ESPN Ombudsman Robert Lipsyte in his most recent column wrote the company's Bristol, Conn. campus formerly "had a locker-room mindset," and "every so often ... there's an unwelcome flashback to those less professional, less sophisticated days." ESPN college football analyst David Pollack on "College GameDay" made remarks about the suitability of women for the College Football Playoff selection committee following the appointment of former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, but later wrote on his Twitter account, "It has nothing to do with male or female." Pollack in an exchange of text messages with Lipsyte wrote he "would have nothing to add to the tweet." "College GameDay" host Chris Fowler said, "I regret the tone of the conversation ... [but] I don’t regret the question. I should have done a better job letting him clarify the point -- that it was not gender, but the feeling among many who have played the game that only those who have played or coached and can watch endless tape are qualified to make judgments." Lipsyte wrote ESPN "has to do a better job of identifying those 'good ol’ boy' comments and turning them into teachable moments for the guys who haven’t quite gotten their heads out of their lockers" (ESPN.com, 10/24).
