Episode 100 is here, in the flesh, or in this case, in the computer. This episode is so big, we’ve cut it up into five parts. The DL, in conjunction with washingtonpost.com was given the opportunity to go behind the scenes with Monday Night Football. These interviews took place throughout the day, and into the night.

Today, we present Part 4. Parts 1,2 and 3, uploaded earlier in the week, are conversations with Tony Kornheiser , Ron Jaworski and MNF producer Jay Rothman. Part 5 is actually a two-part interview with Mike Tirico which will be up on Monday but first...

Part 4 is a sit-down with Suzy Kolber.

This interview was conducted in one of the locker rooms at The Linc in between Kolber’s updates for SportsCenter, NFL Live and the other ESPN shows throughout the day leading up to Monday Night Football.

First, we talk about her homecoming, having grown up in Philly. She talks about her family situation, and how it changed with the addition of her daughter this year. We talk about how she’s been able to balance her role at ESPN with her new role as a mom. Her response seemed particularly excited because her daughter was at the game. She mentioned it’s been a lot easier than one might expect because she’s just so happy. She looks it.

We talk about her WIkipedia page. At the time of the interview, it stated that Ron Jaworski was her babysitter when she was a kid. False. It also said she played for her high school football team. Also false. Her dad knew Jaws and they were friendly, but he never babysat. And she did play football, but at the pee-wee level.  That wasn’t on some uncontrollable blog, it was on her openly-editable wikipedia page. So leads to a conversation about the internet and how anything that’s out there is out there. People can write or say whatever they want. As someone who is on TV, in the mainstream spotlight and has a blog named after her, does she think that’s okay?

Moving to the field, we talk about the transition from Sunday Night Football to Monday Night Football and how different it is, especially with her role changing with the telecast completely this season. She, like her counterpart Michele Tafoya, is pretty frustrated.

1. “It's frustrating because when I originally jumped on board with Sunday Night Football, the concept was that we were going to redefine the role of sideline reporter. And we did, I felt successfully, in fact. It was sort of mirrored across the network for all sideline reporters to be more involved [with] more storytelling. It was disappointing when it was decided that we would have less input into the game. Right now, it's pretty limited to ... it has to be MAJOR news."
   

We talk about the power of ESPN, and I wonder where people can go anymore? If you get to ESPN and get a level where she’s gotten – hosting studio shows, working Monday Night Football – there are fewer and fewer options for people with EPSN buying up every sports property around. I mention someone like Stacey Dales, who is leaving ESPN and is clearly not happy with her role, her future, her compensation, or something. People have rumored it’s her seat on the plane. The first thought around the web was, “where’s she going to go?” So I pose that to Kolber: where do people go?

Kolber actually goes the other way and thinks with the internet and cable TV growing, there are even more options for people who might want to make a name elsewhere. Interesting debate.

Last, I ask Kolber what event she hasn’t had covered that she’d like to most work. She tells us about a job offer from NBC to work the Olympics in a three-Games deal that she turned down.

1. “I turned it down because I chose a little more balance in my life. And thought, you know what, the opporunity will come around again when it’s the right time. And I want to have a life.  And I believe if you make decisions for the right reasons it will. So it’s been a dream and it will happen at the right time, in the right way.”
   

Suzy turned down being a Friend of Bob? Wow.

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