Tampa Bay's Title IX Trailblazers: Gayle Sierens
Sierens became the first woman to do play-by-play for an NFL game broadcast (Seahawks-Chiefs).
GAYLE SIERENS
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In May 2015, after 38 years as a broadcast journalist, Gayle Sierens retired from WFLA-TV NewsChannel 8. For decades, she was the voice of reason, Tampa Bay’s beloved hometown news anchor who shared the stories of triumph, sorrow, milestones and heartfelt emotion.
But when Sierens graduated from Florida State University and was hired at WFLA by the legendary Milt Spencer in the late 1970s, she was a sportscaster.
“I loved it,’’ Sierens said. “I absolutely loved it.’’
Sierens arrived when female sportscasters were a rarity. Gaining acceptance was sometimes difficult. But she quickly attained credibility in an evolving Tampa Bay sports community where John McKay coached the Buccaneers, the Rowdies were a soccer sensation, major-league baseball was a distant dream and the thought of hockey was unfathomable.
“To see how far we’ve come, it’s absolutely amazing,’’ Sierens said. “I’m thrilled by what we have and the championships that have been won.’’
Sierens came a long way herself. Even after leaving sports and taking on the high-profile news anchor role, Sierens remained a favorite of NBC Sports executive director Michael Weisman. And in 1989, while pregnant with her first child, Sierens became the first woman to do play-by-play for an NFL game broadcast (Seahawks-Chiefs).
It never went further, mostly because of her commitment to news and her desire to raise a family. Gayle Sierens is more than a historical footnote. She’s a pioneer and an inspiration for the new generation of female sports broadcasters — many from the Tampa Bay area — who have opportunities that weren’t available when Sierens broke into the business.
But her legacy is secure. The hometown girl made good.
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— Joey Johnston