[Music] [Applause]
okay good evening Detroit so I watch
okay good evening Detroit so I watch women in sports
women in sports
women in sports I watched the UConn women’s basketball
I watched the UConn women’s basketball
I watched the UConn women’s basketball team when a fourth consecutive NCAA
team when a fourth consecutive NCAA
team when a fourth consecutive NCAA Championship with cold-blooded
Championship with cold-blooded
Championship with cold-blooded efficiency and after the game I asked a
efficiency and after the game I asked a
efficiency and after the game I asked a player what does it take to go 37 and OH
player what does it take to go 37 and OH
player what does it take to go 37 and OH and she replied never apologize for
and she replied never apologize for
and she replied never apologize for being great in 2015 I crisscross Canada
being great in 2015 I crisscross Canada
being great in 2015 I crisscross Canada and was among the 1.3 million World Cup
and was among the 1.3 million World Cup
and was among the 1.3 million World Cup spectators it was there that I learned
spectators it was there that I learned
spectators it was there that I learned four nations beyond the United States
four nations beyond the United States
four nations beyond the United States the challenges that girls participation
the challenges that girls participation
the challenges that girls participation in football that they face it often
in football that they face it often
in football that they face it often begins at birth it’s hard to succeed
begins at birth it’s hard to succeed
begins at birth it’s hard to succeed when you’re no one’s priority and I
when you’re no one’s priority and I
when you’re no one’s priority and I watched women in action sports because
watched women in action sports because
watched women in action sports because girls and women who shred our fearless
girls and women who shred our fearless
girls and women who shred our fearless renegades that are crushing gender
renegades that are crushing gender
renegades that are crushing gender stereotypes bit by bit and I’ve sat on
stereotypes bit by bit and I’ve sat on
stereotypes bit by bit and I’ve sat on the edge of my seat soaking up the
the edge of my seat soaking up the
the edge of my seat soaking up the wisdom of legendary tennis player Billie
wisdom of legendary tennis player Billie
wisdom of legendary tennis player Billie Jean King explained that over the course
Jean King explained that over the course
Jean King explained that over the course of a woman’s life span she will leave
of a woman’s life span she will leave
of a woman’s life span she will leave roughly five hundred thousand dollars on
roughly five hundred thousand dollars on
roughly five hundred thousand dollars on the table just by failing to negotiate
the table just by failing to negotiate
the table just by failing to negotiate her salary so like many women in the
her salary so like many women in the
her salary so like many women in the sports industry my journey started as an
sports industry my journey started as an
sports industry my journey started as an athlete and I had serious hoop dreams by
athlete and I had serious hoop dreams by
athlete and I had serious hoop dreams by 2000 I was a senior at the University of
2000 I was a senior at the University of
2000 I was a senior at the University of Minnesota and after three seasons as a
Minnesota and after three seasons as a
Minnesota and after three seasons as a student manager my dream of becoming a
student manager my dream of becoming a
student manager my dream of becoming a full-fledged
full-fledged
full-fledged student athlete had finally come true
student athlete had finally come true
student athlete had finally come true but as my last Big Ten season ended I
but as my last Big Ten season ended I
but as my last Big Ten season ended I realized that I wasn’t ready to say
realized that I wasn’t ready to say
realized that I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to a game that taught me how to
goodbye to a game that taught me how to
goodbye to a game that taught me how to believe in myself when others doubted
believe in myself when others doubted
believe in myself when others doubted what I could achieve so I used my 20
what I could achieve so I used my 20
what I could achieve so I used my 20 something-year-old logic because when
something-year-old logic because when
something-year-old logic because when you’re 20 you know everything can happen
you’re 20 you know everything can happen
you’re 20 you know everything can happen and I decided that I would become the
and I decided that I would become the
and I decided that I would become the owner of a professional sports team
owner of a professional sports team
owner of a professional sports team because it was simple just be the one in
because it was simple just be the one in
because it was simple just be the one in charge so fast-forward about a decade
charge so fast-forward about a decade
charge so fast-forward about a decade and I looked up one day and I wasn’t
and I looked up one day and I wasn’t
and I looked up one day and I wasn’t anywhere near the sports industry
anywhere near the sports industry
anywhere near the sports industry I had shelved my dreams and those
I had shelved my dreams and those
I had shelved my dreams and those closest contact that I had with the
closest contact that I had with the
closest contact that I had with the professional sports owner was watching
professional sports owner was watching
professional sports owner was watching championship ceremonies on TV so I
championship ceremonies on TV so I
championship ceremonies on TV so I reinvigorated my passion and I applied
reinvigorated my passion and I applied
