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Rachel Nichols (journalist)

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For other people named Rachel Nichols, see Rachel Nichols (disambiguation).

Rachel Nichols
Nichols in 2021
Born
Rachel Michele Alexander

(1973-10-18) October 18, 1973 (age 51)
Potomac, Maryland, U.S.
Alma materNorthwestern University
Occupation(s)Sports journalist, television host
Years active1995–present
Notable credit(s)NBA on TNT
Unguarded with Rachel Nichols
SportsCenter
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Countdown
Sunday NFL Countdown
E:60
The Jump
Spouse
Max Nichols
​
(m. 2001)​
Children2
RelativesMike Nichols (father-in-law)
Annabel Davis-Goff (mother-in-law)

Rachel Michele Nichols (née Alexander; born October 18, 1973[1][2]) is an American journalist and sportscaster. She has covered the National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Baseball (MLB), professional tennis, college sports, the Olympics and is most notable for her work with the National Basketball Association (NBA). In 2014, Sports Illustrated called Nichols "the country's most impactful and prominent female sports journalist".[3]

Early life

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Rachel Michele Alexander was born to Jane and Ronald Jacobs.[2] Growing up in Potomac, Maryland,[4] she became a fan of sports during her youth, saying it felt like watching a live storybook movie with heroes and villains, and an ending not yet written.[5] Nichols wrote for and edited the school newspaper at Winston Churchill High School, graduating in 1991.[6][7]

While attending the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, she had summer internships at USA Today, Chicago Sun-Times and The Washington Post.[4] Michael Wilbon, a lead sports columnist of The Washington Post at the time, met Nichols when she was an 18-year-old intern and said "she had supreme confidence."[8] One of Nichols' earliest assignments was to attend Chicago Bulls practices as a freelance newspaper reporter amid the team's first three-peat. After a few media sessions where she took notes and did not ask questions, Michael Jordan called her out to speak. The two began to talk on a regular basis after the exchange and Nichols credited the experience in growing her skills as a journalist.[9] At age 21, she received a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University.[10]

Career

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Newspapers

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Nichols' first job was as a sportswriter for the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel covering the University of Miami football team and Miami Dolphins.[5][11] In 1996, Nichols joined The Washington Post to cover the NHL's Washington Capitals.[4] She later branched out into other sports including professional tennis, the Olympics, the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball. Nichols covered Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi as well as Venus and Serena Williams early in their careers.[12][13][14]

Television

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ESPN

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She transitioned to broadcasting in 2004 when ESPN hired her as a reporter.[15] Nichols made regular appearances on SportsCenter, Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Countdown and was a recurring sideline reporter for Monday Night Football and NBA broadcasts.[16][17] She was also a correspondent for E:60 and became a recognizable face at the network due to her rapport with prominent sports figures, with Esquire naming Nichols one of the "Women We Love".[18][15]

CNN

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In January 2013, Nichols left ESPN for CNN/Turner Sports and was announced to anchor the network's first sports-related program in twelve years.[19] She was called a "revered player in the space" and considered a 'big get' for CNN.[20] Unguarded with Rachel Nichols premiered in October of that year and changed from a regular series to an occasional special by October 2014.[21] During this period, Nichols also worked the sidelines for the NBA on TNT program in both regular season and playoff games as well as regular appearances on Inside the NBA.[20] She was a sideline reporter for CBS and TBS during the NCAA men's basketball tournament, paired with Verne Lundquist and Bill Rafferty, and was a dugout reporter for TBS during MLB playoff games.[22][23] Nichols was widely praised for her tough questioning of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in the wake of the Ray Rice scandal[24] and likewise for confronting boxer Floyd Mayweather on his history of domestic violence.[25] The Hollywood Reporter recognized her as one of the "10 Most Powerful Voices in Sports Media".[26]

Return to ESPN

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In 2016, Nichols was recruited back to ESPN by then-president John Skipper. She pitched "a conversation about basketball" as a daily program where former players, reporters and associates of the NBA community discuss the league. Tracy McGrady joined The Jump when it debuted in February 2016. A sit-down interview with Nichols became a benchmark for active players, and Sports Illustrated called The Jump "TV's smartest basketball show".[27][28] She also became a recurring guest-host on the podcast Pardon My Take (2016–present), as well as on the TV show Pardon the Interruption.[29] During the following years, Nichols interviewed Meek Mill and Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin on criminal justice reform, Mark Cuban after an NBA investigation into workplace harassment within the Dallas Mavericks organization and Kobe Bryant in one of his final interviews.[8][30] She was nominated for "Outstanding Sports Personality/Studio Host" in the 2021 Sports Emmy Awards.[31]

