said, well, what would you tell yourself? You know, what was that? And I thought it was a great question. And I said, well, that I belong, that I belonged.

I mean, why, why didn't I belong? I mean, yes, I'm a woman in a man's world and it's sports and all of that, but I knew sports and I, you know, and, so why didn't I belong? Right? And that's what I feel like these young women now should know and feel if they. If they know the sport and if they're in it for the right reasons, and if they're willing to do the hard work and, and, and it's a grind and make the connections.

'cause the connections are huge, right. To get to know these coaches or these players. Um, but, but it's funny because when I first started, I was covering, I would cover baseball. I covered all sports, you know, hockey, baseball, basketball for ESPN. And, I remember standing around at batting [00:11:00] practice and I said to a baseball player, I, I won't even name him, but you know, Hey, can I have your number?

And you know, that is so misconstrued. You know, I remember. You know, I mean, it's just how is a 26-year-old, do you ask for a number to create that contact? Yes. Without it being, you know, completely mis taken outta context. And 

I talked to Natalie Morales about this. Yes. Did your looks ever hinder you if you were an attractive female in the sports world?

Even for her in the news, it would almost, you had to work double hard with mm-hmm. Maybe with somebody, I don't know. It's like you had to. Try to tone down your beauty, you know what I mean? Well, that's what 

I did. I mean, I definitely did that and, but now I feel like I don't, you know, I'm older. Yeah. And these guys are basically my kids' ages.

We can burn them. So, um, yeah. And so that's been the fun part too. You know, I, after the game, I'm, I, I, I don't mind how many guys go over the, I treat 'em with my, I'm like, you over here, you stand here, you do this, you know, and I'm bossing around like they're my kids. But it works because, you know, literally they are, they are my kids' ages.

and know, I've had the longevity in the career where I feel like, you know, I can, I [00:12:00] can do that and, and have the confidence to do that, so. Well, I know how 

hard you work, and I know your knowledge is unmatched. I mean, literally you are, you were so dedicated and I so appreciate that. So back at 26 years old, uh, yeah.

You'd already had an unbelievable career building. 

You get the call to come up for Monday night football. Yes. What was that like? 

it was crazy because I was, I was out at Pebble Beach, I was covering Tiger Woods at the US Open, breaking all through all the records. I remember that round. It was in 2000 and, I mean, it was, it was crazy.

It was so fun. my husband had just proposed literally at Pebble Beach, like, it was, it was the craziest week that I'd ever had. And Don Meyer, who was the legendary producer who was part of Saturday Night Live, and, he did, uh, Monday night Football in the seventies, with, Howard Cosell and everybody, and he was taking over and it was Dennis Miller.

Do you remember this? Oh, yes. Do I remember this? It was Eric Dickerson. So he had, he, he wanted to have five voices. So I was the female voice, you know, Eric Dickerson's, the Hall of Fame, running back [00:13:00] voice. We have Dan fau, he's up in the booth, you know, obviously a Hall of Famer himself and then Dennis Miller.

So, I was so excited. but it was definitely a different time. You know, again, I remember Don saying something crazy to me, like, you know, just like, I can't have Eric dating a cheerleader. I can't have you dating, you know, a football player or something like that. 

there anything else you were told sort of bizarre in that time? Looking back of how to be or not be 

as 

opposed to what all should have been talked about Is the content, like, this is what we want outta this game, this went from this player that, you know, this kind of thing.

I mean, times have changed. Like we were talking about so much for the better. I I remember it was the same time that, 60 minutes, the, the guy he had come out and said, you know, what is a woman gonna tell me?

A, a woman does not belong on the sidelines? And it was directed to me. 'cause I had just gotten the job. 

and that's, I didn't make comments. That's only 60 minutes. People just let that sit for what Melissa was dealing with. I'm sorry. Yeah. 

And what, 

by the way, when that came out, like what did your family, what did your dad say about that?

He had to be living. I 

know, you know, you know, my dad taught me that you can do or be anything you wanna be, if [00:14:00] you put in the hard work, our, our whole family motto is 110%. I mean, you give everything 110% and you go for it, you know, and, and no door is closed because. You're too this or you're too that.

I will tell you this. So speaking of a door closed back to the Dan Rather days, I was trying to get an agent and I think as a favor, I went in and talked to Dan Rather's agent and they said, you know, I think you'll never get a job in broadcasting 'cause your front two teeth are too big.

What? Yeah, your, your front two teeth are too. That first, if you're just listening, I'm 

looking at, Melissa's got the most beautiful, perfect teeth. Like there's not, I'm 

just remembering this. What I'm just remember and thank you know what, this is a message to all the young girls out there. Never, never listen to something like that to anybody.

Never listen to someone to try to dissuade you don't, I mean, you know, there's a way to be pleasantly aggressive. We all, we know we have to be aggressive in this business, right? But. Don't take no for an answer. No. You know, find another, find someone. So I, I found this lovely agent who represented Bonnie Bernstein, who was a [00:15:00] pioneer in, in, in sports at the time, and who took me on like that.

And next thing I knew I was being interviewed at ESP, I was, you know, had all these opportunities. It's so great for 

any woman listening or any, to tell their daughters especially. Exactly. Mm-hmm. You can't take anything personally, and you don't listen to the noise, even if it kind of dings for a minute.

Yes. You have to push forward and just belief in yourself. And that comes too from your family. 

Well, yes. Just from being grounded and rooted you definitely have to have thick skin in this business. Yes. Right. You have to. And you can't read, you know, I remember I was 26 and I was replacing Leslie ER and everything said Stark 26, replace this Viser 46.