reinvigorated my passion and I applied for job after job and I got rejection
for job after job and I got rejection
for job after job and I got rejection letter after rejection letter and so I
letter after rejection letter and so I
letter after rejection letter and so I took matters into my own hands and I
took matters into my own hands and I
took matters into my own hands and I started a sports blog and about a year
started a sports blog and about a year
started a sports blog and about a year later I took a huge leap and I joined
later I took a huge leap and I joined
later I took a huge leap and I joined the Forbes Sports money digital team as
the Forbes Sports money digital team as
the Forbes Sports money digital team as an online contributor so it was 2011 and
an online contributor so it was 2011 and
an online contributor so it was 2011 and that summer I attended my first event as
that summer I attended my first event as
that summer I attended my first event as a member of the media the WNBA all-star
a member of the media the WNBA all-star
a member of the media the WNBA all-star game I was in heaven
game I was in heaven
game I was in heaven I was with the world’s best women’s
I was with the world’s best women’s
I was with the world’s best women’s basketball players I had up close and
basketball players I had up close and
basketball players I had up close and personal interviews with women like Lisa
personal interviews with women like Lisa
personal interviews with women like Lisa Leslie the first to dunk in the WNBA and
Leslie the first to dunk in the WNBA and
Leslie the first to dunk in the WNBA and Diana Taurasi the league’s all-time
Diana Taurasi the league’s all-time
Diana Taurasi the league’s all-time leading scorer and the greatest of all
leading scorer and the greatest of all
leading scorer and the greatest of all time and what I was surprised to see I
time and what I was surprised to see I
time and what I was surprised to see I was surprised to see that major news
was surprised to see that major news
was surprised to see that major news outlets were not covering the game so
outlets were not covering the game so
outlets were not covering the game so the next year was the 40th anniversary
the next year was the 40th anniversary
the next year was the 40th anniversary of title 9 in the 2012 Summer Olympics
of title 9 in the 2012 Summer Olympics
of title 9 in the 2012 Summer Olympics so as you can imagine women and sports
so as you can imagine women and sports
so as you can imagine women and sports coverage exploded Americans champion the
coverage exploded Americans champion the
coverage exploded Americans champion the fact that the first time in Olympic
fact that the first time in Olympic
fact that the first time in Olympic history more women than men were
history more women than men were
history more women than men were participating in the games we saw women
participating in the games we saw women
participating in the games we saw women in primetime television and corporate
in primetime television and corporate
in primetime television and corporate sponsors of course or pushing female
sponsors of course or pushing female
sponsors of course or pushing female athletes to the forefront but in 2013
athletes to the forefront but in 2013
athletes to the forefront but in 2013 I saw a dramatic drop
I saw a dramatic drop
I saw a dramatic drop so the same women who were championed
so the same women who were championed
so the same women who were championed for winning consecutive gold medals were
for winning consecutive gold medals were
for winning consecutive gold medals were now being told that they’re professional
now being told that they’re professional
now being told that they’re professional basketball league did not measure up to
basketball league did not measure up to
basketball league did not measure up to the men’s league and that it wouldn’t
the men’s league and that it wouldn’t
the men’s league and that it wouldn’t survive in the same women who garnered
survive in the same women who garnered
survive in the same women who garnered twenty five million record smashing
twenty five million record smashing
twenty five million record smashing viewers of the World Cup finals were now
viewers of the World Cup finals were now
viewers of the World Cup finals were now struggling to capture attendance for
struggling to capture attendance for
struggling to capture attendance for their National Women’s Soccer League so
their National Women’s Soccer League so
their National Women’s Soccer League so the only difference between the every
the only difference between the every
the only difference between the every four years athlete and the everyday
four years athlete and the everyday
four years athlete and the everyday athlete is the uniform on a woman’s back
women make up 51% of the u.s. population
women make up 51% of the u.s. population 40% of all athletes collegiate
40% of all athletes collegiate
40% of all athletes collegiate professional and Olympic but only
professional and Olympic but only
professional and Olympic but only receive four percent of sports media
receive four percent of sports media
receive four percent of sports media coverage this year the Women’s Media
coverage this year the Women’s Media
coverage this year the Women’s Media Center found that eighty eight point six
Center found that eighty eight point six
Center found that eighty eight point six percent of sports stories are produced
percent of sports stories are produced
percent of sports stories are produced by men and eleven point four percent are
by men and eleven point four percent are
by men and eleven point four percent are produced by by women so sports writing
produced by by women so sports writing
