Cari Champion on ESPN's Boys Club, Public Criticism & Breaking Barriers
Awf The RecordPlay episode
Show notes
Cari Champion has never been afraid to speak her mind, even when the room made it clear she was supposed to stay quiet.
In this episode of Awf The Record, Cari joins Jeannette Reyes and Mona Kosar Abdi for a raw conversation about journalism, sports media, career reinvention, and what it really costs to be a Black woman who refuses to shrink. She opens up about starting as a one-man band in local news, getting fired in Atlanta, finding her way into sports through the Tennis Channel, and landing at ESPN’s First Take, where visibility came with intense scrutiny, sexism, and the pressure to “just tee up the topics and lay out.”
Cari also reflects on leaving ESPN, betting on herself, moving into digital media and politics, dating after divorce, and why sports can never truly be separated from politics. It’s a funny, honest, and deeply validating conversation about knowing when a room no longer serves you, trusting your voice, and building a career that makes space for all of who you are.
KEY POINTS:
00:00 - Cari Champion reflects on becoming visible overnight and being hated for it
02:07 - Cari defines herself as funny, disciplined, sensitive, and a disruptor
03:28 - Speaking truth to power made Cari a problem in corporate media
05:06 - Cari’s early local news career taught her the purpose of journalism
08:00 - Getting fired and rehired in Atlanta became a turning point in her career
14:12 - The Tennis Channel became her unexpected entry point into sports media
17:39 - Cari breaks down how she landed ESPN and became a barrier-breaking host
21:40 - First Take was the hardest job of her career because she was not allowed to be fully herself
24:53 - Cari opens up about the criticism, sexism, and boys’ club culture she faced
33:08 - Leaving First Take, finding SportsCenter, and eventually betting on herself
QUOTES:
“The only time I really knew I was doing my job [was] when I knew that I was changing minds and helping people and affecting change.” – Cari Champion
“It was never about making it big. It was always about telling the story.” – Cari Champion
“I went from a nobody to somebody overnight, and everybody hates me.” – Cari Champion
“It’s okay to be a woman and look good and be smart. None of that. Those aren’t mutually exclusive.” – Cari Champion
RESOURCES:
Cari Champion
IG | @carichampion
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Mona Kosar Abdi
IG | @monakabdi
Jeannette Reyes
IG | @msnewslady
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