Right. And it was a strange time. And, and you know, I had great articles written about me. I had terrible articles written about me. 

but my point is, anybody getting into this business, and you know this, right? You can never get too high. You can never get too low, low, low. you know, there are times you get discouraged, of course, and there's times.

Know, you get replaced by somebody. I mean, I was hosting a show on NFL Network, for many years. You know, I mean there's always like the way I [00:16:00] replaced somebody that was older, there was always somebody waiting in line. Yeah. 

It's fascinating and I feel like we've come to a place now where maybe it's not as, I mean it still is cutthroat, but I do feel like women we're figuring out, But like, as a way that the ones coming up behind us can have a little bit more flexibility than we had.

I think we got more female bosses and people that are sort of letting things flow a little bit more, which is fascinating. So for you trying to get pregnant, ' cause again, I've had this conversation with a lot of women. When I was at Cold Pizza with ESPN, I could not get pregnant, talk about stress and do it a two hour live sports show.

I'd never read Teleprompter Melissa or done Live. Yeah. Why? I thought I could go a two hour live sports show. Like a lunatic. Yes. No, I mean, talk about written bad and depress. It's a skill. It's such a skill. 

the teleprompter is such to read it, you know, just read it like you're reading a newspaper.

It was like, what? No, you need a lot more energy and this and that. 

 And if you need to be natural, I had a 1-year-old and a three week old when I did this, Melissa, I'd never done live, 

So I was like, what am I doing, Lauren? But [00:17:00] yes. But anyway, during that time I was also trying to get pregnant and I couldn't. So, talk about the stress of the body. 

I know you've talked a little bit about your fertility struggles. What was that like for you? 

Yeah, so I always, I, I just was always, I think, naturally thin and I was always, I wasn't a D one athlete.

Yes, were in my mind, but I was always an athlete, right. And so, I just never, you know, I think the doctors always said if you put on 10 more pounds, but I mean, I just really have a high metabolism. I have so much energy and I just move and, I, I just think, just my body type and I, you know, I have two daughters and twin daughters, and I feel like maybe I, I passed that on to one of 'em.

I think I was, you know, my estrogen levels and all that, not to get too detail were, you know, menopausal low or something like that. So I definitely, I didn't have to do IVF, but I had to do a bunch of things, that, you know, required me to be around and go to afters, appointments and things like that. and I knew I wanted a large family and, and kids that were kind of close together in age, if I could, 

I'm a planner, but you can't necessarily plan that. and that is, I mean, for anybody who is out there dealing with that is such an [00:18:00] emotional. Time and especially, you know, if you're talking about your own live TV and you're dealing with all these stresses of that and you're dealing with that at the same time.

 How would your kids describe you? 

Oh my gosh. annoying. I, I'm getting all these, always. You're doing it right. You're so annoying, mom. That's the, that's the word. Uh, I think now they say low key. Low key annoying. Isn't that the, that's the verbiage I already using. you know, I think that they think I'm, on them because I'm intense and I want them to do well, and I want them to find their passion. It's not, it's not like, Hey, you've gotta get straight A's, or you've gotta do this, or you've gotta do that. It's like, find something, find something you're passionate about and go after it. Don't just, don't just be on your phone.

All the phones kill me. The social media kills me. I, you know what, remember Nancy Reagan? It was say no to drugs. I feel like this is a drug. Yeah, it's another limb. Yeah. For the, they don't go anywhere without it. They don't look up at you. They don't, it's just, it's a battle. You know? We went on all these RV trips and I didn't wanna go.

My husband forced us and we went from San Francisco to Colorado and we went, and then we were in Montana and Wyoming and just a bunch of different RV trips [00:19:00] and they had no self-service. They were freaking out. But, you know, hikes all day and quality time. And I just think I thought we were so much more interesting, right.

We were such more creative when we were younger. And so I just want them to, especially for my girls, that what you see is not, someone doesn't have a perfect life and now they're AIing every, or they're, what's it called?

They're filtering everything. And so they say, oh, just I can slim myself down and I can do this. I just, it is terrible. It's terrible. You live in that world. So I don't know what the answer is, but it's awful. 

Well, you are doing it right. 'cause I've, I know about your four kids being driven and liking themselves.

I think that's just a part of it. And your one daughters are runner. I or both of them runners or just know that 

No, the other one doesn't have a competitive, but she was high jumping, she's six feet tall and now she's doing the, the school play, which I'm so, I'm so excited about. She's coming 

outta Sugar Plum Fairy.

She gets it 

from her mom 

right there. Exactly. Yes. That's good stuff right there for the runner. Yeah. What do you see? Do you see a lot of your competitive self in her? Because running is mono e mono, 

She's so driven it's funny, my mom is here now and this article just came [00:20:00] out on her this morning and she said, Mel, she goes, she is you. And I said, well, you know, I think, 'cause my husband played football princes and I go, well maybe I think she got her speed.

He was a wide receiver from him. And she goes, no, but her work ethic and her, I mean it's, she is nature paying me back 'cause she blows me up on text and I want this now and this and this and this. And, you know, she's so demanding. But it is, it's really fun. you know, it's fun to see and it's fun to see her find something.

She started running her freshman year in high school because her lacrosse coach said Do indoor track. I didn't know tr track and it's helped me too. Yeah, because track I was thinking of Grease Lightning and John Travolta and like he's trying to pick up chips and the little short shorts.

So I signed her up the day before and then, you know, the first week she said, mom, I'm running with the varsity. I said, great. The next week she said, mom, I just beat the fastest girl at the school and the next week she's like, mom, they're talking about I might be the best to ever come through the program.

