Hannah Storm, an anchor for ESPN SportsCenter, has been a fixture in national media since her start with CNN Sports Night in 1989. Although social media was nonexistent back then, she recalls receiving hate mail from viewers unhappy with her prominent role as a woman in sports broadcasting.
During her appearance on The Doug Gottlieb Show, Storm discussed her experiences with online haters, the unfair scrutiny women face in sports media, and how she copes with criticism. She reflects on her early career at CNN, saying, “I got hate mail on the regular, including one guy who said I wasn’t pronouncing Notre Dame right.” Gottlieb noted that while he also endures social media criticism, women in the field are often subjected to heightened standards regarding their appearance and behavior.
Storm recounted a notable moment in her career when she learned she would be part of the first all-female broadcast team for Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video in 2018 alongside analyst Andrea Kremer. Their tenure spanned four years, but the announcement was met with significant negativity, with comments like, “Stay in the kitchen where you belong.”
When asked about how she handles such abuse, Storm stated, “In a way, you become a little desensitized to it. You can’t let it control you in any way. I’ve really gone off X, I just don’t really use it that much anymore. The negative stuff, I’m just like, ‘That’s a you problem.’ You’ve got to be careful; people are nasty and looking for the negative. It’s really sad.” At 62, Storm believes her career began before the rise of social media has helped her cope with online criticism. “I think maybe I have the luxury of having not grown up around it,” she said. “Even though I’ve always encountered backlash, it made me pretty tough.”
Interestingly, she also finds a certain freedom in the criticism. “When I was doing Thursday Night Football, I recognized there were those who just hated the idea of me doing it, which was freeing in a way. I could do the greatest job ever and they wouldn’t care, or I could screw up. So let me just do my best.” Gottlieb commended Storm for her ever-positive demeanor, stating, “It’s just an interesting way in which you’re able to process (the criticism), compartmentalize it, and still be you.”
“You’ve got to love what you do,” Storm asserted. “I’ve faced so many obstacles, with people telling me I can’t do this or ‘I’ll hire a woman over my dead body.’ This has happened my entire career, which has only made me more determined. ‘Oh really? OK, let’s go.’”
