Before becoming one of America’s most acclaimed sports columnists, Ann Killion launched her career as Mike Silver’s partner in crime on one of the industry’s sexiest beats: The Joe Montana/Steve Young-era San Francisco 49ers. We cover so much ground in this spirited conversation, from Eddie DeBartolo’s death stare to Al Davis’ (and Amy Trask’s) national-anthem-induced tantrum to a naked Hall of Famer’s harassment of Ann to Mike’s unlikely locker-room rant in the wake of the (alleged) O.J. murder. Ann also shares her thoughts on covering several generations’ worth of women’s soccer legends, why sports creep her out in the time of COVID-19 and the glaring flaw that torments her in the wake of The Undoing finale.
Three decades ago, Mike and Ann were young beat writers covering the star-studded San Francisco 49ers--and Natalie wants to know where all the bodies (and bottles) are buried. Now an award-winning columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, Ann spills a lot of intel, relating the challenges of working in a male-dominated industry--including one especially daunting incident in the 49ers’ locker room--and looking back at some of the luminaries (Al Davis, Amy Trask, Eddie DeBartolo) whose feathers she ruffled along the way. We also explore the impact of the 1999 and 2019 Women’s World Cups, hear about some awkward conversations that Mike and Ann had with Steve Young back in the day and rail against the loose ends remaining after the finale of The Undoing.