So anyway, so she's running at Stanford next year and its so fun. She's a, she's a half mile or it's the 800 and the hardest race in track. Everybody knows. Ugh. Yeah. 

Wait, how did you meet your husbands? Because I forgot he went to Princeton. I [00:21:00] thought it, yes. So I thought it was u in my life.

So I met him in New York. 

I met him in New York City. 

so, yeah. but he, he had said to his brother, and it was announced at our wedding, his brother, got up to give the best man's toast and said. I'll never forget Mike saying when he first saw a girl on TV covering football, what is a woman gonna tell me about football?

And there's a funny picture at our wedding of me going, pointing at him like that, you know, um, like, what? And he's going, but yeah, he's come around. He's come a long way. He's, yeah. Yeah, exactly. 

How's come around this 

journey been for him with your career? 'cause I know just from me, it's a whole family sacrifice when, especially when it involves a lot of travel and I mean, it, it is just a demanding job that we're in.

Well, it's a great question because when Fred Gelli, who's was my producer on Monday night Football, when he called me three years ago they were just starting the Thursday night games.

And, NBC was kind of hiring for Amazon. I thought he was gonna say Thursday. He called me, he goes, how about coming back to the sidelines? And I said. Oh my gosh. Thursday would be great, you know, I'd leave Monday, I'd be back, I'd be home on the weekends for my [00:22:00] kids. And he's like, I'm thinking Sunday night, he's like, I'm talking about, so he goes, talk to Mike.

'cause he knew my husband. And I was so prepared for Mike to just say, we can't do it. It's not the time in our lives. 'cause he really prioritized his family as well. You know, we just, he doesn't want any, both of us gone at the same time. He just, you know, he, he keeps me grounded in that sense. and so when I, I called him and I was so expecting him to say no.

And he goes, he goes, The fact that they, you were able to raise your family and you were able to raise your kids and now they're at an age where they're much more, you know, they were 15, the youngest were 15 at the time, the girls.

And, He goes, we got you. I got you. Wow. Like this is, yeah, I 

just got chills. I just got chills. So that is fantastic. 

Part of me was hoping he part, part of me, because it's a lot of work, a part of me was hoping, he said, you know, we can't do it. Put it knock out. It's not like, just play tennis and golf all day or, you know, do something else.

but yeah. So, but it's been phenomenal to be back again, the 2.0, to be back in it all with a renewed energy and just a [00:23:00] different sense of confidence and a different sense of self now, you know, and coming at it, you know, like I said, these guys are kind of like my, my kids' ages. Yeah. and then to cover the Olympics.

 It's just, it's incredible to be at these. Just life-changing events for, the athletes. 

Right. Be I also like 

our age where we are, Melissa, covering these. And really quick just to double back for our listeners Yes. Who don't know. So you're hired for literally the number one job at 26.

Nobody had done it. Well, it had been done before, but it was, it was that you were in completely the spot. You're kind of set up to fail in my mind, watching that. And you hit it out of the park. Yes. Right. Yeah. It's like there was just so much coming at you. You crushed it. Why did you step away from that during that time?

And then I wanna get back to doubling back. 

Okay. So, so I left Monday Night Football. Al Michaels called me, and said, no one, Melissa, no one ever leaves Monday night football. You don't just walk away. And I was pregnant with my first child, who's now 21. And I just said, I, I was due in September and Fred Gelli again, the producer said, you know, you can take a month off, you can take two [00:24:00] months off.

And I said, I have no idea how I'm gonna feel when this child is born. I'm not just gonna wanna leave. She's gonna be the hardest thing to leave. So I left and the head of, NBC news, she had read, they, they had done an article on me in Vogue, um, for, for Monday Night Football. And I said I wanted to be Christiana, I wanted to cover wars.

I wanted to go. Little did I know, I mean, there's no way I was gonna say this to you. You can cover news. It's very hard to be a mother because it's all breaking, you know, hurricane Katrina, they wanted me to live out of a car in New Orleans. it's very hard to do that. So sports is scheduled and that's, that's why sports works.

And also, I remember filling in for Ann Curry on the Today Show, and I'd be reading the news. You're reading the news. Reading the news, and a sports story would come on and I'd come alive. Come alive. Yeah. Right. It was like, oh, this is my people, my people. Yeah. You know? And so, I left that thinking I wanted to pursue news and I'm so glad I, I tried it.

 Did 

you ever have a full break where you weren't doing anything? 

Yeah. Okay. So I completely, after the Beijing Olympics, I hosted [00:25:00] the daytime coverage from home.

I had a 3-year-old, a one and a half year old, and babies basically, twins. And, in 2008, I said, I just can't do two people have to watch my kid. Yeah. Like, it was just a safety issue. Right. You can't, so I left entirely and said, If I have to leave my career, and this is if I'm a full-time mom, that's great.

Never thinking I'm okay. Yeah. I am okay with not going back. Yeah. And that was 2008 to 2012, and my old boss at ESPN called and said, I'm now out at NFL Network and if you wanna work for us one day a week, two days a week, covering the, i, I live in the New York area, covering the Jets, the giants, you know, but if you have a kindergarten show you need to go to, we get it.

it sounded perfect. I still didn't know how I could do it. It still felt overwhelming, So I did that. So I started back at NFL Network and then they created the first live show.

Yep. Out of NFL films, which is in Philadelphia. A pre-game show on Sunday mornings so that I could go down there. I wasn't gonna go out to, I couldn't go out to LA 

and I also, I did think, at the time, the view was kind of just starting [00:26:00] when I was on, I'm, I'm jumping back a bit, but when I was, I wanted a news element with sports.

