SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
And now it's time for sports.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
SIMON: Dynasties clash in college hoops. Women's sports continues to rise, and just a wonderfully heartwarming story out of Buffalo. Michele Steele of ESPN joins us. Hi there, Michele.
MICHELE STEELE: Hi-de-ho, Scott.
SIMON: Hi-de-ho. I like that.
STEELE: Yeah.
SIMON: Listen, let's begin with women's college basketball 'cause tomorrow, South Carolina - the current champions - face UConn. These are two programs that have dominated women's basketball for the past 15 years. Neither of them happen to be ranked in the top three at the moment. What do you expect?
STEELE: Well, they are top 10. And we should see them - could see them - deep into March, and, of course, led by two coaching icons, Scott, in Dawn Staley...
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: ...and Geno Auriemma. Really interesting stakes here for both sides. You know, South Carolina is looking to bounce back because they took a somewhat surprising loss to Texas last weekend. That ended their 57-game win streak in SEC regular season play, so they don't want to turn that into a two-game losing...
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: ...Streak by losing to UConn tomorrow. For UConn, this is really a prove-it game. You know, it's hard to believe 'cause when I - at least when I think of women's basketball dominance, I do think of all those UConn teams, you know, that won in the 2000s and the 2010s. But they haven't won a national championship in almost a decade...
SIMON: Wow.
STEELE: ...And that's got to be killing Geno. I'm sure he'd love to have another trophy on his mantel. So this'll kind of prove that they belong in the conversation for that potential national championship this year.
SIMON: Michele, you've spent the week reporting on this extraordinary moment in women's sports. Attendance...
STEELE: Yeah.
SIMON: ...Is growing. Pro leagues are expanding. You found that a lot of it has to do with how college athletes can now get sponsorship money for their name, image and likeness.
STEELE: Yeah. This was a really interesting report that I worked on for ESPN. There was some trepidation at first when NIL was first allowed back in 2021 - at least among some in women's sports - that, you know, the guys would get all the money. But women have really taken the ball here and run with it. Players are building huge followings on social media. And these companies, like Nike or State Farm or Adidas - they're signing these players in college and then amplifying those same players to millions of fans for the duration of their career, or as they go to the pros. And, Scott, you know, it's like anything in sports - fans love stars. And when you build stars...
SIMON: Yeah.
STEELE: ...Audiences follow.
SIMON: I got to ask you about just a wonderful story in football this week. Quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, Josh Allen, gave a special shoutout last week when he won his first NFL MVP award to thank the Bills' mailman...
STEELE: (Laughter).
SIMON: ...A man they call Slick Rick. And a little more to the story here, isn't there?
STEELE: Yeah. I thought this was so cool. And, you know, it sort of harkens to a saying that you hear around NFL facilities all the time, right? Football is the ultimate team sport. And boy, does that extend to everybody in the facility. Josh Allen, of course, the Bills' quarterback, gave special thanks to Rick Morrow. He works in the mail room in Buffalo. He's known by a nickname, Slick Rick. And Morrow ended up doing an interview with a local TV station. He said when he heard his name on national television, he broke down because, quote, "I'm just an average person."
SIMON: Wow.
STEELE: "This is all like a dream." So a local car dealership in the Buffalo area heard, you know, his tearful words and reached out. They found out that he had been taking the bus to work for 15 years, and they gifted him a brand-new car - a Chevy Traverse, to be exact. And so now he can drive to work and presumably...
SIMON: Ah.
STEELE: ...Listen to a lot of Bills' content on the radio.
SIMON: Aw.
STEELE: (Laughter).
SIMON: I have to ask. The New York Jets and Aaron Rodgers are so over.
STEELE: (Laughter).
SIMON: They said they're not going to keep the 41-year-old quarterback next season. Aaron Rodgers will be a free agent. He is a future Hall of Famer, but do you think any team wants to sign him?
STEELE: Well, you know, as a former Green Bay Packers quarterback, I guess you could say his destiny after being on the Jets is to sign with the Vikings. But the Vikings are actually OK at quarterback. You know, from what I've heard, the issues with Aaron Rodgers - his declining athleticism; his age, of course, 41; his reputation for clashing with front offices, and lots of off-the-field issues. So it's going to take a team that really needs somebody under center to sign him. But you know what, Scott? Those teams do exist.
SIMON: Yeah, I'll say.
STEELE: Raiders, Steelers...
SIMON: Yep. Yep.
STEELE: ...To name a few.
SIMON: Exactly. Michele Steele of ESPN, we mark your words. Thanks for being with us.
STEELE: (Laughter) You bet. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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