Episode 17 – Garrett Boorojian interviews Gayle Sierens on relationship building in a team environment.
Gayle Sierens’ Professional Career Timeline and Accolades:
- A Florida State University graduate, Gayle worked at the WFLA–TV (NBC affiliated) station for 38 years from 1977 to 2015 in Tampa, Florida; From 1977 to 1985, she was the weekend sports anchor and reporter; In 1985, WFLA–TV chose Gayle as Bob Hite’s co–anchor for the 6pm and 11pm news; She would co–anchor with Keith Cate later in her career
- Dr. C.A. Tuggle: Gayle’s producer / colleague at WFLA–TV; Garrett’s former broadcast journalism professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Tampa Bay Area: First female sportscaster; Tampa Bay Metro Magazine’s best sports reporter (1981); Sports Reporting: Florida Emmy Award (1984); News Reporting: Florida Emmy Award (1991); Gayle Sierens Day: 30th anniversary of Gayle’s tenure at WFLA–TV (January 10, 2007); Sports Club of Tampa Bay Hall of Fame (2022)
- First woman in NFL history to call an NFL game as the play–by–play broadcaster (December 27, 1987); NBC Sports’ coverage of the Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs regular season game; Notable New York sports radio broadcaster, Marty Glickman, helped Gayle as a mentor and voice coach to prepare for the game; NBC Sports’ Producer Michael Weisman planned to have Gayle call more games for the Network; Gayle’s WFLA–TV contract and pregnancy with her first child, at the time, were key factors for Gayle staying in the Tampa Bay Area
- Gayle talks to Garrett about how she and her husband, former NFL player Mike Martin, met Pro Football Hall of Famer Lamar Hunt at the Seahawks at Chiefs game at Arrowhead Stadium; Hunt congratulated Gayle on her performance as the play–by–play broadcaster
- Hunt was the Owner of the Kansas City Chiefs for 46 years, and won an AFL Championship (December 23, 1962) and Super Bowl IV (January, 11, 1970); The NFL’s AFC Championship trophy is called the “Lamar Hunt Trophy”
- Gayle also talks to Garrett about her friendship with ESPN broadcaster, Beth Mowins; While Gayle is the first, Beth is the second woman in NFL history to call an NFL game as the play–by–play broadcaster; Beth is the first woman in NFL history to do the play–by–play broadcasting for a Monday Night Football game
- Gayle talks to Garrett about Mike’s pie establishment, Mike’s Pies, located in the Tampa Bay Area; Mike and Gayle were live on ABC’s Good Morning America, as Mike and his “Mike’s Pies” company were featured, on November 14, 2022