So the view was just starting at the time. And, I thought, okay, if I could do Monday Night football and combine that with the view, and my husband his dad was ambassador to China and Korea and Taiwan he was CIA and, and so his family's, that is so badass, 

by the way. 

Okay.

Continue. Yeah. I know and my husband was a Marine, then he went to Georgetown Law School And then he watched me on The View when we were talking about, I mean, it was a day that it was just light subjects.

And he goes, he, he said, Uhuh, you 

know, wait, by the way, I know what it was. I remember, uh, filling in for the view. Right. But for me, they all started attacking one another. And I was like, I'm just not, you know, mean Melissa, I'm not combative.

I wanna bring my point of view, but I'm not gonna fight. So I just Right. I disagree with that. Like, yep. Star, ooh, Meredith, you in the back, Barbara, I see you. I was like, give me, my dad wrote it. My dad's like, no, you, this is not for you. 

Uhuh. Yes. Well, it's funny 'cause when, when they were prepping you in the morning, 

They said, okay, who's taking this view? Who's taking this view? Who's taking, you know, and they, and they obviously they hire the women, you know? Yes. So that it will be [00:27:00] like that. that's fascinating. 

I was just gonna ask you, so the years that you weren't working, did you ever have a moment? 'cause for me, the joke with me, Melissa, was that I told my agents to hold all calls.

our house had burned down. I just had our third baby. But in irony, it really had burned down. It really burned down. Let's everything we own in Connecticut. This weird thing, I was pregnant. Oh my gosh. And I thought I had done it. I'm like, I've really done it now. But it wasn't me. It was a base, a baseboard heater, malfunction.

But the funny thing is, so I, the joke is I told my agents to hold all calls, but nobody was calling. I'm like, I'm gonna take a beat to focus on my babies. We'll do that. We'll do that. Yeah. And then of, then of course, things started coming in, but there was probably three years of really being a mom and I just threw myself into my mom friends.

But there was always, and I loved it, but there's always something in me that I just, something wasn't getting fed is how I thought. Right. 

But the nice thing also about, what I'm doing now is really from, I would say March through July now I kind of have off.

Yeah. Which is perfect. Oh, I just saw you 

on a vacation. I was like, oh, look at my friend. Relax. [00:28:00] I was like, that vacation looked insane. Were you just with your husband or with the kids too? 

Well, I was just, I was with my husband and a bunch of his Princeton friends and we went to this island. It was the crazy, it was mystique.

 it was. The most fabulous because even when you're with your kids on vacation, you're not relaxing. No. So it was just really so much fun to get away. I haven't done that. I can't tell you the last time I did that, so that was true.

But that's what I was wondering. How are you 

relaxing? Are you okay relaxing? Can you turn it off? 

It's hard. It's really, especially now with the phones, right? I just wanna turn it off at night. But you feel like, I've got two college kids and what are they, what are they doing? And do they need me in the middle of the night and things like that?

it's funny, it's, I'm comedy hour for the guys on Sunday at football because I'll, I'll wake up, I'll go, oh, well my 18-year-old, she got at three 30 in the morning last night. Here's the video. She said she was locked out. She called the police, she was gonna break the windows. You know, and it's just, it's just, you know, it's never, it's never ending.

You're also such a great girlfriend. You have so many, but I know, just like me, I have my best friend, Casey Lad, that your friends with her husband from [00:29:00] VA.

Yes. Yes. And you have, is it Debbie? I always see you with your one, right? Or die, Debbie. Yes. I think there's something in our life. You gotta have that one solid person in your life. 

Yes. No, you do. And you have, I have, I sort of have a co I don't have time to do stuff with a ton of people. And, and as, as, socialists, I might seem like I am.

I, I am not, you know, I can't go out to dinners and do this and chat with everybody all the time. I'm just not my personality. I'm a little bit more of an introvert than I seem like I am. So I have a couple key friends that we go on dog walks or we get a glass of wine together or something like that. And, you need those people just to sort of have a reality check and just kind of check back in and, you know, share stories about kids or whatever it may be.

Yeah. that keeps, that really, you know, keeps you grounded. 

What are you manifesting these days? What am I manifesting? Well, you know, I, we started this conversation out with, I'm about to be an empty nester. Mm-hmm. How are we feeling? Feeling same. 

I just, I feel like I'm, while I'm witnessing my mom, so, you know, people get older and, you know, you've gotta take care of them and stuff. And she had a bad [00:30:00] fall and she broke her hip. And I think, I'm trying, I was never a gym person, so I'm trying to lift, you know, for my bones and this and that, and I'm trying to get stronger.

 I, I, I don't know about you, but when I turn 50, and I, well actually, I, I do know about you. You're running and you're doing more athletically than probably you ever have. Yes, yes. Right? Yes. But I'm tired and I just feel like it's, I'm tired.

I'm so tired, and my body hurts so badly every morning, and I have to stretch and, and I just feel like I, I've gotta make sure that that's a priority, right? Because if, if you don't have your health, what do you have? Right? Yeah. And if you don't feel good, you don't have much. So I feel like I'm trying to focus on that and I just don't know what it's gonna look like to be an empty nester.

I feel sad about it 'cause I'm so close to my kids. Like, I, I, I just. Not that you're your friend. My my husband always says, you, you can't be their friend. And I feel like I'm not trying to be their friend, but I just so enjoy. Yes. I so enjoy doing things with them and I, so, but I, I feel like there's gonna be this massive void.

