Sam Ponder has heartfelt message before season’s final flight

With the weekend approaching, Monday’s National Championship Game is firmly in sight. ESPN has done its live hits from Clemson, S.C., and Tuscaloosa, Ala., and all parties are beginning to converge on Glendale, Ariz.

The College GameDay crew, Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit and Samantha Ponder all boarded a plane for Glendale on Thursday for their final flight of the season. And Sam Ponder took a moment to thank everyone in a heartfelt message to fans and coworkers:

On my last flight of the football season and wanted to take this time to say thanks to all my @espncfb colleagues for their support over the last two years of flying with Scout. When they hired me I was a single girl with no kids and since getting married and becoming a mom they have only been more and more supportive of me and my quest to continue working while being the best mom I can be. The men on this @collegegameday crew have held this baby girl on flights, played with her on fields and been more than understanding when I have to make last minute adjustments because of her. To all you young women out there who feel the pressure to choose between your desire to follow a dream in the workplace and desire for family, know that it can be done… but only with the help of encouraging and understanding people at home and at work. Sorry for the novel (and no, we don’t usually fly private… Normally Southwest with all the other screaming babies but thanks @wheelsup8760 ) #tbt

A photo posted by Samantha Steele Ponder (@samanthaponder) on Jan 7, 2016 at 2:56pm PST

It is a pretty powerful message. Whether we want to believe it or not, there is still a lot of pressure on women, particularly women working in the sports industry, to live up to the men in many industries. Equality has not found its way completely into society. It is not that they are not capable of the job — they undoubtedly are — but there is still an old guard with even covertly prejudicial views on those trying to break into the industry.

On a day when a new producer in Chicago was fired for suggesting women should not wear hats while reporting outside in the cold because of how they looked, it is encouraging to see the College GameDay family is just that — a family. They support and help each other and do not let their jobs interrupt their family responsibilities on the road.

College GameDay is certainly one of the things that make college football great. And the incredible chemistry on set and respect the anchors and reporters have for each other is very clear.

It is good to hear. And not just Alabama fans can look forward to a great GameDay show as the National Championship Game approaches.

Philip Rossman-Reich