![]() ![]() While her time at CBS wasn’t always an easy ride, George paved the way for many women in sports television. She was married to former Kentucky governor John Y. George left the news program after only eight months to spend more time raising her two children. The role also was taxing on her young family. In 1984, she left the sports desk for a job co-hosting “CBS Morning News.” It wasn’t the ideal fit. George didn’t claim to possess an encyclopedic knowledge of the NFL, but she knew how to connect with people.įull of energy and vigor, George had bigger dreams to pursue. She brought empathy and warmth to sports that her male counterparts couldn’t. George also wasn’t afraid to laugh at herself, and her interviewing style helped bridge a personal connection from star athlete to viewer watching from home. She became adept at interviewing athletes and didn’t shy away from asking tough questions. After demanding producers provide her with a clearer vision of how to succeed on camera, George flourished. Her initial months reporting for CBS Sports were a little choppy, but George was learning on the job. The former Texas beauty queen (and diehard Cowboys fan) won the 1971 Miss America Pageant, which drew more than 80 million viewers. Many viewers already knew George, helping build familiarity. Not many women were given prominent reporting roles on TV back in the ‘70s, but with her effervescent smile, quick wit and charming personality, George was a perfect fit. Phyllis George never thought she would become a pioneer for women journalists when CBS Sports approached her in 1974 with an offer to work as a sideline reporter and interviewer for live TV broadcasts. ![]()
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