There have been quite a few broadcasts with only female commentators over the years, whether national or local. But it’s still significant when a new team or league has one for the first time. The latest case there is with the Chicago Cubs’ local broadcasts on Marquee Sports Network, which hit that milestone Sunday. And there, play-by-play voice Beth Mowins (calling this game alongside analyst Elise Menaker and field reporter Taylor McGregor) provided a useful stage-setting introduction on what this means both to her (especially considering the ones she’s done for other teams and sports) and more broadly:
“We’ve worked our way up through the ranks and hopefully have earned the respect of not only one another, but our peers and our co-workers.”@bethmowins ahead of today’s all-female broadcast. pic.twitter.com/RL2LQ3Jfd0
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) July 7, 2024
“I think it’s just one of those cool moments that I’ve had the opportunity to be part of in some other sports. And to be here with true pros, I think that’s the most important thing. We’ve worked our way up through the ranks and hopefully have earned the respect of not only one another, but our peers and our co-workers. And to have earned the opportunity to be in this chair now today, you just hope you’re at your best in the big moment.”
Ahead of this broadcast, too, Sarah Spain (known for both her work at ESPN and her upcoming iHeartMedia women’s sports project) appeared on the Marquee pregame show to discuss this change from the regular broadcasts with Jon “Boog” Sciambi” and Jim “JD” Deshaies:
.@SarahSpain on the first all-female broadcast in Cubs history! pic.twitter.com/R47fEh4nl7
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) July 7, 2024
“Just seeing them do an entire broadcast, and sure, there will be a few noobs and morons that will be like ‘I don’t like this’ or “I miss’…everyone’s going to miss Boog and JD, we always do, they’re great. But for the most part, people are going to be like ‘Yeah, this is great, we’re used to this.’ We’ve seen women in every single position of late, all the way from ownership down to the sidelines and everywhere else between. So we don’t look at it quite the way we used to, which is awesome. We’re getting used to it.”
For his part, Deshaies chimed in on X/Twitter with praise for this broadcast:
Loving this broadcast today-Elise nailed the Quees to the game!!
— Jim Deshaies (@JimDeshaies) July 7, 2024
It’s notable to see the Cubs and Marquee take this step and interesting to see them do so with not just a respected all-sports national voice in Mowins, but with two figures in Menaker (often an analyst on their Triple-A Iowa Cubs broadcast) and McGregor who are well connected to this market.
[Watch Marquee on X/Twitter]