I Follow: Sarah Spain

Sarah Spain (Allen Kee/ESPN Images)
Sarah Spain (Allen Kee/ESPN Images)

Editor’s note: I Follow is all about ESPN employees on Twitter: what they tweet, whom they follow and how you can interact socially with anyone and everyone.

Today we visit with Sarah Spain. She works for multiple ESPN platforms: Spain is an espnW columnist, a SportsCenter anchor for Chicago’s ESPNRadio 1000, and a reporter for ESPNChicago.com. She is an honors graduate of Cornell University, where she was a heptathlete and captain of the track and field team.

Twitter handle: @SarahSpain
Followers: 38,725
Following: 706
(*as of 2/20/13)

When did you join Twitter and why?
I joined in late 2008. I had just moved back to Chicago from LA and I was working at a start-up sports Web site. My bosses there urged us to check it out and I became pretty active on it almost immediately.

What’s your favorite Tweet you’ve received or your favorite Twitter moment?
Definitely two tweets I received from Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora after I wrote an espnW story that was critical of his continued use of the words “woman” and “girl” to insult other players. He wrote “@SarahSpain is absolutely correct in her article. I wasn’t thinking about it from that perspective. I apologize to any woman offended” and “@SarahSpain I always try and look at things from someone else’s perspective when it’s called to my attention. Your article is the truth.” I was so proud my article really made him think and his response got the piece picked up by several other outlets, further spreading a really important message that being a woman isn’t inherently wrong or inferior and words like “woman” and “girl” shouldn’t be interchangeable with “weak” or “less than.”

Explain your lighthearted approach to storytelling in your “That’s What She Said” series on espnW.
I’m a former college athlete with an improv background who grew up wanting to be the next David Letterman and still hasn’t totally given up on the dream of being a Saturday Night Live cast member. I’ve always felt most at home in the places where comedy and sports meet, so “TWSS” allows me to give my own unique, funny spin on what I see in sports and pop culture.

What’s up next for you? What big events are you slated to cover in the upcoming weeks?
Well, any day now Derrick Rose will make his return to the Bulls (fingers crossed) so that’s the top focus of the city of Chicago right now. I’ll be out at Cubs Spring Training for a few days in early March on a mostly fun trip with a little bit of work scheduled in. Also, March Madness is a huge time at espnW and with the crop of talent on the women’s side this year we’ll have some great games and teams to cover.

Back to top button