I was so afraid that the athletes wouldn't talk to me because I'm a woman.

I know I'll be under a spotlight, I know I'll be under the microscope.

There's that initial reticence for some athletes to take you seriously.

In terms of broadcasting, you have to make decisions about where you want to spend your time.

We're starting to push the envelope in terms of the expectations, and you can also have your own style, personality and sense of humor, because now we're allowed to.

I was so afraid that the athletes wouldn't talk to me because I'm a woman.

I grew up watching Monday Night Football with Howard Cosell and the other guys with my dad.

No, one of the great things about my three-year deal is that it's year-round. They've offered me an opportunity to cover a lot of things in the offseason, too.

My approach is a very human one, as a fan.

Constantly there's a credibility issue; you're judged on how you look. If you look good, people assume you aren't credible. It's a battle you'll always fight if you're on TV and a female.

I've always been the only girl in those environments. It's comfortable for me - I prefer it, actually.

On my morning run, I listen to sports talk radio.

When I found out I got this job, I cried, of course - I'm a girly-girl - and then I called my dad, and he cried, too. On so many levels, this is a thrill for me.

I'm looking forward to talking to Bill Parcells, too, and to seeing how that marriage with Jerry Jones goes.

You just have to hope that they'll grant you an interview.

I've always been around dudes and sports.

So I plan to prepare thoroughly and have several outfits waiting in the wings in case of inclement weather.

I'm proud of what I look like. I'm proud that I look like my mom.

And that Michael Irvin would care more about his wardrobe than I would?

I want to know about what makes an athlete tick.

I'm proud of being Hispanic.

In the morning, I reach for the sports page.

Being attractive and being credible can and do go together.

My mom died when I was 8.

So my dad raised me, and he's a huge football fan.

I'm not going to relate to an athlete as a peer.

You mean the fact that Tom Arnold would spend more time with the hair and makeup people than I would?

And I'm proud of what I do as a professional, too.

I'm comfortable with my femininity, and I don't try to change what I look like just because I'm reporting on football at the end of the night.

When I'm anchoring, I miss chasing stories in the field.

I love color and I love to dress like a woman.

Constantly theres a credibility issue youre judged on how you look. If you look good people assume you arent credible. Its a battle youll always fight if youre on TV and a female.

Athletes as role models and heroes is a hoax, a sick hoax. The men and women who are fighting in Iraq, they are the true heroes.

No one will burn out doing aerobic running. It is too much anaerobic running, which the American scholastic athletic system tends to put young athletes through, that burns them out.

The bottom line is that these athletes tend to be safer investments because they really value their marketing opportunities. They don't make as much money as during their active careers.

For athletes, the Olympics are the ultimate test of their worth.

I always liked serve-and-volley players and big athletes.

Several professional athletes have wrongly taught many young Americans by example that the only way to succeed in sports is to take steroids.

There's that initial reticence for some athletes to take you seriously.

It strikes me that these days, clubs don't even want players who can truly play any more; they just want athletes, quick guys who don't have a football brain, can just run and run; some of them, Jesus. I can never imagine acting like that.

One of the perks of being an actor is to get to meet athletes that you respect. Especially who played before my time. Brooks Robinson is one of those athletes; they just don't make them any nicer.

The contracts are structured different than athletes in America, but for me, it was good to move on and go back to playing in the premiere league, which is the best league. It was disappointing, as far as the team goes, but for me, there wasn't much I could do.

I've witnessed thousands of superior athletes try to becomes hitters and fail at it.

The only reason we make good role models is because you guys look up to athletes and we can influence you in positive ways. But the real role models should be your parents and teachers!

We typically don't choose our athletes until about a month prior to the Games because anything can happen.

The night before I compete, I like to have steak. Meat is especially important for female athletes because it provides them with the nutrients they need to perform at their best.

Sports is a metaphor for overcoming obstacles and achieving against great odds. Athletes, in times of difficulty, can be important role models.

Too many athletes do not admit their weaknesses.

I was so afraid that the athletes wouldn't talk to me because I'm a woman.