A Few Thoughts On Gina Mizell

After the Oklahoman hired Travis Haney for the OU beat away from his spot in Columbia with SEC title game #2 fully in his sights just four weeks before the season started I think we all expected an equally ambitious hire for the OSU position.

New OSU Beat Writer, Gina Mizell

That’s fair.

What’s not fair is all the vitriol I’ve seen lobbed at new OSU beat writer, Gina Mizell.

Most of the comments I’ve read have fallen into one of the following two categories:

1. She can’t cover OSU, she’s a girl!
2. She can’t cover OSU, I’ve never heard of her or her paper!

Lest I remind you that the last no-name person the Oklahoma hired was David Ubben who seems to be doing just fine with his career.

Let me take these arguments one at at time starting with the sexism thing. If you really believe that Gina can’t do as good of a job as Brandon Chatmon, David Ubben, John Helsley, or Bill Haisten because she’s a girl then you are an idiot. I don’t know how else to write that and I’m not here to pander to you so just move along.

As for the experience thing, how about we let it play itself out? If we’re sitting here in December and Gina hasn’t written a quality story or provided anything of value to you as fans and readers then fine you can say “what a terrible hire, she had no experience.”

But you don’t get to say that now. I’m not saying she’s going to be the next Amy K. Nelson or Dana O’Neil but I’m also not saying she’s not either.

Those writers who are accomplished, you know the ones whose names you know from ESPN.com and CNNSI.com, well all of them were twenty-three at one point with a local beat for a big paper.

So how about we all chill out and let her work speak for itself.

Am I disappointed that I applied for the position and wasn’t offered as much as an interview? I thought I would be but I can honestly say I’m not. I’ve got a nice little setup as it is right here.

And I’m excited for Gina, to get the opportunity to do something like this at this point in her career is terrific.

So let me end with a little shout out to O-State Nation: let’s give her our collective ear and always treat her work with respect. She deserves that whether you believe it or not.

While we’re here you can read this terrific piece of hers on Arizona State’s female athletic director. Or how about this one about a three-year old with a tumor getting to live out his dream. Lastly, this post from late 2009 about Arizona sticking a dagger into Arizona State.