The Call Up | The GIST

Celebrating Erin Andrews 300th NFL broadcast with a deeper look at gameday production

On the sidelines of Sunday’s game between the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers, history was made when Erin Andrews worked her 300th career NFL broadcast. Over the last 14 years with Fox Sports, Andrews redefined what excellence looks like as a sideline reporter.

November 10, 2026

Natalie White on being ready when your moment comes

Natalie White was born ready: She had the idea behind Moolah Kicks as a senior at Boston College and willed it into being, learning everything from startup finance to biomechanics to build the company from the ground up. Come for her wild story about pitching Mark Cuban in a hotel gym at 10 p.m., stay for the motivation to believe you can do anything you set your mind to.

November 05, 2026

The commercial cost of the short NWSL postseason

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After the electric, weeks-long narrative buildup of the WNBA Finals, the NWSL playoffs — kicking off this Friday — feel uncharacteristically flat. And that’s not saying this was a boring season: The NWSL does so much right, and the soaring franchise valuations, record-breaking attendance, and skyrocketing retail sales are proof of that.

November 03, 2026

Leela Srinivasan on being an outsider with transferable skills

Leela Srinivasan’s role as CEO of Parity, a women’s pro sports consultancy, is her first job in sports. She started in tech and found her way in at the highest level. Her insights are useful for anyone seeking a new role in sports, whether you’re just a rookie or a vet looking for a new corner of the industry.

October 29, 2026

Scheduling conflict moves Game 6 of WNBA Finals to unprecedented midweek time slot

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Yesterday, the WNBA announced that Game 6 of the WNBA Finals Game 6 between the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream will be played at State Farm Arena on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. ET. After the Valks’ victory last night, this contest could crown a new champion and the decision to hold it in the middle of a weekday drew…intense reactions.

October 27, 2026

Finding where your skills, passions, and the industry intersect with Sarah Spain

A longtime friend of The GIST (and hero of our newsletter team), Sarah shared incredible advice on carving out a space for yourself in sports: Find your ikigai (more on what that means below). Spain discussed her pivot from her original passions — acting and comedy — to her iconic sports career as an ESPN journalist.

October 22, 2026

Why Canadian Tire’s 50/50 milestone is a masterclass in sports business

In 2023, Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC) gave itself a three-year deadline to hit a 50/50 split of sponsorship dollars going towards women's and men’s professional sports. On Wednesday, the company achieved it. More than a milestone, this is a seismic shift in the sports business ecosystem.

October 20, 2026

Being authentic in the workplace with Susie Piotrkowski

The Call Up

Being authentic in the workplace with Susie Piotrkowski

October 15, 2026

Susie Piotrkowski is one of one: At ESPN, she drives the growth of women’s sports across the network’s massive portfolio. It’s a pretty big job, so she’s all about incremental progress — what can we do today to make women’s sports easier to find, watch, and be a fan of?

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The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #603

The NWSL’s mind-boggling playoff scheduling problems

November 10, 2026

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The NWSL’s mind-boggling playoff scheduling problems

Today should be a day of celebrating women’s soccer after the NWSL quarter-finals, but instead, on today’s episode of The GIST of It, co-hosts Steph Rotz and Lauren Tuiskula have to discuss a recurring issue in the women’s sports space: Scheduling conflicts in the postseason.

Much like the WNBA a mere two weeks ago, the NWSL is dealing with home venue issues for its higher-seeded teams, No. 1 Gotham FC and the No. 3 Washington Spirit, in this weekend’s semifinals. It’s a mess.