Christine Brennan
A pioneering sports journalist who broke gender barriers on major beats and became a leading, fearless voice on issues of equality and ethics in athletics.
Born 1958 (age 68)·American journalist·Birthday: May 14·Baby Boomers
Biography
Christine Brennan entered sports journalism when women in press boxes were a novelty, often met with open hostility. Her breakthrough at the Miami Herald and later the Washington Post—where she became the first woman to cover the Redskins—was less about scoring firsts and more about proving her tenacity and insight. She built a career on clear, principled writing and broadcasting, moving to USA Today and national television. Brennan never shied from tough stories, whether critiquing the Olympic movement, advocating for Title IX, or calling out sexism and misconduct in sports. Her leadership in founding the Association for Women in Sports Media created a vital support network. More than a reporter, she became a respected commentator and mentor, using her platform to insist that sports pages reflect the whole of society, not just half of it.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Christine was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Christine Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Christine's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the first woman to cover the Washington Redskins as a beat reporter for the Washington Post in 1985.
- Served as the first president of the Association for Women in Sports Media (AWSM), founded in 1988.
- Awarded the 2020 Red Smith Award, the highest honor in sports journalism, from the Associated Press Sports Editors.
- Has been a leading columnist for USA Today's sports section since 1997 and a regular commentator for ABC News and NPR.
Did You Know?
She is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
Brennan has covered over 20 Olympic Games, both Summer and Winter.
She is the author of several books, including 'Inside Edge,' a look at figure skating.
She was a figure skater in her youth and remains a devoted fan of the sport.
“Sports is the toy department of human life. But it's also the front page of equality.”