Plans to have The Jump serve as the Finals pregame show were scrapped amid the COVID-19 pandemic, when NBA Countdown with host Maria Taylor was made the Finals' pregame and halftime show.[32] During the 2020 NBA Bubble, an employee at ESPN's Connecticut headquarters used a cell phone to record Nichols in her hotel room without her knowledge. The recording included a phone call with LeBron James' advisor Adam Mendelsohn, which was reportedly 30 minutes long, taken from a continuous video feed connected to ESPN's servers. The employee texted the recording to ESPN employees and executives, as well as Deadspin.[33][34] Deadspin declined to publish the video, citing that it was an attempt to discredit Nichols and the employee may have committed a crime. An ESPN spokesperson acknowledged the issue in a comment to Deadspin, "We are extremely disappointed about the leak of a private conversation. It's indefensible and an intrusion on Rachel's privacy."[33] Nichols was the sideline reporter for the 2020 NBA Finals and hosted its championship trophy presentation.[32][35]

One year later, four minutes of edited footage from the phone call leaked to The New York Times before the 2021 NBA Finals amid ESPN's contract negotiations with Taylor. The footage included Nichols noting that being NBA Countdown host for the 2020 Finals "is in my contract in writing" and had been announced via press release by ESPN.[36][37] She also alleged that internal pressure from a New York Times investigation into racism at ESPN and the network's "crappy record on diversity" led to executives asking her to step aside for Taylor.[38][39] In response to the article, ESPN removed Nichols from sideline reporting for the 2021 Finals and skipped airing The Jump for a day before she returned and issued an on-air apology to Taylor.[40]

Nearly seven weeks after the NBA Finals, ESPN canceled The Jump and removed Nichols from its programming.[41][42] At the time, she had over a year remaining on her contract.[43][44] As Connecticut and Florida are two-party consent states for lawful recording of phone calls and conversations, Nichols was reported to have a strong legal case against ESPN.[45] In January 2022, Nichols settled with ESPN and left the network.[46]

Showtime

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In September 2022, Nichols joined Showtime Sports to contribute to their basketball coverage.[47]

Undisputed

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In August 2023, it was announced that Nichols joined Fox Sports as one of the panelists for the weekday morning debate show Undisputed with Skip Bayless, Keyshawn Johnson, Michael Irvin and Richard Sherman.[48]

Personal life

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Nichols married film and music video director Max Nichols,[49] son of film and stage director Mike Nichols, in a Jewish ceremony in Venice in 2001.[2] Her stepmother-in-law, the stepmother of Max Nichols and the last wife of Mike Nichols before his death, is Diane Sawyer.[50] The couple have twin daughters (born March 2011).[51][52][53][54] She also has one older brother and one younger brother.[55]