 I'm obviously excited for them and I'll go visit them and they're gonna be all over the country, so it's gonna be lots [00:31:00] of Yeah. You talk about the things we miss out on, though. I can't do all the fun parents weekends in the football games, same and all those things because of work I 

miss so much.

Yeah. And they've gotten kind of used to it, and I always try to use it to my advantage, but look how independent it makes you, but to your point, they're my favorite people. Like, I love hanging out. Yeah. And I see my oldest now is about different 23. You do become a little more of an advisor. So, and, and I hate that word, best friend, right.

'cause you'll get that in your fifties like we are with our moms now. But yes. You know, it sort of, it does shift in such a beautiful way that I think is great. Yes

. Okay. 

We're gonna play a little game.

Here we go. Let's get random Melissa's stark. Oh, I love this. Best pre-game ritual for you. 

okay, this is, this is a little silly, but I mean, I ha so I can't drink a ton of water that day because I cannot leave the field. Oh 

yeah. 

And I have a very small bladder, so I, I try and find the cleanest bathroom and there aren't very many clean ones like in the tunnel or near or anything that, you know, the players aren't running out to.

So it's one last bathroom break and then I'm done. I am, I am for [00:32:00] five hours standing out on that field. So I don't know if that's a ritual. No, but it's something, I mean, I 

have to do, first of all, I, I literally, 'cause I love, I love chug water all day long and I know go the, it stresses me out. And you know, when you go live too, you're, you get that.

So I have to, I just went twice before I interviewed you. Like, it's like, so I have to, yeah. Yes. Oh my God, that's fascinating. So I 

cannot, Dr I have the worst headache after the games. I don't know if it's, 'cause my ips are so loud. I have a double IFB, but, or if I haven't, I really don't drink water on that day because I, I 

can't, by the way, and look at my friend's cute shoes. You have to wear like the best tennis shoes 'cause you gotta be on the move out there. Definitely. You have to wear tennis shoes. 

I can't wear, I don't know about other people in the fifties right now. Or even your four, like you do it on the red carpet.

Barely. I cannot wear the heels anymore. Yeah. 

Yes. Well, I'm five feet tall. How tall are you by the way? I'm five nine. I'm five nine. I got a little bit on you there. You got me. So again, back to Paris. The box Melissa's talking about, I, I literally couldn't see over the darn thing to interview. So Melissa, I think it was your camera guy gave me a box.

I mean, you were helping, helping a girl out. I can't believe your camera guy doesn't always have a box ready [00:33:00] for you. You gotta know who you're working with here, people. Come on. Yeah. Okay. The coach or player who always made you laugh or caught you off guard, was there one, when you're on the sideline you're like, okay, I know this.

This person's gonna help me out a little bit. Be a great interview. 

Yeah. Yeah. So, oh gosh, Herm Edwards, he was always so kind. I would, I would be running, running and go, don't run. Aw, you can slow down. You know? And then, and then there were some coaches that would look at me and just say, I can't believe you're asking me that right now, Melissa.

You know, things like that. Andy Reed, uh, we always joke, One week, the week before they had had, uh, a 14 point lead and they blew it. And the next, and the week that we had our game, they had a 14 point lead. So at halftime I say, you know, you know what's coming, right? Yeah. Basically. And he goes, I can't believe you just asked me that question, Wilson.

Even Al Michael's, you know, as I threw it back, he's like, she had to ask him that question. You know, I love Lal l Michael's 

getting your back right there. 

Right, exactly. Exactly. So, um, you know, the ones that don't make me run so fast, um, uh, I like that a little bit better. And also if you just give me something like give me something at halftime to get you not, not just the coach speak.

Yeah. I always, I always tell them [00:34:00] when I meet with them, you know, the weekend of the game, I always say, okay, so I can't wait to talk to you at halftime. Just give me Chris Cosworth goes. Just tell him. Just, just something, something, you know, like not just, we gotta run the ball more.

We gotta tackle, we gotta run the ball. We're gonna 

tackle, we're gonna kick, we're gonna, we're gonna throw, we gotta, it's like, no, give me, yeah, exactly. Something. one word to describe Bill Belichick Chapel. C'S new coach. 

Yes. Frightening. I don't know. Serious. Serious. Because he had passionate, you know, I have, I've made him smile.

Yes. We had a good relationship. You know, he let me in the locker room one time at halftime, and I had this, al goes straight from the, I couldn't say, well, I was in the locker room at halftime, but Al goes straight from the locker room. so, you know, smart, smart, I mean, super smart. This is so many words, but, um, but yeah.

That's exciting by the way. I know. It really is. I'm going there. The, the pictures with the girlfriend are his hysterical. Did you see 

when he was airplane, her like it was my favorite thing, the yoga on the beach. 

They're like, have a day coach. The comments are the best. Their comments. Unbelievable. My friends 

are losing their mind.

Oh my gosh. It's fantastic. Favorite vice, 

peanut, m and ms. [00:35:00] Oh, 

I love them. Do you keep em on you all the time? 

I mean. All the time. Milk times all the time. And, and in fact, there's, there's this amazing person who's on our, we call it the feather, like, but it's basically our trailer before the games. And she has a little Ziploc bag of little candies for me to put in my backpack to take down to the field.

You know, I don't drink coffee, so I don't drink, I don't do anything caffeine. What? No, no, no. Have ice. Have you never drank coffee or you gave it up? 

No, 

I'm so energetic and my, I feel like my heart would race. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I don't take any, I don't do I anything like me, any weird things, melatonin, anything makes me dizzy.

It makes my heart race. Yeah. 

