5 Questions With Fred Roggin

One of my first interviews of the “5 questions” genre was with Fred Roggin, sports reporter for KNBC in Los Angeles and regular on the Steve Mason Show on 710 ESPN Radio. Fred also has a show called "The Challenge" in the fall and has made many other appearances around the sports world over the years. This is definitely one of my favorites as Fred was quite gracious and got back to me very quickly. Even better, he answered my questions very honestly and was very pleasant to deal with.

This originally ran on the People Jam website a few months back. Again, it was one of my favorites so I thought it was worth another read:

1. What do you think the single most significant event in sports has been in the recent memory?

Magic Johnson's revelation he had AIDS. This affected everyone, not just the sports audience. It focused more attention on a subject that had been taboo. It dispelled myths and gave people reason for hope.

2. I know you cover Los Angeles teams but hail from Detroit originally – what teams are you a fan of? Can you stay “unbiased” with a favorite? How unbiased do you have to be?

I've been waiting for the Lions to win something since 1957. You're trained to be unbiased when talking to a broad based audience. It used to be, you report it and the audience will make up it's own mind. Things have changed and in sports it's alright and at times necessary to offer perspective given the facts are available 24 hours a day online or on cable. Local sportscasts remain relevant when you focus on local events and offer perspective. Which local teams to I root for? All of them because it's good for business when the local teams win.

3. What do you think it will take for Major League Baseball to recover from the Mitchell Report? Does it seem like there have been more scandals in sports lately? (Mitchell Report, the latest tennis betting scandal, Patriots cheating, NBA referees) Or are athletes and professional sports just under more scrutiny?

There have been more scandals because more have brought to light. More media means more scrutiny. Baseball will recover because at the end of the day people go to sporting events to be entertained. As the old saying goes, this too shall pass.

4. What would it take for more women to be viable sports reporters/broadcasters? I understand that sports are a “guy’s thing”, but can a sports-obsessed woman be readable and believable to men? What can a female do to be taken seriously as a sports authority?

The politically correct thing to say is, times have changed and women have the same chance. The truth is, times have changed and women have more of a chance. There's no question many women know more about sports than a lot of men but when you're dealing with a predominantly male audience it can tough to break thru. I've always believed that the best people succeed. If a woman is the best and can hang in there, she will succeed.

5. If you ever need a day off, can I cover for you?

If I get a day off, I'll let you know.