Jane Gross, who was instrumental in sports journalism as she became the first female sportswriter to enter a pro basketball locker room, passed away Wednesday at the age of 75.
According to The New York Times’ Rich Sandomir, Jane’s brother Michael said that her cause of death was traumatic brain injury due to a series of falls.
Gross grew up in the business as her father was a sports columnist for The New York Post but she became a sportswriter at a time where female sportswriters weren’t allowed to enter the locker rooms of male sports teams. Male sportswriters could, which affected Gross’ ability to effectively do her job. When she was a writer for Newsday in 1975, Gross was given access to the New York Knicks locker room after she asked head coach Red Holzman to let her in.
It wouldn’t be as easy getting other teams to follow suit. The (then) New York Nets initially refused to let her in but did so after they won a game. A few years later, the NBA made it mandatory to allow women reporters in locker rooms with other leagues following suit a few years after that.
While Gross’ legacy will be in sports and the path she forged for other women going into sports journalism, she did monumental work when she joined The Times and started covering non-sports topics. Gross covered such heavy subjects as the AIDS crisis when it was at its height in the 80s, the 1989 San Francisco earthquake, abortion, and Alzheimer’s.
In the 2000s, Gross pivoted to covering about aging and elder care after her mother was declining in health. At the time, as baby boomers had the increasing responsibility to take care of their aging parents, Gross started a blog that talked about aging and caregiving. That led to a book called “A Bittersweet Season: Caring for Our Aging Parents — and Ourselves,” which was published in 2011.
Gross received tributes from many, including women in sports media who may not be where they are if not for her.
The #AWSM family mourns the loss of trailblazer Jane Gross, a 2018 Mary Garber Pioneer Award recipient, who was the first female reporter to enter a pro basketball locker room.https://t.co/MbP1mPuoeQ pic.twitter.com/ooNNy93d8G
— AWSM (@AWSM_SportMedia) November 11, 2022
What an incredible life. I know I wouldn’t have had the career I have now if not for her courage. https://t.co/tOGWbF1wXg
— Maggie Hendricks (@maggiehendricks) November 11, 2022
“People tended to underestimate her, and she welcomed it.” RIP Jane Gross. https://t.co/s0mG7eNuAf
— Michele Steele (@MicheleSteele) November 11, 2022
She is the reason I could do what I’ve done. https://t.co/L5tcQUV1AK
— janis carr (@janiscarr) November 11, 2022
Such a caring person, I can attest personally. RIP to a great one. https://t.co/fpaeW2simp
— Mike Jensen (@jensenoffcampus) November 11, 2022
This is really sad news. I followed Jane Gross’ New Old Age blog shortly after I became a caregiver for my parents. Her reporting/writing helped me through some tough times. R.I.P. https://t.co/lNq5BJf3gD
— Stella M. Chávez (@stellamchavez) November 11, 2022
https://twitter.com/pinktweets/status/1590963087997571072?s=20&t=cJVKqlWV9GJ8riWtlIIs4A
I was reading her work when I was in high school.
Along with some others who just wanted to be reporters who covered sports, she became a trailblazer.
And sports media is better because of that. https://t.co/xrVTwkkhZp— Marc Ryan (@MarcinKeene) November 11, 2022
I was fortunate to know Jane both professionally & personally, & this was one of her extraordinary gifts ==> “Ms. Gross had a reputation for quickly inspiring trust and persuading reluctant people to speak candidly to her.” May her memory be a blessing. https://t.co/qpAyXdcPqp
— Dan Weiller (@DanWeiller) November 11, 2022
Jane Gross was smart, funny, curious, and a terrific reporter. She made it easier for every woman who followed her into sportswriting. pic.twitter.com/0KC99K95DN
— Helene Elliott (@helenenothelen) November 10, 2022
[The New York Times/Photo: AWSM]
