Meeting Mary Byrne (again)

In December 2014, I listened to Mary Byrne speak at a Woman in Sports Media Panel, and her passion came through during her presentation, inspiring me to continue pursuing a career in the sports writing industry. Byrne spoke with confidence and poise, and she brought that same expertise into the
classroom once again when she addressed SJI on Wednesday afternoon. Mary greeted me by name when she walked into the room on Wednesday, and I remember thinking “The senior deputy editor of ESPN knows my name!” We’ve learned the importance of observation throughout at SJI, and Mary’s ability to recall my name demonstrated that she has mastered the skills of recollection and observation. Mary is smart. She’s confident, assertive and has an understanding of journalism, management and organization that I greatly admire. She answered every question about the business behind ESPN and sports media without hesitation and awed us when she explained that she balances her everyday tasks with over 900 emails, and her job keeps her on the clock 24/7. “Call me after ten,” Mary said. “I’ll likely be driving home from work and have time to have a longer conversation with you.” True to her word, Mary responded to an email I sent to her at 12:23 a.m. Her days may be long, but she has left an impact on the sports media field that will last even longer. -- Shannon Scovel