We're the same with that. I can't take anything, but I do love my coffee. But wait, the milk dud, we gotta bring that back. Not many people go milk. But it's not good for 

your jaw if 

you have a bad jaw. Got the, yeah, I was thinking you do like the dark chocolate. They're very, they're, I like that.

crazy sideline moment that left you speechless. 

Okay. So a couple things. When I, when I Monday night football, uh, the second game back and I was petrified, you know, for the opening, you people think maybe we have a teleprompter.

We've talked about that. No, everything I do is just [00:36:00] live looking into the camera. It's off the cuff, you know. And, they're saying, okay, we're coming to you in 10 seconds and the pyrotechnics are all going off. So all the, the players are running out and the, and the flames and the back of my sweater caught on fire.

Caught on fire. So I'm going like that. I'm going like, I'm like, I'm going like this. And he goes, Melissa, get in the frame. Get in the frame. And so I got on and I did it and I, I mean, it was awful. It was awful. So I have like, it, it was like my little cashmere, I always used to wear, you know, as they, they did a spoof on, on Saturday Night Live.

My little, they say Club Monaco sweater sets that, that was not what they, I still wear. 

I still wear 'em. Yeah. Wait, do you have a mark on your back? 

Uh, no I don't have one mark, because I got it out through the thing through the, um, yeah. So I don't have a marker on my back. That's incredible. That was incredible.

but now I roll with it. So like, I was in London and I got hit in the head with a football, and if, if anybody wants to Google it, just google it. I literally keep going. I go, I go, ow. I can't remember. I was like, nothing, like live television. And I kept going. And then the makeup person, she wasn't used to doing [00:37:00] football games, so she kept flinching and I saw her behind the camera and I go, you know what, guys?

I'm gonna throw it back to you. Because they didn't know how to properly like, catch the balls or protect us, I guess, in London. You know, they have the people here in the United States, but I, I was doing one of the international games, so you have to, I, that was, I just kept going.

I just kept going through it. And that was amazing. Melissa, like, look, nothing's gonna hurt me now. You're like, mm-hmm. Yeah. Whatever. Yeah. I was very lucky actually. I mean, 'cause that could've Yeah, I know Pam Oliver was hitting head like that could've where it hit. I was so lucky that I wasn't knocked out.

but then you normally I have like sec, I have security standing on both sides of me. but I don't how it, but a player, I was in the middle of a report and I, he knocked me, I was, I was talking about the rivalry and how intense it was that it was a halftime and I was like, it's the a FC nor, and he hit me.

and I go, it's okay. 'cause he goes, so I go, it's okay. He apologized. Right? Because nowadays something will go off and GOs like, see how competitive this is. Yeah, totally. But it's, you know, you never, I mean, you're right there. You've gotta be careful on the sidelines. Yeah. Because I mean, it's amazing.

You've got a front row seat, but you are, I mean, the place coming towards you [00:38:00] or balls or whatever it might be, but. 

Let's be clear. I there's no way I could do your job. There's, there's no way. Oh, I love this. What's 

funny you say that, 'cause Savannah Guthrie, we just did a panel with her and I was saying I have 23 seconds in between plays.

Like I talked over a play once in three years and they, I told you we have 200 people on the show. They have a meeting on Wednesdays and they all do a thumbs up or a thumbs down to something. And my talking over a play got so many thumbs down. I did it once and it was a kickoff. I just thought it didn't, you know, but I, I literally have to, so I'm watching the monitor, I'm watching the field just to make sure you know what I say.

I can just get it in that quickly. 

and guys and listeners, and as she's doing that, the game is going on. It gets so loud in your ear, you gotta be present for what's going on. You gotta hear the toss that's coming to you, right? It's the most watched moment. Sunday night football is the biggest moment in tv.

 and all eyes are on you in that moment to see what you're gonna do. You have to make the moment they analyze every word I say, say, and they analyze every single thing that you say. It's like you 

don't need that extra word. Uh, you didn't need that. Uh, you stumbled on that. Like, okay, I know I stumbled 

on that.

You either pointed out, I'm [00:39:00] telling you my friend is Clutch. That's your new nickname. Clutch right there. Yeah. Uh, back to mom mode. Weirdest thing in your purse. I have 12 sunglasses. That's what I was just looking at. I don't know why 

you do. Well, I, you know what I've tried to do I really have never, I just have a tiny little cross body bag, with, I mean, I always have to have Chapstick and, um. I just put the air tag on my keys 'cause my kids are losing all of the keys for the car. but I, I am a minimalist in terms, I'm pretty organized and, and, and I have my travel bag always packed so that it's, I've got double of everything so that I'm, you know, because I'm constantly coming and going and FedExing and, so there's not, the weirdest thing would be there's really nothing in my purse.

Oh, I love that. 

I'm gonna strive 

for that. 

Yeah, yeah. Um, fill in the blank here. Aging is what, 

Enlightening, I guess because I think you learn so much about yourself. Again, I think it starts with health, right? If you don't feel good, you've gotta do something about it. And, and it takes discipline and there's a lot on, there's a lot on you, right?

Because of what you're eating and how you're exercising. So I think, I think I'm just learning [00:40:00] a lot more about myself and who I want my friends to be and yeah, how I want to portray myself for my kids. And it's just a learning experience. I'm ever evolving. I'm not gonna be that person who, you can't teach in all old dog new tricks.

I just, I wanna take feedback. I want to. I always wanna be a better person. I think so. 

So I think, I think I just try to learn something new every day. I just posted a throwback picture at UNC talking about being coachable again. We have so many similarities. I love Right. Being told, and this is why I think I like you so much too.

