COMMENTARY: Forget ‘girl power’ — Beth Mowins has the goods, period

It’s been 30 years in the making. And the one question I have is: why did it take so long?

Beth Mowins will become the first woman in three decades to handle the play-by-play duties of an NFL game.

Mowins will call the second game of ESPN’s season- opening Monday Night Football doubleheader between the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos on September 11.

And the network says Mowins will be joined in the broadcast booth by former Buffalo Bills and New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan.

The last woman to call an NFL game was NBC’s Gayle Sierens in 1987.

Mowins joined ESPN in 1994 and has called college football for the network since 2005 and has done play-by-play for locally broadcast Oakland Raiders preseason games.

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I’ve heard Mowins call some college games, and she clearly has what it takes.

She’s prepared, she knows the game, and isn’t hard on the ears.

So again, why did it take so long?

Is it because knuckle-dragging Neanderthals at the big U.S. networks couldn’t bear to see a woman in the booth?

I hope not — but my gut tells me that I’m not that far off the truth.

Rick Zamperin is an Assistant Program/News/Senior Sports Director at AM900 CHML and a commentator for Global News.