References

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  1. ^ Rachel Nichols [@Rachel__Nichols] (October 18, 2022). "Also, thanks to all for the birthday wishes, but especially for the free coffee this morning" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. ^ a b c "Weddings; Rachel Alexander, Max Nichols". The New York Times. May 27, 2001. Sect. 9, p. 9. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
  3. ^ "The Case for ... Rachel Nichols". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c "Rachel Alexander". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
  5. ^ a b "Rachel Nichols Doesn't Think Asking Tough Questions Is Scary at All". GQ. February 18, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  6. ^ Frank, Noah (November 18, 2016). "Express lane to Bristol: Why so many D.C. sports personalities end up at ESPN". WTOP News.
  7. ^ Bhattiprolu, Maya; Cook, Quinn (November 11, 2020). "WCHS alumna Rachel Nichols inspires student journalists". The Observer. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Spanberg, Erik (March 18, 2019). "No Fear: Rachel Nichols". www.sportsbusinessjournal.com. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  9. ^ Kyle Dalton (May 15, 2021). "Michael Jordan Got Blunt With Rachel Nichols and Admitted Why He Rarely Does Interviews Anymore". Sportscasting.
  10. ^ Moellers, Beth (April 4, 2018). "Co-anchor of NBC's 'TODAY Show,' Host of ESPN's 'The Jump' named 2018 Medill convocation speakers". Northwestern University. Medill School of Journalism.
  11. ^ "DOLPHINS PLAYERS TALK ABOUT ABUSE". Sun Sentinel. October 18, 1995. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  12. ^ "Sampras to Semis". Washington Post. September 6, 2002. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  13. ^ "Workmanlike Agassi Advances". Washington Post. July 30, 2003. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  14. ^ "WashingtonPost.com: Open Final Lands On Venus". www.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  15. ^ a b Axelrod, Joshua. "Rachel Nichols Highlights from 9 Years at ESPN". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  16. ^ Hiestand, Michael (January 24, 2013). "Rachel Nichols leaving ESPN for CNN". USA Today.
  17. ^ Spanberg, Erik (March 25, 2019). "ESPN's Rachel Nichols asks the tough questions". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
  18. ^ "The Esquire Survey: The Sexiest Women on the Planet". Esquire. November 1, 2005. Archived from the original on May 8, 2008. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
  19. ^ Lewis, Jon (January 25, 2013). "Rachel Nichols Leaves ESPN For Turner; Will Anchor CNN Show". Sports Media Watch. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  20. ^ a b Lisa de Moraes (November 30, 2015). "CNN's Rachel Nichols Heading Back To ESPN". Deadline.
  21. ^ "'Unguarded with Rachel Nichols' will only air as specials after Turner shakeup". USA Today.
  22. ^ Lepore, Steve (September 30, 2013). "TBS announces MLB Playoff broadcast teams". SBNation.com. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  23. ^ Dougherty, Pete (March 15, 2013). "Former ESPN reporter savors new challenges". Times Union. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  24. ^ "Rachel Nichols refused to let Roger Goodell off the hook". USA Today. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  25. ^ "CNN's Rachel Nichols Confronts Floyd Mayweather over Domestic Abuse Charges". Mediaite. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  26. ^ "The 10 Most Powerful Voices in Sports Media: Simmons, Barkley and More". The Hollywood Reporter.
  27. ^ Bechtel, Mark (December 29, 2017). "How The Jump became TV's smartest basketball show". SI.com. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
  28. ^ Shlomo Sprung (February 18, 2021). "Rachel Nichols Discusses The Importance, Endurance Of ESPN's NBA Show 'The Jump' On Its Five-Year Anniversary". Forbes.
  29. ^ "Nichols teams with Post mentors Wilbon, Kornheiser on PTI - ESPN Front Row". July 28, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  30. ^ Lauletta, Tyler. "Tracy McGrady says Kobe Bryant used to tell him early in his career that he wanted to 'die young' and be 'immortalized'". Business Insider. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  31. ^ "Nominees". theemmys.tv. April 20, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  32. ^ a b "Doris Burke to make history by calling conference finals, NBA Finals on radio". Pro Basketball Talk. Associated Press. September 10, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  33. ^ a b Jim Rich; Eric Barrow; Carron J. Phillips; Julie DiCaro (July 15, 2020). "ESPN Creep Used 'The Jump' Video Feed To Secretly Record Rachel Nichols in Her Hotel Room — Video Got Sent to Us". Deadspin.com. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  34. ^ Karen Mizoguchi (July 7, 2021). "ESPN's Rachel Nichols Apologizes to Colleague Maria Taylor After Leaked Disparaging Comments". People.com. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  35. ^ Jimmy Traina (July 7, 2021). "ESPN Waits a Year to Clean Up Rachel Nichols–Maria Taylor Mess, Makes Mess Messier". SI.com. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  36. ^ Traina, Jimmy. "ESPN Botches Handling of Rachel Nichols Again, Humiliates Her on the Way Out". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  37. ^ "ESPN Reimagines NBA Pregame Coverage with New Strategy". October 8, 2019. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  38. ^ Draper, Kevin (July 13, 2020). "ESPN Employees Say Racism Endures Behind the Camera". The New York Times. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  39. ^ Draper, Kevin (July 4, 2021). "A Disparaging Video Prompts Explosive Fallout Within ESPN". The New York Times. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
  40. ^ Ben Strauss (July 8, 2021). "Rachel Nichols is back on the air, but the fallout at ESPN is just beginning". WashingtonPost.com. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  41. ^ Tapp, Tom (July 6, 2021). "Rachel Nichols' Show 'The Jump' Replaced On ESPN Tuesday Schedule Just Hours Before Start Of NBA Finals". Deadline. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  42. ^ Mangan, Dan (July 6, 2021). "ESPN sits NBA reporter Rachel Nichols for Suns-Bucks finals amid furor over Maria Taylor race comment". CNBC. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
  43. ^ Owens, Jason (August 26, 2021). "ESPN removes Rachel Nichols from NBA programming, cancels 'The Jump'". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  44. ^ Pramuk, Jacob (August 25, 2021). "ESPN cancels Rachel Nichols' show, pulls her from NBA coverage following race controversy". CNBC. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  45. ^ Kirsten Fleming (August 31, 2021). "What's next for Rachel Nichols after her controversial split from ESPN?". NYPost.com. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  46. ^ Oshin, Olafimihan (January 4, 2022). "Rachel Nichols officially leaves ESPN after settlement". thehill.com. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  47. ^ Draper, Kevin (September 30, 2022). "Rachel Nichols Joins Showtime After Contentious ESPN Exit". The New York Times. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
  48. ^ McDaniel, Mike (August 9, 2023). "Rachel Nichols to Join FS1's 'Undisputed' With Skip Bayless, per Report". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  49. ^ "Helmer has 'Two Night Stand'". Variety. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  50. ^ O'Connell, Ryan (November 20, 2014). "'GMA' Remembers Mike Nichols: 'We are Thinking of Diane This Morning' (Video)". The Wrap. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  51. ^ Salao, Colin (December 26, 2023). "Rachel Nichols told Dan Le Batard about a shockingly offensive comment a top exec once told her". TheStreet. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  52. ^ Rosen, Rick (February 18, 2016). "Max Nichols, Rachel Nichols Husband: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". heavy. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  53. ^ Deitsch, Richard (July 26, 2015). "Pregnant and on-air: Women in sports media discuss managing work, motherhood". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  54. ^ Shister, Gail (October 23, 2013). "'Hard-Nosed' Sports Reporter, Still Hit On in the Locker Room, Gets CNN Back in the Game". www.adweek.com. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  55. ^ Karalis, John. "Feb 28- ESPN's Rachel Nichols on working with Pierce & Perk, Tatum's ascension, & being a role model for girls". Retrieved March 2, 2020.
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