I like directness. I don't like bs. Just hit me with where we're going. I will take it, I will learn from it and try to push harder or do better. I think we're fueled by that. 

 I agree. I mean, I think, I think, you know, being stuck or rigid or, I don't know where that gets you. I just feel like, especially when we have our kids and they're looking up to us and we're their role models or we hope that we're their role models.

I just think to be able to get that feedback and take it in a positive way is really important. 

I have one last question, but I was gonna ask you. Okay. I was so sad to see When you lost your dad, when do you feel him the [00:41:00] most? 

So, I just went on a ski vacation like I told you, we took vacations, but he was always working.

So he would host his, meetings and he would go from six to 9:00 AM then he'd ski from nine to four and then from four 30 to seven 30 he'd have his meeting. And so he taught me so many lessons. you know, we were so efficient.

We'd stand at the top and we'd say that lift line is shorter. Go to that side. He'd say, you know, when the light is not very good. Ski by the trees when it's like a flat light 'cause you can see a little bit better. Never stop above someone. You stop below him in case you fall or you're gonna put you just little things like that.

But even with a car, always park on the passenger side because there's there's a hundred percent chance there's a driver on the other side that's gonna ding your car. Yeah. But if you park on the passenger side, I mean, just little life lessons, that I just hear and feel all the time. He, he, we always had to get white cars or silver cars 'cause he feels like black.

You can't see it at night. And it's less safe according to whatever, whoever analyzes cars. But just like life lessons, all the time I feel like I can [00:42:00] hear him in, in my ear and 

giving me advice, which is so nice. Yeah. I'm telling you, he was those fireworks that came on when you were talking.

Um, it's amazing. It was great. Okay, final question. What turns you on? What moves your needle? 

well, okay, so it's so funny 'cause I always think about love languages. You know the book? Yes. What, whatever your and mine is acts of service. Like, it sounds so terrible, but if I come home and if you have fixed something for me or if you changed the Yes.

The light bulb. Yes. Or if you, I mean this is, this sounds so mundane and awful, but if you've unloaded the dishwasher or you've done something like that now on a much. Sexier. Better side, I would say, like I love like warm weather and dancing and being out and like a, like a club situation or something like that where you're more free and I don't love like cold weather and winter and all of that.

So I think, I think those are two very different answers. I like those. 

No listen, acts of service. I think too, how hard you go in your daily life. The little things add up to the big ones so you get that done. Then you can take it to your sexy vacation where you just were in your, your downward dog yoga, you're 

out night dancing.

Yeah. The perfect [00:43:00] combo. Right. 

well Melissa, this was awesome. Thank you so much for coming on the podcast and I love watching you. You are just hitting your stride. Look at everything you've done and I cannot wait to see what continues to happen for you. 

We'll back at you, my friend. Yeah, I 

absolutely love you and thanks for having me.

 Oh, Melissa Stark. God, that was a fun one. Harper, what did you think of that one? I have so many thoughts. There was, there were so many great quotes from that. First of all, you two talking was just, it was so joyful to listen to, to be honest. But again, she is in that same place that we keep talking about 2.0, empty nester, and really thinking about what the next chapter of her life looks like. And she's had actually some really real chapters. Yeah. The fact that she went to get this dream job at age 26, which I can't even believe how fabulous she was at that, and that she walked away from that.

Such a badass move. Mm-hmm. To raise her family and then to get rehired In your fifties, you do not see that happen anymore. And how about her work ethic, [00:44:00] her drive, her commitment, her smarts. I love her level of intensity. The other thing that she talked about earlier when she worked for Dan, rather when she was an intern and that she was told like many of us, that you'd have to choose. You have to choose. She was gonna have to choose obviously your industry and the one that she's in is a very particular one where it is so demanding in terms of the travel and the commitment and everything that goes along with it, but.

That's such a staggering thing. I mean, we all remember at some point either feeling it or being told that we had to choose. And it's interesting to me the path that she took where she ultimately, when she was pregnant said, I'm out. You know, like you said, hold all my calls. Hold all calls. And nobody was calling.

But we did have, I heard that that is so, but great to work with Dan rather. How incredible. Unreal. And the interesting thing is. Men aren't told they have to choose, right? No. No. Men are told, great job. Pedal to the metal. Let's go. We're seeing that evolve. That'll be good Harper for our daughters, but we're not there yet.

The other thing that I thought was really interesting that I haven't heard someone else talk about, or I haven't really heard this happening with [00:45:00] regularity is every single week she is scrutinized, probably, hopefully praised, but every single word that she says, every move that she makes. Is discussed the week after and how can you get better?

What did you need to do? That was an extra word. have you ever been through that before? No. So at first, well, I did. When I was at ESPN, I would sit down and watch the show. If you think about like being coached, we, we talked about both loving being coachable. I like being direct and told. Mm-hmm.

Hey. Tighten up on this, do this, lose this word. I look at it such an advantage. It only makes you better. It's like watching play tape, right? A hundred percent. You're an athlete, you're watching the game back. But I think for a lot of people, maybe they don't have the thick skin to do it, but she is on a whole different level and that's why she's world class.

That's why she's world class. Sunday night Football is the most watched show on tv. Yes. I mean, it's incredible. Yes. And she has the chops and the respect of. Every man, woman, and child, she walks her tail off. Yes. Yeah. She's so respected. But that was just, I mean, you have to sort of be able to show up as she does every single week, knowing [00:46:00] how to be better, how to make yourself better and be actually really interested in doing.

