CLE Tumbler for Father’s Day! on Amazon

Every time I see a woman working in sports journalism, especially in the Cleveland market, I think of Mary Kay Cabot.

Indeed, that’s the only person you can think of, because in working four decades covering sports in Cleveland, including the Browns for the last 35 years, she has been a pioneer of enormous proportions, breaking down all the walls that used to exist. And she has done it with class and decorum.

It is why she was an easy choice — and a tremendous choice — as the 2025 Bill Nunn Jr. Award winner by the Pro Football Writers Association. She will be honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer.

Now people drop microphones to try to be cool, but when Mary Kay came onto the Browns beat in 1991, Bill Belichick’s first year as head coach, players dropped towels to attempt to do so.

Indeed, some Browns players back then were so upset that female reporters such as her and a scant few others were in their locker room they when the players came out of the shower with towels wrapped around their waist, they would walk right up to those reporters and drop the towel. They dared the women to complain about it, for if they did, the players’ push-back would became even greater.

One time, though, Mary Kay was subjected to something a whole lot worse. The rest of us in the media contingent all saw it. She was understandably extremely upset and we urged her to tell then Browns owner Art Modell about it. When she did, he exploded. I never saw him so mad. Say what you want about Modell, but when it came to the treatment of women, he was an old-fashioned gentleman. He made the player apologize, and then some.

Now the script has been flipped. Players no longer do towel drops. They make sure they are appropriately dressed during the open locker room period. And they love dealing with the ladies during that time and everywhere else. There are no restrictions, or exceptions.

It’s the way it should have been all along. But history tells us that major chsnges like occur slowly and begrudgingly.

It’s all because of the fact that pioneers like Mary Kay gritted their teeth and stood their ground. Even if they had to be humiliated some, they let it be known they weren’t going away, ever.

And they haven’t, still, all these years later.

Congratulations, Mary Kay, and thank you for being persistent, determined and professional, and constantly striving to be the best, in all aspects of your job. You are a trend-setter, a history-maker and a role model to females — and males — everywhere.

Steve King

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