“WHO IN YOUR OPINION IS THE ALL-TIME BEST QUARTERBACK?” ASKED A UNH STUDENT IN THE CROWD. “TOM BRADY” DIEHARD NEW YORK SPORTS FAN LINDA COHN ANSWERED WITHOUT HESITATION. THE GRANITE STATE ROOM BURST INTO CHEERS.
ON WEDNESDAY MARCH 25 THE MUB, UNH ATHLETICS, AND UNH PANHELLENIC COUNCIL HOSTED ESPN SPORTCENTER’S LINDA COHN.
WILLIAM MCKERNAN IS THE STUDENT ACTIVITY CHAIRPERSON AND A SENIOR AT UNH AND HE SAID “DAVE [ZAMANSKY] BRINGS UP A NICE BIG SLATE OF SPEAKERS, USUALLY, I THINK LAST SEMESTER IT WAS ABOUT 15 AND THIS SEMESTER HE DROPPED ABOUT 25 ON US SO THE MEMORIAL UNION BOARD OF GOVORNERS KIND OF HELPS DAVE KIND OF DWINDLE IT DOWN TO THE TOP SIX PICKS THAT WE FEEL AS THOUGH THE STUDENTS, FACULTY, STAFF, WE REALLY [THE BOARD] TRY TO HIT ALL THESE STAKEHOLDERS OF THE UNIVERSITY AND OF MUB’S PROGRAMS. I THINK LINDA WAS JUST A UNANIMOUS PICK.” WHEN TALKING ABOUT HOW THE LECTURERS ARE CHOSEN.
ABBY MARTINEN WHO IS THE SAFCFO ON THE MUB BOARD OF GOVERNORS ADDED THAT LINDA WOULD “APPEAL MORE TO STUDENTS”. SHE ALSO TOLD US THAT THERE WAS AN OVERFLOW ROOM WHERE THE SPEECH WOULD BE STREAMING LIVE IN THE STRAFFORD ROOM IF THE GRANITE STATE ROOM WAS FULL.
“LINDA WAS SELECTED JUST BECAUSE WE KNEW SHE’D DELIVER A REALLY GREAT TALK TO THE STUDENTS” STATED MCKERNAN.
LINDA COHN CAN BE SEEN AS A PIONEER FOR WOMEN’S SPORTS CASTERS. SHE BEGAN WORKING FOR ESPN IN 1992 AND HAS BEEN ON SPORTSCENTER FOR 22 YEARS.
COHN DIDN’T FOCUS HER ENTIRE SPEECH ON HER CAREER AT ESPN BUT INSTEAD ON HOW SHE GOT THERE. GROWING UP SHE LABELED HERSELF AS THE “UGLY DUCKLING” AND TOLD THE CROWD ABOUT HOW SHE DIDN’T HAVE ANY FRIENDS. SHE HAD LOW SELF-ESTEEM AND THROUGHOUT THE HARDSHIPS SHE FOUND SPORTS. SHE WATCHED SPORTS WITH HER FATHER AND IT “FILLED A VOID IN MY LIFE” AS SHE SAID OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN HER SPEECH. SHE NEVER WANTED THE PASSION SHE HAD FOR SPORTS TO GO AWAY AND WHEN SHE WAS IN COLLEGE SHE KNEW THAT SHE WANTED TO WORK WITH SPORTS IN SOME WAY.