That's cool. And it's really, I think we had a chuckle that we both kind of ended up at a certain place in our careers. Again, she started with Dan Rather and I started in the Winnebago. Yes. And she bridged it to say, sports is the true reality tv. Yes. Because now it was very different. I think that when you were in that Winnebago, I don't know how much they were scripting back then.

I'm, I'm gonna go out and say there wast lot. It was a free, there we go baby. However, and that is what sports is now. However, reality tv, as we all know, is scripted. Oh it, wow. It is. There are showrunners. It is a yes. Very different animal. Not back in the day. No. Which is, again, I loved her comment. She's like, you might have been the Winnebago, but I'm kind of in reality TV too.

That was great. Right. okay. What did you think about when she was 26 years old and she had to ask all these. Really, probably good looking, very, uh, accomplished athletes for their number. Can I have your number? Well, first of all, and she's such a professional, she's thinking I gotta get this contact so I can call and be in contact to know [00:47:00] what's going on.

 Of course on we know how smart and incredible in her work. But she also is extremely beautiful and I think for a lot of women that is a hindrance. And she talks about cutting her hair short and wearing the glasses and trying how, what a shame that she had to try to feel like she had to tone down her beauty to be taken seriously.

Even then, yeah, was questioned. Questioned as to whether she was what? Like what are you gonna teach me about football? And to cut ahead. Do you remember what my boss said to me when I got this job at age 40? He's like, you know what I love about you, kitty? I'm not hiring you based on your looks. Now, some people could think that's an insult.

I took it as a compliment. I know you did. And I thought, well, that's kind of a cool little dichotomy. Record. Yeah, totally. You're like, oh, I think it's, I, I Thank you. I think it's. Thank, thank you. Mm-hmm. and then the other piece of the puzzle that I thought was, uh, fascinating, which I think you know this well, is she's an introvert.

She sort of describes herself as someone who. Needs to turn off like you do too. Like can't constantly be on and needs to recharge and get grounded and be with the women that she wants to be [00:48:00] with and clearly be with her children and her husband and just sort of like get with her people in order to kind of reset.

 you and I talk about this a lot, I think for women in our field. It is a lot of output. You are dialed in, you are tapped in, you got your earpiece. It's a live moment. You're making a moment. You're listening. You're thinking of where you're going next. So it's a heightened sense you're in.

So then when you're off, you really don't have, or at least I, I'm similar to her. I can't be in a big chatty session with people that I don't wanna be with. That's why I call you on a Friday night, like, har, can I come over and just sit with Can sit, yes. Can I just sit, even have a glass of wine, can sit, can I just sit?

And so it's, that made me feel somewhat normal. Yeah. Again. Everything is a little bit of a trade off. Yeah. So I'm definitely an extrovert, but I have to shut down and recharge, which is why you're such a wonderful friend. And I can just be like, I'm coming over, but I feel the same. Yeah. I mean, we all, we all need that unwind.

Yes. And unwind in a way that feels peaceful. Yes. And Kind of gets us back on our game for whenever that is. 

Your circle gets a little smaller, I think, as you get older. Yeah. And I think a lot of women can relate to that. Absolutely. and obviously these are her friends [00:49:00] who. Care what she does, but doesn't totally care what she does every single week. Yes. Like it's just not a factor know. Yeah. No, I mean, I'm sure they're watching her, supporting her with love, but like, it's just not a thing.

side note, my dad literally texted me this week and he said, kit, what is the name of the show that you're on that I, by the way, I've been doing this, everybody for 15 years, stop. It's the best. And I was like, he was like so proud of me. It's just not his thing. Yes. I'm so proud of you honey. And is it on tv?

It's not on in Atlanta, to be fair. Oh, speaking. But anyway, that, just speaking of dads, I love what she said about her dad, who she lost recently. Ah. And that she hears him. She hears him. She feels him. I know that was a hard one for him. She's so close. Mm-hmm. To her family. Mm-hmm. And they are her rock. And her dad was sort of her everything.

I mean, the reason she got into the business, taking her to the locker room, sitting up and watching those games. So cool. Oh, so cool. So cool. And so, but hearing the life lessons and, and what she was talking about, was about safety.

So it was about preemptively thinking about what might happen and make the best choice. Yeah. So that you're not in a [00:50:00] position where you're not safe it's a really, it's sort of this protective thing that she's continued to carry when that What a gift. I mean, that was what a gift.

Really Beautiful. I love when she was talking about that. And we gotta tell people that we're not watching, just listening. Two times during the interview. Weird stuff. Fireworks went off. Yeah. And at the end balloons. I like to think that balloons, that's her. There's balloons when you went to right there to turn it off and back.

Are you kidding? Balloons went off at the end. So I like to think that that's her dad. Oh, that was her dad. I love you Mel. Her mom called her. Mel. Mel, yeah. And she's just spectacular. I'm so honored that, that these friends of mine wanna come on and share their experience. Oh, she's cool. I really hope for anybody listening there's a takeaway, but you see the drive.

You see the sacrifice, you see you're sprinting across the field. The sprinting across balance that we can all relate to mm-hmm. Is it's just a four letter word. There's no such thing. But she's figured it out. She's figured it out, and she's really, really incredible. Yeah. Yeah. Uh, that was such a fun episode.

I hope y'all like that as much as we did over here. Don't forget to follow us. Is that what I say, Harper? Yes. And if you loved this episode, go give it a thumbs up, give it a five star rating, and leave a great review. It [00:51:00] really helps. All right. But thank y'all again just for listening. We're having a ball.

We'll see you next time in the coop.

 Hey, coop, chicks big favor. I gotta ask you.

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