produced by by women so sports writing was only meant to be my temporary outlet
was only meant to be my temporary outlet
was only meant to be my temporary outlet until I found that coveted industry job
until I found that coveted industry job
until I found that coveted industry job but sometimes you find your purpose when
but sometimes you find your purpose when
but sometimes you find your purpose when you’re not even looking so I watch
you’re not even looking so I watch
you’re not even looking so I watch women’s sports and I write about women’s
women’s sports and I write about women’s
women’s sports and I write about women’s sports because I believe that girls and
sports because I believe that girls and
sports because I believe that girls and women deserve a platform where their
women deserve a platform where their
women deserve a platform where their voices are heard and they are seen in
voices are heard and they are seen in
voices are heard and they are seen in their true diversity if we change the
their true diversity if we change the
their true diversity if we change the messenger we will change the message so
messenger we will change the message so
messenger we will change the message so the good news is that as fans we can do
the good news is that as fans we can do
the good news is that as fans we can do better we can consume women’s sports we
better we can consume women’s sports we
better we can consume women’s sports we can recognize that there’s economic and
can recognize that there’s economic and
can recognize that there’s economic and societal power behind and
societal power behind and
societal power behind and dancing women and girls and so what does
dancing women and girls and so what does
dancing women and girls and so what does that look like that looks like buying
that look like that looks like buying
that look like that looks like buying tickets season tickets that looks like
tickets season tickets that looks like
tickets season tickets that looks like attending games and that also looks like
attending games and that also looks like
attending games and that also looks like looks like clicking on legitimate
looks like clicking on legitimate
looks like clicking on legitimate stories that advance athleticism and not
stories that advance athleticism and not
stories that advance athleticism and not to sexism so this is the network effect
to sexism so this is the network effect
to sexism so this is the network effect the more fans that join the women in
the more fans that join the women in
the more fans that join the women in sports network the more valuable the
sports network the more valuable the
sports network the more valuable the network becomes to people athletes who
network becomes to people athletes who
network becomes to people athletes who are already in the network so every now
are already in the network so every now
are already in the network so every now and then someone will ask me if I still
and then someone will ask me if I still
and then someone will ask me if I still want to be a professional sports owner
want to be a professional sports owner
want to be a professional sports owner and the answer is yes but now it is for
and the answer is yes but now it is for
and the answer is yes but now it is for very different reasons now I want to see
very different reasons now I want to see
very different reasons now I want to see women in prominent roles I want women
women in prominent roles I want women
women in prominent roles I want women treated equally and paid equally in
treated equally and paid equally in
treated equally and paid equally in professional sports and I believe that
professional sports and I believe that
professional sports and I believe that that can happen in this city right here
that can happen in this city right here
that can happen in this city right here in Detroit
in Detroit
in Detroit now Detroit I don’t have to remind you
now Detroit I don’t have to remind you
now Detroit I don’t have to remind you about who you are and what you’re
about who you are and what you’re
about who you are and what you’re capable of but I will remind you of the
capable of but I will remind you of the
capable of but I will remind you of the moments when you’ve championed women in
moments when you’ve championed women in
moments when you’ve championed women in sports in 2015 you hosted the World Cup
sports in 2015 you hosted the World Cup
sports in 2015 you hosted the World Cup champions in the we believe tour at Ford
champions in the we believe tour at Ford
champions in the we believe tour at Ford Field last winter after staging an
Field last winter after staging an
Field last winter after staging an historic Equal Pay boycott you welcomed
historic Equal Pay boycott you welcomed
historic Equal Pay boycott you welcomed the US Women’s National Hockey team to
the US Women’s National Hockey team to
the US Women’s National Hockey team to southeast Michigan and in 2006 you
southeast Michigan and in 2006 you
southeast Michigan and in 2006 you filled Joe Louis Arena to the brim and
filled Joe Louis Arena to the brim and
filled Joe Louis Arena to the brim and cheered on the Detroit shock as they won
cheered on the Detroit shock as they won
cheered on the Detroit shock as they won a WNBA championship yes
so Detroit we can create a conversation
so Detroit we can create a conversation for investing in women’s sports and for
for investing in women’s sports and for
for investing in women’s sports and for all women and girls to be seen in their
all women and girls to be seen in their
all women and girls to be seen in their true athletic giftedness thank you
true athletic giftedness thank you
true athletic giftedness thank you [Applause]
”
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