This is the fourth in the series of the five women whom I most admire.

Karie Ross currently spends her time working tirelessly at Jack's Place in Detroit with autistic children. She and her husband, Detroit Tigers CEO and general manager, Dave Dombrowski, also lend their time and celebrity status to fundraising efforts for autism.

That in itself would be reason enough to admire Karie, but that is not what makes her unique and worthy of being considered "brave." What Karie did was become the very first woman to be hired by ESPN. Women in sport today--on the sidelines, in the announcer's booth, in the locker room, all owe a huge debt to her.

She was the first to go where no woman had gone before--but not without a price. The men in the sports room either ignored her or tried to make time with her. Finally, after enduring their harassment for three years and getting no response when she complained to management, Karie filed a sexual harassment suit against ESPN and several of its employees.

It cost her the job while the men remained employed. But the gauntlet had been thrown down. Women who followed her at ESPN had it much easier because of the changes in policy that resulted.

Below is the post I did in 2006 when Karie was honored by her alma mater as a distinguished graduate of its journalism school.

Sometimes, It's Great to Be a Teacher!
November 7, 2006 / by southwesterngrad / Edit Post





Karie Ross, a Clinton native and 1982 graduate of the University of Oklahoma, was honored recently as a distinguished graduate of the Gaylord School of Journalism. Karie was feted at a banquet during the two-day dedication of the new multi-million dollar Gaylord Hall, now home to the journalism school at OU.

She fought gender bias to pave the way for women in broadcast sports journalism in the 80's when the idea of a woman in the locker room was incomprehensible.

Karie also just happens to be the daughter of Janet and Lanny Ross, my dear, dear friends for over thirty years. She spent many hours at my home, often babysitting for me. She was also in my class all three years of her high school years, first in my English class, then in my newspaper and yearbook classes. I trained her in photography as well as helping her hone her writing skills.

Her senior year, she came to me and said that she had decided to major in journalism at college.

"Karie, I think that's great. I would suggest you focus on broadcast journalism rather than print journalism. That's where the money is, and the field is just beginning to open to women. I think you can make it. You have the looks, the intellect, and the voice for it."

She thought about it, then returned and told me that she was indeed going to pursue a career in broadcast journalism, but that she wanted to be a sports anchor. I swallowed hard, but I never discouraged a student's dream.

"If that's what you want to do, go for it! If anyone can do it, you can," I replied. "Your dad has certainly prepared you." (Karie had been to innumerable sports events since she was old enough to be carried into a stadium, arena or ballpark.)

Her senior year in college, she began an internship at KOCO, Channel 5, in Oklahoma City. After spending a year there following graduation, an ABC affiliate in Chicago tapped her to serve as their early evening sports anchor.

Five years later ESPN came courting. Karie found herself in Connecticut doing sports features on notable men of sport in every arena. Later, she served in the newsroom as sports anchor.

But, not without paying a price. "Everyone else in the newsroom was a man, and they made no secret of the fact that they did not like my being there," she remarked recently in a feature in The Detroit News.

That automatic reaction of men to question her abilities even manifested itself in the writer's article in that paper. Neil Rubin, a sports features writer, opened his article on Karie, now the wife of Detroit Tigers General Manager Dave Dombrowski, by stating,

"She is blond, stunning, and Southern, which is to say that strangers typically underestimate her IQ by half." ( Mr, Rubin, what does being blond, stunning and Southern have to do with her IQ????)

Unfortunately, Karie fought that attitude throughout her career. A stint at a Las Vegas station drew so much negative mail that she was forced to leave that position. She eventually settled in Miami, covering, among other sports, the Miami Mariners.

There, she began secretly dating Mr. Dombrowski, general manager of the Mariners. It was necessary to keep their relationship clandestine because Karie was contractually forbidden from fraternizing with sports figures.

Only when Mr. Dombrowski proposed did she finally reveal to her bosses the relationship. They were not happy. They sent her a memo, suggesting that she switch to doing the weather. She refused, stating that her expertise was not meteorology but sports. They eventually acquiesced, allowing her to continue in her current position.

Married ten years now and the mother of two children, Karie divides her time between pacing in the general manager's box at Tiger Games to working tirelessly at Jack's Place, a learning center founded by the Detroit manager and his wife in honor of their son, Jackson, who is autistic. She also travels on behalf of her college sorority, Chi Omega, as a national recruitment advisor.

Asked if she missed her career, which she left after fifteen years, she answered,

"I miss the people, but not the long hours and the traveling."

I'm proud of you Karie. I look forward to seeing you next time you're in Clinton to see your parents.


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