SportsBabes Online TV show to Debut This Month
It’s no secret that sports arouse considerable passion and some strong
opinions. Sports talk shows have become a staple on the radio dial and
cable TV, while sports-oriented blogs have proliferated on the Internet.
Every program and every blog has its own unique take on events, but
what they have in common is that overwhelming majority of the hosts and
bloggers have been male.
SportsBabes wants to be something a little different, in terms of both
content and presentation.
The program will make its debut on SportsBabes.tv on February 14. As
is the case with other shows, the hosts will dissect the hot topics of
the day. But the format is intended to cater to busy 20-40 year olds who
lack the time or inclination to sit in front of a TV or computer screen
for a half hour or more to get a dose of sports. Instead, each program
will run between four and seven minutes. The show is produced in Los Angeles
by SmashTube Productions, which specializes in on-line programming and
plans to upload new programs on a daily basis.
The format is unique, but what also makes the program stand out is
that its roster of hosts is comprised entirely of women.
Vicki Johnson has worked for the Speed Channel and Fox SportsNet. Lauren
Bergfeld has appeared on E! and MTV. MarieSam Sanchez has worked in television
sports in Los Angeles, while Marisol Salguero has written for the Los Angeles
Times. Kerriann Kada, an actress, singer and model fills out the lineup.
The members of the panel will rotate, with four of them appearing in any
one program.
While Kada will be making her sports television debut, she has been
around sports her entire life. As a little girl, the Philadelphia-area
native took part in everything from gymnastics to swimming to soccer to
baseball. At age 10, however, she suffered a devastating hip injury playing
soccer and spent the next two years in a wheelchair.
“They said I would never walk again,” Kada recalls. “My parents didn’t
tell me that. I did start walking and I did start playing soccer and basketball
again.”
In high school Kada focused on music and drama, but she played club
sports and later played intramural basketball at Carnegie Mellon University,
where she earned a B.S. in Music Composition and Voice with a minor in
Drama. She also did graduate work and taught there for a year.
Since then she has worked in musical theater and appeared in a number
of television programs.
A basketball aficionado of long standing, Kada is looking forward to
making SportsBabes work. During rehearsals, she likened the show’s format
to that of ESPN staple Pardon The Interruption.
“Some of us have completely opposing views, “ she says, “some of us
surprise the others. We’re not afraid to call each other out and I think
that’s a big thing.
“ I think people like it when somebody stands up and screams their
views. I think that’s exciting. But for the most part, it is very clean
and crisp. We let the other person talk. If I think they’re wrong, yes,
I will cut them off. But we’re not going to be four girls sitting on the
set chattering over each other.”
The number of women reporting on sports has increased significantly
in recent years. Most are anchors or sideline reporters although some,
like Michelle Tafoya and Pam Ward handle play-by-play assignments regularly.
Kada notes that few women offer sports commentary on a regular basis.
“I would definitely say (SportsBabes) is breaking new ground,” she says.
“I don’t know if there is a talk show out there that has five women bantering
back and forth about actual stats.”
The country got its first look at the SportsBabes the morning after
the Super Bowl when they appeared on Fox the morning after the game to
provide some postgame analysis.
Kada acknowledges that she and her colleagues will have to establish
their credibility. All are extremely photogenic and SmashTube describes
the show as ‘Eye candy with a bucketful of sports knowledge.’
Critics will harp on any mistakes but Kada is unfazed by that prospct.
“When you watch the show,” she says, “you’ll know right away we know what
we’re talking about."
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