GROWING UP COHN PLAYED STREET HOCKEY WITH THE BOYS AND EVENTUALLY FOUND A LEAGUE 45 MINUTES AWAY FROM HER HOUSE WHERE GIRLS WERE ALLOWED TO PLAY. SHE JOKED THAT BECAUSE THEY MADE THE 14 YEAR OLD GIRLS PLAY WITH 8 YEAR OLD BOYS THAT THE MOMS OF THE 8 YEAR OLDS THOUGHT THAT SHE WAS THE BABYSITTER NOT A TEAMMATE. SHE ALSO JOKED ABOUT LEARNING HOW TO SKATE WITH 40 POUNDS OF HOCKEY EQUIPMENT BECAUSE SHE WANTED TO BE A GOALIE. “I WAS GROWING LAYERS OF TOUGH SKIN PLAYING WITH THE 8 YEAR OLDS”
COHN DECIDED TO TRY OUT FOR HER HIGH SCHOOL’S BOYS HOCKEY TEAM WHEN SHE WAS A 16 YEAR OLD JUNIOR. SHE DIDN’T MAKE IT BUT SHE WAS SO DETERMINED THAT SHE TRIED OUT AGAIN HER SENIOR YEAR. HER SENIOR YEAR AFTER TRYOUTS THE HOCKEY COACH KNOCKED ON THE WOMEN’S BATHROOM DOOR AND CAME INSIDE TO LET HER KNOW THAT SHE MADE THE TEAM. “TO ME THAT WAS THE SENIOR PROM BECAUSE I DIDN’T GO TO THE SENIOR PROM. I WAS PROBABLY WATCHING A GAME WITH MY DAD THAT NIGHT”.
SHE TOLD HER COACH ONE THING, FIVE WORDS, “I WON’T LET YOU DOWN”. AND THOSE FIVE WORDS SERVED AS A THEME FOR THE REST OF HER PROFESSIONAL LIFE. COHN LOVES INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES. SHE OPENED HER SPEECH WITH AN INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE FROM AN ATHLETE MOTIVATION TWITTER ACCOUNT AND CLOSED IT WITH A MARTIAN LUTHER KING JR. QUOTE.
“IT’S OKAY TO TAKE A STEP EVEN THOUGH YOU DON’T SEE THE WHOLE STAIRCASE” SHE QUOTED MLK JR. SHE RELATED THIS BACK TO HER LIFE. SHE KNEW SHE WANTED TO WORK IN SPORTS BUT IT TOOK HER A WHILE TO GET THERE. SHE STARTED AT A LONG ISLAND RADIO STATION DOING NEWS. SHE DIDN’T ENJOY COVERING THE NEWS BUT THIS RADIO STATION COVERED THE NEW YORK ISLANDERS “SO AT LEAST THEY ACKNOWLEDGE HOCKEY” SHE TOLD US WAS A BIG REASON FOR WORKING FOR THIS PARTICULAR STATION. SHE SAID SHE WOULD COVER THE ISLANDERS EVEN THOUGH SHE HATED THEM (SHE’S A DIEHARD RANGERS FAN) BUT SHE DID IT FOR NO PAY BESIDES FOR GAS AND FOR THE EXPERIENCE.
COHN DID THIS THROUGHOUT HER EARLY DAYS OF HER CAREER. SHE WROTE ABOUT HER COLLEGE WOMEN’S HOCKEY TEAM IN THE NEWSPAPER AND TRIED TO COVER SPORTS IN ANY WAY AND ANY CAPACITY SHE COULD.
SHE EVENTUALLY GOT TO WHERE SHE WANTED TO BE, HER COVETED SPORTSCENTER POSITION. IT WASN’T EASY FOR HER AND MANY PEOPLE HAD TOLD HER THAT MOST WOMEN BEFORE HER FAILED AT THIS JOB BUT SHE WAS DETERMINED TO PROVE HERSELF.
COHN IS A BIG ADVOCATE FOR PUSHING FOR THINGS. “YOU’RE NOT GOING TO GET EVERYTHING YOU WANT” SHE TOLD THE ROOM FULL OF STUDENTS. BUT SHE DID TELL US THAT SHE EVENTUALLY GOT EVERYTHING SHE WANTED.
IT WASN’T EASY, AND MEN DIDN’T TAKE HER SERIOUSLY AT FIRST BUT NOW SHE HAS HER DREAM JOB. SHE GETS TO HANG OUT WITH PEOPLE JUST LIKE HER ALL DAY. “WE’RE ALL SPORTS FANATICS, A LITTLE DIFFERENT BUT CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH. KIND OF LIKE A COLLEGE BUT WITHOUT THE ALCOHOL.” THANKFULLY COHN HAD A SENSE OF HUMOR.